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Post by the light works on Feb 5, 2013 18:30:59 GMT
not all of us are fixated on making an engine do all it can without burning up, either. that is part of why Americans tend to put such huge engines in things. Over here, the tradition used to be to allow the engine speed up the car as much as it can, the top speed causes the same drag as the engine can deliver as maximum power. Nowadays the engines are often a lot stronger than they used to be and require a limiter to prevent blowing up the engine. A Rover Mini is limited by the gear ratio but has no limit, you can blow up the engine driving too fast. My car is supposed to max out at 172kph according to its documents, but in spring, when the air has the correct humidity and temperature, they all can reach 180kph easily. And some engines have the good tolerances like my car. I can reach 180kph easily any time and can reach 200kph in cold weather due to some "minor" modifications. The speed record I managed to drive was 225kph after driving almost an hour full throttle. I didn't notice since the speedometer starts to stick above 170kph and my first clue was the RPM limiter shutting down the engine at 6500 RPM and I know my car drives 100kph @3000 RPM and the GPS unit was also recording 224kph. I haven't take a car I owned to its top speed since I replaced the failing fuel pump in my Jeep. closes I cam was running my Acura up to 120MPH before I backed off because of the fact that it was dark and if there was something in the road I would hit it before it registered on me that it was there. |
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Post by c64 on Feb 5, 2013 20:33:19 GMT
[ I backed off because of the fact that it was dark and if there was something in the road I would hit it before it registered on me that it was there. What many people don't know is that the low-beams are only good for 70kph at best if you are fully alert. |
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Post by rory on Feb 5, 2013 21:02:40 GMT
I got my sisters mini cooper upto its top on a runway at my skydiving centre.
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Post by c64 on Feb 5, 2013 21:54:46 GMT
I got my sisters mini cooper upto its top on a runway at my skydiving centre. The difference between the original Rover Mini and the Cooper mod is that the Cooper has a top gear where the engine power and the air drag can reach equilibrium at a pretty high speed. The original Mini just "goes boom" at a relative low speed. |
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Post by silverdragon on Feb 6, 2013 7:55:24 GMT
I have an affinity with Mini....
Before the roads became that congested, (and speed camera's)I managed a high speed run from home to Devon, 200 mile, at top speed of a Mini... something over 90 mph but below 100... the original 1000 cc before it was modded Rover engine, and it didnt blow up at all.
Yes it was warm, but the temp gauge hardly moved above what I normally got in traffic in rush hour....
The speed was not a problem, plenty of air through the engine, when I slowed down?... thats when it started getting a little warm.
Why did I swap that out for a 1275?... because the 1275 engine was going cheaply, and it had just had its clutch done, the 1000 needed a new clutch at some point in the near future, so whilst it was coming out anyway, why not go for the better engine.......
Have I taken all the cars I have owned to top speed?...
No.
My Current car is capable of something over 130mph... I know, on a quiet morning a few years ago, I pushed it to 130 on an empty stretch, it had more, but I didnt....
My Current car has more power that the cars I used to race back in the 80's and 90's, it also has more abilities with its ABS and all the rest....
But the driver doesnt....
And these days, my driving career is limited to 55mph anyway, so doing twice that in a rolerskate?... it doesnt feel right...............?.............
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Post by the light works on Feb 6, 2013 15:34:00 GMT
My jeep has a tendency to start heating up when bogged down in traffic. probably the thing to do would be to replace the fan clutch with a rigid coupler, and put in a flex blade fan. it's not like I ever rev the thing over 3000 RPM unless I am passing somebody.
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Post by silverdragon on Feb 7, 2013 9:40:25 GMT
ROFL... I just noted your Profile has graduated to EXTREMELY senior member.......
My Current car starts the fan up after a few moments every time I put it in reverse.... i
[ts an electric fan.]
Of course the explanation is simple, no air-flow over the radiator......
I just get that "WTF" when it does that, especially at low speed manoeuvring [parking].....
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Post by the light works on Feb 7, 2013 14:36:11 GMT
now I feel old.
I notice once in a while - I have to get all the way to the main highway in my truck (diesel) before the gauge registers the engine warming up, but only a couple miles in my wife's (gas)
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Post by srracing on Feb 7, 2013 14:55:08 GMT
My jeep has a tendency to start heating up when bogged down in traffic. probably the thing to do would be to replace the fan clutch with a rigid coupler, and put in a flex blade fan. Low speed heating is usually caused by some missing or loose shroud work around the radiator or front of the engine. With no frontal airflow the fan must have all the duct work in place to work correctly. Of course the other common issues are possible. (Radiator passages with mineral deposits, etc.) An auxillary electric fan can also be installed pretty easilly. Sometimes needed in traffic with the A/C on . |
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Post by the light works on Feb 7, 2013 15:07:27 GMT
My jeep has a tendency to start heating up when bogged down in traffic. probably the thing to do would be to replace the fan clutch with a rigid coupler, and put in a flex blade fan. Low speed heating is usually caused by some missing or loose shroud work around the radiator or front of the engine. With no frontal airflow the fan must have all the duct work in place to work correctly. Of course the other common issues are possible. (Radiator passages with mineral deposits, etc.) An auxillary electric fan can also be installed pretty easilly. Sometimes needed in traffic with the A/C on . it's caused by having too much engine for the radiator design and cooking off fan clutches from the increased heat. |
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Post by silverdragon on Feb 8, 2013 8:56:35 GMT
Or is it just cause by Modern Life............
I owned a Mk1 Cavalier (Vauxhaul) at one time, brilliant drivers car, but it overheated in traffic....
Simple explanation, the car was designed to be moving ?.........
The fan was undersized for sitting in traffic cues doing 0.5mph for over half an hour.
Electric over-size Fan fitted, Fan-Belt re-routed, and problem solved... would sit all day in traffic, and when the fan came on, would read slightly on the cold side on the temp gauge.
I also fitted K&N Filters on it, and had the twin down-draft carburettor modified for better air flow.... I didnt know they fitted them as standard.... but heck, why not?...
Slight mistake, as revving it whilst standing still I got "Blow-back" and three foot flames out of the air filter?... I had someone who know put better fuel injectors on as well.
He also fitted an extra spring on the second carb so I could "Feel" it through the Pedal... one carb for low speed, both wide open for GTF outa here....
At the time, the original Golf GTI ( Maybe its known as a "Rabbit" in the U$A?..) was the dogs danglies..... I could embarrass one of those quite easily.....
The guy tuning it up used to race similar cars, so it was set up quite nicely.
But at the time, sitting waiting for the lights to change, you did not expect to NOT get through the lights?... now, sitting in a queue and having to wait two or three changes to actually get to the front of the queue is "Normal" city centre driving....
I honestly dont think older cars were built for the congestion and slow driving of not even half the speed limit that we face on our daily drives.
Also, todays engines are MUCH oversize for what is needed....
When I started driving, it was all the kids dreams to have the 1.6 litre Escort.... THAT was the "fast car" we all wanted....
Then along came the Cortina, and 1.8 litre.... and then TWO litre.....
Two litres?... if you had that, you were "Someone"......
Now even THAT is small for the more enthusiastic driver.......
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Post by the light works on Feb 8, 2013 14:56:16 GMT
and when I started driving, we were laughing that Ford called their 5.0 liter a "big" engine. an engine with less than 3 liters belonged in an "econobox" and a four cylinder was only half an engine.
the pickup my dad owned at the time had a 7.4 liter engine.
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Post by silverdragon on Feb 9, 2013 8:53:41 GMT
I suppose that shows the difference....
Three Litres was HUGE.
That was something out of a Wagon.
.... Erm...... it still is today?......
Three litres and above is OK of you got a four-be-four, but normal road use and commuting, no one with sense drives anything much bigger....
Just where are you going to use that power anyway in a maximum 30mph line of traffic?...
Of course, those with more money than sense............... the above does not apply.
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Post by the light works on Feb 9, 2013 14:58:23 GMT
I suppose that shows the difference.... Three Litres was HUGE. That was something out of a Wagon. .... Erm...... it still is today?...... Three litres and above is OK of you got a four-be-four, but normal road use and commuting, no one with sense drives anything much bigger.... Just where are you going to use that power anyway in a maximum 30mph line of traffic?... Of course, those with more money than sense............... the above does not apply. well, he used it hauling a ton and towing two more. but keep in mind our cars of the era were bordering on large enough to carry one of your cars in the trunk. (metric = boot) |
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Post by c64 on Feb 9, 2013 16:04:46 GMT
now I feel old. I notice once in a while - I have to get all the way to the main highway in my truck (diesel) before the gauge registers the engine warming up, but only a couple miles in my wife's (gas) That's fully normal. Diesel engines are much more efficient and waste a lot less heat. My very first car had a 49 HP (1.8L) atmospheric diesel engine. This thing never seemed to become warm, you had to drive ~10 miles until you could fully push in the "Diesel choke" without making the engine rattle and smoke. And it barely reached 90°C - unless during a 45°C day in summer in a traffic jam in a hot tunnel when it really depends on its electric fan, then it runs real hot because the fan shaft was rusted solid because it was "never" used before! Then you can convinenetly keep the engine from boiling with the heater fan (remember 45°C summer  ) |
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Post by the light works on Feb 9, 2013 17:20:11 GMT
now I feel old. I notice once in a while - I have to get all the way to the main highway in my truck (diesel) before the gauge registers the engine warming up, but only a couple miles in my wife's (gas) That's fully normal. Diesel engines are much more efficient and waste a lot less heat. My very first car had a 49 HP (1.8L) atmospheric diesel engine. This thing never seemed to become warm, you had to drive ~10 miles until you could fully push in the "Diesel choke" without making the engine rattle and smoke. And it barely reached 90°C - unless during a 45°C day in summer in a traffic jam in a hot tunnel when it really depends on its electric fan, then it runs real hot because the fan shaft was rusted solid because it was "never" used before! Then you can convinenetly keep the engine from boiling with the heater fan (remember 45°C summer ) I relied heavily on the heater in the jeep when it was due for another fan clutch. |
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Post by silverdragon on Feb 10, 2013 6:00:47 GMT
You do know we AINT metric here?....
Some of the younger kids use it, but we still drive in Miles.
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Post by the light works on Feb 10, 2013 15:28:19 GMT
You do know we AINT metric here?.... Some of the younger kids use it, but we still drive in Miles. of course. I just like to use "metric" to refer to anything furrin. ;D |
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Post by c64 on Feb 10, 2013 17:34:09 GMT
You do know we AINT metric here?.... Some of the younger kids use it, but we still drive in Miles. of course. I just like to use "metric" to refer to anything furrin. ;D So "Metric" is everything which makes you need different tools, a calculator and/or a dictionary? The Rover Mini which comes with an injection engine is metric³. You need 3 sets of spanners and other tools. One standard set for most work, one imperial set for stuff they never changed and a set of bent spanners to reach certain bolts if you are not a gynaecologist. And tires are measured in inch all over the world. Rover had introduced metric tire sizes! |
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Post by silverdragon on Feb 11, 2013 7:42:04 GMT
The Rover Mini could be worked with a half-inch, 5-eigths, pair of mole grips and a flat screwdriver....
To be a mini mechanic, you needed the hands of a child and the strength of two gorillas.
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