Miata Mailing List: October 1999, Message #75

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But can you grab disconnect the motor and grab the driveshaft before it
enters the gearbox and turn it enough to move the wheels enough to move the
car (while the car is on the ground)...

----- Original Message -----
From: Bill Rockoff <BillR@isescorp.com>
To: Multiple recipients of list <miata@list.miata.net>
Sent: Friday, October 01, 1999 11:11 AM
Subject: More power stuff


> >>Check the Miatapower archives for Shiv's post on drivetrain loss a year
or
> so ago.
> >>Very interesting and logical.  A rough summation:  it's a combination of
> both a fixed
> >>amount and a proportion of the power....
>
> I've read stuff Shiv has written.  What are his qualifications?  Who is
he?
>
> His summation sure was interesting reading, but he seemed to make an
> assertion that a 20 hp Miata engine wouldn't be able to spin the wheels or
> move the car.  People make a lot less than a horsepower, though, and I
know
> I've rotated the drivetrain assembly on my car (I've even pushed the car
on
> level ground.)  So, either I have the strength of 40 men, or the
drivetrain
> on a car does NOT make 15 or 20 horsepower dissappear into a black hole
> somewhere.  Think about it - could you jack up the back of your car and
> rotate the rear wheels by hand?  Can you push your Miata along level
ground?
> Not very fast, sure, but I bet you could.
>
> - Bill
>
>
>