Why do petrol cars have vacuum pumps?

This one is easy to answer.

"Tell me something also."
"If you're so concerned about pollution, why do different states in the US
have different regs?"

Due to the weather that starts on the Pacific Ocean border of the US, many
weather factors cause the smog and pollution to move eastward. Thus, this
has a dramatic effect on the Air Quality in the US.

Snip

..

 

Oh, I've read about at least some of the reasons. I just assumed the self
opinionated Mr Stern thinks weather and geographical conditions are the
same the world over. If he even realises there is a world out there...

 

No, I have "The Merlin in Perspective: The Combat Years" published by
Rolls-Royce Heritage Press, and written by Alec Harvey-Bailey, one of
the engineers who designed the Merlin. There was never a problem with
Packard Merlins lacking power output, and Packard did solve several
manufacturing process issues that had been plaguing the engine. The
Merlin sorta grew by accretion, with all the attendant problems. The
Griffon was much more of a "clean sheet" design (except for keeping the
cylinder dimensions of the "R" racing V12) and incorporated all the many
"lessons learned" from the Merlin (including those learned from
Packard). But it came too late and all piston engines were replaced by
turbines before it could gain wide use. Although it did serve for 40+
years with your front-line military in the Avro Shackleton.

You must have the fantasy version...

 

Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

Plenty. "To Engineer is Human..."

OK, if you want to throw stones from glass houses... does Great Britain
still make ANYthing mechanical? At least we don't import EVERY car we buy!

Rolls- gone (owned by BMW)
Jaguar- gone (owned by Ford)
Bentley- gone (see RR)
Leyland- who knows
Even the new Mini is made by BMW using a Chrysler-designed engine... but
that's nothing new because the highly successful "Rover" v8 that was
built for 40-odd years was actually a Buick the whole time (design and
production rights bought from GM, and carried its characteristic Buick
timing-case mounted distributor right to the end).

And all the other great names from Britain's past: Where's Napier?
Vickers? Parsons? Hawker? Harland & Wolff? White Star? Cunard's now
owned by Carnival, of all things, and the QM-2 was built in FRANCE fer
cryin' out loud!!! (A fact that disturbs *me* and should make every
self-respecting Brit lie awake at night in horror

We screw up plenty, but at least we've still got Ford, GM, half of
Chrysler, Boeing, Pratt&Whitney, General Electric, Cummins, Caterpillar,
Detroit Diesel, Allison, EMD. We haven't TOTALLY sold out... yet :-/

 

It's nice to read the US cares so much about other countries' polution.
Does this mean they're about to impose the same controls on their
companies who operate abroad as they would at home? No? Now there's a
surprise.[/QUOTE]

What country DOES do that? Sheesh, and we get derided for NOT signing
Kyoto (which specifically exempts a lot of those countries from
tightening their standards). Not only that, but what you suggest would
also get us branded "imperialists!" "How dare you force your standards
into our country!"

Because:

a) any state is free to impose TIGHTER regulations than the nationwide regs

b) certain states, by dint of geography, weather conditions, and
population density, need tighter standards than others to achieve the
same air quality.

 

If it did,

a) I wouldn't prefer it

b) I wouldn't be typing right now, I'd be pushing up daisies or (at
best) in physical therapy.

 

Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

Buick-designed engines never did lack grunt. Even when built by Rover

 

Steve () gurgled happily, sounding much like they were
saying :

Now MG-Rover, and british owned.

The Rover v8 was at least developed (from the original Buick design) and
built here, whereas the Mini lump is imported from Brazil (petrol) whole.
The diesel Mini uses the Yaris lump, btw.

Why? Nobody but fat rich aging ignorant Americans in hideous tartan
designer shorts will ever go on it.

 

No - merely asking a question. I'd like an answer to that rather than just
another question.

You know obviously very little about the UK motor industry. Ownership may
have changed, but many makes are still made here. Like is happening in the
US...

Rolls Royce went as an independently owned company over 30 years ago. try
and keep up.

Likewise Jaguar.

Bentley ceased being independently owned over 70 years ago...

Now MG Rover.

You'll be delighted to know that the next generation Mini will get rid of
the crappy Chrysler designed unit and use a purpose made BMW one.

You want me to make a list of all the now defunct US engineering etc
companies? I can't be bothered...

And an economy in heavy recession. While ours has weathered a world wide
one - and with a Socialist government. This must really hurt.

 

Adrian wrote:

Well, now that I see British national pride in engineering is dead, it
pretty much explains the rest of the situation :-(

Not that we're far behind over here. "Art for art's sake" is worth
government endowments by the dozen, but "engineering for engineering's
sake" has to be justified ad infinitum before a tax dollar is spent.

 

Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

Where a product is made means a WHOLE lot less than where it's
engineered and where the money goes. That's why I could care less that
Honduhs and Toyotas are "built in America." They're still foreign cars,
and now all your car companies (at least most of the major ones) are
foreign-owned. We lost half of Chrysler ownership, but fortunately the
real engineering is still being done in Auburn Hills, not Stuttgart.

So "early Minis" will be the coveted collector items that can actually
get out of their own way....

Really? You keep SAYING that, yet I live in the middle of it and when I
look around and fail to see evidence of it anywhere.

No, I want to see England succeed. Its been 200 years since my ancestors
left, but I still feel a very strong tie.

 

I guess all non-Americans on QM2 are young, slim, fit and have a
perfect tan.

Bye,
Leon

 

Being serious for a minute, what little information we get over here
suggests that most new designs are based on M-B research?

You've not driven one then? The engine was the greatest disappointment in
them, although they appear to have refined it somewhat. Still not in the
BMW class, though - because whatever you criticise about them, it surely
can't be the engines.

The strange thing is they owned Rover group at the time the Mini was
designed, and they have a cracking small four cylinder unit - a few years
ago Ford tried to buy Rover for it before going to Yamaha to design one
for them. The British Government of the time blocked the sale. Ford would
also have got Land Rover at a knock down price...

 

No, but I have many friends and a neighbor who are avid BMW fans to the
same degree I'm a Mopar fan. They all LOVE the Mini, and its speed
(although I get no end of evil delight in pointing out that the PT
Cruiser Turbo is faster than the Super Cooper Actually, you can
count me among the Mini's fans as well. Neat idea, neat car (in its
present form, not the original).

That's right, I can't criticize the Mini engine (and I didn't). BMW on
the other hand...

http://www.terrysaytherauto.com/M60OilPumpBoltProb.htm

 

So, Dave, what kind of car do *you* drive?

 

On a dead straight road maybe, but then Minis were always about out
handling the opposition. Any fool can make a car which goes in a straight
line.

It's nothing like as innovative as the original, which set the basic
layout of almost all current small cars.

Then you need to have more experience of small engines. The Chrysler unit
is harsh and unrefined. Probably the worst modern engine of that size.

Make among the finest engines in the world.

 

The original did - topping out some 1500 rpm lower than the first Rover
version. Which also managed considerably more power than the Buick
original. Despite being 'saddled' with Lucas and SU products.

 

Yes. You've got to laugh that it was too advanced a design for the great
US public to cope with - pushrods and all - so GM had to go back to cast
iron lumps for the next gawd knows how many years. Until the rednecks
could be persuaded to use inhibitor rather than plain water in the rad...

 

I drive many different ones.

As regards those I own, I've already mentioned one in this thread.

 

Well, of the Brits only Jensen seemed to really figure it out... with a
little torque supplied by Mopar

And the real trick is doing both.

I've driven PLENTY of v8s under 6 liters. That's plenty small!

Ahh, the last refuge of the leather driving-gloves "I turn the key and
it goes" crowd. If you can't actually find real, quantifiable,
measurable fault with an engine or automobile, call it "harsh and
unrefined."

Q: What's the quickest way panic a room of BMW aficianados?

A: Sneak in, shout "NIKASIL!" and stand back....