How do I link 2 engines rotating in reverse?

[TheSteelMan23]

I am designing a streamliner build with two Small Block Chevy motors. They will be sitting nose to nose in the center of the car and then each one will be linked to the corresponding front or rear differential. My question is how do I link the motors together to ensure that they are turning equal RPM's? Are there any available gearboxes that anyone knows about or maybe a belt drive? Or is this something that I am going to have to get custom machined? Any ideas?

[Captthundarr]

Neat idea, lots of custom machining in your future. As I see it the motors will have to be offset a little and a gear mounted to the snout of each crank. As one engine rotates the gears are meshed and the other engine will rotate in the opposite direction as needed. Belts or chains are out as they will not allow counter rotation.

[TheSteelMan23]

I really want to keep them inline, if I have to machine it I will have to have the in and out shafts inline and then reverse the rotation with a gear cluster off in the side of a box to reverse the rotation. Sort of a transfer case looking thing. I was really hoping that something was available though.

[RichFox]

I believe that some of the twin engined cars built before are not linked. The ground is what links them together. Sort of like a train with more than one locomotive. Works for UP and should work for you. If I have failed to convince you of that, you could always look into running the forward engine with reverse rotation as is done on many boats. Then you could use commonly available couplers to link the engines.

[hotrod]

The Burkland 411 streamliner has 2 chrysler hemis mounted nose to nose with one of them running reverse rotation, but I am not sure if they are coupled at the crankshaft snouts or if they are free to run independent of each other. You might want to talk to one of the folks that has worked on the 411 to get the details of how it is set up.

Larry

[Rex Schimmer]

Check with MSD as I hear that they have an ignition system that will keep both engines running at the same speed and as Rich says they are linked by the ground. I would think that if you could get them close via the ignition control then the ground link would take care of the rest.

Rex

[TheSteelMan23]

Thanks for all the ideas, it definitely gives me some things to ponder. My two reasons for wanting to link them is concern for what the car would do if one end got a large amount of wheel spin independent of the other and also how bad it would probably get if you had a single engine failure. I originally was going to couple the two and run RWD only, but I think it is best to run AWD if I can.

[revolutionary]

If it were me, I'd probably get two cranks with BBC snouts that were double keyed and just make a dampened coupler to join them. You could also do it with two coupler ends joined with a u-joint.  Basically making it a v16. Cams are easy to find in reverse rotation cores. Nothing too crazy.

[Glen]

From a safety standpoint I think two engines coupled like you plan could be a major problem if one engine fails and locks up the other would more then likely fail as well and what happens to the drive train.Best to talk to Tom Burkland regarding what they have.

[SPARKY]

I would run them as 2 seperate systems---and in light of what Glen said  I would not think of running them with out the ability for them to FREEWHEEL if something happens to one of the other 

[Vinsky]

   
If you have been following the Marlo Treit's Liner build, there are lots of good ideas there that could be applied to twin engined liners.

[Dean Los Angeles]

If you don't couple them then you have the problem of running out of sync with each other and the difference in sync can cause major harmonic difficulties.

[ChrisLenahan]

I would think that two engines running in reverse rotation would create a lot of stress on any connection between them due to torque. Even if the engines are solid mounted to the frame there will be some flex as the engines try to rotate in opposite directions.

[Captthundarr]

I would think that two engines running in reverse rotation would create a lot of stress on any connection between them due to torque. Even if the engines are solid mounted to the frame there will be some flex as the engines try to rotate in opposite directions.

Clairifing :one engine running in normal rotation . the one facing backwards would be running in reverse rotation. ie both turning in the same direction

[TheSteelMan23]

Well I guess I will ask the question... What are the common setups used in a multiple engine AWD liner? Or is there no such thing as a common setup?