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Shortened drive shaft/prop shaft.
DorsetStrider - 21/11/05 at 03:20 PM

Ok guys here's a question for you...

I'm bored at work and have just been doing some ideal speculation again (always a dangerous thing for me to do) and got to thinking about middy's.

Can anyone think of a reason that you couldn't use an engine gearbox set up from a front engined/rear wheel drive car and just shorten the driveshaft/propshaft so that it's only say 6 or 12 inches long. thus making it possible to drop the engine and gear box in the car BEHIND the driver?

I have no doubt that there is a reason you can't do this but I'm just curious to know what it is.

Mark Allanson - 21/11/05 at 03:37 PM

No technical reason at all, it would mean a VERY long car, the prop in my locost is only about 2'6"long, and the front of the engine is about 5' ahead of me when seated

Humbug - 21/11/05 at 06:03 PM

How about moving all the length where bonnet is for a front engined car to behind the seats, to get a Forward Control type of vehicle.

Here's one I didn't prepare earlier Rescued attachment Forward Control.jpg
Rescued attachment Forward Control.jpg

stevebubs - 21/11/05 at 06:20 PM

Exactly what fisher do for the Menace....

mark chandler - 21/11/05 at 11:16 PM

No reason at all, I raced a landrover with 12" of suspension travel with a 12" propshaft.

All you need is deep yokes, set the axle and engine horizontal at mid way. and a deep slide.

Peteff - 22/11/05 at 12:53 AM

You're forgetting that part of the gearbox is in the tunnel at the side of the drivers legs so if you put it all behind the cockpit it would add that much more to it as well unless the front of the engine went beside the driver. You'd also need to get the clutch cable and gear linkage to the rear as well, I think it would be an exercise in futility to produce an unusable, awful looking vehicle. Rescued attachment longer.jpg
Rescued attachment longer.jpg

stevebubs - 22/11/05 at 10:19 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Peteff
You're forgetting that part of the gearbox is in the tunnel at the side of the drivers legs so if you put it all behind the cockpit it would add that much more to it as well unless the front of the engine went beside the driver. You'd also need to get the clutch cable and gear linkage to the rear as well, I think it would be an exercise in futility to produce an unusable, awful looking vehicle.


Agreed that it is an issue for a CEC. Not a BEC, though

The Fisher Menace has the driver and passenger seats slightly offset with the engine behind the passenger.

For a CEC, just drop a FWD driveline in the back as per Mojo, Aeon, MK GTR etc

[Edited on 22/11/05 by stevebubs]

Peteff - 22/11/05 at 10:37 AM

Which is what the thread is specifically about . Also the prop is beside the driver not behind so that adds even more length, at this rate you'll be sat in the nosecone with the steering wheel behind you.

DorsetStrider - 22/11/05 at 10:45 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Peteff
Which is what the thread is specifically about . Also the prop is beside the driver not behind so that adds even more length, at this rate you'll be sat in the nosecone with the steering wheel behind you.


Hey now there's an idea... hands behind your back steering!!!! That would impress the boy racers!

You're absolutely right I was forgetting that the gear box is alongside the drivers legs. Think it would be easier to just find a FWD engine gearbox to drop in the back.

Thanks anyway guys.