The engines and transmissions thread

[Magna-Carta]

Back in the early '80s when I was studying, we had a brilliant college lecturer. His claim to fame was racing historic cars. He and his business partner owned several from different eras, including, but not limited to, a 1929 Stutz Blackhawk with a straight 8 engine with overhead cam, a Frazer Nash with chain-driven gears (as in, the actual gears linked by several chains), an Aston Martin DB5, and a UK-built AC Cobra.

The AC Car Company would ship rolling chassis and bodies from the UK to the US, where Carroll Shelby’s team would fit Ford V8s. Then in a twist, AC in the UK began importing Ford V8s back in, to fit them directly into some of their cars.

Anyway, back to the early '80s, when the Audi Quattro was all the rage. We were learning about four-wheel-drive systems at college, and our lecturer, Terry, who affectionately referred to himself as, Mr. Bastard, told us about what he said was the first British road car with four-wheel drive: the Jensen FF Interceptor of 1966. It was powered by a Chrysler 6.3-litre V8 (383 cu in) and featured an early form of anti-lock braking, adapted from aircraft systems. Later Interceptors had 7.2-litre engines.

Jeson FF Intercepter:

Michelle Mouton driving her Four Wheel Drive Audi Quattro. Eventually, this type of 'Group B' racing was banned:

Stutz Blackhawk:




AC Cobra:

 

[Magna-Carta]

Which reminds me, Ari Vatanen's four-wheel drive Peugeot 405 T16 at Pikes Peak in 1988.

 

[seadoug]

I'm by no means mechanically inclined, but I do remember some of the past engines in my cars. The Rotary engine in my '85 Mazda RX-7 was a gem. The straight 6's I had in my BMW 330ci, Lexus SC300 and Lexus GS300 were some of the smoothest I've ever experienced. I've owned mostly Audis for the past 15 years and their 2.0 liter turbos are fast, smooth and economical. That's probably what I will stick with for the foreseeable future.

I do also remember my father's '73 Pontiac Grand Am 400, 4 barrel carb. The thing burned oil like there was no tomorrow but he handed it down to my cousin and she drove the thing forever. It got 13 mpg. Engines are so much more complex these days but they sure have improved in terms of performance.

 

[Magna-Carta]

I'm by no means mechanically inclined, but I do remember some of the past engines in my cars. The Rotary engine in my '85 Mazda RX-7 was a gem. The straight 6's I had in my BMW 330ci, Lexus SC300 and Lexus GS300 were some of the smoothest I've ever experienced. I've owned mostly Audis for the past 15 years and their 2.0 liter turbos are fast, smooth and economical. That's probably what I will stick with for the foreseeable future.

I do also remember my father's '73 Pontiac Grand Am 400, 4 barrel carb. The thing burned oil like there was no tomorrow but he handed it down to my cousin and she drove the thing forever. It got 13 mpg. Engines are so much more complex these days but they sure have improved in terms of performance.

Straight 6 engines really are something special. They have an inherent smoothness that’s hard to beat, and BMW’s are especially known for it.

One of my cars, a BMW Z4 E89, has a magnesium-alloy straight 6 with an unusual valve train. There’s no traditional throttle valve; instead the inlet valves control airflow directly. At idle (just 600 rpm), they lift only 0.8mm -- that’s roughly 4/127ths of an inch, and under certain conditions even slightly less lift. As you press the accelerator, the valve lift increases significantly. It’s a joy to drive.

 

[bobcat]

Back in the early '80s when I was studying, we had a brilliant college lecturer. His claim to fame was racing historic cars. He and his business partner owned several from different eras, including, but not limited to, a 1929 Stutz Blackhawk with a straight 8 engine with overhead cam, a Frazer Nash with chain-driven gears (as in, the actual gears linked by several chains), an Aston Martin DB5, and a UK-built AC Cobra.

The AC Car Company would ship rolling chassis and bodies from the UK to the US, where Carroll Shelby’s team would fit Ford V8s. Then in a twist, AC in the UK began importing Ford V8s back in, to fit them directly into some of their cars.

Anyway, back to the early '80s, when the Audi Quattro was all the rage. We were learning about four-wheel-drive systems at college, and our lecturer, Terry, who affectionately referred to himself as, Mr. Bastard, told us about what he said was the first British road car with four-wheel drive: the Jensen FF Interceptor of 1966. It was powered by a Chrysler 6.3-litre V8 (383 cu in) and featured an early form of anti-lock braking, adapted from aircraft systems. Later Interceptors had 7.2-litre engines.

Jeson FF Intercepter:

Michelle Mouton driving her Four Wheel Drive Audi Quattro. Eventually, this type of 'Group B' racing was banned:

Stutz Blackhawk:

View attachment 417875


AC Cobra:

View attachment 417876

Wow, what a car, and exceptional driving skills.
I was confused at first wondering if it was AWD or 4WD, and I think it was AWD. They are very similar, but with subtle differences. Anyway, it's very cool and innovative, and I love the Cobra. I had a friend who had one, along with two GTO's and a Vette. One of the GTO's was fitted with a nitro tank mounted in the trunk. As I recall, It was putting out about 800 HP, but he was constantly having problems with heat, which affected the fuel flow with vapor lock, etc..., but wow, what a rocket.

 

[horseless carriage]

This is my MG Y-Type. The 1250 cc XPAG 4-cylinder engine is a small, inline four-cylinder engine with a displacement of 1250 cubic centimetres. The "XPAG" designation refers to the specific series of this 1250cc engine.



Peer beneath the folded-open bonnet (hood) and you will understand why the word “venerable” is unique. You look at this MG engine and marvel at what a little lump it is, especially once you pivot toward its exalted place in motoring history.

More than any other engine, the OHV inline-four, known internally at Abingdon as the XPAG, got people, particularly Americans, interested in imported sports cars. That’s a remarkable legacy for what amounts to pre-World War II powertrain design.

 

[smiley]

ps: horseless carriage could you help Bretrick with his little mouse that won't work without some battery thingy??

 

[old medic]

Remember some of the old pickups from years gone by. They were a 4 speed, but first gear was Granny, and it was pretty low geared and would get you plenty of places even without 4WD.

I learned to drive in a 72 3/4 ton Suburban with that Granny Tranny.... You could lurch and bounce, and second lurch would get the front wheels off the ground. It was 4WD and in Granny/ low range it would crawl over about anything.

 

[horseless carriage]

ps: horseless carriage could you help Bretrick with his little mouse that won't work without some battery thingy??

He might like my cat's mouse, there's no need for batteries, it has a wind-up clockwork mechanism.

 

[smiley]

I think he could handle that - heh Bretrick heh boy heh boy gotta little mousey for ya!

 

[jimintoronto]

You are a man after my own heart in that respect. This is the type of stuff I read about a lot. I imagine you have read a lot about the Dambuster Raid with their bouncing bombs?

I've only ever seen and heard an Avro Lancaster once, flying over and around my city for some reason, with its four Rolls-Royce Merlin engines.

I have been a life member at the Canadian War Plane Heritage Museum since 1998. My service was in the Canadian Army, but my personal interests have all ways been aircraft. Our Lancaster VERA was built in Canada at Victory Aircraft near Toronto, in 1944. She never went to Europe, being used as a training aircraft here in Canada. She remained in RCAF service, doing Arctic mapping flights, and coastal ice berg patrols until she was de-commissioned in 1966. She became a "gate guard " at RCAF Greenwood, Nova Scotia. CWPHM bought her and then began a 11 year restoration project, to return her to air worthy condition.

AS a life member, I have had the great honour to fly in VERA a number of times over the years. As the only flying Lancaster in North America, she is in great demand to appear at air shows each summer season. When she goes to an air show at a distant location, we also send a support aircraft, loaded with spares, and items from our Gift shop, to be sold to the public. The support aircraft is "Canucks Unlimited" the highest miles in the air C47 in the world. Built in Canada in 1939, she is our work horse aircraft.

During WW2, Canada organized and operated the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. It resulted in the training of over 134,000 air crew, from 11 Allied nations, at bases and air fields in Canada. WE built all of that, from zero in 1939. BCATP trained pilots, flight engineers, navigators, radio operators, bomb aimers, air gunners, engine mechanics, hydraulic technicians, metal fitters, and electrical tradesmen. All in the safety of Canada, far from the reach of the Germans. Many of those WW2 BCATP air fields became Canadian general aviation locations, after the war ended.
JIM.

 

[smiley]

I have been a life member at the Canadian War Plane Heritage Museum since 1998. My service was in the Canadian Army, but my personal interests have all ways been aircraft. Our Lancaster VERA was built in Canada at Victory Aircraft near Toronto, in 1944. She never went to Europe, being used as a training aircraft here in Canada. She remained in RCAF service, doing Arctic mapping flights, and coastal ice berg patrols until she was de-commissioned in 1966. She became a "gate guard " at RCAF Greenwood, Nova Scotia. CWPHM bought her and then began a 11 year restoration project, to return her to air worthy condition.

AS a life member, I have had the great honour to fly in VERA a number of times over the years. As the only flying Lancaster in North America, she is in great demand to appear at air shows each summer season. When she goes to an air show at a distant location, we also send a support aircraft, loaded with spares, and items from our Gift shop, to be sold to the public. The support aircraft is "Canucks Unlimited" the highest miles in the air C47 in the world. Built in Canada in 1939, she is our work horse aircraft.

During WW2, Canada organized and operated the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. It resulted in the training of over 134,000 air crew, from 11 Allied nations, at bases and air fields in Canada. WE built all of that, from zero in 1939. BCATP trained pilots, flight engineers, navigators, radio operators, bomb aimers, air gunners, engine mechanics, hydraulic technicians, metal fitters, and electrical tradesmen. All in the safety of Canada, far from the reach of the Germans. Many of those WW2 BCATP air fields became Canadian general aviation locations, after the war ended.
JIM.

its certainly good to hear about all of this many are not aware - thanks!

 

[Magna-Carta]

Wow, what a car, and exceptional driving skills.
I was confused at first wondering if it was AWD or 4WD, and I think it was AWD. They are very similar, but with subtle differences. Anyway, it's very cool and innovative, and I love the Cobra. I had a friend who had one, along with two GTO's and a Vette. One of the GTO's was fitted with a nitro tank mounted in the trunk. As I recall, It was putting out about 800 HP, but he was constantly having problems with heat, which affected the fuel flow with vapor lock, etc..., but wow, what a rocket.

I thought you might pick up on that! When I made that post, I did wonder how best to describe the system while keeping things simple. I decided on “4WD” as a kind of all encompassing term, though I could just as easily have gone with AWD.

But you’re absolutely correct, there are subtle differences, and to confuse things further, even textbooks can’t seem to agree. One I have describes 4WD as a selectable system that lets you switch between 2WD and 4WD, while AWD is defined as a permanent 4WD system. Then there’s the Bosch Automotive Handbook (5th edition), which as comprehensive as it is, doesn’t mention 4WD at all. It only talks about AWD, and splits it into two types: “Disengageable” AWD, where one axle can be disconnected, and “Permanent” AWD, where all wheels are driven all the time. Can you see why I tried to keep it simple in the original post?

As for the Jensen Interceptor, the video I linked referred to it as an “all-wheel drive,” car, but I think back in 1966, in simpler times, it would have been described as 4WD, even though it was a permanent system. Terminology does shift with time.

That’s quite a garage your friend had, a Cobra and two GTOs? That’s proper muscle car territory. I imagine the Cobra alone must’ve made for some pretty lively drives. A GTO with 800hp -- not exactly known for its handling prowess -- how on earth did it drive with 800 bhp. I'm presuming the nitro only comes into effect at full throttle.

 

[Magna-Carta]

View attachment 417957

This is my MG Y-Type. The 1250 cc XPAG 4-cylinder engine is a small, inline four-cylinder engine with a displacement of 1250 cubic centimetres. The "XPAG" designation refers to the specific series of this 1250cc engine.

View attachment 417958

Peer beneath the folded-open bonnet (hood) and you will understand why the word “venerable” is unique. You look at this MG engine and marvel at what a little lump it is, especially once you pivot toward its exalted place in motoring history.

More than any other engine, the OHV inline-four, known internally at Abingdon as the XPAG, got people, particularly Americans, interested in imported sports cars. That’s a remarkable legacy for what amounts to pre-World War II powertrain design.

Am I seeing SU Carburetters there?

The Stutz Blackhawk that I mentioned in an earlier post, the car with a straight 8 engine, originally had a single huge updraft carb -- not ideal for providing an even mixture to such a long engine, where some of the cylinders are so far apart. So the college lecturer I mentioned cast his own inlet manifolds so the Stutz could then be fitted with 4 SU carbs, one carb for two cylinders, and to provide a more direct and shorter run into the inlet ports.

The SU carb, quite a misunderstood carb outside of the UK

 

[Magna-Carta]

I have been a life member at the Canadian War Plane Heritage Museum since 1998. My service was in the Canadian Army, but my personal interests have all ways been aircraft. Our Lancaster VERA was built in Canada at Victory Aircraft near Toronto, in 1944. She never went to Europe, being used as a training aircraft here in Canada. She remained in RCAF service, doing Arctic mapping flights, and coastal ice berg patrols until she was de-commissioned in 1966. She became a "gate guard " at RCAF Greenwood, Nova Scotia. CWPHM bought her and then began a 11 year restoration project, to return her to air worthy condition.

AS a life member, I have had the great honour to fly in VERA a number of times over the years. As the only flying Lancaster in North America, she is in great demand to appear at air shows each summer season. When she goes to an air show at a distant location, we also send a support aircraft, loaded with spares, and items from our Gift shop, to be sold to the public. The support aircraft is "Canucks Unlimited" the highest miles in the air C47 in the world. Built in Canada in 1939, she is our work horse aircraft.

During WW2, Canada organized and operated the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. It resulted in the training of over 134,000 air crew, from 11 Allied nations, at bases and air fields in Canada. WE built all of that, from zero in 1939. BCATP trained pilots, flight engineers, navigators, radio operators, bomb aimers, air gunners, engine mechanics, hydraulic technicians, metal fitters, and electrical tradesmen. All in the safety of Canada, far from the reach of the Germans. Many of those WW2 BCATP air fields became Canadian general aviation locations, after the war ended.
JIM.

Your genuine passion shines through with your historical insight and enthusiasm. I think around 7,300 Lancasters were built between Canada and the UK.

Would the Canadian built Lancasters have had the Rolls-Royce Merlin or the Packard Merlin built under license from Rolls-Royce. I remember reading something where Rolls-Royce engineers visited Packard in Detroit and were impressed with their precision engineering and quality when building the Merlin engine.

Although VERA never went to Europe in anger, I remember reading about a Canadian Lancaster relatively recently flying to the UK to join up with and fly with the British build Avro Lancaster. I'm sure I've seen a video of that. I will see if I can find it.

This one? "The Canadians are coming!", to the UK:

 

[jimintoronto]

its certainly good to hear about all of this many are not aware - thanks!

You are most welcome. Further WW2 facts about Canada's contribution to the war effort. In 1939 the total population of Canada was 11 million people, of all ages. Obviously about half of that number were males, but at least 30 percent of them were either too young, or too old, for military service. So the man power pool was about 3 million males. During WW2 the Canadian military services grew to be over ONE MILLION men. Fully one third of our male population was in military service by 1945. About 900 thousand of them were serving outside of Canada, mostly in the European theatres of war.

IN 1939 the full time Canadian Army was just over 7,000 men, the Airforce was about 4,000 men, and the Navy was less than 3,000 men, with 7 ships. BY the end of the war in 1945, the RCN had 238 ships, and 125,000 men. The RCAF had 65 squadrons of fighters and bombers, with over 125,000 men. The Canadian Army in 1945 had close to 800,000 men, in five Divisions. About 90 percent of those men were volunteers. In the last year of the war, Ottawa had to act to replace the VERY high combat losses that we had suffered in France, Belgium, and Holland, by sending some conscripts as reinforcements to the infantry units. That number was less than 6 ,000 men.

The most decorated Canadian Army unit in WW2 was the Prince Edward and Hastings Regiment, from central eastern Ontario. The "Hasty Pees " were also known as the fighting farmers, as most of the originals hailed from the 2 Counties and they really were mostly farmers. The Canadian Army in WW2 used a local area recruiting system, so that a unit such as the Calgary Highlanders, would have been men who came from that city or it's surrounding areas. The 3 "Regular Canadian Army " battalions were the Royal Canadian Regiment, the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, and the French speaking Royal 22ND Regiment. Each of those units recruited from a specific part of Canada.

JIM.

 

[jimintoronto]

Your genuine passion shines through with your historical insight and enthusiasm. I think around 7,300 Lancasters were built between Canada and the UK.

Would the Canadian built Lancasters have had the Rolls-Royce Merlin or the Packard Merlin built under license from Rolls-Royce. I remember reading something where Rolls-Royce engineers visited Packard in Detroit and were impressed with their precision engineering and quality when building the Merlin engine.

Although VERA never went to Europe in anger, I remember reading about a Canadian Lancaster relatively recently flying to the UK to join up with and fly with the British build Avro Lancaster. I'm sure I've seen a video of that. I will see if I can find it.

This one? "The Canadians are coming!", to the UK:

That WAS VERA. In 2014, she crossed the Atlantic in 4 jumps. Toronto to Newfoundland, then Iceland, then Scotland, then onto England.

The Canadian built Lancasters used Merlins, the Packard produced V12's were regarded as "hand grenades" that had a short life span in actual use. Their crankshaft oiling passages were too small, so crank shaft failures were all too common. Victory Aircraft located in the countryside outside of Toronto built Lancasters, Hurricanes, Spitfires. DE Havilland also had a Toronto plant, building Mosquitoes. Canadian Steel Car in Thunder Bay built the Corsair folding wing air craft carrier fighter for the USAF. Fleet Aviation in Niagara Falls Ontario built the Gypsy Moth and Tiger Moth trainer aircraft, and the Anson and Blenheim bomber.

IN order to be "airworthy " by Transport Canada current regulations, VERA has two sets of pilot controls in the cockpit, and a complete on board HALON fire suppression system in each engine compartment. The cockpit has modern navcom equipment, and a hidden radar system, so she can fly instrument approaches, if required by poor weather conditions in flight. Her landing gear are actually from a Shackelton air craft, because no original Lancaster landing gear sets exist, any more.

Rebuilding a V12 Merlin engine to day costs about $250,000 USD, and that was one of the reasons for the 2014 trip, to do as many airshows as possible, and get paid for it, PLUS sell as much CWPHM gift items as possible, to the air craft fans in the UK and Europe. I know that sounds very crass, BUT the entire CWPHM operates WITH NO GOVERNMENT FUNDING at all. Private donations, and many corporate donations, plus many "Special events" at the hanger, such as weddings, dances, and car shows, all help to keep them FLYING.

This past week end there was a car show that drew about 25,000 people, over a 3 day event, all of whom paid to get in to the hanger. Plus they ate and drank from our Flight Cafe, and they all got a free photo with VERA out on the apron . For the car show, our volunteer crews moved 35 aircraft out of the hanger, to allow the race cars to be parked in side the building which is 125,000 square feet in size, with 50 foot high electric folding doors. The building was specifically designed to be the home of the CWPHM from the outset. JIM.

 

[smiley]

jolly good sounds fantastic but while we are chatting on this what about all this british girls you got all romantic with and took back to CA - we'd like em back sometime thanks!!

 

[jimintoronto]

jolly good sounds fantastic but while we are chatting on this what about all this british girls you got all romantic with and took back to CA - we'd like em back sometime thanks!!

Funny you should mention that....In 1977 I met my first Wife here in Toronto. She and 2 other women from Yorkshire had come here for a year to be nannies. She was from Barnsley in West Yorkshire. We were married in 1978. Unfortunately, she was killed by a drunk driver in 1986 while standing in a bus shelter . She was buried here in Toronto. JIM.

 

[bobcat]

I thought you might pick up on that! When I made that post, I did wonder how best to describe the system while keeping things simple. I decided on “4WD” as a kind of all encompassing term, though I could just as easily have gone with AWD.

But you’re absolutely correct, there are subtle differences, and to confuse things further, even textbooks can’t seem to agree. One I have describes 4WD as a selectable system that lets you switch between 2WD and 4WD, while AWD is defined as a permanent 4WD system. Then there’s the Bosch Automotive Handbook (5th edition), which as comprehensive as it is, doesn’t mention 4WD at all. It only talks about AWD, and splits it into two types: “Disengageable” AWD, where one axle can be disconnected, and “Permanent” AWD, where all wheels are driven all the time. Can you see why I tried to keep it simple in the original post?

As for the Jensen Interceptor, the video I linked referred to it as an “all-wheel drive,” car, but I think back in 1966, in simpler times, it would have been described as 4WD, even though it was a permanent system. Terminology does shift with time.

That’s quite a garage your friend had, a Cobra and two GTOs? That’s proper muscle car territory. I imagine the Cobra alone must’ve made for some pretty lively drives. A GTO with 800hp -- not exactly known for its handling prowess -- how on earth did it drive with 800 bhp. I'm presuming the nitro only comes into effect at full throttle.

I don't know all the subtle differences in the drives, but I have a 4WD and previous to that, had another one, and here's how I would describe the difference. They both can power all 4 wheels, but go about it in different ways.

When you go around corners, the outside wheels travel further than the inside ones. With AWD, it has some sort of brain that can counter for that difference in travel without stress to the powertrain or wheels. With 4WD, both differentials are locked in, and it doesn't care about travel at all. It sends full power to all 4 wheels. If you are on dirt, that doesn't matter all that much because the dirt has some give, but it doesn't work well on dry pavement. But if you're in some serious off road conditions, with all 4 wheels digging in, it is very impressive what a 4WD can do with the right tires. Both types have their advantages though.

 

[Magna-Carta]

That WAS VERA. In 2014, she crossed the Atlantic in 4 jumps. Toronto to Newfoundland, then Iceland, then Scotland, then onto England.

The Canadian built Lancasters used Merlins, the Packard produced V12's were regarded as "hand grenades" that had a short life span in actual use. Their crankshaft oiling passages were too small, so crank shaft failures were all too common. Victory Aircraft located in the countryside outside of Toronto built Lancasters, Hurricanes, Spitfires. DE Havilland also had a Toronto plant, building Mosquitoes. Canadian Steel Car in Thunder Bay built the Corsair folding wing air craft carrier fighter for the USAF. Fleet Aviation in Niagara Falls Ontario built the Gypsy Moth and Tiger Moth trainer aircraft, and the Anson and Blenheim bomber.

IN order to be "airworthy " by Transport Canada current regulations, VERA has two sets of pilot controls in the cockpit, and a complete on board HALON fire suppression system in each engine compartment. The cockpit has modern navcom equipment, and a hidden radar system, so she can fly instrument approaches, if required by poor weather conditions in flight. Her landing gear are actually from a Shackelton air craft, because no original Lancaster landing gear sets exist, any more.

Rebuilding a V12 Merlin engine to day costs about $250,000 USD, and that was one of the reasons for the 2014 trip, to do as many airshows as possible, and get paid for it, PLUS sell as much CWPHM gift items as possible, to the air craft fans in the UK and Europe. I know that sounds very crass, BUT the entire CWPHM operates WITH NO GOVERNMENT FUNDING at all. Private donations, and many corporate donations, plus many "Special events" at the hanger, such as weddings, dances, and car shows, all help to keep them FLYING.

This past week end there was a car show that drew about 25,000 people, over a 3 day event, all of whom paid to get in to the hanger. Plus they ate and drank from our Flight Cafe, and they all got a free photo with VERA out on the apron . For the car show, our volunteer crews moved 35 aircraft out of the hanger, to allow the race cars to be parked in side the building which is 125,000 square feet in size, with 50 foot high electric folding doors. The building was specifically designed to be the home of the CWPHM from the outset. JIM.

I didn't know there was an oiling issue on the Packard-built version of the Merlin. I think I read that Rolls-Royce, during the Merlin’s development, would run the engine statically at full power and just leave it there until something broke. Then redesign that component and repeat the process, improving bit by bit. Proper old-school development.

I don't see anything you describe as being crass. The private venture, Vulcan to the Sky, pretty much operated in the same way. It takes a lot of money to keep these old planes flying and the history alive. We shouldn't forget our history, neither the good nor the bad. Only we can own it by recognising it for what it is, or was.


Canadian and British Avro Lancasters together in the UK. Along with its 1950s Cold War replacement, the 4 jet Avro Vulcan bomber, with an early version of the engines found on Concorde:

V12 Merlin engine:

 

[smiley]

Funny you should mention that....In 1977 I met my first Wife here in Toronto. She and 2 other women from Yorkshire had come here for a year to be nannies. She was from Barnsley in West Yorkshire. We were married in 1978. Unfortunately, she was killed by a drunk driver in 1986 while standing in a bus shelter . She was buried here in Toronto. JIM.

apologies and my sentiments Jim

 

[Magna-Carta]

I don't know all the subtle differences in the drives, but I have a 4WD and previous to that, had another one, and here's how I would describe the difference. They both can power all 4 wheels, but go about it in different ways.

When you go around corners, the outside wheels travel further than the inside ones. With AWD, it has some sort of brain that can counter for that difference in travel without stress to the powertrain or wheels. With 4WD, both differentials are locked in, and it doesn't care about travel at all. It sends full power to all 4 wheels. If you are on dirt, that doesn't matter all that much because the dirt has some give, but it doesn't work well on dry pavement. But if you're in some serious off road conditions, with all 4 wheels digging in, it is very impressive what a 4WD can do with the right tires. Both types have their advantages though.

I never used to be all that interested in 4WD or off-roading, or at least not until my employer sent me on a two day off-road training course a few weeks ago. That was a real eye opener. I came away thinking, “What have I been missing all this time?!”

Below is a photo someone took of me climbing a sand and clay quarry in a Mitsubishi. It was surprisingly slippery, especially once the rain started coming down. Some parts of the course had such sudden crests and drops that we couldn’t actually see where we were going -- we had to put our trust in the vehicle’s ability and just commit. A bit unnerving in places!

The vehicles we drove all had manual transmissions, selectable 2WD/4WD, and various combinations of differentials, some with two, others with three diffs, and some equipped with diff locks. Each setup had its own feel and quirks.

Because they were manuals, there was always the risk of stalling the engine, especially on gradients where you needed momentum. If that happened, we had to hold it on the brakes, restart the engine, and either continue forward or, if that wasn’t viable due to it being so slippery, reverse out. In those situations where the engine had stalled, we were taught to hold the footbrake, select reverse in low range, clutch down, then start the engine and raise the clutch at exactly the same time. Then both feet off all the pedals, letting the vehicle slowly make its own controlled descent in its own time.

Our instructor described it as: “Failing to safety.” And honestly, that phrase stuck with me.

 

[Rich]

It would be hard to do better than this transmission....

 

[jimintoronto]

I didn't know there was an oiling issue on the Packard-built version of the Merlin. I think I read that Rolls-Royce, during the Merlin’s development, would run the engine statically at full power and just leave it there until something broke. Then redesign that component and repeat the process, improving bit by bit. Proper old-school development.

I don't see anything you describe as being crass. The private venture, Vulcan to the Sky, pretty much operated in the same way. It takes a lot of money to keep these old planes flying and the history alive. We shouldn't forget our history, neither the good nor the bad. Only we can own it by recognising it for what it is, or was.


Canadian and British Avro Lancasters together in the UK. Along with its 1950s Cold War replacement, the 4 jet Avro Vulcan bomber, with an early version of the engines found on Concorde:

V12 Merlin engine:

Back in the mid 1980's here at Toronto's inner harbor, there was a public display and speed run done by an American Unlimited Class hydroplane speed boat. It had FOUR V12 Allison aero engines mounted in it's 45 foot long hull. Imagine four V12 's all firing at the same time ? I reckon that boat had about 6,000 horsepower running on 100 octane aviation gas. The speed run only lasted about 15 seconds, then it disappeared out into Lake Ontario at top speed of around 150 mph.

Post WW2 unused surplus Rolls Royce Merlins were being sold by Crown Assets Disposal of Canada, to the public. Many of them ended up in unlimited class speed boats, or in air craft racers. The same thing happened with hundreds of the Canadian Military Pattern trucks, of which Canada produced 900,000 of them during the war. JIM.