A question about manual transmission, TIA.

Can you or should you? You can, in one direction the engine will be forced in the correct direction in the other the engine will go backwards. Just gears.

 

I have been told that some Pugeots have worm gear differentials. You could not push one of those. Any Ferrari you could push either way.

 

Isn't it true that it is very bad to rotate a motor in the wrong direction? i.e. don't push a car forward if reverse is engaged.

Dave

 

Some, not all. Really depends on the cam drive system.

C4/400 et al motors stretch their chains so much I have seen them turned backwards and bend ALL the valves.

When cars spin and not clutched quickly enough they get spun backwards, usually without harm. I have seen Mercedes diesels get started and RUN backwards.

 

I've done that several times. Scares the cr@p out of me everytime hoping I haven't wrecked something. So far no damage.

 

Brian, indeed some Peugeots did - 203, 302 and very early 404 models. However, the tooth angles and the other stuff that involves lots of Greek writing, allows them to be driven backwards. Not all worm & wheel reduction gears are irreversible, just the more common ones!

They also had a special castor based lubricant and I think a bronze wheel. Whatever, it worked and they had a wonderful reputation for durability. It is said, with some truth, that Peugeot put Africa on wheels, you can imagine the care and accurate maintenance!

A Fulvia engine with a (very, to the extent of being deafening) badly worn timing chain and/or broken tensioner pad can skip a tooth or two on the cam sprockets with bent valves as a result. I've fixed a couple, not common, but it has happened.I'm sure that other chain driven OHC engines would do the same, if sufficiently abused.

 

Interesting, thanks.

I love older Lancias. Very well made. They were never very popular here so are rare and tend to be a real curiosity. I love Fulvias, the only front wheel drive car I ever really liked to drive.

 

Growing up a neighbor had a Fulvia and a Flavia. Quite odd for our 1960's neighborhood but I've been fascinated with them ever since.

 

That's gotta be a lot of fun

 

I remember reading about a car that would spin its engine backwards for reversing.
Ring any bells with anyone?

 

No oil pressure though so it isn't suggested.

 

Stanley? Noble?

 

No, I don't think it was a steamer (although that would make sense). Maybe a post-war bubble car.
Now that I think about it, it was a Messerschmitt Kabin Roller!

 

Petticoat Junction?

Typical with a steam engine.

 

Yep, a lot of 50s & 60s microcars using piston port (not rotary valve) 2 strokes did that - the Messer is one, Goggomobil, Isetta, Subaru, Heinkel and probably some Eastern European things that are best forgotten!. I'm ashamed to say that some Australian made horrors are included in that group.

 

Horrors?
They sure look like fun
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Up until about 6 months ago a well known micro car collector (50+) was a neighbour. I've driven a few & the Messer is the most fun. I was thinking of some of the appalling excuses for engineering design like the Lightburn Zeta and Goggomobil Dart, that much to my embarrassment, were made in Oz. Memorable vehicles for sure, but for all the wrong reasons!

The Zeta was a stunner, being apparently the offspring of a lawn mower(an underpowered one) and a fibreglass refrigerator. Unfortunately it cooled like a lawnmower and handled like a refrigerator - looked like a gargoyle too. They sold about 350, I think - which is 349 more than they deserved. The one remaining should have been put in an engineering museum under a sign saying "Don't do this again, ever"....

I think there is a wiki article.

 

So much for my plan to beat the high cost of driving
While they helped put post-war Europe on wheels I don't think they'd make a good D/D today.
Still 40mph in reverse sounds exciting and they do make folks smile.

 

Get a modern small Diesel - my daughters Citroen C3 HDi gets over 70 mpg on the freeway on cheap fuel.

 

I'd rather their dad's 456

 

I came across this while looking up some of the creations mentioned. Kind of interesting.

http://microcarmuseum.com/index.html

 

I'd rather the fuel bill for the Citroen