--------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 246 AUTOMOTIVE Ref: EGM00068 Date: 12/17/97 From: CURIOUS GEORGE MEHNER Time: 02:28pm \/To: RONNIE THOMPSON (Read 0 times) Subj: Battery Terminals CGM> Why do cars now have battery terminals made of steel instead of CGM> lead, as in the old days (I'm referring to top terminals, not CGM> side)? I both the posts and terminals should be made of the same CGM> material to minimize corrosion? Did industry switch away from CGM> lead terminals because batteries don't leak corrosive fumes as CGM> much as before? RT> I've never seen a battery with a steel post. Who makes em? I guess I'm using the wrong terminology (terminals, terminology, get it?), especially since some batteries have side terminals. I thought people would know what I was saying because I referred to the *cars* having the terminals, not the batteries. :) What I meant was, why are the terminal connectors now usually made of steel instead of lead, as they were in the past? Golf cart batteries? Or are they copper? :) --- AdeptXBBS v1.07g (Registered) * Origin: Tempe, AZ USA (602)491-5285 (1:114/20) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 246 AUTOMOTIVE Ref: EGM00069 Date: 12/17/97 From: CURIOUS GEORGE MEHNER Time: 02:28pm \/To: ROY WITT (Read 0 times) Subj: Radiator Leak -=> Roy Witt wrote to Ronnie Thompson <=- RW> Why doesn't that stuff settle in the bottle while it's sitting on RW> the shelf? RT> It does. Haven't you ever notice the "shake before serving" RT> notice?? RW> Nope. And I looked before I answered this post. RW> BTW, did you know that antifreeze has a very short shelf RW> life...only a few (9-10) months before the Ethylene Glycol starts RW> to break down. That would be a serious problem for those ethylene glycol antifreeze products designed to work properly for five years or 100,000 miles. Texaco says its Havoline 5Y/100,000Mi Extended Life (GM factory fill) has a shelf life of at least five years, and Prestone claims a ten- year shelf life for its 5Y/100,000Mi product. This can be verified by calling Prestone at 1-800-862-7737 or Texaco at 1-800-STAR-TLC. The ethylene glycol doesn't deteriorate easily or quickly, but the silicone silicate additive found in most antifreezes will break down into a gel in just eighteen months of storage, according to Texaco. The 5Y/100,000Mi coolants are silicate free, as is Toyota antifreeze. Zerex 5Y/50,000Mi coolant does contain silicate, but there's no reason to buy it when Texaco Extended Life is about the same price. --- AdeptXBBS v1.07g (Registered) * Origin: Tempe, AZ USA (602)491-5285 (1:114/20) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 246 AUTOMOTIVE Ref: EGM00070 Date: 12/17/97 From: CURIOUS GEORGE MEHNER Time: 02:29pm \/To: TOM WALKER (Read 0 times) Subj: Battery Terminals CGM> Why do cars now have battery terminals made of steel instead of CGM> lead, as in the old days (I'm referring to top terminals, not CGM> side)? I both the posts and terminals should be made of the same CGM> material to minimize corrosion? Did industry switch away from CGM> lead terminals because batteries don't leak corrosive fumes as CGM> much as before? TW> That is one of the reasons. The biggest reason is COST of the TW> terminal itself I would suspect. Bean Counters RULE detroit TW> nowdays. What about the Japanese, who aren't nearly as famous for cutting corners? My Chevy Corolla has steel terminal connectors. --- AdeptXBBS v1.07g (Registered) * Origin: Tempe, AZ USA (602)491-5285 (1:114/20) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 246 AUTOMOTIVE Ref: EGM00071 Date: 12/17/97 From: CURIOUS GEORGE MEHNER Time: 02:29pm \/To: JAY EMRIE (Read 0 times) Subj: Battery Terminals CGM> Why do cars now have battery terminals made of steel instead of CGM> lead, in the old days (I'm referring to top terminals, not CGM> side)? JE> Didn't know they did. The battery in both my van and car have top JE> posts that are NOT steel. That's why I said "terminals" and not "posts," but I guess I should have been more specific and said "cable connectors." On every car I've seen that was made in the last 5-10 years, the factory-installed connectors were steel, not lead. But all the aftermarket cables seem to be lead. --- AdeptXBBS v1.07g (Registered) * Origin: Tempe, AZ USA (602)491-5285 (1:114/20) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 246 AUTOMOTIVE Ref: EGM00072 Date: 12/17/97 From: CURIOUS GEORGE MEHNER Time: 02:30pm \/To: ROY J. TELLASON (Read 0 times) Subj: Battery sizes TW> As far as the Different CA's in the same size case that is TW> accomplished by the physical size of the plate assemblies. TW> Typically the lower capacity batteries Plate assemblies do'nt TW> go as far down in the case. IE; They don't extend as far toward TW> the bottom. RJT> There's always a space at the bottom of the battery, for plate RJT> material that flakes off and settles there. If there weren't, RJT> shorted cells would be a lot more common. What about no-maintenance batteries, where the plates sit in envelopes, on the bottom of the case? --- AdeptXBBS v1.07g (Registered) * Origin: Tempe, AZ USA (602)491-5285 (1:114/20) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 246 AUTOMOTIVE Ref: EGM00073 Date: 12/15/97 From: ALAN MORRISON Time: 04:30pm \/To: DEVIN DIMITRI (Read 0 times) Subj: cool cop cars -=> Quoting Devin Dimitri to Alan Morrison <=- AM> I saw a book on Cop Cars that showed comparisons on different AM> vehicles supplied for Police duty. They included Caprices, Crown AM> Vics, Luminas, Camaros, Mustangs, a Volvo (!), and a Geo (!!). DD> Oh geez! Would you be offended if i got on my knees and DD> repeatedly begged you for the title/publisher of that book? I'll have to go look again, As I can't remember the exact details. If you have a 'Books-A-Million', look there for a black and white book with a black and white Cop car on the cover. The title either had the words 'Cop Cars' or 'Police Cars' in the title, and was fairly large, at least 8 1/2 x 11. --- Blue Wave/386 v2.20 [NR] * Origin: River Canyon Rd. BBS Chattanooga, Tn (1:362/627) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 246 AUTOMOTIVE Ref: EGM00074 Date: 12/15/97 From: ALAN MORRISON Time: 04:37pm \/To: JASON WEDEHASE (Read 0 times) Subj: Panoz -=> Quoting Jason Wedehase to Alan Morrison <=- AM> Automobile Magazine has an article on American Sports Cars. They AM> included a Viper, Prowler, Corvette, Camaro, Mustang, and a Panoz. AM> Panoz is a very lightweight, open top roadster, with DOHC Ford V8 AM> and running gear. They got a respectable 4.4 zero to sixty in it. JW> Wow. I've never heard of a Panoz. I'll have to look for it JW> now, sounds interesting. The race car they built has won quite a few races in ProSportsCar Racing this year. The street version is not the same car at all, however. --- Professional SportsCar Association News - 10/27/97 - Monterey, CA. Eric Bernard of France and David Brabham of England drove their FORD PANOZ GTR1 to victory Saturday in the Exxon Supreme GT Series race. The PANOZ won the one hour and 45-minute timed event by more than one lap over the GT-1 Lotus of Fabian Giroix of France and Jean-Denis Deletraz of Switzerland. --- Blue Wave/386 v2.20 [NR] * Origin: River Canyon Rd. BBS Chattanooga, Tn (1:362/627) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 246 AUTOMOTIVE Ref: EGM00075 Date: 12/15/97 From: ALAN MORRISON Time: 04:44pm \/To: TOM WALKER (Read 0 times) Subj: cool cop cars -=> Quoting TOM WALKER to ALAN MORRISON <=- -> As delivered do they have a positive shift? If not one of the first -> things to be done on a Police vehicle would be a heavy duty shift kit -> and some auxiliary transmission cooler. TW> They are just as delivered by FORD on a Police Car order. And being a TW> Government Beuroacy things like Shift Kits are out of the question no TW> matter how much sense it might make. They can get money to Repair the TW> Transmissions but NOT to Modify them. I know what you mean... So I'd ask the officers if they would like the 'slushy shifting' tranny repaired before it fails completely! ;^) (Know what I mean??) I would also suggest to never use the words 'shift kit' but rather 'System Correction Package' like TransGo. Additionally, if the failures occur in the summer, it should not be too difficult to sell them on the need for additional cooling. I don't know if they are supplied with coolers, but an external one lowers both the tranny and coolant temperature. --- Blue Wave/386 v2.20 [NR] * Origin: River Canyon Rd. BBS Chattanooga, Tn (1:362/627) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 246 AUTOMOTIVE Ref: EGM00076 Date: 12/15/97 From: ALAN MORRISON Time: 04:54pm \/To: BILL MITCHELL (Read 0 times) Subj: battery sizes -=> Quoting Bill Mitchell to Alan Morrison <=- KR>> If it looks like a 1/2" across the threads then Yes it's 1/4 =] KR>> Pipe threads are a weird thing =] AM> The size is the inside diameter of the pipe. The outside of AM> pipe thread has a taper also. 1/8" is common for the Oil BM> The nominal pipe size is not the id, or inside diameter of the pipe BM> unless you go back many years to size standards no longer used, in OK, sounds reasonable. The size should not be confused to be the OD, which will be much larger. BM> constant measurement is the od, and is the same od from that old BM> obsolete pipe spec. Nominal pipe sizes over two inches will BM> approximately have ids close to their nominal size, but only BM> approximately, smaller sizes almost seem to have no relation to their BM> nominal size. For example, 1/4 pipe has a defined standard od, of .540 BM> inches, the id for normal strength 1/4 pipe is .368, even double BM> strength 1/4 pipe, which is used in high pressure hydralic uses, has BM> an id of .302. Thanks Bill... I've never read the exact details, but one of my first jobs many years ago involved threading 1/2 pipe. The first thing I asked was why that huge pipe was called 1/2 inch. Also needed to be able to recognize the sizes while working in Auto Parts. I don't remember ever measuring the ID, but can spot the taper and identify 1/8" to 3/4" NPT without any problem! --- Blue Wave/386 v2.20 [NR] * Origin: River Canyon Rd. BBS Chattanooga, Tn (1:362/627) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 246 AUTOMOTIVE Ref: EGM00077 Date: 12/15/97 From: ALAN MORRISON Time: 05:02pm \/To: KENNY HENDERSON (Read 0 times) Subj: BMW vs Corvette -=> Quoting Kenny Henderson to Alan Morrison <=- AM>If you notice, most of the top of the line cars, and performance cars, AM>drive the rear wheels. Mercedes, BMW, Lexus, Porsche, and Jaguar are AM>among those that still do it. KH> Yup and I read Caddie is going FWD in the near future. I think the KH> Northstar will eventually make its way into the FBody. I believe they are front drivers this year. They seem to have all gone to the NorthStar setup (except Catera). The rumor I just read in the current magazines is that they may have a Rear Driver scheduled. I wish they would have made the DOHC V8's all RWD from the start. KH> '98 Suggested Retail prices on the Supra Turbo at $39,574. AM>The M3 KH> is $39,700, and the C5 is 37,495. KH> Hmm. I'd have to take the Supra Turbo:) While it is fast and somewhat reasonably priced, since the price drop; I just can't get used to the headlights and that spoiler off a 70 Dodge Daytona! --- Blue Wave/386 v2.20 [NR] * Origin: River Canyon Rd. BBS Chattanooga, Tn (1:362/627)