I may have posted this before if so I guess I'm doing it again.
In the early 1900s there was an engine called the hit and miss . It had a governor on a fly wheel if RPMs where below a set speed it would run a normal 4 stroke cycle . If the fly wheel was up to speed . The cam shaft would kick out of gear and stop with the exhaust valve open. Then the piston would go back and forth breathing in and out of the open exhaust valve "horizontal engine "using no fuel untill the RPMs dropped below that set point . Then the cam shaft would go back in to gear and return to normal cycle . If there was no load it would only fire once every 3 or 4 or 5 cycles.
I always thought I'd like to so one of these built by todays standard using today's technology. Instead of the cam shaft kicking out of gear have the crank kick out of gear stopping at the top of the exhaust stroke "fuel injection gasoline engine ". Diesel engine would stop at bottom of exhaust stroke . You could hook it to a generator and even have it coupled to a wind mill. So as long as the wind mill keep the fly well up to speed the engine would never fire.
What do you guys think? Dumb idea? Any ideas for improvement?
Railguy

 

Thing is, now you can accomplish a lot of the same thing by just shutting down the fuel supply to the injectors. At that point, it wouldn't matter what position the engine was in, and a fluid clutch (or even a sprag clutch) could take it out of the equation until it was needed.

- Eric

 

I guess so . My wife's new ford escape shuts off when you come to a stop then re starts when you take your foot off the brake. Never thought about that way . I guess I was thinking of using the stored energy of the fly wheel to re start the engine . I would still like to se it done though . I saw them run before it's really something to see . I bet top RPM on the big ones is 300 500 tops. I saw a water cooled one running it pumped water from the engine on to a large umbrella like thing the water ran off of it and fell 5or six ft. into a large round tube where it was collected and recirculated. Nothing had covers or gards on it so you could see everything working .
Railguy

 

Out here there are shows for hit and miss engines. Some with 5-6 foot dia. flywheels. I watched one being started by the operator jumping on the flywheel. Most were ran on natural gas at the time, and for show now run on propane.
Funny, I was just wondering the other day if electronic controlled valves will lead to a situation where when one lets off the throttle and coasts the engine will shut off fuel and freewheel, until the throttle or brake inputs a signal to run or close the valve to allow engine braking.

 

I just started hearing about the valves. But I often thought that when you were on interstates if every time you left off the throttle the gas was shut off completely it would have to add up. But it would have to not shut off at lower speed. Were you thinking of using the electronic valves like Jakes brakes?
Railguy

 

Jake brakes slow you down by using the engines compression. I was thinking of eliminating compression so the engine doesn't slow the car. Then, when you need to slow, a brake tap lets the valves go back to normal ops. Just a daydreaming thought. Probable just a crazy one.

 

When I said Jakes brakes I was add to your thoughts. Another use for electronic valves. I just heard about them a few bays ago I figured they were used just in f1 or cart.
Railguy

 

Olds made hit and miss engines. Look for purple engines at the steam shows.

 

Dodge/Chrysler is having some serious issues with their cylinder deactivation technology breaking timing chains in the 5.7 Liter Hemi engines.

http://www.hotrod.com/articles/chrys...-chain-defect/

Not exactly a "hit-n-miss" thing, but even with today's technology ya gotta get it right or things can go wrong in a hurry. There are quite a few innovations that are being used with engine management to extend mileage so it will more than likely be a factor going forward.

 

Wonder what it would be like if when that big piston with that big stroke on intake stroke being fuel injected got to the bottom of it's stroke then stopped for 1-2 or 3 seconds than finely atomized fuel in that hot cylinder having more time to turn to vapor. Then the ***** drop on the governor and ....
More efficient combustion?
Railguy