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#1
01-13-2010, 12:43 PM
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Running "Balls Out"?
Fun fact of the day...
 Did you ever wonder where the term "Running Balls Out" came from? It comes from the centrifugal governor originally designed by James Watt and Matthew Boulton in 1788 to control the speed of steam engines. The design has also been adapted to internal combustion engines. When the "balls" of the governor are in the outermost position the engine is running at top speed. 
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Bill Wood - Retired Webmaster My Personal Website 1998 Mercedes E430 2010 Toyota Sequoia My Photo Albums 
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#2
01-13-2010, 12:49 PM
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Yup, a nice simple design that works well.
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#4
01-13-2010, 01:17 PM
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Yes I did know that, another piece of useless trivia.
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1999 SL500 1969 280SE 2023 Ram 1500 2007 Tiara 3200
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#5
01-13-2010, 01:18 PM
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And all this time I thought it had to do with my testicles.
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#6
01-13-2010, 01:18 PM
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"Balls to the wall"...
A similar expression - running 'Balls to the wall' I believe came from the world-war era pilots who would push the levers all the way to the bulk head wall for maximum speed...
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1987 Mercedes 300SDL; SOLD 1985 Mercedes 300D; SOLD  2006 Honda Pilot - wife's ride; 122K; 1995 Toyota Land Cruiser - 3X locked; 182K
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#7
01-13-2010, 01:29 PM
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Quote:
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1987 300D, arctic white/palomino--314,000 miles 1978 240D 4-speed, Euro Delivery, light ivory/bamboo--370,000 miles 2005 Jeep Liberty CRD Limited, light khaki/slate--140,000 miles 2018 Chevy Cruze diesel, 6-speed manual, satin steel metallic/kalahari--19,000 miles 1982 Peugeot 505 diesel, 4-speed manual, blue/blue, 130,000 miles 1995 S320, black/parchment--34,000 miles (Dad's car)
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#8
01-13-2010, 02:05 PM
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Quote:
Did you watch "ecojet" with Jay Leno? He spoke of this exact same thing while showing one of his engines that he hopes to run his shop with. He wants to have a self sufficient shop.
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Sent from an agnostic abacus 2014 C250 21,XXX my new DD ** 2013 GLK 350 18,000 Wife's new DD** - With out god, life is everything. - God is an ever receding pocket of scientific ignorance that's getting smaller and smaller as time moves on..." Neil DeGrasse Tyson - You can pray for me, I'll think for you. - When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.
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#9
01-13-2010, 02:30 PM
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A perpetual motion power generator?
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" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century  OBK #55 1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles 2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles 2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles
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#10
01-13-2010, 10:43 PM
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Saw a couple of these in the Smithsonian. Really an elegant piece of technology.
Faster Rotation --> Increased Centrifugal Force --> Balls Move Away From Shaft --> Linkage Moves to Reduce Fuel --> Slower Rotation --> And so on... The setpoint was changed by adding/removing weights on the collar or moving the pivot point near the weights.
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Greg Schwall 1983 300SD - 465,000 miles
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#11
01-14-2010, 10:52 AM
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Quote:
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1987 300D (230,000 mi on a #14 head-watching the temp gauge and keeping the ghost in the machine) Raleigh NC - Home of deep fried sushi!
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#12
01-14-2010, 11:30 AM
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I have one of those devices on the elevator in my old office building.
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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual. [SIGPIC]..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.
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#13
01-14-2010, 11:34 AM
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I would be concerned that a device like that, in any modern industrial environment, would get operated in too dirty an atmosphere and get dirty/bind up and the maintenance guys would "forget" to keep the thing lubricated.
We dont use **anything** like that on modern electric generation turbines (I'm guessing its because the ball-governor isnt precise enough to main 60+/- 0.1Hz -John
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2009 Kia Sedona 2009 Honda Odyssey EX-L 12006 Jetta Pumpe Duse (insert Mercedes here) Husband, Father, sometimes friend =)
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#14
01-14-2010, 11:40 AM
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__________________
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#15
01-14-2010, 12:12 PM
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Quote:
 I am curious about those boilers. They look like old coal-fired, fire tube boilers. Man, that's old (and potentially dangerous) stuff. 
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