| daepp |
01-21-2022 06:53 AM |
Not sure if this has been covered before or not, but I just learned about it. I knew that 51 Tucker automobiles used a flat six helicopter engine. But what I didn’t know was that it was a “Plan B“ because they couldn’t get an engine of their own design ready in time.
Below are pics of the Tucker A-589: A low-stressed, 589 in.³, 150 hp/450 lb ft. of torque, aluminum engine with no cam shaft. It used hydraulic pressure to actuate its valves, and it’s said it was also going to get mechanical fuel injection as well.
On a dyno BITD:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1642776399.jpg
One for sale at Mecum:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1642776438.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1642776438.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1642776438.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1642776438.jpg
The most complete A-589 - mounted on their first prototype chassis at the Tucker museum in Hershey
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1642776565.jpg
Sadly, only 3 were produced. Too advanced for the time and for Tucker’s budget, but way advanced for 1947. For example, how long did it take did F1 move to “cam-less” engines?
“ Never one to misinterpret the word "big," Tucker asked his engineers to design a six-cylinder engine with a five-inch bore and a five-inch stroke. This "5 x 5" configuration came out to 589 cubic inches and Tucker wasn't content to just make it big. The engine had monobloc construction and hydraulically actuated valves. The monobloc setup was thought to be a good way to avoid head gasket failures but brought along a whole new world of technical issues when it came to working on the engine.”
“ But it was the hydraulic valves which really caused problems. Once the engine was running, things seemed to be alright. It was getting the beast started that gave Tucker's men headaches. When the engine was not running, all of the valves rested in the closed position. To get it started required a 24-volt starter – at a time when 6-volts was the norm. When it came time to unveil the '48 prototype, dubbed the 'Tin Goose,' to the public, Tucker's men had to shoehorn some truck batteries into the car so it could be fired up without having to be jumpstarted. It was the added weight of these batteries which most likely contributed to the suspension collapse moments before going on stage at the car's unveiling, a scene dramatically depicted in Tucker: the Man and His Dream.‘ |
