Here are the pics I took of the Smokey Yunick Fiero - not the original '84 car, but the original engine:



was told the wheels came off of a Grand Am
tires are actually aircraft tires



turbo tube going to fuel preheater
fuel preheater under carb/throttlebody (not sure which it had installed)


brush from inside of the h2o heater bowl
h2o heater bowl with




Custom piston created for the build
Timing controller

[This message has been edited by larini74 (edited 08-26-2010).]

Absolutely fascinating that machine is. Obviously its a bit cobbled, but it is just a test-bed prototype car. I still would love to know its secrets, Such as why the engine survives intake temperatures approaching auto-ignition point. There has got to be something weird about the cam or timing or something along those lines.

If thats the piston for or from that engine, it might explain how it's still alive.

You guys would get a real kick out of reading the September 2010 edition of Hot Rod magazine. The issue covers Smokey's Hot Air engine (seen above). There is a multiple page write up on this Fiero. Photos and everything. Check it out! steve w

quote Originally posted by thefredman: Check it out! steve w

Planning on it....

I have always been fascinated by the concept behind this car. How long until the patents run out? I wonder who will pick up the engine concept when the patents run out?

Then again, only Mazda has really used the Wankel engine.

Tony had the car up for sale for a while and it disappeared. I'm glad to see that it went to a place where it will be preserved. There were a few special internal parts like the rods and pistons. The rods were much beefier and I believe maybe the cylinder walls were ceramic. Timing was set ungodly way past TDC. I had talked with him years ago when he was searching for a body to put the subframe and running gear into. He told me a lot about the car, but an old man and his memory soon go separate ways.

There is an article by Boomtastic Racing on www.gafiero.org

PS: The tires aren't aircraft tires. They were tires Smokey designed and had Goodyear build for him. He called them Bald Eagle tires.

Cool Bald Eagle Tires!

In the september issue of Hot Rod the current owner has passed Tennessee emission standards twice. He hasn't gotten 50 mpg's, but he says that because he can't keep his foot out of it. Gotta read the article.........must read! steve w

Here is the link to the article. http://www.hotrod.com/techa...l_pontiac_fiero.html

quote Originally posted by larini74: tires are actually aircraft tires brush from inside of the h2o heater bowl

The tires are actually Smokey-designed Goodyear Run Silent tires, also called "Bald Eagle" tires.

The assembly called "h2o heater bowl" is actually the "homogenizer".

Isn't the homogenizer the Turbocharger like device?

I always wonder about the patent ccovered answer as to why this engine doesn't explode, or eat itself to death. The only answers I can come up with is:

1. A lack of compression which, since the inlet charge is at such a high temperature, would already be efficient when burned, not needing much compression to extract the power.

2. Late Timing, This actually doesn't seem like the answer, since it's only effects are less performance, and lower efficiency and temperatures.

3. Some strange valve timing. You can get an engine to have a very low dynamic compression ratio if you heavily overlap the exhaust and intake valve timing. Or, alternatively do something with the intake valve that causes it to have a low draw of the intake charge

I seem to remember something about the timing being set waaay past TDC. Something like 30 degrees. I don't remember if I got that from an article, or from talking with Tony Allers.

quote Originally posted by fierofool: PS: The tires aren't aircraft tires. They were tires Smokey designed and had Goodyear build for him. He called them Bald Eagle tires.

Geez, those look like implement tires.... found on farm wagons and the front of tractors

While I do admire Smokeys sense of innovation; the claim of 50 MPG and 250 HP from a Duke has got to be pure bullsh*t. I'd like to see that engine dynoed. I'll bet that it doesn't produce 1/2 the horsepower claimed. As for the 50MPG-maybe!

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