Overdrive...is it heresy?

[Guest Chuck Conrad]

I just bought a nice 810 Westchester Sedan a few months ago. You can see a picture of it on the CCCA home page. To my amazement, the thing flys. 70-75 mph is absolutely no problem. I'm sure it will go a lot faster, but it "feels right' about 72 mph!<P>When I first drove it, I was constantly checking my mirrors for fear that I was holding up "modern" traffic. It turned out that it was the least of my problems. It goes with the best of them. I'm sure the fuel milage is abysmal, but who cares?<P>Incidentally, it steers and stops pretty well too. It has very light steering and almost drives like a modern car.<P>I guess the moral is, despite some rather unusual engineering, Cord had a pretty good idea. If you can find one with the bugs pretty well worked out of it, they are a very nice car. Of course, the styling makes it all worth while, even if it is parked.

[Guest]

one other consideration with babbit vs. insert bearings. Babbit bearings were common when oil filters weren't. The thick, soft babbit metal could imbed crud in the oil without damage. Insert bearings don't like this. If you convert, I suggest an oil filter be added too.

[Guest]

In my home town of Williamsport Penna resides the AVCO plane engine plant. The former home of Lycoming Motors part of the Cord empire at one time. Over the years I have seen many fine vehicles powered by Lycoming engines. The local AACA club sponsers a show and awards a trophy for the best vehicle powered by a Lycoming engine. The thing that bugs me is no one has ever written any books that I know of about the history of Lycoming Motors. I am very interest in obtaining any information that I can. If anybody can help me in this respect please do so.

[Guest]

Packard53, ask and yee shall receive. <A HREF="http://www.prime-mover.org/Engines/Pictures.html" TARGET=_blank>http://www.prime-mover.org/Engines/Pictures.html</A> <BR>Mostly aircraft engine photos but lots of info on Lycoming stuff. Check out the XR 7755 radial, what a monster! Use the back button at the bottom to enter engine heaven. Don't forget to visit the Sulzer diesel page, world's largest diesel engine at 100 000 HP/101 RPM! You want to see bearing shells, they are using a crane to put these ones in! I recommend everyone visit if you love internal combustion.<BR> <p>[ 03-08-2002: Message edited by: 4 Jaw Chuck ]

[Guest]

Hey....4 Jaw Chuck !<P>Can't thank you enough for putting us on to that fantastic "site" ( photos, cross -sections of engines ).<P>Your supplying this fantastic info. is, I think, an example of how beneficial this wonderful new form of communication is - I for one am learning more, faster thru this "medium" than I could possibly learn on my own.<P>I couldn't help but notice the big 1930-era marine Lyc. V-12 had full-flow oil filtration (not the two cannisters at the left front of the crank-case).<P>I dont know when full-flow crank-case oil cooling and filtration (now "standard" on just about ANY "automotive style" motor you can buy anywhere in the world) first was commercially available. Obviously, they had it as "standard equipment" in 1930 - these look like the same Purolater full-flow oil filters on the American La France V-12 of the same era (my '36 is the standard 750 cu. in. over-head CAM avail. for "top of the line" fire engines, where sustained extreme speed was requiried (incidentally, Lycoming also "jumped in" with Packard, Federal Mogul, and American La France, to offer the "insert" type rod bearing early on. <P>One of the arguments in defense of poured babbit bearings, is that they can absorb "grit" and survive better than the modern "precision steel backed insert" type rod bearing. The problem with that argument, is that it is only valid in the case of cheaply made low speed low power "economy car" motors, typical of what was offered the lower classes up thru the 1930's. <P>But there are always people who have either a need and/or desire for "more". More power, more speed..more luxury. We have REAL classic cars (the super-powered-super luxury cars of the 1930's, because SOME people wanted more, and to get that "more", both full-flow oil filtration and cooling (which was already making its appearance in quality heavy-duty commercial motors) came first to the highest quality cars, then over the years, worked its way down to the ordinary car. <P>Again, the two big advantages of the "insert" type rod bearing, is its ability to transfer bearing surface heat FASTER into the connecting rod structure. This permitted faster bearing surface speeds. It ALSO permitted higher shock load transfer ) ( thus we could have larger rod bearing diameters, which in turn, permit higher power from the combustion process) AND better transfer <P>Today, I am not aware of ANY technical article anywhere, and/or engine manufacturer of "automotive style" motors, who would even consider going back to the cheaper and inferior method of just pouring babbit into a rod and machining it to fit a journal.<P>That it is still done by ignorant restorers, only shows the very human trait of the power of "belief systems". ( we humans have this absurd trait...we KNOW what we want to believe...and DAMN the facts...!)<P>Hopefully, more "chatters" will take your excellent "post" to heart, and follow your example by helping us learn more... by providing us with FACTUAL information, rather than some nonsence from some "back yard" machinist who WANTS so badly so say something, he simply dosnt CARE whether it is technically valid !<P>Thanks again !<P><BR>Pete Hartmann<BR>Big Springs, Arizona<P>( you mean there are OTHER cars besides a Packard Twelve..? Naaaaww........)

[Guest]

Your welcome, I think? I don't know if I was just insulted or praised?<P>Call me sentimental but I just love sharing, kind of makes me feel small when I used to think the 150 Ton lifts we used to make at Hydro were such a big deal. I wonder what that Sulzer engine block weighs?! I would like to see them rigging that puppy up!<P>Believe it or not but I found that website completely by mistake. I was looking for Prime rib steak recipes and I got Prime mover. Life is stranger than fiction Ha Ha! <p>[ 03-11-2002: Message edited by: 4 Jaw Chuck ]