multibank?

[Bob Phillips]

Looking through a 1940 dated journal, the "Canadian Automotive Trade" I found this interesting article which should leap out at most of the readership as a contemporary or perhaps even a predecessor to the Chrysler Multibank as used in the M4A4 Sherman. This article says the engines use natural gas and have a life span of 3000 hours. Not sure who copied whose idea but interesting non-the-less.

[Paul Singleton]

Very interesting. The Multibank engine used in the Sherman used a gear case linking the engines together. Probably due to space constraints.

[Grant Bowker]

That matches my thought that the six engine version in the article looked large/bulky compared to the multibank engine as all engines were sitting upright rather than at angles for packaging. On the other hand, having them all upright would have permitted the engines to truly be all the same and probably completely off the shelf with standard "wet" sumps.

[Mike Cecil]

Another 'multibank' was the Perrier-Cadillac Type 2, that linked three Cadillac V8 engines via a gearcase to a common, single output shaft. Dry sump engine with an external oil tank and scavenge pumps in the common trough. It was used to power the Australian AC3 tank. The engines were timed to provide the smoothness of a 24 cylinder engine. Invention and manufacture were more or less contemporaneous with the Chrysler multibank. Maybe they all read that article as part of their individual research?

Mike

[Paul Singleton]

I wasn’t aware of the Cadillac variant. Always amazing to learn something new.

https://www.macsmotorcitygarage.com/...lac-triple-v8/

[Mike Cecil]

Covered in some detail in my book 'Sentinel: The Australian Cruiser Tank'. https://www.trackpadpublishing.com/s...ea2yXls91XK2ow (yes, yes, shameless self promotion!)

A very interesting engine. Designed by a French aeronautical engineer, Robert Perrier. One survives in the prototype AC3 held in the collection of the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, Australia.

Full marks to the Macsmotorcity garage article: it's right! Nice change for the internet: much of the 'stuff' on the AC series tanks is far from accurate.

Mike

[Perry Kitson]

Counterweights appear to be similar to those used on radial aircraft engines.