The question was Gunner's. The answer was mine - about the Barrettr steam
car. It was written up in LS several years ago.

Bob Swinney
"pete brooks" wrote in message
om...
Bob Swinney wrote:
"Would it be possible to convert an internal combustion engine, for
example
a VW engine, to run on steam?"

That has been done according to a series in that ran "Live Steam
Magazine"
several years ago. I believe it was the Barrett VW. It operated on
steam
from a flash-type boiler.

Try a search on the Barrett. Some sketches are on the web (or were--don't
have
the links handy) and the drawings were being offered for sale. It uses
the VW
(air cooled) block, two piston/cylinders, but you need a custom head.

Lots of ways to do a simple steam engine (look up bash valve and think
about a
2 stroke gas engine), but the hard part is to get the boiler working....

If I had a good boiler, I'd consider a motorcycle twin (parallel
cylinders, 180
degree crank) with the Westinghouse style pattern. I *think* the W'house
design lends itself to conversion, since it's a high speed, single acting
engine.

Pete Brooks