Tehachapi News

Share Your Voice


Search:

Report Violation

Are you sure you want to report the following content as a violation?
Dear Q & A: Back in the 1930s, there used to be a number of twelve cylinder cars on the market. Are there any today? And what is the purpose of having twelve cylinders anyway? Can’t the same horsepower and torque be obtained from an eight, with a lot less complicated mechanisms?  - Tom C. Dear Tom: To deal with your last question first, the answer is generally yes. Complexity in any machine increases its cost, its susceptibility to breakdowns, and its difficulty to repair. So what’s the appeal of twelves? Smoothness. As the number of cylinders increases, vibration diminishes, as the otherwise jarring motions of pistons moving up and down in their cylinders cancel each other out. An example: Compare your single-cylinder garden tractor engine with the smooth six in a Toyota Camry or the eight in a Cadillac STS. There have been successful cars with two-cylinder engines, like the French Panhards, but riding in one of them was always noisier and shakier than in...
Please check the following violations, and include anything else in the comment box.
Offensive language
Threats
Inappropriate Content
Copyright violation
Other

Comment
Captcha



To protect users from spam, please enter the text from the image above.

Log In

Welcome to the Tehachapi News, your local source for news and events affecting the residents and businesses in Tehachapi.  The Tehachapi News is published every Wednesday, and available through home delivery and at rack locations throughout the area.

Forgot password?

Post Something! Register Now

Blogs

Disclaimer

The opinions and responses expressed by Bloggers on this site are theirs alone, and do not represent the opinions of the Tehachapi News or its employees. The Tehachapi News is not responsible for the accuracy of any of the information supplied by the Bloggers. Please read the terms and conditions for posting your opinions on this website.

Editor's Picks

'Deplorable' animal abuse case results in woman's arrest

Two Tehachapi men charged in depot fire case