Apparently, Preston Tucker No Longer Works For Lexus, He's Now at Ford

[Tuckerfan]

If you’re confused about the mention of Lexus, see this thread. Now, as for the Ford connection, I just found this article describing Ford’s new F-350 Tonka truck (and yes, “Tonka” is Ford’s name for the truck).

The HLA system consists of a reversible hydraulic pump/motor from Eaton’s Fluid Power Group (Eden Prairie, MN) coupled to the drive shaft through a clutch and two accumulators. As the driver steps on the brake, the pump/motor forces hydraulic fluid out of a low-pressure accumulator and into a high-pressure accumulator, increasing the pressure of nitrogen gas stored there to 5,000 psi.

During acceleration, the HLA system switches from the pump mode to the motor mode, the nitrogen gas forces the hydraulic fluid back into the low-pressure accumulator, and the pump/motor applies torque to the driveshaft through the clutch. If quick acceleration is required, the F-350’s diesel engine works with the HLA system.

Not exactly what Tucker was trying to do with his original 589 engine, but not too far removed either.