HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
Newsgroups: rec.autos.tech

Shelby is using some or all of the profits from the sale of the "new"
Cobras to help finance heart transplants for those less fortunate than
him (Shelby has received a transplanted heart).

Regards,
bs

Newsgroups: rec.autos.tech
From: st1el@rosie.uh.edu (Jensen, Douglas J.)
Subject: Re: Increasing power?
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: University of Houston
Distribution: usa
Date: Sun, 26 Jul 1992 07:28:00 GMT

In article <182795@pyramid.pyramid.com>, rrosen@pyramid.com (Randy Rosenberg) writes...
>In article <1992Jul24.133816.20347@bnr.ca>,  (Eric Youngblood) writes:
>runs at 9.0:1
>|> I would like to push the 0-60 time down into the high five second range and
>|> hopefully reduce the 1/4 mile time into the low 14's is this possible or am
>|> I about at the maximum for a "street" configuration.
>|> 
>|> I still have the original 800 cfm Q-jet on the shelf in working
>order, it doesnt
>|> get as good gas mileage as the Holley (currently 14mpg city/ 18
>highway) but I
>|> was wondering if the larger flow capacity would boost power? What
>about intake
>|> manifold? Are there any that give good low rpm torque but allow
>better high rpm
>|> breathing? Is there any evidence that synthetic motor oils can
>provide a small
>|> increase in mechanical efficiency?  

Two more quick suggestions...

1]  I've seen mixed results that MIXING 1 part synthetic heavy-weight
    oil to 3 parts light-weight regular oil will add a couple of HP.
    Of course, we're talking 7-8 HP on a 400 HP engine, here.

2]  You may, if you don't already, want to set up a "thermal" setup on
    your engine.  Wrap the Headers in heat-containing wrap and set up a
    cold-air-feed system to the carb.  This could add some NICE horses,
    torque, AND mileage.

---Doug

Newsgroups: rec.autos.tech
From: eliot@chutney.rtp.dg.com (Topher Eliot)
Subject: Condition of used car
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 92 20:26:22 GMT
Distribution: usa
Reply-To: eliot@dg-rtp.dg.com
Organization: Data General Corporation, Research Triangle Park, NC

Please excuse this display of ignorance :-)

I'm considering buying a '90 Grand Voyager.  It has 40K (!) miles on it,
and the inside of the tail pipe is covered with black stuff that rubs off.
So, does this indicate bad news for the engine; or is it normal for a motor 
with 40K on it (it's the 3.3 liter V6)?  (They're asking $12k for a pretty
well-equipped vehicle).

Should I get a compression check, and if so, how on earth do I interpret 
the results? 

How much should I discount the price compared to a similar vehicle with 
more normal (24K) mileage?  (This vehicle also has the questionable 
overdrive transmission; see my earlier posting).

Also, I get a modest 'tramp' (sharp vibration) at about 40 mph.  It might
be just a tire that needs balancing, but it feels too sharp for that.  It's
like someone was tapping on the floor with a hammer -- bapbapbap.

Advise away.

-- 
Topher Eliot             Data General DG/UX Systems Administration Development
(919) 248-6371      eliot@dg-rtp.dg.com       {backbone}!mcnc!rti!dg-rtp!eliot
Obviously, I speak for myself, not for DG.
misc.consumers.house archivist.  Send mail to house-archive@dg-rtp.dg.com
"Daddy, did you know that super banana squash is a vampire?  And he drinks
blood from cactuses?"  -- Tommy, age 3.
From: bphdarcy@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (SJ Roc D'Arcy, MBP)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.tech
Subject: Re: Vibration of Toyota 4-Runner
Keywords: Toyota
Date: 30 Jul 92 13:40:00 GMT
Organization: University at Buffalo
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

In article <1992Jul29.165915.1059@cs.uwp.edu>, andrus@cs.uwp.edu (Bonnie Andrus) writes...
> 
>I am being ripped off and I need some help.  For some time now my 1990 Toyota
<...>
>me that I need break pads and balancing.  I give them the go ahead.  They call
>me back and tell me that they got the vibration out of the front but not the
>back and that my rear shocks need to be cleaned.  Of course none of this is
>waranteed because it is all maintenance.  I go to the dealer pay them $198.25
>get in the 4-Runner, notice that my breaks just need a slight touch to work
>however the vibration is stronger when I break, I am told that will go away
>when the pads adjust to the rotor. <...>

> Guess what they are going to do today.  They are
>going to take the tires off of a new 4-Runner and switch them to see if thats
>the cause.  When I asked them to check the bolts on the engine and
>transmission they looked as me as to say (Don't tell us how to do our job you
>don't know anything about this) which is true.  


Sounds like the exact same problem I had with my 88 Grand Am.  The
two dealerships I took it to were lost as were the useless folks at
the "GM Cares" program.  They tried to switch the tires with another
one, but that idea failed also, since they couldn't find the correct size
rims.  Let me know what you find out to be the problem.

Mine was a slighly bent front drive axel that was setting up a 
vibration in the front right side.  I was lucky to have an honest and
knowledgable (sp?) mechanic to confirm this.

Good Luck,

SJRD
From: dheisler@CERIS.Purdue.EDU (Dave Heisler)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.tech
Subject: Re: Carbon Buildup in engines ( valves ? ).....
Date: 24 Jul 92 20:49:30 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: Center for Environmental and Regulatory Information Systems, Purdue University


 In an 1920's auto book my grandfather had...To remove carbon
 from the cylinders it said to remove the spark plugs and
 pour in a measure (tablespoon?) of kerosene. disconnect the
 coil and turn over briefly. let sit over night. 

 supposed to loosen and soften the carbon, which gets blown
 out on start-up.

------------------------------------------------------------
 
  when in high school a friend a I tried the pouring a
  mix of denatured alcohol and water right into the intake
  method of removing carbon. It worked. the engine shuddered
  and we revved to keep running. ended up with a 2 ft
  "puddle" of powdered black carbon on the driveway beneath
  the end of the exhaust pipe. (it did run better/smoother/etc)
  (  400 cu. v-8 )

   somehow the idea of major engine damage never occured to us.

d.
Newsgroups: rec.autos.tech
From: rick@posms.cactus.org (Rick Kirchhof)
Subject: Re: Spark plug wires and radio interference
Organization: Department of Redundancy Dept., Austin
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1992 04:49:29 GMT

In article <gnpxg0m@rpi.edu> schere@aix.rpi.edu (Edward David Schernau) writes:
>My understanding of the reason that spark plug wires are not simply
>thick copper is that they would produce radio interference.  If this
>is not right, then press 'j' now and avoid the rest of the message.
>
>If true, and you used copper wires, how bad would the interference be?
>Would it be at specific frequencies or broad band? 
>
>How far would the interference be felt?  Would it depend on rpm or the
>numbers of plugs?
>
>Would any of the static be in the 10 Ghz range?  (X - band)
>I think it's kinda obvious how this could be useful...
>
>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Ed                            Ash nazg durbatuluk, ash nazg gimbatul,
>schere@rpi.edu                Ash nazg thrakatuluk, ag burzum-ishi krimpatul!

One of the main reasons that resistance wires are used, is they are very
helpful in creating a more consistant spark.  It is true that the
radio interference is greatly redused by using resistance in the
secondary ignition (spark plug) wires, but as early as 1960 even
Volkswagen used solid core copper wires with a screw on resistor at the
spark plug connection.  This was done to up the required voltage for arc
over.  This tends to make the spark more reliable by delaying the
start of the spark until higher voltages are present.  Less misfires are
the result.

Spark ignition in a Otto cycle engine is high probability rather than a
certainty even when all components are in excellent condition.
-- 
Rick Kirchhof   Austin, Texas                   | Experience is what you
Domain: rick@posms.cactus.org                   | get when you don't
Bang path: ...!cs.utexas.edu!peyote!posms!rick  | get what you want.            
===========================================================================
From: SDDASCOMB@poppy.ucdavis.edu (STEVEN D. DASCOMB)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.tech
Subject: Info on '60 Chevy trucks
Date: 27 Jul 92 19:22:37 GMT
Organization: University of California, Davis
X-News-Reader: VMS NEWS 1.20

I just got a '60 Chevy truck and need info:
  1. On any good parts houses.
  2. On getting a manual.
  3. On any books about working on older Chevy trucks
       or books on I.D. of trucks - picture books, original
       colors, etc...
  4. On the '60 283 motor. Do they have problems?
  5. any other help...

Thanks. Steve Dascomb, UC Davic, California.
From: Frank.Mallory@f417.n109.z1.fidonet.org (Frank Mallory)
Sender: Uucp@blkcat.UUCP
Newsgroups: rec.autos.tech
Subject: Letters to the Editor:  Blazing Ta
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1992 21:59:00 -0500

 MR> > When the voltage exceeds that necessary to create a spark across the 
 MR> spark gap
 MR> > in the plug, the capacitor discharges, providing the energy necessary 
 MR> to ignite
 MR> > the fuel (actually, the coil and the capacitor provide a resonant 
 MR> circuit in
 MR> > which the spark gap provides a resistive component, so the current 
 MR> through the
 MR> > gap oscillates).  What we've got is a circuit that transforms the 12 
 MR> volts from
 MR> > the battery to a high enough voltage to initiate the spark.  The 

(Invectives and other stuff deleted)

 MR> Would a knowledgable person in rec.auto.tech or sci.electronics
 MR> please settle this debate?

In an ordinary Kettering ignition system, the capacitor (condensor) in the
secondary circuit serves only two functions:
1) "When the storage process has been completed, the contact breaker opens the
circuit at the instant of ignition, thereby interrupting the primary circuit.
When this occurs, the magnetic field instantly collapses and induces a voltage
in the primary winding as well as in the secondary winding. According to the law
of induction (Faraday's  Law), the more rapidly the magnetic field collapses,
the higher both of these voltages are, and one of the functions of the capacitor
connected in parallel with the breaker is to accelerate the rate of collapse".

2) "Without the ignition capacitor, the full induced voltage  would immediately
be applied across the contact points, which would result in considerable arcing
between them because the charging effect of the capacitor would not be present
and thus the delay in the rise of the voltage would be eliminated. After a short
period of time, the contact points would be ruined...".

The above quotes are from the excellent Bosch Technical Instruction on Battery
Ignition Systems (ISBN 1-85-226003-3).

My understanding is that the primary circuit capacitor serves another function,
that of helping prolong the spark by discharging back into the coil to induce
additional pulses in the secondary windings. Together, they form what is known
as a "resonant circuit". But this doesn't occur until _after_ the coil has
initially discharged and the plug has fired (or misfired).

From this it can be seen that the statement concerning the function of the
discharge of the capacitor is incorrect with respect to the standard ignition
system.  Perhaps the writer has confused the Capacitor Discharge Ignition System
(CDI) with the standard system; in the CDI system, the capacitor furnishing the
spark is in the secondary circuit.



Newsgroups: rec.autos.tech
From: behanna@phoenix.syl.nj.nec.com (Chris BeHanna)
Subject: Re: Carbon Buildup in engines ( valves ? ).....
Organization: NEC Systems Laboratory, Inc.
Distribution: na
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 92 03:47:11 GMT

In article <1992Jul22.073213.4161@mr.med.ge.com> hinz@bonfire (David Hinz Mfg 4-6987) writes:
>jxt@calmasd.Prime.COM (Jawahar Tembulkar) writes:
>IMHO, the best way to clean the carbon off is to take a nice, long drive in
>the country, preferably along winding, scenic roads.  After a few hundred
>miles, you should notice the improvement.  I don't think injector cleaner
>would do anything for you; I don't know of anything to pour in the tank that
>will clean the carbon off.  It's either burn it away through driving, or
>mechanically remove it.

	You're forgetting the old "pour water in the intake" trick.  A small
stream and go enough on the throttle to keep the engine running and you'll
clean those cylinders right out.

.
-- 
Chris BeHanna		DoD# 114      1983 Harley-Davidson FXWG Wide Glide
behanna@syl.nj.nec.com	              1984 Dodge Omni GLH (well, almost)

Disclaimer:  Now why would NEC agree with any of this anyway?
Newsgroups: rec.autos.tech
From: segallis@su1bc.uucp (greg segallis)
Subject: BMW 325e Service Indicator
Reply-To: segallis@su1bc.UUCP (greg segallis)
Organization: GCSD CAE Harris Corp.
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 1992 13:32:40 GMT

I recently built a "oil service indicator reset tool" as described in an
issue of Roundel magazine.  It's just a switch that shorts two pins in
the diagnostics connector in the engine compartment.

When the last green LED on the service indicator was out I tried to
reset it.  It worked.  I turned on the ignition and pressed the swith
and then released it.  This reset the indicator and all 5 green LED's
came on.

A couple of months later the "INSPECTION" light came on (all green
LED's were previously lit - looks like the LED's are just for the OIL part).
I tried to reset it.  The first push of the reset switch had no effect.
The second push did reset it.  Two weeks later the INSPECTION light came on
again.  I again reset it.  Five miles later it came on again.

The dealer says maybe it is not being reset completely or maybe the
service indicator board is bad.

Does anyone out there know how to reset the INSPECTION light properly?
How many pushes of the switch should it take?  Is there anything else
that can cause the light to come on?

Thanks in advance,
Greg            segallis@su25d.ess.harris.com
From: tiok_kl@tac.fi (Kari Leminen)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.tech
Subject: Re: What does GT mean in all these sports models ?
Date: 31 Jul 92 08:51:02 +0300
Followup-To: rec.autos.tech
Organization: City of Tampere

In article <64532@hydra.gatech.EDU>, gt0963d@prism.gatech.EDU (Deeptendu Majumder) writes:
> The subject line says it all :-)
> 
> thanks
> d.
> -- 
> ------
> "Like a harsh neon streaking  through the velvet darkness 
> the whetted knife of Life tore its path through her Dreams"
-- 
   	
     	The right answer is : " Gran Turismo "

------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
tiok_kl@tac.fi, Kari Leminen                Disclaimer:  "If opinions found    
Department of Information Technology                     - they're mine!"
City of Tampere                                  
Finland                              
______________________________________________________________________________
From: borowski@hpspkla.spk.hp.com (Don T. Borowski)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.tech
Subject: Re: AC compressor always engaged
Date: 24 Jul 92 22:43:35 GMT
Organization: Hewlett Packard Company, Spokane, Wa.

Air conditioner compressors are controlled by electric clutch.  Just pull
the wire off the compressor and see if it stops running.  If it does, you
have an electrical problem.  If is does not, then the electric clutch is
stuck in the engaged position, and need to be repaired or replaced.

In normal operation, the compressor will cycle off and on, controlled by
the interior air temperature themostat and also (I believe) a pressure
switch.


Donald Borowski    WA6OMI    Hewlett-Packard, Spokane Division
"Angels are able to fly because they take themselves so lightly."
                                       -G.K. Chesterton
Newsgroups: rec.autos.tech,rec.autos.vw
From: lmcstst@noah.ericsson.se (Stamos Stamos)
Subject: Audi fuel pump??
Organization: Ericsson Communications Inc. Montreal, Canada
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1992 15:50:24 GMT



Hi,

My 85 Audi Coupe GT (same engine as the 5000) doesn't start
any more.

My girl friend has been using it for a while.  The symptoms
she reported are:  Driving along and suddenly black smoke
is coming from the exhaust and the drivability is bad, also
said there was a clicking sound coming from the rear of the
car(fuel pump?).  Haven't had much time to look at it but
it doesn't start. The engine cranks over fine, touched the
fuel pump and that felt like it was turning(no noise).

I haven't had time to check the ignition system but this
seems like a fuel problem to me.  How can I verify my
diagnosis? Should I remove an injector an try and start the
engine to see if any fuel comes out? Is there a better way?
From the black smoke I assume it was running way too rich.

Some time ago I remember someones article saying that if
your fuel pump is making funny noises change it right away
as it could fail and distroy other components of the fuel
system.  Which  are these other 'components' of the fuel
system. What do they look like and where are they located?
How should I check them to be sure they are broken?


To summarise: do people agree that its the fuel pump and these
              'other components' that are broken?



Any and all help would be much appreciated.





--
Stamos <lmcstst@noah.ericsson.se>                        Ellas
Ericsson, Cellular Design
Montreal, Canada.
Newsgroups: rec.autos.tech
From: jayc@hubcap.clemson.edu (Jay Crawford)
Subject: Oil Drain Plug Is Stuck
Keywords: oil car
Organization: Clemson University
Date: Mon, 27 Jul 1992 15:21:13 GMT

When I went to change my oil in my new car, I realized that when the dealer 
serviced it, they must have tightened to oil drain plug too tight, because it
just won't budge.  And to make matters worse, the bolt head is starting to 
strip.  Any suggestions on how to free this thing up?  I've got a new plug, but
can't get the old one out!  Thanks.

-- 
Jay Crawford          
jayc@hubcap.clemson.edu
Newsgroups: rec.autos.tech
From: lusky@hal.gnu.ai.mit.edu (Jonathan R. Lusky)
Subject: Re: Question about GM HEI ignition - what does the capacitor/condenser do?
Organization: /etc/organization
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 1992 05:50:42 GMT

In article <1992Jul23.011152.8726@leland.Stanford.EDU> eap@leland.Stanford.EDU (Eric Perozziello) writes:
>In article <1992Jul22.231349.25549@btree.uucp> hale@btree.uucp (Bob Hale) writes:
>>>>What function does the capacitor/condenser inside the GM HEI distributor (1977)
>>>
>>>The primary ignition circuit is a resonant one. it has parasitic
>>Nope.  The capacitor is on the battery line.
>
>Actually, I still differ. When you open the points (or in the electronic
>ign case, the transistor turns off), you have a series RLC circuit. If 
>you take out the C, you have an "open circuit", and the inductor tries
>to discharge by "any means it can"  IE: arc's across the points, or 
>zaps the transistor (which may or may not damage it). 
>
>BTW, I don't know what exactly you mean by "the battery line". The condensor
>goes across the points. 

The BAT line on a GM HEI is switched +12V.  The HEI I have in my Camaro
doesn't have an external capacitor, and I don't recall seeing an internal
one.  But its also a backyard installation--my camaro is a 1967 model (predates
HEI by 7 years).  My 82 Rx-7 electronic ignition has a capacitor (looks
just like a typical automotive condenser from a point type ignition)
bolted underneath the distributor.  Its wired into the same switched +12V
line that drives the coils and igniters.
>
>>>>Do they ever go bad?  Mine is 15 years old.  The car runs fine, but 
>>>>I do get some ignition/spark noise on the radio from time to time...
>>
>>Sometimes these do become intermittent with age but I rather suspect
>>that the radio noise problem is related to either bad plug wires or
>>to bad ground bonding somewhere in the vehicle.
>>

I've never replaced one, so I don't know...  I'd look else where for the
radio static problem.  Most common cause I've seen is plug wires.

--

Jon Lusky
lusky@gnu.ai.mit.edu

 79 Rx-7 12A/Holley 4bbl
 67 Camaro/350/4spd (under construction)
 89 Jeep Wrangler/258 (currently self destructing)


Newsgroups: rec.autos.tech
From: eap@leland.Stanford.EDU (Eric Perozziello)
Subject: Re: How to use blue silicone RTV
Organization: DSG, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 92 01:02:08 GMT

In article <1992Jul27.181337.21819@Arco.COM> ericc@Arco.COM (Chang Eric(214)754-3562) writes:
>I have a water pump in my car which just started leaking.  I fugured that the
>gasket was worn out, and, upon opening it up, discovered that it was.  It had
>completely hardned and was brittle enough so it did not seal.  I was advised
>to build a new gasket out of blue RTV.  The instructions on the blister pack
>were clear and explicit.  I laid down a 1/8" bead and screwed the bolts back in

One thing I've seen go wrong:  Some designs have "wet" bolts, meaning that
the bolts stick out into the water jacket. This means that coolant can
leak out the bolt threads.  In this instance, some sealer should be 
applied to the threads before installing.  YES, it seems that bolt 
threads shouldn't leak, but they do. (that's why we use teflon (R) tape
on threaded fittings). 



Newsgroups: rec.autos.tech
From: bishop@b23a.b23a.ingr.com (David Bishop)
Subject: Where are all the rotory engines?
Organization: Intergraph
Distribution: rec
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1992 17:09:33 GMT

Greetings fellow techies,

My friend and I were having a discussion about rotory (wankel)
engines as in the Mazda RX-7. I've always heard that the
wankel is a great design. Powerful and simple. I am curious as 
to why Mazda is the only company producing them. These engines
have been around for some time and I don't think Mazda owns the
patent on them. If it's such a great design, why don't other 
companies produce them? Why does Mazda only use this engine in    
the RX-7 model?  Hey, inquiring minds want to know! :-)

*******************************************************************************
 David J. Bishop - Systems Manager - Publishing              When uncertain,
 Intergraph Corporation                                      and in doubt,
 david@bishop.b23a.ingr.com			             run in circles,
 (205)730-8318  (digital beeper 720-1443)                    scream and shout
*******************************************************************************
Newsgroups: rec.autos.tech
From: mjsutton@bnr.ca (Michael Sutton P025)
Subject: Front-wheel drive tire wear 
Organization: Bell-Northern Research, BNR-RTP 
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 1992 12:30:33 GMT

The front tires on my 90 Dodge Caravan have worn out on the inside edges.
The tires are basically bald on the inside and have developed scalloped
areas.  Prior to this extreme wear condition I noticed an uneven surface
on the inside edges; periodic bumps in the tire surface.

I've heard that front wheel drive cars typically wear on the inside
edges, and my other front-wheel drive car does wear-out first in this
area. 

I've got about 37K miles on the tires.  I rotated them about every 8-9K
miles.

Do I have an alignment problem or just worn-out tires?
Newsgroups: rec.autos.tech
From: rakoczynskij@gtephx.UUCP (Jurek Rakoczynski)
Subject: Re: reuse radiator coolant?
Organization: AG Communication Systems, Phoenix, Arizona
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1992 19:41:16 GMT


In article <75984@ut-emx.uucp>, lihan@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Bruce G. Bostwick) writes:

Questions and answers about old antifreese deleted.

> Spend the extra money and get new antifreeze -- get good stuff too
> even if it costs more.  Your engine is worth the $10-15 for a bottle
> of good stuff which in a 50:50 mix should give you a fill and some
> left over to carry in the trunk in case of an emergency.

What do you consider "good stuff"?  I hope it's more than just $.  

-- 
Jurek Rakoczynski, AG Communication Systems, POB 52179, Phoenix, AZ. 85072
UUCP: ...!{ncar!noao!enuucp | att}!gtephx!rakoczynskij  Voice: +1 602 581 4867
Inet: gtephx!rakoczynskij@enuucp.eas.asu.edu              Fax: +1 602 582 7111
Inet: /DD.UN=J.RAKOCZYNSKI/O=GTE/PRMD=GTEMAIL/ADMD=TELEMAIL/C=US/@sprint.com
Newsgroups: rec.autos.tech