Tornado
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- Joined
- Dec 5, 2017
- Messages
- 4,813
At a rest stop while out and about on my Commando today, came across an older rider I'd met last week at same location. Got to chatting and he tells me he has a box or two of Norton parts and invites me 'round to take a look see. While there, he shows me his collection of old flywheel engines and soon enough, he fires one up:
He called it a Flywheel, Make & Brake, Hit and Miss engine, used to power all sorts of industrial machinery prior to electrics and/or small gas motors. You can hear it only firing occasionally every few cycles. The Fly-bob weights are governing the rpm and without any load on it it doesn't need a pop each cycle. The intake valve has no mechanical actuator...relying on atmospheric pressure to open on intake stroke as low pressure occurs in the cylinder. As the rpm goes up the fly/bob weights actuate a mechanism to open the exhaust valve during intake stroke, thus eliminating low pressure formation, no intake opening and no fuel sipped in. Very clever.
Anyway, had a look through the two boxes of Norton parts...some 750 Commando items, some 850 and some Triumph parts. Nothing major, but a nice Norton tool roll (no tools :-( ), nice new Lucas square tail lamp lens and gaskets sets. I'll be making a separate visit to collect what I'd like.
He also had a late model vintage Bonneviille, expertly restored by a famous Western NA re-builder. He said he has never run the engine since acquiring it decades ago...and he never plans to as he doesn't want to blue the headers...just gorgeous.
He called it a Flywheel, Make & Brake, Hit and Miss engine, used to power all sorts of industrial machinery prior to electrics and/or small gas motors. You can hear it only firing occasionally every few cycles. The Fly-bob weights are governing the rpm and without any load on it it doesn't need a pop each cycle. The intake valve has no mechanical actuator...relying on atmospheric pressure to open on intake stroke as low pressure occurs in the cylinder. As the rpm goes up the fly/bob weights actuate a mechanism to open the exhaust valve during intake stroke, thus eliminating low pressure formation, no intake opening and no fuel sipped in. Very clever.
Anyway, had a look through the two boxes of Norton parts...some 750 Commando items, some 850 and some Triumph parts. Nothing major, but a nice Norton tool roll (no tools :-( ), nice new Lucas square tail lamp lens and gaskets sets. I'll be making a separate visit to collect what I'd like.
He also had a late model vintage Bonneviille, expertly restored by a famous Western NA re-builder. He said he has never run the engine since acquiring it decades ago...and he never plans to as he doesn't want to blue the headers...just gorgeous.