Strange M question

Anonymous-0 · Jul 19, 2010

Can the engine in an M be reversed to run in the opposite direction ?Thanks for any answers.

Nebraska Kirk · Jul 19, 2010

Bob · Jul 20, 2010

YES, if you can find someone to grind a custom camshaft.

D Slater · Jul 20, 2010

About anything can be done with enough time and money. Even if the valve openings and the ignition system was changed to work the oil pump won't work and if that was overcome some other things in the oil system would be less than ideal.

kossuth · Jul 20, 2010

(quoted from post at 19:48:04 07/19/10) Can the engine in an M be reversed to run in the opposite direction ?Thanks for any answers.

es it can, but you will need a custom camshaft such was mentioned. I'm also thinking the governor won't work properly more than likely, and the advance in the distributor might not work right. You'll also need to rig up an external dry sump style oil pump.

Janicholson · Jul 20, 2010

An idler gear (three gears) between the cam and crank, maintaining the 2:1 ratio, (or a chain drive) will do the main tasks. No cam or distributor or oil pump problems will happen.
The Pistons .could be reversed (I do not know if they have thrust side offset, they may not, so no issue there. The gear change just reverses the rotation of the crank, nothing else changes.
Timing the ignition will be your responsibility,but TDC is TDC.
Starter motors with reverse spin can be rewired, or a starter from a Power unit (front mount) spins opposite. Jim thinking out loud

Darwindo · Jul 20, 2010

Pardon my ignorance, but why would you want to do that, just curious?

Faster346 · Jul 20, 2010

(quoted from post at 08:06:40 07/20/10) Pardon my ignorance, but why would you want to do that, just curious?

+1 sounds like an awful lot of BS to do that..what's the reasoning?

glennster · Jul 20, 2010

there was an application for cotton harvesters and fork lifts where the tractor was used basically backward, but it was done with the transmission, not by reversing the engine. i dont know if they ever reveresed the rotation on a tractor engine, but many of the twin inboard marine engines, one was run counterclockwise to balance the thrust. small block marine chevys were pretty common in a left hand rotation.

GeneMO · Jul 20, 2010

Not about an M engine, but did you read the latest issue of Red Power mag? There is a write up on IH marine engines. They would reverse the engine to back up, saved having a reduction gear or whatever type of gearing it took to do it.

Gene

Red Mist · Jul 20, 2010

You are correct when you say it is a strange question. But, yes, as the others have already said, if you have a custom cam ground for reverse rotation, it can be done.
mike

Anonymous-0 · Jul 20, 2010

I don't think it's a good idea as the connection rod's and caps (to the crankshaft) are angles to provide max strength for it's natural rotation.

Reverse in MHO would create stress where it wasn't designed for.

Maby it's fine but ?????

Strange M question

Anonymous-0

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Nebraska Kirk

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Bob

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D Slater

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kossuth

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Janicholson

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Darwindo

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Faster346

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glennster

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GeneMO

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Red Mist

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Anonymous-0

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