Ask a Shiter

[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.

[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!

[CreepingJesus]

^Coming from an engineering background, I was familiar with the precise dimensions of both 'a baw hair' and 'a gnat's whisker' from an early age; and 'tighten it til it shears, then a quarter turn back' is just as much a received wisdom to me, as the magical ability of the kettle, to clarify thought.

 

Oh, and is there anybody in the ROC?

[Rod/b]

Sounds like the London Underground maintenance standard torque setting for all fastenings: FT. FUGGIN' TIGHT.

[ashmicro]

Tyres. I have a new car coming on Wednesday or Thursday, and while the tyres on it are almost new, they're some comedy Chinese Prawn Cracker & Crispy Duck Rubber Co., so I'm going to replace them. The question is thusly: the car is rated for "V" rated tyres. Is it ok to use "W" rated tyres instead?

 

Cheers in advance, chaps.

[scaryoldcortina]

Yes, as W (168mph) is higher than V (149). Also, there is nothing stopping you using N rated (87) if you want, because the speed limit is 70.

 

Speed ratings are also not checked on a class 4 Mot....

[ashmicro]

Cheers SOC, neat answer. The tyres I want to put on it are nigh on impossible to get in V, and I want decent ones as it's AWD. I shall order them in the morn.

 

Thank You.

[Danblez]

I think this is a stupid question, it is certainly not one that warrants a thread of its own.....

 

What on earth is wrong with nearly every corsa c I witness on the roads that is around an 02 plate or older. They have a horrendous top end rattly clatter on tick over, is it the camchain or summat. I reckon I hear more with the noise than without at the moment.

 

Good to see Vauxhall still managing long term engineering perfection.

 

(Sorry Billy)

[M'coli]

I think this is a stupid question, it is certainly not one that warrants a thread of its own.....

 

What on earth is wrong with nearly every corsa c I witness on the roads that is around an 02 plate or older. They have a horrendous top end rattly clatter on tick over, is it the camchain or summat. I reckon I hear more with the noise than without at the moment.

 

Good to see Vauxhall still managing long term engineering perfection.

 

(Sorry Billy)

You can't lay the blame at Vauxhall's door for the 3rd or 4th owner's lack of servicing!

[Danblez]

You mean some people dont service their old shitty corsa? Next you will be telling me some people dont even check thier oil level.

[Cavcraft]

 

Cam chain will be the answer. My neighbour specialises in Corsa C models with rattly cam chains. He reckons the worse ones are the low mileage, short journey types and that generally higher mileage/well used ones fare much better.

Some Corsa B models (1.0 3cyl) had the same engine and suffered from the same problems. Wait 'til you see one where the oil sensor switch 'thing' goes, another neighbour's did and the car looked like it had been buried in an oil field for several months.

[theorganist]

What on earth is wrong with nearly every corsa c I witness on the roads that is around an 02 plate or older. They have a horrendous top end rattly clatter on tick over, is it the camchain or summat. I reckon I hear more with the noise than without at the moment.

 

The woman next door to me has 51 plate Corsa Comfort, not sure what engine it is! She has had it since new and that has quite a marked knocking sound from what sounds to me like the camshaft!

[Pillock]

All the 3-cyls sound like that. I would assume it's pretty difficult to balance a three-pot but the Japanese examples manage to run without sounding like a washing machine with a brick in it

[Guest Len H]

I don't think the GM 1.0 has a balancer shaft, but the old Subaru Justy engines have one - that's probably why Japanese 3 pots are usually quite smooth.