Ask a Shiter

[barrett]

 

THIS NEEDS TO BE EXPLAINED

[seth]

THIS NEEDS TO BE EXPLAINED

 

I think we'll need these guys for that one.

 

[Claypole]

 

Is this a Skoda 1000 MB ?

[Justin Case]

 

Is this a Skoda 1000 MB ?

 

Yes it is, my 1968 Auto Universum shows one, the trim, etc is identical. Now for my stupid question; why is she driving down the Champs Elysee on the wrong side of the road?

[Tayne]

Following the Seat Terra bargain on ebay, how exactly do you find a whole car listed in the parts section on ebay?

Do you have to search through all 2.5million items?

Or is there a technique?

[Negative Creep]

Bump

 

Looking at that Gaz 51 on the ebay Tat thread, I'll show my ignorance by asking how does this work?

 

 

It seems to be a very flat engine with no cylinder head, just the plugs going directly in the top?

[wackywacerwill]

That be a 2 stroke

[Jozza]

It seems to be a very flat engine with no cylinder head, just the plugs going directly in the top?

 

It'll either be flat-head 4-stroke engine (valve gear all alongside the block rather than on top of the head) or I suppose it could be a big 2-stroke engine (no valves at all). Either way the cylinder head is just a flat casting bolted on top of the block and serves only as a 'lid'. No valve gear or cooling passages in the way so the plugs can be screwed vertically into the top.

[Guest]

Can someone explain switched earths to me? I know that's how car horns function but I am too special to understand it. Mainly because I spent most of Physics shouting 'HONG KONG' at our teacher because I had an ongoing Screamin' Jay Hawkins obsession.

[scaryoldcortina]

Switched earths are pretty easy - it's exactly as the name suggests. Instead of having the horn connected to earth and a switched live wire, the horn is permanantly powered and the switch grounds it to complete the circuit.

 

The advantages are less dash wiring (one wire only) and a short circuit will show up by sounding the horn rather than cooking the wire/popping fuses.

[Rocket88]

Bump

 

Looking at that Gaz 51 on the ebay Tat thread, I'll show my ignorance by asking how does this work?

 

 

It seems to be a very flat engine with no cylinder head, just the plugs going directly in the top?

 

Deffo a flat head. No power, loads of torque, crap fuel economy. V8 flat heads are lovely.

[seth]

A sidevalve engine, yesterday.

 

[Negative Creep]

Thanks. It would appear that in Soviet Russia, head flattens you

[CreepingJesus]

Couldn't think where else to put this, so here goes.

Anyone else noticed a very odd howling/rumbling noise from their tyres, on the newly repaired sections of the M90, north of Kelty? At first I'd assumed it was just me, but I've noticed the weird noise in various trucks I've driven up there, not just the car.

I had the window open a crack the other day, when a Merc ML came past me, and started making the noise. Evidently, the driver was a bit freaked out, 'cos they braked back to something nearer my 56mph.

Better still, has anyone got an explanation for it? It's quite an unsettling noise to hear at 70...!

[CreepingJesus]

Okay, again, couldn't think where else to put this!

Do I really need a torque bar to do up a hub nut? Or will bastard tight with the regular ratchet bar do it? I only ask 'cos my old torque bar's fooked, and it means driving down to Machine Mart to buy another cheapo one. But I really don't want to screw up my new wheelbearing, when I get it done. 185lbs says the manual: even a cheapo bar's gotta be more accurate than right arm power alone. Surely?

I throw myself upon your tender mercies, expert shiters!

[Station]

Just stick a bit of scaffolding or the pipe off a trolley jack on the end of a socket thingy and tighten up until you can't anymore!

[CreepingJesus]

Thanks David. Turns out the required torque is somewhat beyond the capabilities of the cheapo Clarke bar anyway! Might just try and snag a good s/h one off t'bay. a truck one, that is!

[warren t claim]

An engineering question.

 

As we can get diesel engines in all different configurations these days would it ever be possible to produce a Wankel rotary diesel? Do we have the technology to produce rotary seals that are up to the job for a compression ignition dizzler?

[TimothyClaypole]

And why is diesel oil different from regular oil?

 

(having said that I was helping a lady in Morrisons today as she was flicking through the chart they have in the car section, all the tops up bottles they had said suitable for diesel or petrol cars etc.).

[Inspector Morose]

And why is diesel oil different from regular oil?

 

Higher detergent content plus a few other extra chemicals. Modern diesels, I would imagine, would need an oil closer to petrol engine oils so cross comparability would probably be possible.

[CreepingJesus]

An engineering question.

 

As we can get diesel engines in all different configurations these days would it ever be possible to produce a Wankel rotary diesel? Do we have the technology to produce rotary seals that are up to the job for a compression ignition dizzler?

 

In theory it's possible. Sadly it falls on the wrong side of the supply/demand equation. I'm tempted to say, that as engineers have spent huge amounts of time and resources getting the Wankel to where it is now, they'd run screaming from the idea of upping the game, by making it into an oil burner. But there will always be somebody who'll give it a go. It's just a question of funding...

[Pete-M]

And why is diesel oil different from regular oil?

 

Higher detergent content plus a few other extra chemicals. Modern diesels, I would imagine, would need an oil closer to petrol engine oils so cross comparability would probably be possible.

 

Modern diesels are rather fussy when it comes to oil. They're full of stuff to keep soot levels down, stop EGR valves from clogging up regularly etc.

 

As soon as they enter the hands of the "Nothing wrong with £3/gallon Home and Bargain 15w/40" brigade they tend to grenade spectacularly. A good thing, in my view.

[Inspector Morose]

I'd have thought that modern tolerances and improvements in combustion design would have reduced the need for those extra chemicals but then again I don't have much to do with modern car diesels. I know that there are make specific oils out there now so wrong grade oil, I can see, would kill modern lumps.

 

You learn something every day.

[warren t claim]

Didn't Thatcher put some sort of covenant on Land Rover forbidding it's sale to overseas buyers as it's a military supplier? I'm sure it was when GM were sniffing around and Hesletine was in the shit over Westland helicopters.

[Tayne]

.

[warren t claim]

If she did it would only have been as a PR exercise.

 

Here governement wanted to flog LR (and Rover) off and there was a keep Land Rover British rally consisting of a thousand or so bearded LR types driving to Downing St.

It worked.

But only for about 15 years.

 

I'm sure there was uproar in the commons about a crucial military supplier falling into foreign hands?

[Tayne]

.

[warren t claim]

The opposition might have been shouting.

 

The tories wanted shot of BL (and were trying to punt it to GM) just like they were/are trying to flog off everything else Britain owned.

Also, it consumed £2.6bn of public funds in its short period of public ownership.

 

Nowadays they probably sell £2.6 billion in Range Rover Sports a year. Who's laughing now?

[CreepingJesus]

Is anyone here in the Renault Owners Club, and if so, is it worth the money?

[AeroNautiCal]

Okay, again, couldn't think where else to put this!

Do I really need a torque bar to do up a hub nut? Or will bastard tight with the regular ratchet bar do it? I only ask 'cos my old torque bar's fooked, and it means driving down to Machine Mart to buy another cheapo one. But I really don't want to screw up my new wheelbearing, when I get it done. 185lbs says the manual: even a cheapo bar's gotta be more accurate than right arm power alone. Surely?

I throw myself upon your tender mercies, expert shiters!

 

 

To (not) quote the Haynes Book of Lies... After stripping the thread, back it off half a turn!