Rube Goldberg and Gasoline Explosions

Rube Goldberg Would Be Proud...

When I was a young man hanging out in automotive garages in the 1960's and 1970's I remember the older mechanics making comments about a Rube Goldberg affair when they had to work on a customer's car that the customer had tried to fix something with bailing wire and electrical tape.  It clearly didn't work which is why the car ended up in the repair garage. I did not know who or what a Rube Goldberg was (and dared not ask) but I could tell by the tone of their voice and the cobbled up mess they were working on that the customer was no mechanic. About ten years ago I finally leaned that Rube Goldberg was a real person and he was known for inventing complicated machines to do simple tasks. So what does all of this have to do with how gasoline explodes inside of a cylinder? Glad you ask. Grab some popcorn and watch the movie. You will learn who Rube Goldberg was and how that relates to gasoline firing in a cylinder.

Oh... and for those of you who want the official bio of one Mr Rube Goldberg here it is ...

Rube Goldberg (1883-1970) was a Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist best known for his zany invention cartoons. He was born in San Francisco on the 4th of July, 1883 – and graduated from U. Cal Berkeley with a degree in engineering. His first job at the San Francisco Chronicle led to early success, but it wasn’t until he moved to NYC and began working for Hearst publications that he became a household name. Rube Goldberg is the only person ever to be listed in the Merriam Webster Dictionary as an adjective. It’s estimated that he did a staggering 50,000 cartoons in his lifetime. You can see him in action in the movie below.

And here is the movie that explains how gasoline explodes inside of a cylinder. When I watched this the first time I was amazed at their lack of safety procedures. This was clearly filmed long before a government program called OSHA got involved in the work place. Enjoy !

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A Tour of The Auto-Lite Company 1940.

Did you ever wish you could have toured an auto parts factory back in the day so you could have watched them build starters, generators, voltage regulators, ignition points and spark plugs,
the parts we have all bought and installed dozens of times over our lifetime. I have always wondered what those factories must have been like. Imagine how many spark plugs they built in a day...thousands no doubt.

Well you can wonder no more because I found a two part movie tour of the Auto-Lite Auto Parts Company from 1940, that not only show the parts being manufactured but tells what factory location built the parts shown. Also shown is the engineering behind the parts and how those parts are tested before they went into production. Last but not least is a slide show at the end showing all of the parts manufactured by Auto-Lite.

I knew the Auto-Lite company as building electrical parts like ignition points, condensers,  starters, generators and spark plugs, and batteries. I did not know they also manufactured things like chrome bumpers and various metal parts. So grab your bowl of popcorn and your favorite beverage and enjoy the show. You're welcome !

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How A Carburetor Works...Understanding Air Fuel Mixture...

In this yet another Jam Handy movie you will learn how the air fuel mixture works in a carburetor. The basic principles shown in this film apply to most all carbureted engines. While things got a little more complicated since this film was made with the introduction of 4bbl carburetors and the like, the same principles still apply. If you watch this film you will begin to understand what happens when you turn a mixture screw on your carburetor or adjust the idle or choke. This is pretty basic stuff but if you understand it, it will make working on your antique vehicle much easier. You will  also better understand what you are reading in your shop manual. See...you are getting smarter already...

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How Engine Cooling Works...

If you grew up in the 1930's and 1940's you are no doubt aware of the Jam Handy films which covered most every subject you could imagine. Lucky for us General Motors was a regular customer and ordered films covering everything automotive, from assembly line production to driving safety. Jam Handy also got into the technical side of things with General Motors, and the film I have included here explains how engine cooling works. This was filmed in 1936.

Keep in mind that when these vehicles were new, there was no such thing as permanent antifreeze and most of the antifreeze sold in those days was alcohol based, which meant that if you did not drain it out in the spring and replace it with water, it would simple evaporate away. Also keep in mind that the cooling systems in the early days was designed for the water and alcohol base coolant and as a result the tubes inside the radiator are smaller in diameter than they were when permanent antifreeze became common in the later years.

Distilled water works best (water with the minerals removed) because it will reduce the build up of corrosion and hard water deposits inside of the cooling system. In an older antique vehicle plain distilled water will run about twenty degrees cooler than a mixture of 50/50 modern antifreeze and water mix. Meanwhile...sit back and enjoy the show!

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How Engine Lubrication Works...

If you grew up in the 1930's and 1940's you are no doubt aware of the Jam Handy films which covered most every subject you could imagine. Lucky for us General Motors was a regular customer and ordered films covering everything automotive, from assembly line production to driving safety. Jam Handy also got into the technical side of things with General Motors, and the film I have included here concerns how engine lubrication works. This film was made in 1937.

The one major improvement that came about after this film was released was the pressurized oiling system for automotive engines. That resulted in better and more reliable lubrication thus paving the way for higher compression and more engine horsepower. Today we also enjoy engine oil with much better lubrication properties and resistance to damage from excessive heat as compared to the early engine oils. However, the basic principles of how engine lubrication works still applies, and if you own and drive an antique vehicle built before the 1960's what you learn from this video will apply to you antique vehicle. It is good to learn and better understand the technology of the day. It will make taking care of your antique vehicle that much easier.  Enjoy!

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How Antique Vehicle Fuel Systems Work...

If you grew up in the 1930's and 1940's you are no doubt aware of the Jam Handy films which covered most every subject you could imagine. Lucky for us General Motors was a regular customer and ordered films covering everything automotive, from assembly line production to driving safety. Jam Handy also got into the technical side of things with General Motors, and the film I have included here concerns how the fuel system works.

They used the then common Chevrolet 6-cylinder  overhead valve engine which remained  basically unchanged from the mid 1930's up to thru the early 1960's. They have taken a fairly complicated subject and made it easy to understand. Even if you think you know all you need to know about fuel systems this is worth a look. Keep in mind this film was made in 1935 and reflects the technology of the day. Nevertheless many of the basic principles still apply...even some thirty plus years after this film was made. Enjoy!

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HELP! My Car Won't Start When It Is Hot !

Each of us has owned, or knows of someone who has owned an antique vehicle, muscle car, or hot rod that refuses to start when the engine is warm. To make this more aggravating, the vehicle seems to start fine when the engine is cold.

Everybody… from the members of the local car club, to the well meaning brother-in-law, have offered advice, but the vehicle is still the same, and the owner is out a couple hundred bucks trying all of the “that’ll fixit…” solutions, that didn’t.

If this scenario sounds all to familiar  to you...then this is the book for you. I field this question on almost a daily basis from all types of  vehicle owners. Nothing is more aggravating than a vehicle that will not start when the engine is hot, especially when all your friends are standing around staring at you. You know what they are thinking, and you are just glad your mom is not around to hear what you are thinking!

In this book you will learn how to identify and fix your hot start problems once and for all. All types of vehicles covered including, antique cars, trucks, tractors, muscle cars, hot rods, rat rods, and most anything else you can think of.

The cost of the book is $15.00 post paid. It includes over 70 color pictures. Simple to read and easy to understand. Order your copy today.

Randy

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