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The Real Meanings Behind OBD-II Diagnostic Trouble Codes (VIDEO)

Description When the check engine light (CEL) pops up and your OBD-II scan tool displays a code, that’s only the start of the diagnostic process. By breaking down the structures used to create DTCs, you can learn how to “decode” beyond the simple descriptions...

What’s Torque-to-Angle All About?

Torque-to-angle, also known as angle-torque or torque-plus-angle, is a fastening method that combines an initial torque application with a subsequent angular rotation to achieve precise bolt or fastener tension. This technique ensures consistent clamping force,...

Hybrid A/C Compressor Oil-ASE Practice Question (VIDEO)

Description Technician A is working on a hybrid vehicle’s air conditioning system that utilizes a high voltage electrical compressor. Technician B says that only the oil specified by the vehicle manufacturer should be used in the compressor. Technician A says PAG oil...

Troubleshooting a “No A/C Compressor Engagement” Fault

As the weather warms, more and more of your customers will be switching over their HVAC control settings to “max A/C”. If the system doesn’t respond by blowing that refreshing cool air into their faces, they will show up at your door to find out why. When faced with...

Diesel Engines and Racing

Nearly every conceivable version of the internal combustion engine has made its way to the Indy 500. But it was a 1931 entry of a rather unusual type that made it into the record books as the first to complete the entire 500-mile race without a pit stop. That entry...

Recovering A/C Refrigerant-ASE Practice Question (VIDEO)

Description Technician A is preparing to recover the refrigerant from a customer’s vehicle. All of the below are steps he should take when performing this service EXCEPT: A) Test for the presence of sealant in the vehicle systemB) Identify the type of refrigerant the...

Watch this video on the invention of the Ford V-8 engine

by | Feb 29, 2024

If you enjoy pioneering developments in automobile history, this video on the development of Ford’s V8 engine is a must-watch. It’s a bit on the long side (a little over an hour), but it’s well worth your time to fully appreciate this revolutionary success in Ford—and automobile—history.

Although Ford’s Model A was hugely successful, by 1931 the market was changing. The stock market crash of 1929 and Chevrolet closing the sales gap with Ford (largely due to Chevy’s six-cylinder engine) were putting Ford on its heels. Henry Ford wanted to regain the market lead by introducing a V8 engine that was affordable to the masses. However, his previous attempt with an X8 was too heavy and complex to work effectively for what he wanted. Ford had been putting V8 engines in Lincoln, but those engines were cast in complex sections. In order to bring down the cost of the V8 engine to make it affordable, he wanted to cast the engine block in one piece.

This led to Ford’s secret V8 engine project that ran from 1931 to 1932. By March 9, 1932, Ford’s first one-piece V8 engine rolled out of production. Although it initially didn’t sell well and the earliest Ford V8s had mechanical problems, by July 1932 Ford was selling three times more V8s than their four-cylinder cars. Watch the video for more on why this was an automotive milestone, how it helped Ford beat the competition yet again, and how it made the flathead V8 synonymous with Ford for the following two decades.

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