Balancing trick (was 63 Turbine Car)

["Dick Benjamin" <DickB@xxxxxxxxx>]

This is a car show trick demonstrated by many people to show off how smooth
their engine is.

I have done it myself  on my 47 Packard limousine, to amaze my grandkids.
What no one will tell you is that there is a trick to it:  you have to
position the nickel such that the engine vibration is in the direction to
make the nickel roll back and forth (a tiny amount, but never the less,
important).  If you try to stand the nickel along the front to back line of
the engine, it will vibrate and fall over sooner or later.  If you position
it across the engine, it will sit there forever (as long as the engine is in
a good state of tune) and look like it is stationary to the eye, but
actually, it is rolling microscopically.

Fun trick, though.
Dick Benjamin
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bob Smith" <limoguy1950@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, December 21, 2002 1:28 PM
Subject: IML: Balancing trick (was 63 Turbine Car)


>
> Ask Dick Benjamin:  The following could be (and was) done with most of the
old Packard 8s in thge 30s and 40s.
> Bob
>  Chris Boekhout wrote: :
>
> > One of the demonstrations they perform with the car is this nifty
> > little
> > trick : With the engine IDLING at 20,000 rpm, they place a nickel on top
> > of
> > the engine, standing on edge- the engine is so vibration free that the
> > nickel does not fall over, very impressive piece of machinery.
> >
> > Chris
> >
> > 72 Lebaron
> > 71 Lebaron,etc.etc
>
>
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------
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