Motor Musings

Greetings folks, and welcome to the fourth edition of Autos A-Z, your one-letter-at-a-time trip through the automotive alphabet.

In the past couple of weeks, we’ve covered ‘A’ - axles, ‘B’ - bearings, and ‘C’ - carbs; now it’s time for ‘D’ - diesel.

That’s diesel, as in Rudolph Diesel, not Vin Diesel.

At this point you might just be asking yourself, “who’s Rudolph Diesel? I thought this was an automotive website.” You’re right, and it is.

Rudolph Diesel is the man that the diesel engine is named for, although he didn’t power his first engine with (what is now known as) diesel fuel. Instead, he used powdered coal.

Vin Diesel is (supposedly) an actor, starring in such movies as xXx and the Chronicals of Riddick.

The big difference between diesel engines and traditional otto-cycle gasoline engines is that in a diesel engine the fuel is not injected until after the compression phase. This allows a much greater amount of compression, and therefore a greater efficiency. If you tried to compress a gasoline-air mixture that much, the fuel would pre-ignite due to compression heating. This can be explained by the ideal gas law.

This high compression ratio is also what gives diesel engines so much low-rpm torque compared to gasoline engines, therefore making them more suitable to heavy trucks and buses.

In summary

• Autos A-Z
• D is for diesel
• Rudolph Diesel invented an engine
• Vin Diesel is (supposedly) an actor
• Diesels are efficient

Any questions? Fire away in the comments.

Greetings fellow motorists. I trust that you all had an excellent Thanksgiving. That’s my excuse for not posting for a few days - I am just now conscious enough to type (somewhat) coherently.

Anyway, it’s time for another edition of the hilariously easy Video Break. It’s your job to try to guess the underlying theme of the following videos. You guys are smart, so this will be easy. (It’ll actually be easy even if you aren’t that smart.)
Without much further rambling, I present to you, Video Break.

I love sidecars.

Who doesn’t love monster trucks?

One day I will have my pilot’s license. I probably won’t ever do this, though.

He wasn’t able to outrun the helicopter, but he gave it good try.

Well, that wraps up another edition of Video Break. Be sure to let the world know how smart you are by guessing the theme in the comments.

In summary:

Video Break, sidecar, monster truck

Greetings fellow automobile enthusiasts, and welcome to the first example of What Next? - where I will unabashedly make fun of things that someone out there is taking too seriously. Like motorcycle cancer, for instance. As always, if you have any suggestions for future topics, drop me a line or let me know in the comments.

Motorcycle Cancer. Can you believe it? That’s just what I need. Next thing you know they’ll try to tell me that smoking my pipe is going to give me cancer.

What!?! Is there anything I can do?

Anyway, Randall Dale Chipkar (I love that name) has written a book called MOTORCYCLE CANCER? Are motorcycles KILLING US with cancers of the prostate, colon, kidney, bone, etc?

I’m going to go out on a limb here and answer:

No.

There. With that out of the way, lets start making fun of this guy. My favorite line from the press release is:

Historically, governments and various EM related industries (hydro-electric, cell tower, cell phone, etc.) have denied EM health effects so as to not create panic.

Or, you know, maybe because there are no health effects. Also:

My book, MOTORCYCLE CANCER?, and this website does not “prove” anything discussed. I am not a doctor, health professional or electronics expert.

Quite possible the most unnecessary statement I’ve ever seen. What do you think?

In summary:

• What Next?
• Motorcycle Cancer
• Great name
• Not a Doctor

As always, feel free to sound off in the comments.

What Next?, motorcycle, cancer

Greetings fellow motorheads, and welcome to the third installment of Autos A-Z. This time we’re going back in time for carburetors (or carburettors if you’re British). I’ll abbreviate (why is that word so long?) as carbs from here on.

Almost anyone who’s ever owned an old car (or almost any motorcycle) has had an opportunity to tear into the carb(s) at some point. Most of us fall into one of three categories.

1. AAIIIHHH!! What are all these little pieces? Let’s face it - carbs are complicated. Some people just don’t get them. This group will eventually purchase a new carb and install it, or sell the car as a project. There’s no shame in admitting your weakness.

2. Holy Cow! It runs! This is by far the largest group (yep, that’s me over in the corner there), consisting of those who manage to disassemble the carbs and clean/replace parts as necessary. Upon reassembly the car runs, but we’re not really sure why. As long as there are no parts missing from our carbs when we start, we’re probably gonna be ok.

3. The Guru. You need a carb for your Whoozawhatzit? No problem. I’ve got one from a Whatchamacalit right over here. Just let me change these hangers and find the right jets. Oh, these emulsion tubes here will work. Now let me find a new needle and seat . . .

If you find someone in the last group, consider yourself lucky. Almost anyone can learn to rebuild a carb, but few will ever truly understand the intricacies of their workings.

In summary:

• Autos A-Z
• ‘C’ is for carburetors
• carbs are complicated
• Guru’s are good

Any comments? Suggestions for future episodes of Autos A-Z? Let us know in the comments.

carbs, Autos A-Z

Greetings and welcome to the second ever edition of Video Break - your chance to guess the theme. Once again, I have put together a collection of Youtube videos sharing a common automotive theme. Last week it was wheelies. This week it’s . . . ?

Once you figure it out, be sure to let everyone know in the comments.

You guys are smart, and this is easy. Let the guessing begin . . .

This truck has a LS1 engine.

Biaggi - amazing.

You gotta love trucks (really, you do).

I don’t know who this is, but he’s my hero.

That’s it for this week, boys and girls. Have you figured out what the common theme is yet? Let us know in the comments.

To summarize:

• Video break
• Hillclimbs are cool
• Biaggi is great
• Gotta love trucks
• New hero

Have an idea for another theme? Let me know.

Greetings fellow autofolk, and welcome to Motor Musings, where there’s always time to stop and smell the exhaust.

In much the same way that it’s never too early to start advertising Christmas specials (and it gets earlier every year), it’s also never too early to start getting excited about the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), in Detroit.

The NAIAS is quite possibly the biggest spectacle in the automotive world, and it’s open to the public. That’s right, YOU can attend this breathtaking event. In addition to the booths set up by just about every major automaker (as well as some new entrants from China), there are also a ton of special events taking place. Some of these events are the 2008 North American Car and Truck of the Year Award and the Automotive Education Day. This event gives high school students the chance to learn more about the automotive industry (and possibly plant the seeds for some more autohounds).

If you are unable to attend, fret not! NBC Sports will be presenting an hour long International Auto Show special to air Sunday, January 20, 2008 at 3:00 pm EST.

The show is open to the public from Saturday, January 19 through Sunday, January 28, 2008. There’s a press preview scheduled from January 13-15, 2008.

To summarize:

• Christmas is good
• Black Friday is bad
• NAIAS is awesome
• NBC will cover it
• I want to go (that’s not actually written above, but I was thinking it.)

Any questions? We’re here for you. Let us know what you think in the comments.

Greetings fellow autohounds, and welcome to the second edition of Autos A-Z. This time I quite arbitrarily chose bearings as the subject of my meandering alphabetical ramblings.

That ‘arbitrarily’ part above is something of a lie. In addition to needing an auto part starting with the letter ‘B’ (this is the second edition of Autos A-Z, get it?), I just finished replacing a rear wheel bearing in my Wife’s 1998 Audi A4. This was not fun. Not fun at all.

Brakes are much more fun. Maybe I should have written about them instead. Oh well, I guess I’ll need something starting with ‘B’ for the next time around.

Where were we? Oh yes, bearings! You see, back in the old days, bearings were user-serviceable parts. They either had a zerk fitting built into the housing, or they could be disassembled and repacked with grease. They even sell great tools to help with this messy task. On most (all) cars today, this tool won’t help you at all, as the bearings are “sealed for life”.

They must mean the life of the bearing, not the life of the car; very rarely will all four wheel bearings last 150,000 miles. They will, however, last the life of the new-car warranty, that being the point.

At any rate, the Audi is much more pleasant to drive now, without that incessant howling from the left rear wheel.

To summarize:

Anything to add? Please let us know in the comments. We’re eager to hear from you.

Greetings fellow auto addicts (that is why you’re here, right?) and welcome to a new feature here at Motor Musings. I introduce to you Video Break, where I will post a collection of automotive YouTube videos with a common theme. It is up to you, dear reader, to determine just what that theme is, and post your answer in the comments. This will be a weekly feature (if I remember). If you have any ideas for new video themes, feel free to drop me a line or let the world know in the comments.

Without further adieu, I give you Video Break.

Any landing you can walk away from . . .

Those are some lucky kids!

Looked like a fun ride . . . right up until the end.

The famous Hemi Under Glass

Well folks, that wraps up this week’s Video Break. Tune in again next Friday for another installment with another theme.

To summarize:

What did you think? Let us know in the comments.

Youtube, hemi, plane, bus

Many, many years ago, I realized that the cars that I drooled over weren’t the same as the cars that my friends admired. I never much cared for Mustangs or Camaros, or even Lamborghinis. In fact, just about everyone has more mainstream tastes in cars than I do. Today I present to you a peek into the mind of Dorri.
Porsche 928.

If you’ve ever seen the movie Risky Business, you’ve seen a 928. You probably didn’t realize it; most people don’t. For most folks it doesn’t have the presence that a 911 has.
Favorite feature: the headlights. They point up at the sky when not on, then swivel forward when in use. I love it.
Jaguar XJS.

What’s not to love about this one? Apparently a lot; they go for next to nothing in the used car market. Which is a good thing for you and me (unless you own one you are trying to sell), as that means affordability for the common folk (that’s me).
Favorite feature: the engine. As a wise man* once said, “everyone should own a 12 cylinder car before they die”.
BMW 850.

Technology meets style. There’s no denying the visual appeal of this one. Introduced in 1991, it still looks strikingly modern.
Favorite feature: just look at it.

In summary:

What do you think? Let us know in the comments.

*It seems as though many wise men said this, as a simple Google search will attest.

BMW, Jaguar, Porsche

You know how every adventure movie has that one scene with the mining cart? You know, the one where the hero loses the brakes in the cart and goes careening down into the mine. Eddie Rickenbacker did that.

You know when Snoopy gets up on his doghouse and dons his scarf and goggles and becomes the World War I flying Ace? Eddie Rickenbacker did that.

Have you ever wanted to own a famous racetrack? Maybe the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, home of the Indy 500? Eddie Rickenbacker did that.

Have you ever wanted to run an airline, taking it from a financial mess to the first profitable airline in America? Eddie Rickenbacker did that. The airline was Eastern, and it was the first to operate without government subsidy.

You know how a lot of movies have someone shipwrecked for days at a time, clinging to a life raft, hoping against hope for rescue? Eddie Rickenbacker did that. He spent 26 days in a three person raft adrift in the ocean after a plane crash during World War II.

Now to the point of this post: have you ever wanted to own a car company? Eddie Rickenbacker did that. His Rickenbacker Straight Eight was the first production car sold with four wheel brakes, in 1923.

To summarize:

Enjoy this post? Let us know in the comments.

Rickenbacker, Ace of Aces, Who’s who

Greetings fellow auto enthusiasts and welcome to the first of a series of automotive articles in which we here at Motor Musings (by “we” I mean “I”) will attempt to - at random intervals - explain one part of a car, truck, boat, or plane for each letter of the alphabet.

For no particular reason I chose to start with the letter ‘A’. After long consideration (at least five seconds) I decided to enlighten the masses (that’s you) about axles.

In it’s simplest form, an axle is just a shaft on which to mount a couple of wheels. Think about the little red wagon you had as a kid. The metal bar that ran between the wheels was the axle. This works fine for the simplest of vehicles (heavy duty trucks still use something similar), but for a better ride we need something a bit more complex.

One of the biggest problems with solid axles is that anything that affects one wheel directly affects the other wheel on that axle. If your right front wheel drops into a pothole, your left front wheel will no longer be perpendicular to the roadway. In a curve this could be disastrous - especially if you were driving near the limits for that curve.

Enter the independent suspension. Early Volkswagen Beetles used a simple independent rear suspension (IRS), called a swing axle. It improved on the solid axle by preventing the movement of one wheel from affecting the other, however the moving wheel still exhibits camber changes. That is, as the wheel moves up and down it deviates from perpendicular to the road.

Today’s independent axles have improved upon this tremendously. Many hours of calculations go into the design of the suspension’s pivot points in order to keep the wheel firmly planted to the road under all foreseeable circumstances.

To summarize:

As usual, if you have anything to add, let us know in the comments.

Cheers,
Dorri

axles, Autos A-Z

Greetings fellow automotive enthusiasts!

It’s time for the obligatory link round-up, where I spill the sources of all my nuggets of wisdom (and the cause of so many hours spent in front of this monitor).

We’ll start with the granddaddy of them all, Autoblog. While probably not the first, it is without a doubt the most popular automotive blog on the net. If you’ve got a few minutes to kill, this would be a great place to drop by. I don’t subscribe to their posts simply because there aren’t enough hours in the day for me to keep up with their prodigious output.

Next up is Joe Sherlock’s The View Through the Windshield. This is a much more opinionated blog than most of the others, and not solely related to cars. Joe talks about what’s current in the automotive industry, as well as other current events. If you don’t mind a bit of Britney Spears and politics (though certainly not in the same sentence!) thrown into your car mix, The View is a great place to be.

A source of timely automotive news as well as fun weekly content (Media Monday, Friday Five, etc.), our very own Automotive Blogger is a rich source of car content. I particularly enjoy his Tech Thursdays, where he explains the latest and greatest technological advances the automakers are taking advantage of.

That’s all for today, I’ll be back soon with more. As always, feel free to chime in with your favorites in the comments.

To summarize:

Cheers
Dorri

Greetings everyone, and welcome to Motor Musings, a proud member of 451 Press, where I will be bringing you daily doses of automotive news along with my thoughts - good or bad - about said news.

I will try to spend equal time covering domestic and foreign makes, though I may cringe every time I write Ford (I kid, I kid). Actually, my first car was a Mercury Capri (a gussied up Mustang), and I will always have a soft spot for them.

I will also spend equal time pondering what the future holds for us and what happened in the past to get us where we are now. (Or at least what I think happened.)

Currently, my personal stable includes a 1991 BMW 750iL (did I mention that it has twelve cylinders?), a 1998 Audi A4 1.8T, and a 1982 Yamaha Maxim 650 motorcycle.

Above all, I will try to cover topics that are of interest to you, the all-important reader. After all, if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be here writing. Feel free to chime in in the comments, or by using the Contact Me form.

To summarize:

Cheers
-Dorri

BMW, Audi, Capri