Mechanical Ignition Handbook

Mechanically timed ignition is easy to understand and wonderfully straightforward to diagnose and repair, which is good because it's one of the most likely things on an older car to die and leave you in the lurch. Rob Siegel--better known as the Hack Mechanic-- explains how mechanical ignition works and discusses in detail how to set timing and advance. There is also a full chapter on troubleshooting mechanical ignition problems. Illustrated with over 100 photos and diagrams and supported by clear, step-by-step instructions, the Mechanical Ignition Handbook features sections on:*mechanical ignition basics and components*common repairs and recommended tools*adjusting point gap*setting dwell angle*locating the timing mark*finding top dead center*setting static and dynamic ignition timing*using both a standard and an advance timing light*testing coil resistance*Retrofitting breakerless electronic ignition (for those who say "enough!")Applies to vintage cars from the 1950s up through the mid 1980s that have either points and breakers or mechanical ignition advance, including: Porsche 356, Mechanically-timed Porsche 911, BMW 1600, BMW 2002, Ferrari 365, MGB, Austin-Healey Sprite, Jaguar E-Type, Triumph Spitfire, Triumph TR3, Mercedes models including the Mercedes 190 SL, Volkswagen Beetle, early Volvo, Pontiac GTO, vintage Chevrolet Camaro and other American muscle cars.

From the publisher's website: "The Handbook is a massive resource, consisting of 1116 pages, tightly set in a 2-column, 8.5" x 11" (215 x 280 mm) format. The book includes 627 black-and-white figures, 447 tables, and 140 color plates. The Handbook is divided into two main sections: Chapters 1 through 13 include presentations of the fundamental principles of ignition sources and of the response of ignitable materials to heat or energy in various forms. Chapters 14 and 15 constitute an "encyclopedia of ignition," containing extensive information on individual materials, devices, and products. Chapter 14 comprises alphabetically-arranged narrative descriptions of ignition properties and hazards for substances ranging from "Accelerants in incendiary fires" to "Zirconium." Chapter 15 contains database tables giving information on 473 pure chemical compounds and over 500 commercial or natural products, including such substances as dusts, fuels, lubricants, plastics, and woods."

Sources of Ignition: Flammability Characteristics of Chemicals and Products describes the flammability characteristics of substances and deals with the different sources of ignition. Case histories are presented for review and analysis. The book is comprised of six chapters and seven appendices. The introduction gives a basic description of the anatomy of fire and explosions, including the access to fuel and the interaction of oxygen and fuel. A description of the flammable limits of gases, dusts, mists, and mixtures and the method of estimating these follow. The text also explains the flash point of a substance and the method of calculating it, using citations from Fuji and Hermann. The ignition energy of a chemical, as well as how to estimate it using the method of Calcote et al., is also presented. The book explains that autoignition temperature of gases is dependent on different factors, such as time delay, oxygen concentration, and catalyst effects of materials, but may still be estimated citing Zabetakis, 1965 as reference. The formula is given in more detail. Finally, the energy sources for ignition are enumerated as mechanical, electrical, thermal, and chemical. The appendices deal with chemicals, self-heating substances, organic peroxides, substances prone to spontaneous combustions, unstable substances, flammability characteristics of dusts, and a checklist of possible sources of ignition. This book is beneficial to fire safety engineers, firemen, fire prevention maintenance administrators, fire hazard officers, and other personnel whose line of work is in fire safety and prevention.

Electrical issues in European cars can be intimidating. The Hack Mechanic Guide to European Automotive Electrical Systems shows you how to think about electricity in your car and then take on real-world electrical problems. The principles discussed can be applied to most conventional internal-combustion-engined vehicles, with a focus on European cars spanning the past six decades.Drawing on The Hack Mechanic's wisdom and experience, the 38 chapters cover key electrical topics such as battery, starter, alternator, ignition, circuits, and relays. Through a practical and informal approach featuring hundreds of full-color illustrations, author Rob Siegel takes the fear-factor out of projects like making wire repairs, measuring voltage drops, or figuring out if you have a bad fuel pump relay. Essential tools such as multimeters (DVOM), oscillosopes, and scan tools are discussed, with special attention given to the automotive multimeter needed to troubleshoot many modern sensors. You'll get step-by-step troubleshooting procedures ranging from safely jump starting a battery to diagnosing parasitic current drain and vehicle energy diagnosis. And you'll find detailed testing procedures for most problematic electrical components on your European car such as oxygen sensors, crankshaft and camshaft sensors, wheel speed sensors, fuel pumps, solenoids, and actuators. Reading wiring diagrams and decoding the German DIN standard are also covered.Whether you are a DIY mechanic or a professional technician, The Hack Mechanic Guide to European Automotive Electrical Systems will increase your confidence in tackling automotive electrical problem-solving.This book applies to gasoline and diesel powered internal combustion engine vehicles. Not intended for hybrid or electric vehicles.

For over 25 years Rob Siegel has written a monthly column called "The Hack Mechanic" for the BMW Car Club of America's magazine Roundel. In Memoirs of a Hack Mechanic, Rob Siegel shares his secrets to buying, fixing, and driving cool cars without risking the kids' tuition money or destroying his marriage. And that's something to brag about considering the dozens of cars, including twenty-five BMW 2002s, that have passed through his garage over the past three decades. With a steady dose of irreverent humor, Memoirs of a Hack Mechanic blends car stories, DIY advice, and cautionary tales in a way that will resonate with the car-obsessed (and the people who love them).

This newly reissued debut book in the Rutgers University Press Classics Imprint is the story of the search for a rocket propellant which could be trusted to take man into space. This search was a hazardous enterprise carried out by rival labs who worked against the known laws of nature, with no guarantee of success or safety. Acclaimed scientist and sci-fi author John Drury Clark writes with irreverent and eyewitness immediacy about the development of the explosive fuels strong enough to negate the relentless restraints of gravity. The resulting volume is as much a memoir as a work of history, sharing a behind-the-scenes view of an enterprise which eventually took men to the moon, missiles to the planets, and satellites to outer space. A classic work in the history of science, and described as “a good book on rocket stuff…that’s a really fun one” by SpaceX founder Elon Musk, readers will want to get their hands on this influential classic, available for the first time in decades.

Written by an engineer for engineers, this book is both training manual and on-going reference, bringing together all the different facets of the complex processes that must be in place to minimize the risk to people, plant and the environment from fires, explosions, vapour releases and oil spills. Fully compliant with international regulatory requirements, relatively compact but comprehensive in its coverage, engineers, safety professionals and concerned company management will buy this book to capitalize on the author’s life-long expertise. This is the only book focusing specifically on oil and gas and related chemical facilities. This new edition includes updates on management practices, lessons learned from recent incidents, and new material on chemical processes, hazards and risk reviews (e.g. CHAZOP). Latest technology on fireproofing, fire and gas detection systems and applications is also covered. An introductory chapter on the philosophy of protection principles along with fundamental background material on the properties of the chemicals concerned and their behaviours under industrial conditions, combined with a detailed section on modern risk analysis techniques makes this book essential reading for students and professionals following Industrial Safety, Chemical Process Safety and Fire Protection Engineering courses. A practical, results-oriented manual for practicing engineers, bringing protection principles and chemistry together with modern risk analysis techniques Specific focus on oil and gas and related chemical facilities, making it comprehensive and compact Includes the latest best practice guidance, as well as lessons learned from recent incidents