Synchronizing Two Motors?

[wobblywalrus]

Somewhere on a two-engine setup the torque will be doubled.  That is a weakness when two engines are linked to one clutch, primary drive, or transmission and any of the three are designed for one motor.  It is easiest for the home builder to engineer and design the final drive.  In any case it is a good idea to do some calculations when designing the system.  The easiest way is to start with a final drive that is proven to work for one engine and to double the strength for two.  This provides some added and probably not needed robustness.  Any factor of safety in the single engine final drive is also doubled.

The alternative is to calculate the failure strength and safety factor for the double engine final drive.  This is difficult to do.  The first method is most practical.     

[Stan Back]

Seems to Rich he was referring to multi-engined railroad freight engines and cars.  I see them go by; the Freight Train, not so much.

[RichFox]

The Odd Couple was a good demonstration of two engines of different potential working well together. As well as the Bustle Bomb. Really not much difference between an eight cylinder engine and two four cylinder engines. Not all eight holes are putting out the same amount of effort. But it all adds up. If you had a tug of war and your side had some big strong guys and some less so, They all do what they can.

[Stainless1]

Don't think the 777 Kenz and Leslie streamliner synced its 3 flatheads back in the 50's 

[racergeo]

   Oops, my bad. On my comment to Rich I left out  and also WTF

[RansomT]

The ground sinks up everything together. 

[noboD]

Rich, the Odd Couple was the dual engine car I was thinking about when someone mentioned gear driven. Doesn't the coupler have to be forgiving because of the difference in crank twisting. Something like a chain with lots of backlash. I would think gears would bind things up. Or am I thinking too much??

[RichFox]

The only twin I was ever involved with used a Mark Williams splined coupler. It was not a really snug fit. But didn't have lots of slop. I would not call it "forgiving".

[kiwi belly tank]

I originally started building my liner with two engines using Greek Couplers then changed the design to just one AA.
In the Herbert-Steen 4 engine liner the front pair are facing backwards driving the front trans & diff. The rear pair are facing forward driving the rear trans & diff & there are clutches before the trans inputs. The engine pairs are coupled with chain sprockets on each with a double row chain being the link. Between the center two engines is a reverser box to hook it all together. Engines are 500" Rodeck's. It is unlikely it will ever run again.
  Sid.

[floydjer]

Excellent article re; The Bustle Bomb in Hot Rod a few mo.`s ago...Talk about a combo one would not think would work , But did...And rather well