Jump to content

The Peckish Synapse

Grumpy Bear

By Grumpy Bear
in The Off-Topic Bar

 Share

Recommended Posts

Atlas Senior Enthusiast

Atlas

Posted
Posted

Holy smokes... UPS plane crashed in Kentucky. It looks like people were hurt. :(

 

What the heck is going on - more planes have fallen out of the sky in the last year...

 

Maybe the FAA shouldn't have been Doge'd, maybe pay shouldn't be withheld from ATC's. I'm not saying that's the cause but it sure as heck isn't helping bolster safety.

  • Sad 1
  • Replies 1.4k
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

Popular Posts

OnTheReel
OnTheReel

Look no further than the boat world which is mostly what I do for work and fun. I have a Honda BF150 outboard on my tin boat. It’s a 2.4L Accord engine turned on end. In the car it’ll take 0w20. Proba

OnTheReel
OnTheReel

Very cool. I am down to one Olds these days but she’s a keeper. 

Black02Silverado
Black02Silverado

OK, who calls it a water heater and who refers it as a hot water heater.  

Posted Images

customboss Senior Enthusiast

customboss

Posted
Posted
3 minutes ago, Atlas said:

Holy smokes... UPS plane crashed in Kentucky. It looks like people were hurt. :(

 

What the heck is going on - more planes have fallen out of the sky in the last year...

 

Maybe the FAA shouldn't have been Doge'd, maybe pay shouldn't be withheld from ATC's. I'm not saying that's the cause but it sure as heck isn't helping bolster safety.

I retired from American Airlines and we were worried 20 years ago about quality pilots that were scratching and sniffing to claw way to majors. The military feed and critical screening is long gone. You make more $$ and get better lifestyle being in military than a pro pilot. We are getting bare minimum quality. I’m sure AI will correct all this need for professionalism. 🥹 

  • Sad 1
customboss Senior Enthusiast

customboss

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Atlas said:

Holy smokes... UPS plane crashed in Kentucky. It looks like people were hurt. :(

 

What the heck is going on - more planes have fallen out of the sky in the last year...

 

Maybe the FAA shouldn't have been Doge'd, maybe pay shouldn't be withheld from ATC's. I'm not saying that's the cause but it sure as heck isn't helping bolster safety.

MD-11 a tricky jet to fly especially heavy ON TAKEOFF. We sold FEDEX and UPS ours when 777 finally showed up. 
Both have crashed them more frequently than any should have. Shelter in place a pretty serious order! Gee.  
 

https://www.lpm.org/news/2025-11-04/shelter-in-place-issued-in-louisville-following-reports-of-plane-crash

 

Atlas Senior Enthusiast

Atlas

Posted
Posted
26 minutes ago, customboss said:

MD-11 a tricky jet to fly especially heavy ON TAKEOFF. We sold FEDEX and UPS ours when 777 finally showed up. 
Both have crashed them more frequently than any should have. Shelter in place a pretty serious order! Gee.  
 

https://www.lpm.org/news/2025-11-04/shelter-in-place-issued-in-louisville-following-reports-of-plane-crash

 

 

That sound serious. Also terrifying to think AI could be responsible for flying a plane someday - or would it reduce errors? I don't know. I've heard nothing good about people trying to make their way up the chain being commercial pilots. It's a tough gig, all-consuming, and the pay isn't there like it used to be.

  • Thanks 1
customboss Senior Enthusiast

customboss

Posted
Posted
12 minutes ago, Atlas said:

 

That sound serious. Also terrifying to think AI could be responsible for flying a plane someday - or would it reduce errors? I don't know. I've heard nothing good about people trying to make their way up the chain being commercial pilots. It's a tough gig, all-consuming, and the pay isn't there like it used to be.

Seriously, hauling cargo and boxes going automated. As soon as the tech bros buy off the administration. PS AA never crashed a MD11. 

customboss Senior Enthusiast

customboss

Posted
Posted
9 hours ago, txab said:

 

Looking at a takeoff catastrophic LH engine fire and seems the crew forgot to fly the jet. Fires are terrible and usually you don’t want to take it into air but he ran outta runway. Full of fuel. Vertical stab is a fuel tank too.  

Grumpy Bear Senior Enthusiast

Grumpy Bear

Posted
  • Author
Posted
On 11/4/2025 at 11:40 PM, txab said:

 

 

I saw last night the death toll is now 12 with 16 missing. Crew was only 3. That was allot of fuel. Will be interesting what the authorities find out. Truly sad event. 

  • Sad 1
customboss Senior Enthusiast

customboss

Posted
Posted (edited)
1 hour ago, Grumpy Bear said:

 

I saw last night the death toll is now 12 with 16 missing. Crew was only 3. That was allot of fuel. Will be interesting what the authorities find out. Truly sad event. 

40,000 gallons if I recall. 

Edited by customboss
Atlas Senior Enthusiast

Atlas

Posted
Posted

Interesting that the FAA decided the day after the crash to reduce commercial flights by 10%, stating they are doing it to maintain air safety. Pray for our air traffic controllers in these difficult times. They need relief.

  • Sad 1
customboss Senior Enthusiast

customboss

Posted
Posted

IMG_0486.thumb.jpeg.c2d24ba890d6e53c63c41a7da2b8b3e9.jpeg

 

By Josh Evans 

 

Stephens Ford Flathead OHV conversion is one of the rarest and most fascinating performance adaptations ever developed for Ford’s famous Flathead V8. During the late 1940s and early 1950s, before Ford introduced its own overhead-valve engines, several independent engineers and speed equipment companies designed conversions to give the side-valve Flathead more breathing ability. Among these innovators was Bill Stephens, who developed a unique overhead-valve (OHV) cylinder head conversion that dramatically improved the Flathead’s performance and efficiency while maintaining its original block design.

Stephens’ conversion was designed to solve one of the Flathead’s biggest limitations restricted airflow caused by its valve-in-block layout. By moving the valves to the cylinder heads, the conversion allowed for more efficient combustion, higher compression ratios, and increased power output. The system replaced the original L-head cast-iron heads with custom aluminum heads that featured pushrod-actuated overhead valves, a rocker shaft assembly, and redesigned combustion chambers. This gave the Flathead characteristics similar to later overhead-valve V8s while retaining the iconic Ford block.

The Stephens OHV setup was produced in extremely limited numbers, primarily for racing applications and high-performance enthusiasts. It was seen as a competitor to other conversions of the era, such as the Ardun (designed by Zora Arkus-Duntov) and the Navarro OHV kits. However, the Stephens design was unique because it used a crossflow configuration, meaning the intake and exhaust ports were on opposite sides of the head, improving airflow and reducing heat buildup a common issue with traditional Flatheads.

Mechanically, a Stephens-converted Flathead could easily produce over 160 to 200 horsepower, depending on compression and carburetion a major improvement over the roughly 100 horsepower of the stock engine. Builders often paired the conversion with dual or triple carburetors, a high-lift camshaft, and custom headers to take full advantage of the improved breathing. The result was a smooth, powerful, and durable engine capable of competing with early overhead-valve V8s from Cadillac and Oldsmobile.

Today, a Ford Flathead with a Stephens OHV conversion is considered an extremely rare and valuable piece of hot rod history. Few complete examples survive, and when they appear at shows or auctions, they draw significant attention from collectors and historians. The Stephens conversion stands as a testament to the ingenuity of early American engine builders, who pushed the limits of what was possible with the original Ford Flathead design long before factory overhead-valve engines became the norm.

  • Like 1
Grumpy Bear Senior Enthusiast

Grumpy Bear

Posted
  • Author
Posted (edited)
3 hours ago, asilverblazer said:

To whom, your "false... fairytale" God?

 

Atheist I assume. An Agnostic believes he exist but doesn't care about his creation? Am I close?  

 

 

Edited by Grumpy Bear
OnTheReel Senior Enthusiast

OnTheReel

Posted
Posted

Looks like UPS and FedEx grounded their fleets of MD-11, at least temporarily. Antiques that probably should have been retired years ago. But UPS especially penny pinches like nobody else. Have a few friends there and it does take a tragedy to get anything fixed. 🙄

  • Like 1

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Latest Articles

  • Posts

    • Grumpy Bear
      Some Assembly is Required

      By Grumpy Bear · Posted

      www.enginelabs.com/news/what-i-learned-today-bearing-clearances-vs-oil-viscosities/     www.enginelabs.com/news/oil-viscosity-can-the-numbers-be-misleading/ The Big Lie… Coming full circle to the reason Lake discusses the Porsche engines in particular. Based on the 2000 samples in the SPEEDiagnostix database, increasing the oil viscosity in these engines, even those run on the track, showed no significant difference in results.   The smoking gun was in the oil chemistry. That is where the data shows higher instances of more wear. Molybdenum was the key; the higher the amount, the less the wear. Speed postulates that higher viscosity oils have more thickeners to artificially inflate their viscosity numbers. These thickeners lose viscosity under shear, and the result is that not all oils of the same viscosity have the same shear stability.   Having enough viscosity is the most important characteristic, but according to Speed, once that required viscosity level is reached, additive chemistry matters more than additional viscosity. Speed also states, oil pressure problems on the racetrack aren’t a viscosity problem; it’s an oiling system problem. Running a thicker oil is just a band-aid for an underlying oiling system problem.
    • Grumpy Bear
      Some Assembly is Required

      By Grumpy Bear · Posted

      Can it still be Assembled II?   Viscosity on the decline by various means. Heat on the rise making that worse. Engine RPM in the tank. Smaller motors with more boost trying to emulate an electric motor. Full torque, zero rpm. Then we will triple the OCI. Argh.    But wait....there is more. LSPI has pushed a shift from Ca to Mg and as that cost more PLUS the run to lower sulfur compounds the TBN is moving in the wrong direction for the increased OCI's demanded.    That not being enough to placate a demand for a parameter they can't measure the other sulfur bearing compounds are also under attack. That would be zinc and phosphorus sulfonate compounds. To some degree those are being replaced with boron esters and others, i.e. titanium ect. All of which have shorter service lives. And there there is the "Secrete Sauce" marketing for AW adds that 'Can't be detected by UOA's" but trust me because I (the blenders) never ever lie.    Spoiler alert; ALL additives are sacrificial! Smaller amounts of the old blended with less robust versions of the new do not equal longer service lives. So what are the blenders recommending? Wait for it.......   MOVING THE GOAL POSTS! OMG      Let's declare the long standing TAN/TBN crossover irrelevant and tell people that soot is a great 'graphite' based lubricant which can aid tribo films. Wait, what? Let's declare that the standards used for oxidation and nitration were to conservative and can be expanded. Let's tell them that because GDI fuel dilution, although being a VISCOSITY KILLER and an acid generator is actually okay because we have better base oils that limit viscosity failure limits. (Said knowing this is measured in fractions of a centipoise and in bases not commonly used in shelf oils)   Lying from the heart is not just the new normal but we have a public, a very young public, that is so ignorant of the facts and so sure of their "RESEARCH" into AI driven models base in regurgitated  instead of scientific research based unvarnished, peer reviewed FACTS that the incoming guard is loosing their grip on reality and the OEM's are tickled pink while the blends bend the knee.    You have an ever limited set of tools to work with. And sooner or later those will be taken from you as the API and the EPA strangle the last remaining fluids from the system. What you have left is your wits. If you care to use them.    At some point in the very near future it will not longer be possible to do "What is best for the machine", and be replaced with "The best you have access too". You WILL be rewarded with half the life and twice the cost. That isn't that hard to predict.         
    • Chuck FB
      Software Update

      By Chuck FB · Posted

      I trust you saw the other comment where he knew what he was talking about !. Yes, these darned newer vehicles with all their so smart they are stupid technology, goes and drains the battery down. As you might see my other comment, I installed a Noco 5 battery tender under the hood and at this point still have the cord routed so I have to lift the hood and then plug it in but am typically parked in a garage or a shed so its not risking the engine hood in the wind. That way I am assured or hopefully so of not finding I have a battery drawn down and can't even start the truck and that also damages the battery to draw it down too far. 
    • Chuck FB
      Software Update

      By Chuck FB · Posted

      I guess no surprise my guesses were wrong !, at least now I know if I ever happen to see it grayed out in my own truck as to what is going on.    I never happened to catch my truck with it grayed out, it seemed every time I would test to see if there was an update it never found anything and yet more than once I would check to see if there was an update and there was nothing, then a day later or even that same morning I would drive to town and after more than one engine shut down in town as I did my errands it would pop up that there is an update now ready to install and the only place I have a connection to the internet is at home by wifi so its not as if it grabbed the download while driving. I don't trust these new vehicles due to all the crap they can decide to do while sitting for some days not running and run the battery down so most of the time if I know the truck will sit for a few days I plug in the battery tender I have mounted under the hood and so the only time the truck must have downloaded software was when it was sitting in the garage where the signal is awful but I have that tender plugged in and somehow it managed to download it. I honestly detest all this crap, way to easy to leave a person stranded.    Since I don't trust any of it I don't do the install of the already downloaded software until I get home and sometimes have even sat in the truck to watch what its doing as its going through the process to its conclusion as its not like it is set up that it will tell you the next time you fire up the engine that the update that was initialed actually installed or installed properly. Yes I can go into the updates and see the list. After I go through the install where I feel its safe to do so in case it breaks down as a result, I will plug in the battery tender after the fact to recharge as I don't know how much power its taking just to do the install and that can take a while for it to install. 
    • nfisherman
      Software Update

      By nfisherman · Posted

      Thanks for the reply. All settings were correct and the engine was off, as it was supposed to be. It turned out to be something simple. I took a drive for about an hour. I must have had a low battery without knowing it. The voltage gauge on the display looked ok. At the end of my drive, I shut off the engine and the update prompt came up and it updated normally. It’s ironic because one of the features of the update is a reduction of battery drain. 

  • GM-Trucks.com Clubs

  • Popular Contributors

×
×
  • Create New...