DeTomaso Mailing List: March 98, Message #156
     



From: 	"Steve Liebenow" <steve.liebenow@eur.ericsson.se>

Subject: Re: Air Cleaners and Rain

Date: 	Wed, 4 Mar 1998 14:05:36 +0000



                      RE>Air Cleaners and Rain                     3/4/98



Ram Air cleaners from Ford had 4 tiny holes, about 3/32" at the four points of the compass to remedy this water retention problem. No reason you could't duplicate this effort and remove the worry about parking in the rain???



Steve

--------------------------------------

Date: 3/4/98 8:06 AM

To: Steve Liebenow

From: Mike Drew

Nobbie wrote:



>I haven't had the pleasure of driving the "P" in the rain yet. How 

tough is

it? And, specifically, how does it perform with the exposed engine bay? 

Are

there any precautions I should take before venturing out into El Ni=F1o?



>>>The only danger lies from leaving the car outside with no engine 

screen, or with an early-style screen that is only mesh (i.e. no solid 

center section.)



Ford discovered the hard way that when a Pantera sits outside in the 

rain with a mesh screen, water can drip past the screen and land on the 

air cleaner.  Due to its design, the stock air cleaner allows water to 

leak down into the carburetor, intake and eventually fills up one or 

more cylinders.



Next morning, you step outside and turn the key.  Your Pantera lights 

instantly (due to the terrific ignition system you've installed) and 

eventually a piston comes around and tries to compress water, propelled 

by the force of the previous piston firing.



You ever try to compress water?  It don't work too good.



Next thing you know, BANG and there's a connecting rod and piston lying 

on the ground, having exited the block in a dramatic fashion.



Seriously, Ford had to replace a few engines under warrenty for this 

very problem; that's what inspired the change in engine screen design.



As far as DRIVING the car in the rain?  Well, wider tires will be more 

inclined to hydroplane, performance-oriented tires will be more inclined 

to hydroplane, and wider, performance-oriented tires will be MUCH more 

inclined to hydroplane (compared to your Toyota or whatever.)  So easy 

on the gas, mister! :>)



Mike