--------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 246 AUTOMOTIVE Ref: EGM00078 Date: 12/15/97 From: ALAN MORRISON Time: 05:07pm \/To: JAY EMRIE (Read 0 times) Subj: Electrical loads, battery -=> Quoting JAY EMRIE to ALAN MORRISON <=- JE> Thought again, No Problem, I'll just disconnect the battery cable. AM>And the alternator plug. JE> It was too hard to get to and hot! The wire alternator wire to the JE> battery was held by a nut (not me) - didn't want to chance a short JE> trying to take it off. Aha... I'm just used to Delco's that unclip easily. AM>But it needs voltage to initiate a field in the alternator. JE> Seems that the alternator and rest ofthe circuitry DOES provide a JE> closed loop thus providing the field. You lost me here, I thought that was supplied by current to the electro- magnets. JE> Also, I have a 550 CCA @ 0 degrees battery/750 CCA at 32 degrees. AM>The one at 32 degrees is CA (Cranking Amps). JE> Both indicate CCA. While both do indicate Amperage when Cold, I think you'll find the CCA to represent Cold Cranking Amps (@zero degrees F) and the other to be called CA for Cranking Amps (@32 degrees F). JE> Anyhow, it was educational and funny NOW. I thought it was funny... I wish I could remember some of the things I've done that make you mad when you do them and foolish when retold. Oh, I remember one... Ran out of gas as a teen on a slight uphill. It was a busy road with a little bit of shoulder and a curb. Since it wouldn't go any more I let it roll backwards to the edge of the curb, so I could walk for gas. As I rolled backwards close to the curb I heard a sound that could only be air escaping. The darn curb deflated my rear tire which was the exact height to break the bead lose from the rim. Now I'm sitting there with a flat tire and out of gas! Just 30 seconds before I was cruising merrily along. 8-( --- Blue Wave/386 v2.20 [NR] * Origin: River Canyon Rd. BBS Chattanooga, Tn (1:362/627) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 246 AUTOMOTIVE Ref: EGM00079 Date: 12/15/97 From: ALAN MORRISON Time: 05:33pm \/To: KENNY HENDERSON (Read 0 times) Subj: FORD 302 VS SBC 305 -=> Quoting Kenny Henderson to Alan Morrison <=- AM>The convertibles are very close in weight on the new ones, since they say AM>the C5 was designed to be stiff enough in the backbone to avoid needing AM>any added supports, without a top. The Supra is 'listed' with 25 less HP AM>and 35 ft/lbs less torque. Just guessing, the C5 was an automatic. KH> You are probably right. KH> One thing though, I don't know if I believe Toyota's claim of 320 KH> horsepower. A Supra Turbo weigh 3450, with a 180 lb driver thats a KH> 3630 weight. Using my horsepower equation that works out to 337 I get even more than that. One thing for sure, they are just ratings and I trust the results more than the published ratings. If you rate it high the insurance may increase, so they may rate it below a certain figure. KH> I have talked to few guys on the Net who have dynoed their C5 KH> Vettes. All show up at 295-305 rear wheel horsepower which does KH> indicate 340-345 at the crank. That shows the two cars are a bit KH> closer then we think. I also have an old article in C&D I think, which I would guess the actual HP is closer than the ratings, for sure. C&D got a 13.3 (C5) vs a 13.6 (Supra T) which indicates the Supra has more power than 320 with its ~250 pounds extra mass. KH> has information about an ungoverned Supra Turbo reaching 180 mph. KH> Hmm:) Impressive, but temperature and humidity may play a bigger part in power production on a computer controlled turbo car, than a normally aspirated one. Testing both cars together by different magazines seems to show the C5 a bit quicker, but the Supra is within a few tenths... Gearing may also play a part here so you would have to compare top speeds on the same ones you tested for acceleration. AM>article I have says the new NSX with 290 HP has a HP/Wt ratio of 10.8 AM>which calculates to 3132 lbs. My PS_Calc program shows this should run AM>~13.6 with a 150 lb. driver. 252 HP at the same weight gives a 14.2 ET. KH> The 252 horsepower means it was an automatic. The older sticks had KH> 270, the newer ones have 290. You're right, they tested 5 speed NSX's from '92 to '94 which had 270 HP. They ran an average ET of 13.8. The '91 and '96 automatics avg'd 14.35. --- Blue Wave/386 v2.20 [NR] * Origin: River Canyon Rd. BBS Chattanooga, Tn (1:362/627) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 246 AUTOMOTIVE Ref: EGM00080 Date: 12/15/97 From: ALAN MORRISON Time: 06:00pm \/To: JAY EMRIE (Read 0 times) Subj: Ford 429 -=> Quoting JAY EMRIE to ALAN MORRISON <=- JE> plug was a real bear to get out. Impossible with any ratchet, or even JE> a box wrench. I happened to have a >SHORT< plug socket with a hex top JE> which allowed me to put a box end on the socket, then put the socket JE> on the plug and turn just a wee bit before the wrench hit something. There you go! Creativity may be more helpful than reading the fine manual. I've tried that trick, and also deepwell sockets, which are shorter and require being careful on tightening. A selection of different shape and length wrenches are sometimes helpful too. JE> Later found that a number of these cars had been tuned by shops and JE> this plug NOT replaced. The other 5 were a different brand! Don't you just love leaving it up to a professional? And all for only $79.95 (V8 Monza's and vans slightly higher). --- Blue Wave/386 v2.20 [NR] * Origin: River Canyon Rd. BBS Chattanooga, Tn (1:362/627) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 246 AUTOMOTIVE Ref: EGM00081 Date: 12/15/97 From: ALAN MORRISON Time: 06:06pm \/To: ROY WITT (Read 0 times) Subj: RADIATOR LEAK -=> Quoting Roy Witt to Alan Morrison <=- AM> Ouch! That's high; I think mine turns on somewhere around 230-240 AM> and lowers to near 200 before shutting off. RW> That might be the case here too. The temp gauge in my IROC isn't the RW> most accurate of gauges... I wondered why mine stayed so close to the first mark after installing a 180F thermostat. I would have guessed around 160F by the gauge, which is not labeled on every mark. It measured about 180 on the water outlet with a dial thermometer. RW> When I pulled the 195 stat out, I was told the car wouldn't pass RW> the Smog Check...With the 180 installed, it's passed them all since RW> then..:) A temporary piece of cardboard in front of the radiator would have cured that if needed. I've been told to get your car smogged on a warm, dry afternoon. RW>> ... C5 Corvette - Motor Trend's 1998 "Car Of The Year". RW> I saw the first one I've seen being driven, on the street yesterday. RW> Beautiful black coupe'...wish I had the money. I caught a glimpse of one here back in the spring. Did a doubletake through traffic (while trying to drive), to make sure it was a new C5 since I had not seen one yet. I saw it again a few weeks later being driven in the rain... and it's white. Finally stopped by a dealership that had a silver one perched in the showroom (with a SOLD sign on it.) It looked better up close than in magazines; reminded me of standing next to a GTP race car looking at the low, fat tired, aero shape. --- Blue Wave/386 v2.20 [NR] * Origin: River Canyon Rd. BBS Chattanooga, Tn (1:362/627) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 246 AUTOMOTIVE Ref: EGM00082 Date: 12/15/97 From: ALAN MORRISON Time: 06:19pm \/To: ROY WITT (Read 0 times) Subj: SBC-SB2 -=> Quoting Roy Witt to Alan Morrison <=- RW> There's two different versions of the SB2 heads now. The factory RW> heads have the valves in a EIEIEIEI or IEIEIEIE (I don't remember RW> which) row while the NASCAR SB2 heads are set in a IEIEEIEI pattern The only one I've seen is the latter (IEIEEIEI). Since you could bolt other SBC heads on it, the other one you describe may be the GM M'sport splayed valve heads. The SB2 designed for NASCAR that I described was in the March '96 issue of Hot Rod, and has a part # of 24502559 or 24502560 CNC machined with seats and guides. RW> the E ports spaced like the factory SB2 head. According to NASCAR RW> Todays' coverage of one of the engine builders, the intake valves RW> spaced out towards the end of the runners on the NASCAR intake RW> manifold give the NASCAR SB2 even more horsepower than the factory RW> SB2... A splayed valve head would be EIEIEIEI from left to right and the intake ports on the drivers side would take a path like this: \ \ \ \ An SB2 head on either side would be more like this: / / \ \ I can't really draw the regular SBC accurately with ASCII but we all know they are close to this: || || --- Blue Wave/386 v2.20 [NR] * Origin: River Canyon Rd. BBS Chattanooga, Tn (1:362/627) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 246 AUTOMOTIVE Ref: EGM00083 Date: 12/15/97 From: ALAN MORRISON Time: 06:33pm \/To: JAY EMRIE (Read 0 times) Subj: Shake -=> Quoting JAY EMRIE to ALAN MORRISON <=- AM>You can do a few tests before chasing down all the electronics. A leak- AM>down tester, or compression gauge would be best. A vacuum gauge can also JE> I am amazed at how seldom a Cylinder leak down tester is even JE> mentioned. Between a leak down tester, compression tester and vacuum JE> gage a trememdous lot of information can be obtained about an engine's JE> condition!!! And always place the plugs in order on the air cleaner (or similar) as you take them out. Reading plugs while you have them out gives further clues as to what is going on in each cylinder. While I don't own a leak-down tester, watching a Top Fuel crew check out an engine between rounds can be an enlightening process. I thought that was a very informed approach, while watching the plugs go into a holed tray atop the intake, with the talkative end up. Then watching the leak-down being timed, and the numbers written down tells me these folks know what they're doing! --- Blue Wave/386 v2.20 [NR] * Origin: River Canyon Rd. BBS Chattanooga, Tn (1:362/627) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 246 AUTOMOTIVE Ref: EGM00084 Date: 12/15/97 From: ALAN MORRISON Time: 06:48pm \/To: TOM WALKER (Read 0 times) Subj: American Sports Car -=> Quoting TOM WALKER to KENNY HENDERSON <=- -> JP> sports car. -> -> JW> I've always been kinda curious... does the Viper fit here? -> -> Yeah. I'd have to say so:) TW> And it will Seriously Embarrass the Corvette in any competition you TW> want to name. BUT it costs $20,000+ More! Serious embarrasment requires the 450 horse GTS which starts at $66k. The RT/10 415 horse version is a bit closer to the C5 in performance and price at $58k to the Vettes $38k. --- Blue Wave/386 v2.20 [NR] * Origin: River Canyon Rd. BBS Chattanooga, Tn (1:362/627) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 246 AUTOMOTIVE Ref: EGM00085 Date: 12/15/97 From: ALAN MORRISON Time: 07:13pm \/To: ROY WITT (Read 0 times) Subj: Battery sizes -=> Quoting Roy Witt to Ronnie Thompson <=- RW> want to get it in the right ball park, use a match book cover RW> (typically .015 thick)...As long as the points make and break contact, RW> the engine should start. So you know to use a matchbook for points and the match for plugs! (You can use the match again if it won't start.) ;^) --- Blue Wave/386 v2.20 [NR] * Origin: River Canyon Rd. BBS Chattanooga, Tn (1:362/627) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 246 AUTOMOTIVE Ref: EGM00086 Date: 12/15/97 From: ALAN MORRISON Time: 07:17pm \/To: TOM WALKER (Read 0 times) Subj: Battery Terminals -=> Quoting TOM WALKER to CURIOUS GEORGE MEHNER <=- -> Why do cars now have battery terminals made of steel instead of lead, TW> That is one of the reasons. The biggest reason is COST of the TW> terminal itself I would suspect. Bean Counters RULE detroit nowdays. Detroit? I've seen them on Nissans and Toyotas. Don't they have as efficient bean counters in Japan?? --- Blue Wave/386 v2.20 [NR] * Origin: River Canyon Rd. BBS Chattanooga, Tn (1:362/627) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 246 AUTOMOTIVE Ref: EGM00087 Date: 12/15/97 From: ALAN MORRISON Time: 07:24pm \/To: TOM WALKER (Read 0 times) Subj: chevy impala -=> Quoting TOM WALKER to ALAN MORRISON <=- -> BTW, the word "Redneck" is reserved for those old farmers that stood -> out in the sun all day. We used it to refer to the those that told -> us to go get a haircut, during the late 60's early 70's. TW> Redneck word I just used to me is a Southerner, Mostly Dirt Farmers TW> still in my mind although I understand they have come into the 20th TW> Century. But here in California it typically refers to a Bigot and TW> Hypocrite as used by others. It is an eye opener to live on different ends of the country. Each has strong points and weaknesses, but both have some people that may not realize they sound a bit bigoted. We all may come across that way at times, but I felt I was 'expected' to be a redneck when meeting someone in CA as I was 'expected' to be a flake when a lifelong southerner found I had been living in CA. My boss in auto parts in SD, always gave me a hard time about accent even though mine was fairly mild. He'd tell me oil wasn't pronounced 'earl' it was O E L with a long E sound in the middle. I'd tell him a 3 letter word didn't need three syllables, and it wasn't 'earl' it was o'l. (like saying O and then L together) Funny thing is, I had a computer speech synthesizer that would pronounce El Cajon like it is spelled (L-Ka-Jon) according to English pronunciation rules and informed him he was really speaking Spanish! The other differences in attitudes towards American vs Imported cars was another big difference. Many (maybe most) in CA prefer small imported cars. If you notice, even the parking spots there are tiny. Here I think more people prefer American cars, except perhaps, among the younger crowd. Also American trucks are used here when you need something to do some work or haul things. As you know there are a lot more import trucks around SD. I used to notice if government agencies and service companies (SDG&E, PacBell, etc.) used import or American trucks. Are they still mostly US vehicles? --- Blue Wave/386 v2.20 [NR] * Origin: River Canyon Rd. BBS Chattanooga, Tn (1:362/627)