Go ahead...ask those car questions you were always afraid to ask...

[gtivr4]

Quote, originally posted by mynameisphunk »

except for flashing red and flashing yellow, both in regular lights and arrows. how much time have you spent in the states?

Never seen a flashing red or yellow arrow or flashing red light (at least not in a regular red/yellow/green light). Maybe other states have them that I haven't seen, but Vermont doesn't.

Have I spent much time in the states? Oh about 25 years or so

[sweatyworker]

Interesting Article on this very issue

http://www.stoptech.com/tech_i...shtml

[NewVWgirl]

O.k I am always hearing my husband talking about big block cars and small block cars.

Please forgive the extreme auto ignorance but what's the difference between the small block and big block?

[Benjamin.]

Quote, originally posted by gtivr4 »

Never seen a flashing red or yellow arrow or flashing red light (at least not in a regular red/yellow/green light). Maybe other states have them that I haven't seen, but Vermont doesn't. Have I spent much time in the states? Oh about 25 years or so

if i remember, i'll take a picture of the flashing red arrow (basically acts like a left turn stop sign) on the way to work tomorrow.

flashing red/yellow lights often occur after a certain time of night (i.e. often 10 PM) when the traffic lights will turn this way during the low-traffic night hours. flashing yellow = proceed with caution, flashing red = stop sign. they stay this way until normal light rotation continues at a set time in the morning.

[KeiCar]

Yellow headlights in rally cars.

Doesnt this decrease the lighting output? If they are using the yellow film to get their cars noticed then why not just put it on the fog beams, why do they have to be on the main beams as well.

[gti_matt]

Quote, originally posted by MikeNoGo »

Who says there's no difference between Canada and the US Though apparently that would confuse other Canadians as well

yeah seems like canadians can't make up their minds what a flashing green means:
http://freespace.virgin.net/jo...s.htm

[RzinDubs]

Why do the wheels on the bus go 'round n' 'round? kidding

What is involved in a "tune up" for a car? I understand that it replaces some maintenance items like sparkplugs but what else?

[IndigoDriver]

Why do people who own recreational vehicles(RV'S) always seem to be towing Saturns behind them?

[gtivr4]

Quote, originally posted by IndigoDriver »

Why do people who own recreational vehicles(RV'S) always seem to be towing Saturns behind them?

Transmission design (it was already asked and answered in this thread!)

[garagemonster]

Quote, originally posted by Mk3 Mayhem »

What does "woot" stand for or mean??

another possible derivation for this one is from old-timey hacking days when people would try to break into the "root" directory on a server to gain access to all directories. successful hackers would then exclaim "root!" on message boards to brag to all their "friends".

as with all intentional weeb mis-spellings, it eventually morphed into "w00t!" to elude programs that searched for specific words (see for example, "pr0n").

[texture]

Quote, originally posted by NewVWgirl »

O.k I am always hearing my husband talking about big block cars and small block cars. Please forgive the extreme auto ignorance but what's the difference between the small block and big block?

Good question, I think the definition varies, but a small block is typically a GM V8 engine up to 350 cubic inches (can be higher if it's bored and or stroked), big blocks starts around 396 cubic inches but this is what wikipedia has to say:

SMALL BLOCK

A small-block engine is a North American V8 in a family of engines which generally have less than 6 liters (360 cubic inches) of displacement, although some derivatives have grown larger (up to 400 cubic inches, 6.6 litres). Larger families of engines are called big-blocks. The distinction came about in the early 1960s when the large full-size cars needed a bigger V8 than the smaller mid-size and compact cars. Prior to that point, manufacturers normally had only one V8 engine line.

The term is normally used only for engines from the "Big Three" (Ford Motor Company, General Motors, and Chrysler Corporation) since the other companies did not keep two V8 engine size families. However, it's sometimes used for the more modern and compact V8s produced by others, such as Studebaker.

Although a small-block V8 is of significantly smaller displacement than the equivalent big-block, a small-block engine can be tuned to develop significant amounts of power. Additionally, many small-block engines were more advanced technologically than their big-block counterparts, and were much lighter and smaller. For this reason, they were often preferred in racing and sporting applications. Many hot rods and custom cars are fitted with small-block V8s, particularly the GM (Chevrolet) 350 engine and the Ford 351 Windsor.

BIG BLOCK

A big-block engine is a North American V8 in a family of engines which generally have greater than 5.9 litres (360 cubic inches) of displacement; factory engine sizes reached a peak of 8.2 litres (500 cubic inches) in Cadillac's 1970s range. Smaller V8 engines are known as small-blocks; some members of small-block engine families may exceed 6 litres, blurring the distinction somewhat. The distinction came about in the early 1960s when the large full-size cars needed a bigger V8 than the smaller mid-size and compact cars. Prior to that point, manufacturers normally had only one V8 engine line.

The term is normally used only for engines from the "Big Three" (Ford Motor Company, General Motors, and Chrysler Corporation) since the other companies did not keep two V8 engine size families.

Big-block V8s were most commonly used in full-size and luxury cars, rather than performance vehicles. Thus, they were commonly tuned and built for smoothness, low-end torque to get heavy cars rolling and effortless cruising. Many big-block engines were less technically sophisticated than their small-block counterparts, and their power-to-weight ratios were often lower.

They did see performance applications, however. Performance-tuned big-blocks were used in NASCAR racing, and homologation requirements saw these engines sold for road use. NASCAR's 7-litre engine size limit explains why many high-performance big blocks are of this size; Chevrolet's 427, Ford's 427, Chrysler's 426 Hemi. In the mid to late 1960s, the explosion of the muscle car market saw performance big-blocks fitted to intermediate-size cars. Some used derivatives of the racing engines, but in addition performance versions of former luxury motors were produced.

After the 1973 oil crisis, the days of the big-block in passenger cars were numbered. By the end of the 1970s, they were no longer to be found. However, these engines remained in use in pickup trucks and other non-car uses.

[Chmeeee]

Quote, originally posted by BrendanMX5 »

Yellow headlights in rally cars. Doesnt this decrease the lighting output? If they are using the yellow film to get their cars noticed then why not just put it on the fog beams, why do they have to be on the main beams as well.

Yellow lights bounce off of fog & rain much less than white ones.

[jebglx]

what causes a windshield wiper to "chatter" across the windshield?

even when it's relatively new?

bill

[ATL_Av8r]

Quote, originally posted by jebglx »

what causes a windshield wiper to "chatter" across the windshield? even when it's relatively new? bill

not enough wiper grease

[jebglx]

Quote, originally posted by ATL_Av8r »

not enough wiper grease

so...do i have to refill the wiper grease the same time i refill the bumper fluid ???

bill

[AKADriver]

Quote, originally posted by Chmeeee »

Yellow lights bounce off of fog & rain much less than white ones.

I believe it's been determined this actually isn't true. Fog droplets are still too large to selectively scatter visible light of different wavelengths.

Quote, originally posted by ArmenB »

Seriously, where did the word 'car' come from? I get 'Auto' from "Automotive", which seems pretty obvious, but where did we get 'car'?

It's a word older than the automobile. It derives from the Middle English word carre, meaning "cart". Cart itself was also a word in ME, though, so the distinction between the two is at least that old. "Cart" is Germanic in origin and "car" is Latin; but they both derive from the same ancient Indo-European root kers.

The use of "car" to refer to automobiles derives from saying "motor car", the same way we'd still say "elevator car" or "cable car" today. When automobiles became ubiquitous, saying "motor car" became as redundant as saying "cassette tape" or "color TV".

[speedhole]

In regards to performance cams, what do the different numbers mean(ie. 260, 270, 258, etc)? Are they just model numbers, or do they reflect some sort of performance/timing/duration/lift kinda numbers?

[speedracer82]

Quote, originally posted by speedracer82 »

when FWD cars are converted to mid-engine(example, "durorcco", bi-engined Tiburon, how dose the shifting work? Would it be backwards since the linkage would be reversed?

no one???

[G-rocco]

I remembered this question after seeing the limo thread - How do they make an H1 limo? Dosen't it have a huge central backbone that shields the drivetrain and such?

[Pepper_Ronnie]

Who the hell did a "bangle" on the B7 Audis? From B6 elegance to a car that looks like a fish that is about to be fried. I want his name now!

[AKADriver]

Quote, originally posted by neuo »

In regards to performance cams, what do the different numbers mean(ie. 260, 270, 258, etc)? Are they just model numbers, or do they reflect some sort of performance/timing/duration/lift kinda numbers?

They refer to a number called "advertised duration" which is the duration of the cam from .000" lift. Advertised duration isn't of much use, since due to valvetrain clearances, the valve generally doesn't start moving until the cam reaches ~.050" lift. This is why cam specs will usually list advertised duration as well as duration at .050".

This isn't to say some cams aren't sold by model number; Ford guys immediately know the model number "E303", and the Crane Cams lineup for the Neon engine is usually referenced by model number (from the #10 mild street cams to the #18 race cams).

Quote, originally posted by speedracer82 »

when FWD cars are converted to mid-engine(example, "durorcco", bi-engined Tiburon, how dose the shifting work? Would it be backwards since the linkage would be reversed?

Well, first off, the twin-engined Tiburon had automatic transmissions. But a lot of production cars and custom cars have indeed used FWD manual transaxles in mid-engine configurations. The MR2, X1/9, and Fiero are most famous.

The shift pattern isn't reversed because while the linkage may go the other way, the linkage at the transmission works the same. If you push forward on the shift lever, it's still a forward motion of the lever with respect to the gearbox. The lever is just in front rather than behind.

It helps to simplify the transmission linkage to one rigid link to see why this works...

|____||____|

Imagine what I've just drawn there is a theoretical car with two transmissions: one mounted in front, one mounted behind. The double bar in the middle represents the position of the shift lever. If you push the shift lever forward:

\____\\____\

Notice both the front and rear transmissions have their gear selector moved the same way.

[hawc]

Why does my car look so hot?

[Sunil]

Quote, originally posted by hawc »

Why does my car look so hot?

Because it is parked next to your girlfriend.

[IJM]

Quote, originally posted by NewVWgirl »

O.k I am always hearing my husband talking about big block cars and small block cars. Please forgive the extreme auto ignorance but what's the difference between the small block and big block?

In addition to the comments someone posted from Wikipedia, it is my understanding that "small block" and "big block" refer to the fact that an automaker would traditionally make two sizes of V8 engine blocks and then bore them to various displacements. If you take a small block "in the rough" and bore it out to its largest diameter, you're limited to a maximum bore (and therefore displacememt).

[chetacer]

Why in Michigan are there "no left turn" type signs (left arrow with strike through it) at every on-ramp onto the interstate? Is this just a Michigan thing, or is it across other states?

I would think that if you were merging onto an interstate you would know not to turn left into oncoming traffic, but that's just me.

[Chmeeee]

Here they just put up signs at the end of the ramps that say "No Turns". I think you can file that in the "better safe than sorry" folder.

[AKADriver]

Quote, originally posted by IJM »

In addition to the comments someone posted from Wikipedia, it is my understanding that "small block" and "big block" refer to the fact that an automaker would traditionally make two sizes of V8 engine blocks and then bore them to various displacements. If you take a small block "in the rough" and bore it out to its largest diameter, you're limited to a maximum bore (and therefore displacememt).

Right. There's no hard and fast delineation of displacement, it's just what the manufacturer made.

For instance there is no Pontiac "big block" or "small block"; all the Pontiac-exclusive V8s from the 301 to the 455 share the same basic design (though there were a number of changes made to the smaller 326/350 and 301). It also doesn't make as much sense for say, Ford, since they produced many different engine series - Windsor, Cleveland, M, FE, 385-series, etc.

The largest production engine I've heard called a "small block" was GM's 7.0L LS7, in the C6 Z06. The smallest production engine I've heard called a "big block" is the '58-'59 Ford 332ci (5.4L) FE-series.


Modified by AKADriver at 2:46 PM 10-12-2005

[chetacer]

Are there official naming conventions to the use of the following suffix words:

Road
Avenue
Boulevard
Parkway
Drive
Street
Way

??

[RetroGTI]

what the heck is a shooting brake?
I'm serious

[hawc]

Double clutching makes no sense to me. I understand rev matching. But why do you have to push the clutch in and out as you shift through neutral to the next gear. why not just leave the clutch in and rev the engine. it's just one extra step.

[Tnmax21]

Quote, originally posted by chetacer »

Are there official naming conventions to the use of the following suffix words: Road Avenue Boulevard Parkway Drive Street Way ??

I know Blvd. has to have a section in the middle, like a median. Thats what makes it a Blvd.

[golftor]

Quote, originally posted by chetacer »

Are there official naming conventions to the use of the following suffix words: Road Avenue Boulevard Parkway Drive Street Way ??

Add to this, why is it that we drive on Parkways, yet park on driveways?

[Pat3022]

what do IMO and DTM?

[turbo_wagon]

Quote, originally posted by d6 »

No sir that's incorrect. In BC, when you have flashing green (flashes slowly), it means that your direction and the opposite direction will have the right of the way, with unprotected left turn (turn when safe), and the traffic going across will have flashing red - treat it as a stop sign - cross the intersection when there's no traffic. But in Quebec, we have the fast flashing green which means you have the right of way and everyone else is stopped - protected left turn.

Thanks for the answers...that mostly makes sense. I've typically seen them on 99 coming from the border to downtown Vancouver where they don't have any left turn lanes. I don't understand the flashing red light reference though. I don't think that the people with the red lights have flashing red lights....they'd be solid since it's such a busy road, no?

[the_marcus]

Quote, originally posted by hawc »

Double clutching makes no sense to me. I understand rev matching. But why do you have to push the clutch in and out as you shift through neutral to the next gear. why not just leave the clutch in and rev the engine. it's just one extra step.

I want to know aswell.