Learning about cars?

[mkay]

Any car buffs around? I want to learn how cars work. Any online recommendations? I've looked at some sites, but they go into too much detail for what I'm looking for. I'm looking for broad strokes -- how an engine works, how a manual transmission works, etc. I know nothing. So I need something that's probably meant for kids, at least to start off with. I want to learn the basics in about 30 minutes, if possible, then maybe I'll look into it further. Thanks.

[PurpleFnords]

Have you tried To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. yet? Its been a while since ive been there, and it appears they now have video as well as their intuitive explanations. Even Better.

[mkay]

Have you tried To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. yet? Its been a while since ive been there, and it appears they now have video as well as their intuitive explanations. Even Better.

Yes, thanks. I need a dumber version. I'm a car retard.

[szaxazs]

Manual transmission? For such things I think that it would be better to ask a friend of yours. About engines and such, do some research and even if you think that something is too complicated, even grasping some ideas will be good, at least better than nothing.

Now the only thing I am going to advise you, even though you should probably know it already, is just to spend hours googling. Change keywords, do some advanced searches, try other search engines if you like to and you will probably find what you are looking for.

The easier way is just to go and buy a book, I think that there will be books which teach you the basic things - those you want to learn. The advantages of this choice are: time obviously, comprehension most probably and also the fact that the information will be altogether, so you won't have to find and collect bits of information from here and there.

Friends, google, books. Make your choice. (You can combine them, of course)

[Jaxx]

I've gone with the Hanes manuals. They are good for over inflated methods of how to do things. They show crappy black/grey/white blurry pictures on how it should look like with a detailed description of how the mechanic fashioned a hook thing out of some stuff to get the other part out and yeah.


I've read them to get the slightest idea how it might fit together and from there I just rip it all apart to see what's wrong or could go wrong. Then it goes back together just like before if not better. Then I look at the manual and just wonder what the hell the mechanics were thinking when their essay of an explanation could have been simplified down to three sentences. The book also folds quite nicely and can be used as a door stop :)

Message boards on the guinea pi...err....vehicle are handy too

[Mozzes]

Any car buffs around? I want to learn how cars work. Any online recommendations? I've looked at some sites, but they go into too much detail for what I'm looking for. I'm looking for broad strokes -- how an engine works, how a manual transmission works, etc. I know nothing. So I need something that's probably meant for kids, at least to start off with. I want to learn the basics in about 30 minutes, if possible, then maybe I'll look into it further. Thanks.

A spray of fuel is combusted in the cylinder block which moves a piston which turns the crank. The transmission is a set of gears which transfers rotational force from the crankshaft to the driveshaft. All selecting a gear (1st gear, 2nd gear, etc) does it set the gear ratio in the transmission. A clutch is used to disengage the transmission from the engine. This is accomplished by a hydraulic torque converted in automatic transmisisons. Another set of gears (front and/or rear differential) then transfers the rotational force to the wheels which causes the car to move. The gearing is set up to achieve a speed reduction since you don't want your driveshaft and wheels turning the same speed as your engine.

Power transfer in a car is all gear-based so if you don't know much about gears that's a good place to start reading.

Also, are you seeking theoretical knowledge or practical knowledge? If you want to gain practical knowledge books won't take you too far. Hands-on experience and talking to people who possess expertise in this area will be far more valuable.

[curiousjane]

I went and bought Automechanics for Dummies. I kid you not.

This is how I learned how to save $15 by simply popping the air filter in and out myself, and $20 for popping the windshield wiper blades in and out by myself. It also gave me the courage to let my mechanic-in-training brother replace the spark plugs, and I double checked hoses and such.

I have yet to try any major mechanics, or even an oil change, on my own. But I have the manual to tell me how, should I choose to. It is quite easy to understand.

When in doubt, grab an ISTP and force them into labor for you. They are very obliging creatures, and their innate understanding of the mechanics of how things work is astonishing.

Incidentally, my own ISTP baby brother just finished his training at a tech school after an intense 1.5 years. So that's a thought ... go to tech school. :)

[Jakalwarrior]

Like somone else said, how stuff works is a great site for leaning about motors.
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
The diagram on this page should pretty much instantly explain it all.
The difference between that motor in the diagram and the one in your car is just some added complexity. The one in your car uses a longer crankshaft attached to several cylinders, each with its own piston, plug etc... They also share a common cam (the thing that operates the valves, nothing but a long rod with bulges that operate the rockers) though some have seperate intake and exhaust cams and any motor with overhead cams is going to have atleast one cam per bank of cylinders.

*edit* I wrote a really long ramble on technical stuff - caught myself rambling about motors again!
I will sum it up like this. Getting more air into the cylinder = more power. Less losses from air drag, inertia, and friction also = more power + more efficency. The more you compress the air before setting it off the more power, but also the more pumping losses at higher engine speeds. For gas mileage or daily usage though more low end torque is good thing since it allows you to use the engine at lower RPMs. The reason our daily drivers dont have high compression though is because fuel has a nasty habbit of exploding when you compress it really fast since it gets hot and the experience is sorta violent. Octane rating is actually a rating of the stablility of a fuel. A higher rating means it can take more punishment before it might randomly combust. Higher octane fuel costs more... and motors that can withstand higher compression ratios cost more to produce... thus we drive innefficent lil suckers, though in recent years manufactuers have been using computer design to optimize motor design to allow higher and higher compression ratios with cheap materials and cheap gas... * a note about the future though, gas isn't cheap anymore! and alcohol has a high octane rating! if we all run on ethanol we can run much higher compression ratios and get more efficency! except for the fact that ethanol has 30% less energy per equal amount of volume :( We will be driving some little torque monsters though if we ever switch to pure ethanol (ethanol its self also makes motors die sooner, forgot to mention)
-thats the short version of the ramble! arg cant stop rambling!

Personally I much prefer this type of engine though they never gained much popularity: To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. They make much much more power for their size but have a few downsides. They have a temperature differential problem since the combustion is constantly happening in the same spot. They also have lower compression which makes them less efficent at low rpms. They do great with turbos though which turn the low compression into an advantage.

[mkay]

Thanks, everyone. You guys had lots of helpful advice.

[Wapiti]

Thanks, everyone. You guys had lots of helpful advice.

If you need a car to work on, I've got one up on blocks in the yard. It needs some tranny work - it's calling your name.

[mkay]

If you need a car to work on, I've got one up on blocks in the yard. It needs some tranny work - it's calling your name.

Lol, I'll be right there with my duct tape and Krazy Glue.

[Functianalyst]

I have yet to try any major mechanics, or even an oil change, on my own. But I have the manual to tell me how, should I choose to. It is quite easy to understand.

When in doubt, grab an ISTP and force them into labor for you. They are very obliging creatures, and their innate understanding of the mechanics of how things work is astonishing.

Incidentally, my own ISTP baby brother just finished his training at a tech school after an intense 1.5 years. So that's a thought ... go to tech school. :)If you grab any ISTP that I have conversed with, including moi, your car will never run again. But, I guess in looking at your response curious maybe I am more mechancially inclined than I realize. But the greatest feat that I have done on a vehicle is drop a fuel tank and replace a fuel pump. As for the small stuff like chaning oil, spark plugs, filters, etc is very rudimentary.





Functianalyst added to this post, 7 minutes and 1 seconds later...

Any car buffs around? I want to learn how cars work. Any online recommendations? I've looked at some sites, but they go into too much detail for what I'm looking for. I'm looking for broad strokes -- how an engine works, how a manual transmission works, etc. I know nothing. So I need something that's probably meant for kids, at least to start off with. I want to learn the basics in about 30 minutes, if possible, then maybe I'll look into it further. Thanks.With all due respect Mkay, that's boring. I don't think the average STP can tell you how it works, but if they have enough experience working on them, they can tell you how to fix it. Your inquiry is broad and the average person with the interest will just take it apart to determine how it works. Even then I don't think they can provide you with your answer. That's like asking to explain the internal workings of your computer in a nutshell. Go to an auto shop in your neighborhood and hang out, they will be more than happy to teach you as they work assuming they are willing to allow for the liability.

[Motor Jax]

i just grab the closest wrench and start wahooing nuts and bolts, yanking and unscrewing stuff... and not really paying attention, trying to put the stuff back in... heh, it works, it runs and i'm happy

actually, i just got out there and started working on it, then i would go to the book like at night or google the stuff i really don't know the terms to

even now, i know what each part does and how it works, intuitively... but i cannot, for the life of me, remember what the names of the parts are... yea, it can be a curse whenever ylu try to go into a parts store and don't even know the proper name for what you are looking for

but i can def go to a junk yard and pull whatever part i want (Pick-N-Pull is an awesome junkyard chain to go to)

[Ytterbium]

Get a old simple car which likes to mess with you. Then you'll get a reason to do something about it and you'll see the the different symptoms aswell.

I'm a computer guy but I own cars which are easy to fix. I will learn more along the way or atleast I hope so.