Tucker 48
Engine: add {{cn}} flags
| ← Previous revision | Revision as of 03:40, 20 April 2026 | ||
| Line 84: | Line 84: | ||
[[File:Tucker335andY1.JPG|thumb|Franklin O-335 engine and Tucker Y-1 transmission]] |
[[File:Tucker335andY1.JPG|thumb|Franklin O-335 engine and Tucker Y-1 transmission]] |
||
Tucker had promised {{cvt|150|hp|kW|0}}, but his innovative engine was not working out. The [[valve train]] proved problematic and the engine only produced approximately {{cvt|88|hp|kW|0}}. The high oil pressure required a 24-volt electrical system, up to 60 volts to get it started, and a long cranking time at start-up. Additionally, the oil pressure required to maintain valve function was not achieved until the engine was turning at higher engine speeds and Tucker's engineers struggled with keeping the valve train working at idle and lower engine speeds. Having wasted nearly a year trying to make the 589 work, Tucker started looking for alternatives. |
Tucker had promised {{cvt|150|hp|kW|0}}, but his innovative engine was not working out. The [[valve train]] proved problematic and the engine only produced approximately {{cvt|88|hp|kW|0}}. The high oil pressure required a 24-volt electrical system, up to 60 volts to get it started, and a long cranking time at start-up. Additionally, the oil pressure required to maintain valve function was not achieved until the engine was turning at higher engine speeds and Tucker's engineers struggled with keeping the valve train working at idle and lower engine speeds. Having wasted nearly a year trying to make the 589 work, Tucker started looking for alternatives.{{cn}} |
||
The company first tried the [[Lycoming engine|Lycoming]] aircraft engine, but it would not fit in the car's rear engine compartment. |
The company first tried the [[Lycoming engine|Lycoming]] aircraft engine, but it would not fit in the car's rear engine compartment.{{cn}} |
||
An [[Air cooling|air-cooled]] flat-6 engine, the [[Franklin O-335]] made by [[Franklin Engine Company|Air Cooled Motors]] (and originally intended for the [[Bell 47]] helicopter),{{cite book |last= Burgess-Wise |first= David |title= The World of Automobiles: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Motor Car |year= 1977 |publisher= Purnell Reference |location= Milwaukee |isbn= 978-0-8393-6009-4 |editor-last= Ward |editor-first= Ian |edition= Reference |page= 2386}} fit, and its {{cvt|166|hp|kW|0}} pleased Tucker. He purchased four samples for $5,000 each, and his engineers converted the {{Convert|334|cid|cc}} engine to [[water-cooled|water cooling]] (a decision that has puzzled historians ever since). The Franklin engine was heavily modified by Tucker's engineers, including Eddie Offutt and Tucker's son Preston, Jr. at his Ypsilanti machine shop. Using an aircraft engine in an automotive application required significant modification; thus, very few parts of the original Franklin engine were retained in the final Tucker engine. This durable modification of the engine was tested at maximum power for 150 hours, the equivalent of {{convert|18000|mi|km}}, at full throttle.{{cite book |author = ((Auto editors of Consumer Guide)) |title= Cars of the Fascinating '40s: A Decade of Challenges and Changes |publisher= Publications International |year= 2002 |location= Lincolnwood, IL |pages= 264–265 |isbn= 0-7853-6274-6}} |
An [[Air cooling|air-cooled]] flat-6 engine, the [[Franklin O-335]] made by [[Franklin Engine Company|Air Cooled Motors]] (and originally intended for the [[Bell 47]] helicopter),{{cite book |last= Burgess-Wise |first= David |title= The World of Automobiles: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Motor Car |year= 1977 |publisher= Purnell Reference |location= Milwaukee |isbn= 978-0-8393-6009-4 |editor-last= Ward |editor-first= Ian |edition= Reference |page= 2386}} fit, and its {{cvt|166|hp|kW|0}} pleased Tucker. He purchased four samples for $5,000 each, and his engineers converted the {{Convert|334|cid|cc}} engine to [[water-cooled|water cooling]] (a decision that has puzzled historians ever since). The Franklin engine was heavily modified by Tucker's engineers, including Eddie Offutt and Tucker's son Preston, Jr. at his Ypsilanti machine shop. Using an aircraft engine in an automotive application required significant modification; thus, very few parts of the original Franklin engine were retained in the final Tucker engine. This durable modification of the engine was tested at maximum power for 150 hours, the equivalent of {{convert|18000|mi|km}}, at full throttle.{{cite book |author = ((Auto editors of Consumer Guide)) |title= Cars of the Fascinating '40s: A Decade of Challenges and Changes |publisher= Publications International |year= 2002 |location= Lincolnwood, IL |pages= 264–265 |isbn= 0-7853-6274-6}} |
||
Tucker quickly bought Air Cooled Motors for $1.8 million to secure the engine source, then canceled all of the company's aircraft contracts so its resources could be focused on making automotive engines. This was a significant decision, since at the time of Tucker's purchase, Air Cooled Motors held over 65% of post-war U.S. aviation engine production contracts. The loss of income was substantial. |
Tucker quickly bought Air Cooled Motors for $1.8 million to secure the engine source, then canceled all of the company's aircraft contracts so its resources could be focused on making automotive engines. This was a significant decision, since at the time of Tucker's purchase, Air Cooled Motors held over 65% of post-war U.S. aviation engine production contracts. The loss of income was substantial.{{cn}} |
||
=== Transmission === |
=== Transmission === |
||
