Why use heavy oils in gearbox?

The clutches need a thin oil that will easily displace, allowing them to engage. Your comment on the torque convertor is correct.

[ ... ]

And where does that energy come from to power the steering? If you say "the battery", then the next obvious question is "where does the energy come from to charge the battery" -- and the answer there must be "the engine" for the most part -- though I guess that you could put alternators inside the wheels so braking would partially come from energy being transferred to the battery.

Or are you saying that electrical power steering is (or can be made) more energy efficient than the hydraulic power steering found on most cars these days?

O.K. It will be interesting to see what happens over the next few years.

Enjoy, DoN.

I don't know how the current technology works for sure so I'm assuming we have a constant volume pump dumping flow over a relief valve. If so, then electrics might make sense. At highway speeds with normal inputs to stay in one's lane power assisted steering isn't needed with most vehicles. I'm pretty sure your old enough to have operated a vehicle without power steering.

With an electric system a torque sensor on the steering input shaft would turn on the hydraulics for a few moments during low speed steering operations or a need to make rapid wheel angle changes at speed.

I wonder if a variable displacement pump would be equally effective?

Wes

AFAIK the MGF roadster, not available in the US, introduced electrical power assisted steering in 1995. I don't know whether other car companies have moved to such system much yet. In the MGF case it's basically a servo motor system, no hydraulics involved.

On Sat, 22 Dec 2007 12:39:01 +0000, with neither quill nor qualm, David Billington quickly quoth:

Is this produced by the fine and dependable Lucas Electric we've all come to know and lov^H^H^Hfear? Scary thought, that.

-- Seen on a bumper sticker: ARM THE HOMELESS

Electronic power steering is already on the street see

It is more energy efficient than hydraulic because A) it only draws from the prime mover when there is a demand (no hydraulic pump spinning away recirculating oil, no belt drag) and B) the component parts are orders-of-magnitude lighter (no pump, pressure lines, brackets, ect).

-Carl

Not sure but these days with the passing years you do hear of heavy steering or intermittent operation due to the steering sensor or connectors playing up on older cars.

Seen on another bumper sticker: Why do the Brits drink warm beer? Because they have Lucas refrigerators.

-- Ed Huntress

Jon Elson wrote in news:EZSdnb4Km8IF8fHanZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@giganews.com:

It's out there already, DIG (Direct injection Gasoline), more are coming, bet on it, and sooner than you think.

35 mpg is not unachieveable, some vehicles have been getting better than that for years. The TDI that Volkswagon AG has is an incredible engine, wish I could afford one. The small diesel market is going to expand in the next few years in the US. There are also alternatives out there to the otto cycle engine. The mazda rotary is one that has been proven, and gets good fuel mileage.

I think the electric system would be more efficient because it would only draw power when the steering wheel is turned. The hydraulic pump for power steering is running constantly. One could also not use power steering for turns when moving above thirty mph.

Of course with lighter cars, one should not need power steering at all.

Dan

"Ivan Vegvary" wrote in news:yPUaj.12$ML6.5@trndny04:

The '62 MG Midget that I once had used 30-wt. motor oil in its 4-speed manual transmission.

Definitely as it only draws power when boost is required.

>

EPS does not need to use hydraulics.

They drink their beer at room temperature. Anyone who's lived in Britain knows that's not warm. The reason? Lucas central heating???????

It DOES????? News to me.

And my old mini had the transmission in the engine sump, so SHARED the engine oil.

I enjoy the joke about Lucas and understand it but having lived in the US and tasted your beer offerings from the late 1970s I would suggest most if not all are served below optimal temperature, ie frozen below the limit of taste. British bitters are best consumed served at cellar temperature of IIRC about 50F to 60F, certainly one of my favourite beers provide locally is "Old Peculiar" from the north of England.

Not any of the ones I have been around.

Great performance when they run, and loads of potential with forced induction, when they run, but mileage....Not a chance!

While I am sure that somewhere there are high mileage Wankel engines out there, I have never seen them.

I had an RX2, with a later 13B in it. 70 miles per hour in second gear, and all the handling characteristics of a pig on stilts.

The guy that bought it from me got out of a speeding ticket, on the basis of "Look at this car! Do you really think it could possibly go that fast?"

Cheers Trevor Jones

On Sat, 22 Dec 2007 21:16:29 +0000, with neither quill nor qualm, David Billington quickly quoth:

All beer tastes so much like crap that it must be served ice cold to limit that reference flavor and smell. Ick!

LJ--happily sober for many moons now.

-- Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experience that reveals the human spirit. --e e cummings