New Automotive Engines
The new automotive engines on the market today have gone through a lot of changes compared to engines installed just a decade ago.
This new wave of engines is designed to meet the performance and fuel efficiency that the public demands.
It is clear if the automotive manufacturer does not come up with a strong power train that impresses all who drives it their sales will begin to sag and possibly never recover.
This is mostly due to the word-of-mouth from disappointed drivers. The power of this viral negativity is truly amazing.
Example: My father had a bad experience with a Ford Pinto. He told everybody that would listen about all the troubles he ever had with this car.
Right off the showroom floor this car would use a quart of oil a week. The pistons and rings had to be replaced under the old-fashioned 12/12 warranties. The hard part was getting the dealership to admit a problem existed.
It took much fighting with Ford Motor Company and the local dealer about what normal oil usage should be.
Every Christmas and thanksgiving our large family sat around listening to details of the battle for justice. The results are that nobody in my family or circle of friends has ever bought a Ford product since my dad’s bad experience in the mid-70s. Talk about holding a grudge!
New automotive engine construction
Modern automotive engines are made of lightweight engine castings, and in most cases non-iron materials.
Some of the types would include aluminum, magnesium carbon fiber materials, and in some cases reinforced plastics.
If the block is made out of aluminum the use of a stainless steel cylinder liner is used most often.
When it comes time to assemble the engine, fasteners that hold things together are now fewer and smaller than ever before.
This is made possible through computerized engine design (CAD, CAM) that optimizes the loading and sealing patterns when the motor parts are assembled.
This again allows for fewer fasteners and smaller fasteners. Also, the torque specifications have also changed and in most cases are far less foot pounds of torque than engines of the past.
These new automotive engines have changed how auto repair technicians perform diagnosis and repair.
When you have a plastic gasket in between two large aluminum parts, the torque specification of those engine bolts is extremely important.
If you over torque the fasteners in the above situation the plastic gasket will crack and large leaks will be present.
It is no longer recommended that a mechanic use 2 grunts and a groan to measure bolt tightness.
The torque wrench and even the inch pound torque wrench are needed to make sure reliable and long lasting auto repairs are performed with no come backs.
Make sure your car mechanic has several different torque wrenches in his toolbox. If he does not have any torque wrenches, it may be time to find a new technician.
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