William C. "Bill Anderson is a regular columnist for Old Cars Weekly and The Riview (the magazine of the Riviera Owners Association). He also occasionally contributes to other automotive publicatioins. The Tech Tips presented here are copies of those articles reprinted with the permission of the original publisher.
- A/C System Basics
- By: William C. Anderson, P.E.
Many collector car owners wonder what to do about their air conditioning (A/C) systems as ever-changing government regulations dictate the type of refrigerants allowed. In 1994, Freon, or R-12, was outlawed and replaced by R-134a and that is now being replaced. Before addressing how best to cope with these changes, a review of air conditioning (A/C) system basics is in order.
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- Adios Snap Crackle, Pop - Eliminating Radio Interference
- By: William C. Anderson, P.E.
Snap, crackle and pop may be the sounds you want to hear from your breakfast cereal, but not from your car radio. Noise in your car’s radio can come from several sources. Technically, these noises are the result of EMI (electro-motive interference) or RFI (radio frequency interference).
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- Are You Wandering?
- By: William C. Anderson, P.E.
Wander, the difficulty in keeping the car moving straight ahead, was a common problem for cars more than 40 years ago. Most shop manuals of the time included it and potential causes in their sections on steering problem diagnoses. Wander is often cited by enthusiasts who own 1950s and earlier vintage collector cars.
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- Compression Ratio - The Secret to Power and Economy
- By: William C. Anderson, P.E.
Compression ratio is one of a few measurements that determine engine performance. It determines an engine’s power, its fuel economy, and its tendency to knock or detonate.
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- Distributor Basics
- By: William C. Anderson, P.E.
Until the implementation of engine control modules, an ignition distributor functioned as an engine’s brain. It controls the build-up of electrical charge in the ignition coil, decides when precisely when to let that charge loose, and directs it to the correct cylinder. “Distributors” in the earliest years were of varying design, configuration and operation. But, by the mid- to late-1920s the design of distributors had matured to that most envision when the term is used.
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- Fuel Pumps
- By: William C. Anderson, P.E.
Billions of mechanical fuel pumps were installed in the decades between when cars stopped using gravity fuel delivery to the engine and the advent of electrically-powered fuel pumps. These simple devices performed reliably, but they can and do wear out. However, wear of the pump components is not the only problem that can prevent the pump from doing its job.
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- Gasket Tech
- By: William C. Anderson, P.E.
Gaskets and related sealants are seemingly simple products involved in all automotive repair and restoration that seal joints in engines, transmissions, drivelines, and related components between two parts to keep liquids, gases, or foreign matter in or out of a particular area. Gaskets are also used in body parts to prevent water intrusion and for noise elimination. Using the correct gaskets and sealants and properly installing them are essential to a leak-free joint.
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- Grease
- By: William C. Anderson, P.E.
Grease is an essential automotive lubricant. However, little attention is generally paid to this important product. Grease is grease, right? Wrong! There are many different grades of grease and different types are specified by auto-motive manufacturers depending upon application. Selecting the right grease is important to lubricate, seal properly, and remain in place in or on the component being lubricated.
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- Guide Fog & Driving Lights
- By: William C. Anderson, P.E.
Guide fog or driving lights are an often-prized accessory for collector car owners as they were in days gone by. Typically, these lights were dealer- or owner-installed, even though they were a listed factory accessory that could be ordered with a new car. Guide was a GM division responsible for lighting products. Therefore, any person interested installing accessory lights on a GM car would have been selected from the Guide catalog.
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- Metal Finishes - Everything But Paint
- By: William C. Anderson, P.E.
Except for a few parts on an automobile, most have some type of finish. Those that don’t include some castings of iron or aluminum, e.g., steering boxes and alternator cases and forged steel pieces, e.g., steering arms and roll bars This article will cover typical finishes except paint, including: electroplating, passivation, anodizing, and polishing. Most of these finishes are used on mild steel which comprise the bulk of automotive parts.
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- New Oils & Old Cars
- By: William C. Anderson, P.E.
In days long ago, there was little question about what oil to use.One used light weight oil in the winter and heavy weight oil in the summer. Then, detergents were added so another choice was introduced—detergent or non-detergent. After further development by the oil chemists, multi-viscosity oils were offered eliminating the need to change oil weights with the seasons. And, that situation remained the same into the late 1970s.
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- New Oils & Old Cars: The Last Word
- By: William C. Anderson, P.E.
Admittedly, the sub-title is a bit presumptuous as oils are always changing to meet current needs. However, the concern of collector car owners regarding changes in oil formulations is a bit overblown. Misinformation abounds causing confusion and needless worry for most collector car owners.
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- Oil Filters
- By: William C. Anderson, P.E.
Thousands of oil filters are changed everyday without nary a thought. In fact, in each year more than 400 million oil filters are consumed in the U.S. alone. The oil filter is one of several unsung heroes which make possible the automobile as we know it today. It was not always so.
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- Roll Your Own
- By: William C. Anderson, P.E.
Renewing brake and fuel lines are typically required as part of restoration. It can also be required as a maintenance operation. These lines are typically made of steel and rust can occur on the inside (brakes) and outside (both) leading to leaks.
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- The Rubber That Meets The Road - The Pneumatic Tire
- By: William C. Anderson, P.E.
The pneumatic tire has evolved to the extent that it is seldom considered by most people, except for the thousands involved in its design, application, and manufacture.The rubber tire has long intrigued me since I was first exposed to its complexities in the quest to obtain better performance on the race track.
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- Saving Ol' Paint
- By: William C. Anderson, P.E.
No, this series of articles is not about saving the painted pony in your pasture. Although in some ways, the gentle care required for an old horse is applicable to the focus of this series – saving the original paint on your collector car. With the rising interest in the last few years in collector car circles for original cars, restoring the original finish can significantly improve the car’s appearance and enhance its value.
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- Spark Plugs Part 1 - Construction Details
- By: William C. Anderson, P.E.
Spark plugs and their maintenance have become a largely forgotten task with today’s automobiles. Some engines no longer use them in their standard configuration and most have maintenance intervals that exceed the time a car is owned.
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- Spark Plugs Part 2 - Heat Range
- By: William C. Anderson, P.E.
In this part I focus on plug operating characteristics and selecting the right heat range of the spark plug for your car. The manufacturer’s recommended plug is a good place to begin. Their recommendation is based on typical use of automobiles, that is a mix of stop and go use and some long distance driving.
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- Spark Plugs Part 3 - Maintenance
- By: William C. Anderson, P.E.
For those readers who came of age in 1950s and before, spark plug maintenance was a regular routine and they are probably familiar with the information provided here. However, for those new to the hobby or were not forced to learn about spark plug maintenance out of necessity, the following information will help you care for your collector car.
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- Starter Basics
- By: William C. Anderson, P.E.
The automobile electric starter developed in a few short months in the winter of 1910 and the spring of 1911 by Charles F. Kettering for its first commercial use in the 1912 Cadillacs is conceptually the same today. In the nearly 100 years since then there have been many refinements, but the basics remain the same.
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