OT: Corvette Engine Mfg Video

[Kirk Pacenti]

I'm not much of a car guy, but I have always liked Corvettes, and I am a total geek when it comes to manufacturing. I was impressed by how much technology goes into making a modern car engine

https://www.youtube.com/embed/bLtZNtvc1Aw

Cheers,
KP

[Cicli]

Thats pretty cool.

My employer. We build engines too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLt2wbLmaxk

[Seramount]

back in my high school gearhead days, my buddies and I hand-built several high-performance L-88 big-block Chevy engines.

our high-tech tools included a socket set, ring compressor, feeler gauges, and a torque wrench.

primitive, but we still managed to get 500+ hp out of them...

the new factory stuff is pretty amazing.

[alancw3]

"our high-tech tools included a socket set, ring compressor, feeler gauges, and a torque wrench".


exactly. do you remember timing lights and dwell meters to set points and timing? oh and how about a compression gauge?

anyway, thanks for sharing kirk.

[Tandem Rider]

"our high-tech tools included a socket set, ring compressor, feeler gauges, and a torque wrench".


exactly. do you remember timing lights and dwell meters to set points and timing? oh and how about a compression gauge?

anyway, thanks for sharing kirk.

Remember, heck I still HAVE a timing light and dwell meter. Somewhere, in a box, haven't been used for probably 30 years.

I might even still have a can of valve paste lying around.

Pretty soon we'll all be getting together in someone's garage to drink Schlitz and rebuild a carburetor.

[texbike]

Pretty soon we'll all be getting together in someone's garage to drink Schlitz and rebuild a carburetor.

Awesome! Crank up the Skynyrd!

Texbike

[TPetsch]

I enjoyed that!


...Thanks for sharing.

[PaulE]

My dwell/tach/voltmeter was a Heathkit kit, I still have it!

And don't forget the plastigauge for engine building!

[phoenix]

Great way to use up a lunch break!

[goonster]

Awesome, thanks for the link.

I saw at least at least three key pieces of equipment from German vendors. The rig that assembles the entire valve train in record time appears to be from a company owned by the FIAT group. I want to believe that the U.S. can be a leader in manufacturing technology (again), but in most sectors it will take same catching-up.

It's always interesting for me to see what parts the car companies actually make in-house, e.g. engine blocks, crankshafts. It's also fascinating to think that these engines will likely never be disassembled again, during the life of the vehicle they end up in.

[NHAero]

In 1974, in preparation to being a grad TA in the undergrad manufacturing course in mechanical engineering at MIT, the lead prof and I spent 3 days hosted by GM learning how they made vehicles, mostly the heavy components such as engines. It was a total show and I was full-on amazed. Yet nothing like in this video. Thanks for posting!

[Peter P.]

Thats pretty cool.

My employer. We build engines too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLt2wbLmaxk

I was stationed at Columbus AFB back in 1978-82!

I was a cyclist then, and used to leave the base via the South Gate on Rte. 373, then turn right onto Rte. 50. I'd take it all the way to West Point the turn around and head back.

My other route was to ride 373 into downtown Columbus then pick up the old frontage road paralleling 82W to Starkville. In Starkville I'd cross over to the other side and take the other frontage road back to town.

Back then, there weren't many other options as there weren't many other roads either. Summers were long, and brutally humid, too!

True story: I was a Security Police officer at CAFB. We had to qualify twice a year with our M-16. Usually people would carpool to the firing range or get a lift in a squad car. Well, I rode my Richard Sachs up to the armory window in front of the cop shop, picked up my M-16, slung it over my shoulder, and rode all the way across base with it to the firing range, qualified, then took it back!

[soulspinner]

I was stationed at Columbus AFB back in 1978-82!

I was a cyclist then, and used to leave the base via the South Gate on Rte. 373, then turn right onto Rte. 50. I'd take it all the way to West Point the turn around and head back.

My other route was to ride 373 into downtown Columbus then pick up the old frontage road paralleling 82W to Starkville. In Starkville I'd cross over to the other side and take the other frontage road back to town.

Back then, there weren't many other options as there weren't many other roads either. Summers were long, and brutally humid, too!

True story: I was a Security Police officer at CAFB. We had to qualify twice a year with our M-16. Usually people would carpool to the firing range or get a lift in a squad car. Well, I rode my Richard Sachs up to the armory window in front of the cop shop, picked up my M-16, slung it over my shoulder, and rode all the way across base with it to the firing range, qualified, then took it back!

Great stuff!

[Schmed]

Thats pretty cool.

My employer. We build engines too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLt2wbLmaxk

We just bought one of your engines! Wrapped in a pretty Kenworth T-270 Chassis.

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j192/schmed123/t270_zpszgr0dzt7.jpg

[Schmed]

...I was impressed by how much technology goes into making a modern car engine
...

RFID in the bolts? That's amazing.

A friend just ordered his new Z06, so I sent him this video. It'll help explain the $100,000 price tag.

[fogrider]

its pretty cool all these videos are on youtube! here's the future: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOriitPjlcw

[oldpotatoe]

its pretty cool all these videos are on youtube! here's the future: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOriitPjlcw

wow, a coal powered car-neat.

[Rebel_Biker]

The engine manufacturing plant is very impressive.

One huge inefficiency is that the engines have to be shipped out to the car manufacturing plant. I would love to see the reasoning on why this plant cannot be next to the car assembly plant.

I am sure it has something to do with politics. When you watch the Ferrari assembly plant, everything is done under one roof.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=La73Oy9ZGVw

[Schmed]

One huge inefficiency is that the engines have to be shipped out to the car manufacturing plant. I would love to see the reasoning on why this plant cannot be next to the car assembly plant.

I did some work for the Camaro/Firebird assembly plant when it was in California. Everything came in by rail car, so it's fairly efficient as far as costs/carbon foot print goes.

But you are probably right - politics probably plays a part.

On a side note, that California plant was shut down and moved to Canada, where Canadians now make your "American" car.

[Rebel_Biker]

I did some work for the Camaro/Firebird assembly plant when it was in California. Everything came in by rail car, so it's fairly efficient as far as costs/carbon foot print goes.

But you are probably right - politics probably plays a part.

On a side note, that California plant was shut down and moved to Canada, where Canadians now make your "American" car.

We have used Canadian manufacturing for engines for a long time. The Ford 351W, is a 351 produced in Windsor Canada. But Windsor is right over the river from Detroit.

I was also thinking of the inefficiency of the time it takes to box, load, transport and unload, unbox at the new plant. That takes time, storage, and labor.

[fogrider]

wow, a coal powered car-neat.

Say what you will, http://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.cfm?id=427&t=3
but in where I live: http://energyalmanac.ca.gov/electricity/total_system_power.html

and California is required to achieve 33% of it's energy from renewable energy by 2020.

I find it interesting how complex an internal combustion engine is and how simple and small an electric motor is.

as for building engines next to where the cars are built, did you see how many engines were being built in that factory? seems like they have achieved an economies of scale when they build so many engines in one plant and assemble the cars in a different location.

[Rebel_Biker]

Say what you will, http://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.cfm?id=427&t=3
but in where I live: http://energyalmanac.ca.gov/electricity/total_system_power.html

and California is required to achieve 33% of it's energy from renewable energy by 2020.

I find it interesting how complex an internal combustion engine is and how simple and small an electric motor is.

as for building engines next to where the cars are built, did you see how many engines were being built in that factory? seems like they have achieved an economies of scale when they build so many engines in one plant and assemble the cars in a different location.

good point on the different engines
i may be naive on how many different models the other engines go into and how big of a compound you would need to build all those different cars

it might be more important for them to be close to some of the raw materials, or parts manufacturers, for all the engines - like an aluminum plant or the plant that molds the block and crank shaft

[oldpotatoe]

Say what you will, http://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.cfm?id=427&t=3
but in where I live: http://energyalmanac.ca.gov/electricity/total_system_power.html

and California is required to achieve 33% of it's energy from renewable energy by 2020.

I find it interesting how complex an internal combustion engine is and how simple and small an electric motor is.



I know, I know..the whole renewable gig is 'interesting' to say the least. The Republic here is trying to acquire the coal fired power plant in the city limits, I guess convert it to NG, then eventually shut it down in favor of solar and wind..course w/o decent batterys or storage of any kind, when the wind doesn't blow at night-back on the grid for coal or NG powered electricity.

Solar panel efficiency and battery storage needs to come a ways before it's a reality, IMHO. BUT I read somewhere, one hour of energy from the sun=all the energy requirements of the globe in a day.

When paint and glass and building materials are all solar collectors, and batteries are small and efficient. So your tron powered car won't need a fillup, but if it does, it takes 5 minutes.

BUT prediction of $25 per barrel of oil..ain't gonna happen till it's scarce.