OT: Why do cars have Tachometers?

Some of the 'classic' conversions shown on FullyCharged keep the gearbox, seems a bit weird, some of them argue it would allow undoing the electric conversion more easily.

Not for real men!

Still remember Alf Hagon's description of his technique for standing quarters with the big JAP. Take it to peak revs. Drop the clutch. Use the throttle to hold revs at peak torque level.

Good to see he is still around

What's this clutch slipping you speak?

Just engage launch control and either drop clutch for manuals or take left foot of the brake for autos.

Yeah, I watched their general overview one the other day and as you say, 'conversion reversibility seems to be a USP for them.

I can't say that applies here other than not modifying any of the std Escort stuff as they are more valuable than the kitcar. ;-)

Bell-housing adaptor plates are a pretty common way of joining engines / motors to gearboxes.

The moke uses h/d contactors for battery voltage switching and two different motor windings to give about 6 speed steps. In use it's fairly linear but possibly because top speed is only about 30mph.

If I assume it's only going to be a local runabout with say a 25 mile range, Lead acid (very recyclable and easy / safe to manage / charge) might be a viable option, especially if I find the right motor / controller.

Cheers, T i m

I did specify a powerful car. I don't think I have driven anything with an engine that small in the past 50 years.

You can get close by ear, but particularly for competition, a rev counter is more accurate.

I have his shocks on several of my bikes and I went there and bought them in person. ;-)

RE rev counters on cars ... I wonder how many people use the full rev range of an engine, other than those pushing it on an auto?

I sometimes use mine to drop back from 5th to 4th as the chances are I'm labouring the engine slightly, especially with towing and going up a gradient.

Years ago I did an experiment when towing a 14' dingy from London to the Lake District and by using 5th or not (and sticking to the legal speed limits when towing). I believe I returned a better mpg when not going up into 5th over the ~300 mile trip as you could easier 'feel' when you were over throttling.

It was very easy to spot on the company 1.1 'Economy' Mk3 Escort with it's green, amber and red 'Economy lights'. Basically as soon as you tried to increase speed they went red (or even maintain the same speed into the wind or up a gradient). ;-)

Cheers, T i m

See Dave Plowman below.

Originally rev counters were fitted to cars where it was possible to exceed the recommended maximum rpm of the engine thus preventing possible damage by overreving.

Nowadays they are just another distraction.

All this stuff is obsolete. The future is electric!

They certainly are to those who don't understand them or drive in a way that means they wouldn't be guided by them (by only using a fraction of the rev range available). [1]

These are the people who often stop at the end of a slip road onto a fast road because they haven't matched the speed of the other traffic.

In the same way they often don't fit temperature gauges these days ... few would ever look at them or know what they meant. That doesn't mean they aren't useful to some. [2]

Cheers, T i m

It often isn't if you still run a classic car.

Probably be involved somehow, but in what form?

I like electric propulsion, I've had a plug in EV for 30+ years and designed, built and raced an electric Motorbike and still have my Sinclair C5. I would also be happy to run a basic / lightweight production EV as I don't need all the 'mod cons' many seem unable to survive without these days ... but not on the same roads as some of the tanks people use as cars atm.

Cheers, T i m

I too prefer to have a tacho.

The Zafira doesn't have one and failure of the thermostat doesn't bring on the engine management light (although a reader does see an error code for it). Holding the audio Setting button for 10 seconds and then pressing BC 5 times does bring up a hidden display mode that includes the water temperature though.

I can only assume that a warning light would function if the temperature got too high.

That sounds about right.

We had to do "Use of English" if we were not taking A-level English in the Sixth Form. I presented "How to wire a plug." A classmate did a presentation on explosives ... with demonstrations :) We ended up finishing it off outside, without any teacher supervision.

I have only ever fitted two clutches to my cars in 30 years - one to my first car (it was an ex-driving school car and worn out when I got it) and the other to my Focus TDCI, purely as the dual-mass flywheel needed replacement and it would have been daft not to have done the clutch at the same time for the small extra cost.

I discovered on a Mk2 Sierra 1.8 GL (Pinto engined) that a leaking water pump caused rapid loss of coolant and the sensor, being in the inlet manifold water jacket was then left uncovered and the temperature indication dropped rapidly! It took a few minutes for me to figure out what was going on, but I managed to limp home without damage to the engine.

SteveW

And my Mini does not have a tachograph. However it's got a rear subframe that needs replacing again.

Also very useful if you need to do a DPF burn on a diesel which on my car involves holding the RPM at around 3000 for 20 minutes or so.

Tim

:-) Try a 1L Peugeot 107.

For full effect imagine it doing 0 MPH and watch the future MiL trying to get into the back seat without realising that the 107 has 4 doors unlike the 2 door 307 it replaced.

Well judging by the revving of engines and squealing of slipping fan/hydraulic pump belts first thing on a cold morning, I am sure most manuals stay in first gear all the way to work! And I have never driven. Brian

Make it sound like the start of Thunderbirds.... Brian

Well I'd not have said that, I'd guess if they were pointless you would not see them, so that means there is a point. Brian

And it's not so easy to clip on an external tacho on a diesel and not everyone has OBD tools. ;-)

Considering our Meriva is 'powered' by an old 8V 1.6 petrol engine, it seems to be fairly flexible, happily pulling (gently) in overhigh gears. I sometimes check the rev counter and when you see just how low you are in the rev range it might remind me to knock it down a notch and let the engine rev a bit freer.

It's even more exaggerated on my little Honda 250 twin where to use anything like the whole rev-range makes you sound like a hooligan. ;-)

I do where appropriate and it really 'sings'. ;-)

A mate had a smaller Honda (I think) 4 cylinder bike and that 'howled (up near 20,000 rpm)!

Cheers, T i m