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Date:         Sun, 27 Aug 2000 17:12:06 -0400
Reply-To:     Lawrence Johnson <larry_avery.johnson@sympatico.ca>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Lawrence Johnson <larry_avery.johnson@sympatico.ca>
Subject:      Re: Better Mileage Anyone? (without going ala Lilley)
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Mark, I'm no mechanic but I don't think that "hot spark" is the point here. The important thing is the fuel burn rate and timing. A later spark and slower burn will run cooler because of the heat consumed in vaporizing the fuel. The torque should be higher but the acceleration lower. This is what I have found with the Bosch 4 prong plugs that we installed about 3 months ago. However, my gas consumption has not changed from my previous experience with Bosch Platinums. -Larry '86 Syncro Westfalia

Mark Dorm wrote:

> The heat (that isn't converted to motion) is still lost energy - its a lack > of efficiency - its energy released from the fuel that moves out into the > environment - I forget but isn't a gas engine only about 40 or 60 percent > efficient in its transfer of energy from fuel to motion - wouldn't we better > off measuring the speed of the piston upon explosion - and if theres an > upper limit for how fast a particular piston can move then won't a hotter > spark (that goes beyond that limit) just result in more heat being lost to > the system > > >From: CHRIS STANN <cstann@home.com> > > > >Mark Dorm said: > > > > > We're not interested in creating heat - we're interested in moving the > > > pistons - the heat is really a loss of energy > > > >Well, don't they call it the internal COMBUSTION engine? The engine is > >nothing but a heat pump, so your comment is absurd. *** Heat is energy! > >*** > >Heat is released during combustion. The stored energy in gasoline is > >released as heat. Combustion is nothing but accelerated oxidation. You're > >burning fuel. So you are interested in making heat, it's what moves the > >pistons. I've never heard of a cold explosion. > > > >What you're not interested in is making more heat than your engine can > >safely disperse and move away from precious mechanical parts. > > > >All I was saying is that the hotter heads may be explained by a more > >complete combustion. This does not leave enough unburned fuel to cool > >things inside the combustion chamber. So the plug that gives you hotter > >heads may actually be better, in strict technical terms, but not better for > >your engine. > > _________________________________________________________________________ > Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com. > > Share information about yourself, create your own public profile at > http://profiles.msn.com.


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