You guys will have to give me a break, my PC is going down. Gonna take it to the doctor.
This morning, while riding my motorcycle to work, I thought of the perfect way to explain this elementary concept (of increasing RPMs to make an engine seem smoother).
Take a carbureted (non-EFI) V-twin engine. Most 45 degree V-twin engines have a single crank pin, but the motorcycle I ride (2005 Honda Shadow Aero) has a 52 degree V-twin engine with an offset crank pin. With a single crank pin, while the V-twin idles cold, you hear a “thum-thump…thum-thump…thum-thump…thum-thump” sound. On a 52 degree V-twin, it’s less pronounced. When the 52 degree V-twin engine idles cold, it’s more like" thuthump…thuthump…thuthump…thuthump." However, after my motorcycle warms up, and it idles faster, you probably wouldn’t be able to tell it’s a V-twin by listening to the engine because it idles so smoothly.
Back in the 1980s, when four cylinder engines weren’t counter-balanced as well as they are now, many owners of the Ford Escort complained that its four cylinder engine idled roughly. When people took their Escorts to the Ford dealership to address the issue, their answer to the problem was to turn up the idle speed. It’s the same concept, but a different engine. If the cylinders fire closer together (at a higher speed), the engine won’t vibrate as much.
Get it now?
"No, nobody is ignorant because they have a different preference than I. They are ignorant because they say stupid things."
Apparently, we many of us are too stupid to compose smart comments except for Elly so let’s just quote some of those great thoughts.
“Keep on driving 4 cylinder cars with mmanual transmissions and no accesories because they are cheaper to operate. I drive a V6, auto, power windows & locks, satelite radio that is phone ready (hands free) , tire pressure monitor and much more, and I am willing to pay the price.”
"I never said this either, I don’t remember who did So you think someone drives an exotic Italian sports car with a stick shift because it’s cheap?
Rod Knox
That young lady is lucky the handle didn’t catch when it started. She has her hand wrapped around the crank handle and she’s using her right hand. I was taught to stand to right side (passenger side) far enough in front as not to get hit , use my left hand, no thumb, pull straight up and let go at the top of the pull, just in case the hand crank got stuck and spun around.
But then again I was taught by an old timers who broke and arm doing it wrong.
In my experience manual transmissions have been much more reliable than automatics and I’ve had a significant amount of personal experience with both. For the type driving I do (mostly highway) I actually prefer a manual to an automatic. My daily driver ('88 Escort) has 518K miles on it, has had the clutch replaced 2 times since new never had the fluid changed and still has it’s original 4 speed manual transmission. On the automatics I’ve had even with regular fluid/filter changes I’ve had problems with them slipping and getting sluggish.
You guys have consistantly mentioned shortening the time between the firing of the plugs to smooth out an engine. OF COURSE IT WILL IDLE SMOOTHER, I have never denied that and have understood it from the beginning. However, that would make no difference above idle sprre. I called the firing of the plugs the “Power Stroke” and Whitey said “I never said anything about Power Strokes, where did you come up with that?” Also someone said " I said shortening the time between firing of the plugs, not crank rotation" How in heck can you do one without doing the other?? Circuitsmith answered this by saying, " by spinning the crank faster" DUU?
If you understand the concept, why do you REPEATEDLY bring it up in an effort to discredit me, it like it is something fallacious that makes me look stupid?
Really, you bring it up EVERY time you get called out for being wrong on something unrelated, and you do it like it’s a sign that I’m crazy, so of course I defend myself.
Now, it’s amusing to see you pretend you understood the concept from the beginning. It’s like fallacious circular reasoning.
Any moron would understand the so-called “concept” of increasing the idle speed to help smooth out a 4 cylinder engine because it is so far between “power Strokes”. However it would have no effect above an idle so it is irrelevant to the argument.
When I called the time that a plug fired a “Power Stroke” You asked “where did you come up with that”?
Chunky, It wasn’t I who first said that a manual was cheaper to operate, several guys on here did, I merely quoted them.
That doesn’t answer my question. Why do you keep bringing this up in unrelated threads?
It just shows that you don’t know what you are talking about most of the time. You are right once in a while tho.
A quote from Whitey "Back in the 1980s, when four cylinder engines weren't counter-balanced as well as they are now, many owners of the Ford Escort complained that its four cylinder engine idled roughly. When people took their Escorts to the Ford dealership to address the issue, their answer to the problem was to turn up the idle speed. It's the same concept, but a different engine. If the cylinders fire closer together (at a higher speed), the engine won't vibrate as much" .
Get it now?
Isn’t this just Brilliant?? Who but a genious would have thought about that.
BTW A 6 cylinder fires closer together without speeding up the idle!! If I remember correctly, were comparing 4s with 6s at the time.
This is a thread about transmissions, not engines.
Yeah, Whitey, I would change the subject too if I were you.
Back to transmissions:
Someone a few posts back talked about the way that an automatic trans jerks around. I have never owned one that did. I have noticed tho sometimes when folloowing someone, I almost run into them while they shift gears.( you know, speed up. clutch, shift gears, speed up again, clutch, shange gears and so on.)
I did have a Dodge van that I had 15 years and drove 140k miles that instead of just disengaging the TCC it would do that and downshift to 3rd at the same time, I did not like that.
I have an automatic right now that I can barely feel the 1-2 shift but cannot feel the other shifts, either up or down. When I slow down to make a short corner, the car downshifts but I cannot tell when it does. Now this one is the smoothest I have ever had, and I don’t know how long it will last. It only has 50K miles .
Maybe you should increase your following distance. If you “almost run into them while they shift gears”, you must be tailgating.
Think about it. If you almost collide with the car in front of you, and the car is merely coasting between gears, not even using the brakes, you should learn how to drive safely. You’re obviously a hazard to every driver you follow. Imagine if one of these cars actually applied the brakes! Yikes!
I’ve been driving a standard since the early 70’s…and taught my kids to drive standard…New drivers may have a tendency to slow up when shifting…but that’s maybe their first 3 weeks of driving. I wouldn’t even let my kids drive on the highway until they were proficient with driving a clutch and driving skills in general. The later takes about 3-4 months.
But an experienced driver…if your vehicle dropped more then .5mph…then I’d check to see if there’s a caliper sticking…
This thread is starting to sound like Congress. Yikes!
I know. This debate has become as contentious a helmet law debate in a motorcycle forum. Yikes!
I’m actually finding it entertaining. Elly is very entertaining. Try going back, and reading the number of times he’s contradicted himself. I don’t pay any attention to WHAT he says, so much as how he says it. Quite humorous.
chaissos, I am sure I did not contradict myself on here. I think the reason you believe that is, a while back I copied several quotes of other people and pasted them on here. I did not make it clear enough that they were not my words.
however you want to look at it…I still find it entertaining.