From: vetter@mtu.edu (STEVEN J. VETTER)
Subject: Re: Oil Priming System
Organization: Michigan Technological University
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 15:07:59 GMT

brooks@mcnc.org (Ted Brooks) writes:
>In article <1992Dec11.152053.22392@mtu.edu> vetter@mtu.edu (STEVEN J. VETTER) writes:
>>vbreault@rinhp750.gmr.com (Val Breault) writes:
>>>In article <ByzAB1.MCM@cantua.canterbury.ac.nz> deanaj@elec.canterbury.ac.nz (A. J. Dean) writes:
>>>
>>>   STEVEN J. VETTER (vetter@mtu.edu) wrote:
>>> 
>>
>>
>>  Beautiful "Blue-Blooded" GM praise (I suppose Chrysler Corp. too in a way)!!!  
>>  I should have known all along that all cars are designed to last forever, barring
>>  cruel and unusual use by those of us who buy and drive them.  I never realized that
>>  there was indeed *no improvements* that could ever be made so as to extend the life
>>  of any of those vital parts.  I humbly thank you for showing me where I erred.  
>>
>>  vetter@mtu.edu
>>
>>>
>
>Aww, c'mon buddy, give it a rest. I really don't think Val's asking you to 
>bow down and worship at the altar of General Motors, and never question any
>of their decisions like they were handed down from God. I also don't believe
>that the engineers who designed the engine were total idiots.
>
>If you had ever worked as an engineer in a large company, you would know
>that a product is designed to meet a given task, to cost a given amount,
>and must be completed in a given period of time. The folks who do this for
>a living are (generally) smart, dedicated people, even if they _do_ work for
>a car company :-). ALL engineers in ALL disciplines in ALL companies must
>face these constraints. The end result is they can't fiddle with it forever
>and put every nifty thing they can dream up into their design. If they did,
>the company would go bankrupt waiting for them to finish their design. As
>a result, they have to do a _good_ design within the allowable constraints,
>realizing that nothing is ever perfect, and even if you thought you'd done
>it perfect, you'll think of something else tomorrow. Val has discussed the
>tradeoffs of this topic before here. Basically, there's some ideas that
>aren't worth the trouble to implement - the cost vs. benefit just doesn't
>balance. So if you want to tinker endlessly to achieve things of dubious
>benefit, don't let me stop you. Just don't expect the corporations of the
>world to do it for you when you're already griping about the cost of 
>their product.
>
>I'm sure glad that in your world, there's always enough time, effort, and
>money to make everything perfect.
> 
>Ted Brooks


  I completely understand the constraints of an engineer`s job, as I will be
  graduating in May and hope to land a job as one myself.  I admit I lack the
  practical experience, so there is no need to attack me for thinking I am an
  experienced engineer, but I have been taught the necessary considerations and 
  have some experience in taking them into account on some projects I've worked on.

  I was not asking GM (or anybody else) to build the perfect car.  However, Val's 
  response to my question about aftermarket oil priming systems was one which   
  insinuated that there was absolutely no use for such a system because the car
  had already been ** ENGINEERED** to not need one.  He in no way acknowledged the
  fact that indeed such a system could improve the engine life, but may have been
  left out of the original design because of cost considerations.  He simply tried
  to impress us with the word ENGINEERED, and tell us that those who had originally
  designed the car had already though of that, and deemed it a worthless system
  to add to the vehicle.  He also failed to list another reason that such a system
  may not have been added to a vehicle, and that is planned obsolesence.  

  I have not read any of Val`s previous posts, and so if there is some predisposed
  attitude that I should know of, I don`t.  Again, I completely understand that 
  a designer`s position requires a lot of give and take, but this should be stated
  rather than have to be assumed by such a statement as it was engineered that way.

  Lastly, I know that changing the oil and filter regularly is one of the best things
  one can do to extend the life of their engine.  However, most all bearing wear
  comes from starting the motor, when the bearings are dry.  This wear is even greater
  when it is cold, and the oil tends not to flow real well.  A priming system will
  help reduce that wear upon starting significantly.  This does not only have the 
  obvious advantage of extending bearing life, but also has a significant effect
  on other engine parts by keeping the engine "nice and tight" for a longer time.  
 
-- 
>
>
>
  Steve Vetter      __________________________________________________
Newsgroups: rec.autos.tech