I know that
@sfdon loves engines, but very few have spent their whole life in this space.
In 1986 I started my career as a (diesel) engine development engineer, and 9 months later I had my own test cell, an Eddie current dynamometer, and two incredible ex-Vietnam vet test technicians. We could make that engine sing music, and we played our role with the launch of a brand-new center-line engine. The company is one that you all would know and respect. 25 years later I had 2500 engineers reporting to me, an engine engineer’s engineer, and 10 years after when I retired as the president of the company missing my engineering days, and sick of corporate politics!
In 35+ years, I participated or lead 4 clean sheet/new bore center programs, multiple displacement engine programs; horrendous number of emission reduction programs, cost reduction programs, quality programs, ratings, and such. My hair turned gray quick. Classic cars kept me going.
When I started, we had 9,000+ engineers, when I ended, we had 2,100. When I started we had 2 engine families, when I ended we had 6 families. Computers, simulation, better instrumentation, better modeling, and shorter timelines, and a ton of pressure. Too many bean counters even in the best US company. And the worst: The darn consultants running around telling our bosses stuff they knew nothing about.
When I started the chief engineer had 2 secretaries, parked his car inside the building, and someone washed it. He loved cars and owned a 930, an SL gullwing, and an e-type. The guys in the machine shop used to build parts for his e-type all the time! They called it “G-job” or “Government jobs”. The managers went out for lunch, smoke in their offices, didn’t need to respond to 300 emails, text messages, cell calls, or fly coach to India. And usually retired with a pension.
Yeah…different world back then!
In 1987 we were developing this incredible 900 bar (13,000psi) fuel system for our diesels, when I retired we were running 2,500 bar/36,500 psi high pressure fuel system with multiple shot and rate shaping. Today’s engine weigh less, produce 1% the emission, 50% better fuel consumption, no need for choke, reliable, etc.
Do I like old cars and engines? No, I love them!! I can work on them, I can repair them, they are serviceable, they are easy to work. My daily driver is 12 years old, I don’t like new cars.
There is so much that goes just in the bore/stroke ratio, the size of the rod, the type of piston, w/wo skirt, rings, masses, how much we want to allow blow-by, how about liner/cylinder scoffing, how much oil we need on the walls, ..., what about at the end of the useful emissions life, ...
Wishing everyone a great day/night!
I don't think they were arguing that new connecting rods are bad or poorly engineered, and I don't think they were suggesting everything should be 1968 heavy. As the owner of a 1968 BMW, I can now have an interesting story at dinner with friends. "Did you know that my connecting rods are stronger that those in your M5?"
