A GDYNETS® PUBLICATION © 2014, G. DAVID YAROS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Car Collector Chronicles ®
Volume VII, Issue IV
Exploring:
Ca
April 2014
s
• Car Collecting Today
High RPMs
• Classic Rides • Reports From the Field • Oldsmobile (1897-2004) • Cadillac (1902- ) • Allanté (1987-1993)
• Corvair (1960-1969)
◄ = Clickable Link
IN THIS ISSUE: High RPMs
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GDYNets On the Web
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The temps in my neck of the woods have actually been above freezing multiple days in a row! That turn of events has permitted me to get rid of the 5’ pile of snow and ice stacked up in front of the door to the lift bay of the car barn. Could spring be coming? I am hopeful. The projects are mounting. I have boxes stacked in the car barn waiting for their contents to be removed and installed. Among other things they include a vacuum wiper motor, an oil pan and gaskets, spark plug loom wire separators, a third brake light, daytime running lights, tires, alloy rims, brake dust shields and who knows what else. Guess I will find out soon? I sure hope so! As promised, this month I present what I feel are interesting facts when it comes to lubrication and collector cars. I have also written to the engineer mentioned in the article for additional info. A reply has yet
to be received by publication time. When it is, I shall indeed pass it on. Two major automotive milestones occurred this month that deserve comment. It has now been a decade since GM closed the factory gates at Oldsmobile. Why, us Olds diehards will never understand. But then Pontiac diehards can now say the same, can’t they?
April in 19 and 64 also marked the debut by Ford of the now venerable Mustang. The right car at the right time, to say the least. April Automotive Milestones4/07/1947 Henry Ford dies 4/17/1969 Ford debuts Maverick
Crankcase Contents Concerns 2 Stranger Than Fiction
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What People Do To Their Rides CCC® Forum EMail:
GDYNets® on the Web Find GDYNets on the web:
Speaking of Buick
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OldsD88@gmail.com ◄
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4/18/1955 Lincoln becomes separate division of Ford 4/18/1964 Sunbeam debuts Tiger 4/21/1967 GM makes 100th million car 4/25/1901 NY first state to require license plates Spring—Bring it on!
CCC® -THE FORUM ◄-A web site to discuss the newsletter, the hobby and our cars. Car Collector Chronicles ◄ Saved 62 ◄-Our 1962 Olds convertible, Ransom Eli Olds and things Oldsmobile related web site. The Gray Lady ◄-1955 Cadillac Coupé de Ville web site.
SAVED 62: A website devoted
to our 1962 Oldsmobile Dynamic 88 convertible. The site also has a lot of information on Oldsmobile cars and the company founder, Ransom Eli Olds.
THE GRAY LADY: This website features our 1955 Cadillac Coupé de Ville, lots of Caddy information and an extensive repair library.
DAVE’S DEN: ◄-A site devoted to a myriad of interests. Foremost is extensive information on the “Steel City” of Gary, IN. There are also offerings on steel making, U.S. Steel-Gary Works, U.S. Marine Corps, M14 assault rifle, of course Oldsmobile, and the tragic story of the murder of Gary, IN Police Lt. George Yaros.
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Car Collector Chronicles
Crankcase Contents Concerns
“ At the initial start-up after six months or more of slumber just how much wear is caused when cranking the engine?”
Ask 13 car guys what motor oil they use, and why, and you will likely get 13 different answers. While Bob swears by Brand Y, Don swears at it and loudly proclaims that concoction will never reach the depths of his crankcase. To confound the situation even more is the now federally mandated ZDDP content reduction in motor oils. The recent reduction is necessary to protect catalytic converters, which we do not have or want! One lubricating concern I have deals with the waking of my rides from their winter naps. At that initial start-up after six months or more of slumber just how much wear is caused when cranking the engine? Likewise when firing up a ride that has sat idle for weeks on end? Both are common circumstances with our collector cars. What may seem insignificant when viewed in isolation becomes consequential when it is known that it takes place regularly, year-after-year. A lot of auto related email lands in my inbox. Now and then some of it is actually of interest! In this regard, what follows was sent to me by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). It does seem to have car collector potential in that it acknowledges, and addresses some of our lubrication concerns. Oiling the Way to Greater EV Efficiency, by Stuart Birch http://articles.sae.org/12798/ ◄ Lubricant performance may not appear to be a salient challenge for EV (electric vehicle) operation, even when it comes to the achievement of world electric speed records and on-track e-racecars. Not only is there no internal-combustion engine (ICE), but most production EVs use only a single-speed reduction gearbox. Lubricants are as significant in EVs, however, as those used in ICE powertrains. Martyn Mann, Technical Director of Millers Oils, which works closely with Drayson Racing Technologies, said that the torque characteristics of an EV powertrain—for road, track, and extreme speed attempts—create very different demands on the lubricants throughout the gearbox and final drive, compared to conventional vehicles: “Electric motors generate maximum torque from one rpm, which means that the contact pressures between each pair of teeth in a geartrain can reach a maximum before any meaningful rotation has occurred and while the system is still cold.” (Emphasis Supplied) This lack of rotation is very significant because lubricant drains off the surfaces while they are stationary, and the lack of temperature is also significant because conventional anti-wear additives in lubricants require high temperatures to become chemically active, he explained. (Emphasis Supplied) Millers Oils has overcome these issues while developing its Nanodrive lubricants, according to Mann. These contain nanoparticles sufficiently small (30 to 50 nm diameter) to infiltrate the micro-roughness that remains on even the smoothest ground surfaces, acting like miniature ball bearings. The nanoparticles also exfoliate under load, peeling like the layers of an onion, to deposit a thin wear-resistant layer that physically separates adjacent metal surfaces. These lubricants were developed to achieve higher and more consistent film strength over a wider temperature range than existing oils, which were benchmarked during an extensive test program. Mann said, “Many of the conventional oils did not develop their full film strength until temperatures over 70°C (158°F) were attained.” Millers Oils worked closely with Drayson Racing to succeed in establishing the world land speed record for lightweight EVs (subject to FIA homologation) at 330.13 km/h
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Car Collector Chronicles
Crankcase Contents Concerns - Cont’d.
(205.13 mph) over a measured mile. The speed record was set by CEO Lord Drayson driving a Lola B12 69/EV using specially developed Nanodrive lubricants. Mann explains that the speed-record program proved distinctly challenging: “Lubricating the transmission in the Lola required good film strength at both extremes of temperature. With more than 520 kW from four electric motors, the torque from a standstill creates enormous loads, while at maximum speed high temperatures were generated, requiring sophisticated thermal management in the oil’s properties.” The electric Lola is understood to produce 4000 N·m (2950 lb·ft) of torque. “Now, much of the knowledge gained is being channeled into the development of future lubricants for EV racecars, such as Formula E, where saving driveline weight and package space through the use of innovative fluids is a huge benefit,” he added. Low friction properties were equally important as successful wear protection to the Drayson speedrecord car. “Maximum efficiency was essential in order to extract the greatest speed potential from the onboard battery pack, so one of our aims was to minimize friction losses,” Mann said. “In this respect, the lubricants are equally relevant to road-car applications, where anything that improves efficiency can be used to extend the useful range.” Road-going EVs could also benefit from a reduction in the size and weight of the transmission and driveline, made possible by using the optimum lubricant to increase load capacity, protect against wear and reduce friction. Mann also stated that the ongoing development of oil technology could be of particular benefit to road-going hybrid drivelines, which are required to cope with increased torque loads as electric drives are added to existing transmissions and operate in confined conditions. The benefits that accrue from nanotechnology applied to EVs follow on conventional powertrain application, said Mann. Millers Oils has recently tested Nanodrive on a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 racecar, and results show a power increase of 1.5% compared to the original lubricant, claims Mann. The power gain is a result of reduced internal friction despite using the same viscosity as the original oil. “Unlocking the energy normally wasted in friction gives the cheapest power increase you can get. In a heavily restricted formula it may be the only increase easily available,” he explained. “Less friction doesn’t just provide more power, it also reduces the amount of heat produced, also reducing cooling requirements and decreasing engine wear, thus extending service intervals. Oil is often overlooked as just another consumable, but as the tests show, choosing the correct oil can make a significant difference.” The tests were conducted on a hub dynamometer at Torque Developments International using Fortec Motorsport’s SLS GT3. Averages were taken from a series of three runs on each of two other products, both off-the-shelf SAE 5W40 engine oils. “In a category with very few avenues to exploit, finding advantages in lubrication can make a big difference,” said Trevor Foster, Fortec Motorsport team manager. “In competitive motorsport you are continually looking for gains; most of the time they aren’t as simple as just replacing the engine oil!” The Millers Oils formulation uses nanoparticles that produce a significantly lower friction coefficient than conventional boundary lubricants such as molybdenum disulphide. They have a greater surface area in proportion to their volume than bigger particles, making them more reactive and facilitating reduction of both friction and wear. The use of low viscosity (thinner) oils based on high-quality synthetic base stocks is known to reduce viscous friction in oil films but is limited by wear considerations, said Mann. Thinner oil films increase the risk and frequency of contact between opposing metal surfaces, requiring the use of improved anti-wear additives. Increased contact between surfaces also increases boundary friction. The benefits are also applicable for road cars, added Mann, with fuel-consumption reductions of up to 2.5% and complementary reductions in emissions. ______________ I do see potential here in terms of helping us to preserve the mechanical innards of our precious cars. Anything that reduces engine wear has to be good, right? If, when using this product, the cylinder walls, rings, crank, bearings etc. can remain lubricated notwithstanding a long winter’s nap, then I say where can I get it? That is the problem as, to my knowledge, Nanodrive Lube is not available commercially. Not yet anyway. Food for thought? Then again, I may stand corrected on the “available commercially” point Millers Oils: http://www.millersoils.co.uk/nanodrive.asp ◄ U.S. Distributor: http://performanceoilstore.com/products.asp?cat=68 ◄
“The benefits that accrue from nanotechnology applied to EVs follow on conventional powertrain application ….”
Car Collector Chronicles
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Stranger Than Fiction This is weird, I’ll give you that. But, it is also true. I stumbled across this message thread on the net a while back. It caught my interest at the time, so I saved it. I now share it with you: Too Weird Problem with Wiring OK Buick People: I have several Buicks most with Nailhead engines. I have a very common problem with these and I thought one might be able to help me out with a theory (no comedy please). The problem is this. Rodents are eating one wire in particular. It's the wire going from the points through the bottom of the distributor to the coil. This has happened at least 10 times on 10 different cars. There are lots of wires throughout the engine bay. Why THIS particular one??? And....10 times with 10 different cars? The batteries are out and most of these cars are only started on occasion. ANY THEORIES? Re: Too Weird Problem with wiring It’s because it’s in the most convenient cozy place for them to sit there, relax and chew. I've also often seen the wire to the temp sending unit chewed as well. Same for the wiring on rad support for lighting where it exits the harness wrapping. While they are known to chew through the harness wrap, that’s much less enticing than a single wire. Re: Too Weird Problem with wiring It could also be that the guy who last handled that wire just finished a peanut butter sandwich. I suggest you coat exposed wires with mint oil. Re: Too Weird Problem with wiring If the wire is going, as you say, directly from the points through a grommet to the coil than the wire in most cases would be made from very fine strands and insulated with cloth rather than plastic. This is to allow it to be very flexible. If it is cloth insulated that's what mice love for nesting material...............Bob Re: Too Weird Problem with wiring Replace the wire with a stranded, shielded #14 wire. Remove the shield from the end of the wire close to the distributor. Connect the other end of the shield to a positive terminal that is always powered. Eat a peanut butter sandwich while installing it. Guaranteed no comedy. Bernie CCC® reader theories?
Speaking of Buick Here is a must have Buick item from back in the day? I must admit that I cannot recall ever having actually seen this installed on any Buick. Sort of a precursor to daytime running lights?
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Car Collector Chronicles
What People Do To Their Rides? - The Good, The Bad & The Ugly!
At least this has some practicality -
- Another Olds mod.
– Ok, I’ve had my say for the month. Now it’s your turn! I invite/encourage submission of your comments, opinions and article contributions. I also ask that you please help spread the word about our publication. Everything sent shall indeed be reviewed by me. Submissions should be sent to CCC® at OldsD88@gmail.com. –– Now that you have finished reading this month’s issue of the newsletter, come start/ join an ongoing dialog with other CCC® readers and like-minded car collector folk on the CCC® Forum. Stop by, check us out and share your views … . ______________________________________
-- RESTORE 'EM, AND DRIVE 'EM! COMING NEXT ISSUE: • TBD