AZMIDLYF

Agree, we are getting a rare glimpse into what innovation is all about.

AZMIDLYF

Some recent info:

​​​​​​PRI 2017: Fleece Performance's Billet Block and Intake Manifold
PRI 2017: Master Shredder Engine Displayed at Diamond Pistons Booth

payuppsucker

And on top of all the things listed above, a couple weeks ago Tyson took time to call me about an issue I PM'ed him about on that same day. Spent about an hour on the phone with me and I've never met the man. How about that?

hogie roll

What happened to the big rotary project?

rak rua

When the wheel was invented, I bet everyone thought it was perfect. Then along came a guy with a tire. Then another bloke made a pneumatic tire, then someone added tread, it became a radial tire, then uni-directional tire, etc, etc.

If you accept what we already know to be perfect, then nothing will ever advance.

Great thread, awesome project!

RR

SKammeraad

Any Updates Tyson?

BigSilverCat

Update: a few weeks ago I had wrote out a few long responses but by the time I hit the post button to much time had passed and the website refreshed without posting. And since then I have been busy working on the boat and some parts for customers at my shop and have not had the time to write, but now I have a little time again.

To those that have offered advice and encouragement during this build, thank you for the assistance and support. Your continued contributions are helpful and appreciated, especially when the going gets tough. To the doubters, naysayer’s and cynic’s I offer the following T.S. Eliot quote which provides some insight into how I live my life: “Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far it is possible to go.”

I understand the technical and financial challenges associated with developing a small displacement, reliable 1000hp+ marine diesel engine. As many of you have correctly pointed out, no one, including the multi-billion dollar diesel OEM’s, have ever built an engine like we are attempting to develop. Is it foolish to even try – probably. Is it impossible to accomplish – very likely. However, when I am on my death bed, I don’t want to look back on my life and remember the one time I lifted. The one time I took the easy path when I thought I had a chance to do something that everyone said couldn’t be done. 99% of all inovations in the world are not done by big corporations, or even by experts in the trade, they are done by someone that thinks outside the box and does not give up when things do not go right.

Is there a risk that we will never get an engine to work and do what we want? Yes, but everyone views risk differently. To me, wasting hundreds of thousands of dollars and years of my life trying to build the impossible is not risky at all because you cannot take the money with you when you die. I would rather people remember me by the things I attempted/accomplished and the life I lived instead of the money I had. I know this set of engines may not live just like the last few sets we have tried, but I will not give up I will just keep trying different things till something works. I will never settle for second best and say, well lets just do what everyone else does, that is just not me.

Sooo, the adventure continues and I encourage everyone to keep up the dialog as the engines are rebuilt and we get the boat back out on the water and see if these engines will get us to the speed and endurance we need. If they don't end up working we will just go another direction and keep going towards our goals.

Now, back to answering the many questions that have been piling up since the engine’s “Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly”.


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BigSilverCat

I was never meaning to not be posting updates but I did not have much for updates on the engine yet since there not put back together yet and I wanted to give a good answer to the whole of the last few pages before I started answering the questions and putting updates on things were making.

Some of the people that have posted are experts. Some of them think there experts but are not. Some have experience which I take higher then most experts. Some have no experience and there not an expert but they have a cousin that his girlfriends dad once worked with a guy that his son knew a guy that worked on a diesel once. And I value everyone of there comments and listen to all of them because as I have said throughout this thread there is no stupid question or comment. Some of the comments have made me do more research/testing/ect. then I would have done if they had not made the comment and I learned more then I would have known whether it was right or wrong.

PigNaPoke

Hell of an update, and attitude.

whats the prognosis on what actually happened to the engines? Im curious about this leaning out arguement and this situation.

what seems to have been the weak link? The tune, or the pistons themselves?

ps - you arent the only one thinking about and discussing this for hours on end.

BigSilverCat

we were originally planning a lot bigger boat and actually did some research on small nuclear power. There are actually companies trying to make small nuclear power plants. You can technically buy one that would have 50 megawatts which is the equivalent of 67,000 hp. It's only the size of a refrigerator and we would not need to stop for fuel going all the way around the world. But I did not have the $400 million laying around to get one, and I doubt my background check would allow me to get the fuel for it. Not counting that it would be pretty dangerous to put in a high speed boat


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