1936 Fairbanks Morse Model 32

71ChargerRT

71ChargerRT

Well-known member
This is really cool!

[video=youtube;q_0xifuTqVA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=q_0xifuTqVA[/video]
 
My brother-in-law has worked in the engine testing department at Fairbanks main plant in Beloit WI for over 40 years. From some of his stories that would seem like one of the smallest that they ever built. He has described some that were so large that they had an 8 foot door that allowed them to walk into the crankcase.

He described another that was a dual crankshaft with the pistons meeting in the middle. And one had pistons over 6 foot in diameter. To assemble it they screw an eyelet bolt into the piston and lower it with a crane. I asked him what they use to compress the rings and he said, "About 12 guys with sledge hammers" :doh:
 
no one ever said the tolerances on something that big have to be "good"..just adequate enuf to work LOL
 
My Fatrher was a merchant sailor for over 15 years...started sailing when he was 14 years old. Anyway he has told me stories of the big engines in the ships he sailed on. They could shut down individual cylinders for Re/Re work. The cylinders were big enough for a few guys to be down there. Boggles the mind when you think how big they are.
 
yeah totaly screws with the head..every time i cross over to victoria ..im on the ferry...i hear that lumbering beast fire up..and i desperatly want to go down into the engine room....while i think the pistons for it are under 1foot across..id still like to be up clo0se n personal with that engine..some of the noises and violence of the hull plates shaking under its power while on the car deck is just..drool worthy
 
Check out the latest & greatest... Google the 14RTA96-C sometime. Quad-turbocharged 2-stroke, 1,708,560 cubic inches, 109,000HP @ 102RPM. :dance:
 
now heres an intresting ponder

The crosshead design reduces sideways forces on the piston, keeping diametral cylinder liner wear in the order of only about 0.03 mm per 1000 hours

ok lets see...1000hours at 102 rpm is 6120revs per hour....sooo 6,120,000 revs to get 0.03 of wear.....that doesnt seem like alot when you consider say a genset or a car...but at 2300TONS .....lol

i wonder how big the starter is....
 
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I think they use compressed air rather than an actual motor. Still, at 28,000 liters, there's got to be one hell of a compressor to do it.
 
Another thing, most of them start on LP or natural gas and switch to diesel at startup.
 
that i did know..but i cant help but truely wonder what is used to start them..i would almost think youd need one hell of a pony motor...@ 5mil ftlbs...one can only imagine how much force is needed to start it..of course....at a running speed of 102 rpm..you dont have to turn it fast.....
 
With that much torque they probably only fire one cylinder, the others would probably be "open". Then they might bring on the others cylinders, one or two at a time?
 
still that much air..youd have to have a BIG engine ..since even a compressor is an "engine" without spark plugs..and for that matter..and engine pushing that engine...so now were talking 2 stage pony motor?..run the gas up to run the compressor up to run the big boy up

im with cow on this..they likely do it in stages
 
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