Henry Ford's Kitchen Sink Engine (my version)

[rdean]

I became interested in the Ford engine years back but never really got the bug to make one until after building the Benz engine. The Benz engine has a sliding plate for the intake valve which is rather odd since he used a regular valve for the exhaust. The Ford engine uses plumbing parts that were available at the time for the intake and exhaust valves. A brass check valve for the intake valve and a shut off valve for the exhaust.
I got these at the local hardware store to get started.


As far as I can find out the original engine had a compression ratio of 2.2 to 1 which is quite low with a 5" stroke. The original piston was 1 1/2" or 1 1/4" in diameter I am not sure which and around 3 feet in overall length. I would like to stay within a 9" x 15" overall footprint or less than 1/2 size of the original.

I will be trying for a compression ratio of 4.5 to 1 but there are several problems with that. I will be using a 3" stroke with a 0.875 diameter piston so I need to make the combustion chamber (the 3/4" tee) and the connecting plumbing much smaller in order to raise the compression ratio.

This shows the piston and the seamless cylinder I turned on the lathe. Note the threads are made extra long so the cylinder threads well into the tee and uses up some of the extra room.


The piston travel will be flush with the cylinder end and can just be seen inside the tee.


The stand was sealed with an aluminum slug that extends up into the tee to use up some more space.


The rear plug also has an aluminum plug that extends into the combustion chamber to use up even more room.


I don't know just how much these changes will make but the combustion chamber is definitely smaller now.

Thanks for looking
Ray

 

[Tom1948]

Good start Ray. I seen the Benz engine. I like that too.

 

[rdean]

Good start Ray. I seen the Benz engine. I like that too.

Thanks Tom


The next thing I need to do is see if I have any interference problems with a 3" stroke and still stay in my desired footprint of 9" X 15". I assembled the stand and cylinder parts and mounted on a scrap piece of wood.


I made up a piston and connecting rod.



I really like to use ball bearings so here they are for the crankshaft mounted in 0.400 thick aluminum stand.


I just couldn't leave the stand as it was it looked so ugly so I rounded over some corners and polished it up a bit.


Next will be a crank arm for the crankshaft.

Thanks for looking
Ray

 

[rwm]

 

[rdean]

Welcome aboard Robert

The crank arm as promised.





The two previous pictures tell the whole story even with a 1/2" deep relief slot there is no way a 3" stroke into a 0.875 hole is going to work. There just isn't enough room if I want to stay within my overall length of 15".
I could shorten the stroke but that means the compression ratio will go way down and I don't want that. I think what I will do is make
the cylinder larger with a 1" piston if I can make room in the 3/4" tee. This won't guarantee that there won't be any interference problems but they will be much less.

Thanks for looking
Ray

 

[rwm]

You can't build an engine out of plumbing parts.

 

[rdean]

On the lathe I removed the threads from one end of the 3/4" tee and as much added material that I dared.


I turned a new cylinder with a 1" inside diameter and reduced the outside of the cylinder so it would press into the tee.


Made a new piston there is a sizeable difference from 0.875 to 1".


I still had to cut a 1/2" deep relief slot for the connecting rod but now my interference problems should be over.


Next I will work on the final board sized to my desired footprint and mount the components where they are going to go for a final check.
Thanks for looking
Ray

 

[rdean]

I found a nice piece of poplar and cut it 9" X 15" the maximum size I wanted. I brushed on a dark stain and added four rubber feet.
The crankshaft mount was narrowed up by 1" and squared to the board and securely bolted in place.


A closeup of the crankshaft mount.


This shows about where the cylinder will be mounted.
I can't do that until I have the crank arm installed with the piston and everything aligned properly.


I pressed the crank throw onto a steel bushing and then pressed the bushing onto the shaft.
I even gave it a nice coat of paint.


Thanks for looking
Ray

 

[Tom1948]

 

[Chris Hamel]

Looking good