Tuesday 18 December 2007

Explosives, Birthdays and Rhyming Slang

The observant amongst you will have noticed time has passed and I didn’t finish the tale of auto engineering above (or it is below?).

I’ll keep it short - nursed the engine to Belfast, most of the distance by ferry so it wasn’t difficult, and had a few days there.  

Smart place and only a bit scary – the loyalists still advertise their military services "Papists killed here - apply within" sort of stuff. 

So set off out of Bfast and...

  • Crunch it happens again 
  • Shut it down 
  • Start it up  
  • Everythings ok. 

Anyway no trouble but I’m careful from then on - retarded the timing about 5 degree just in case.

Get back from hols and I’ve decided that it's dropped a valve seat.  So get and prep another cylinder head. Bugger me when I whip the old one off it looks like someones been at it with a pickaxe and the piston crown is the same.  

HSD - dread condition high-speed detonation, like pinking but worse something serious wrong with timing I guess.  

Surprisingly I'm not the only one to confuse pre-ignition and detonation.  I googled for you to provide some nice links to illustrate the problem but the only places where they seem to understand the difference are amateur bomb making sites.   I don't think I shall be linking to any of them. Here's the difference

  • Proper ignition - fuel/air mix burns and flame front acts in concert with piston
  • Pre-ignition - fuel/air mix burns and flame front acts against piston
  • Detonation - fuel/air mix explodes and chops lumps out of your engine

And that was keeping it short!

It's Sandie's birthday today and as we’re in London - pay attention at the back- we’re off to Hampton Court where I shall be re-enacting the famous moment in history when Good King 'Enry got his wick caught in a rose bush in the privy gardens


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