Hi Bert:
The engine you are referring to was a Chev engine which was actually called
"Copper cooled" it was an attempt, in 1923, to create a four cylinder,
air-cooled engine using copper fins for cooling. The idea was developed by
Charles "Boss" Kettering, using the existing Chev engine, and as you have
said was a dismal failure. However, it really cannot be termed the
worst-ever engine because so few were built. Only 800 cars were
manufactured and of these 200 were so bad as to be undeliverable. The
remaining 600 were subsequently replaced by Chevrolet. Compared to today's
recalls of hundreds of thousands of cars on frequent occasions, 600 bad
engines is not too significant.
Very few of the "copper cooled" Chevys exist today. There is apparently
one in the Henry Ford museum which Henry acquired at the time. He was busy
trying to manufacture his own version of an air-cooled engine and was
probably quite grateful to Chevrolet for showing him what not to do.
BTW, what Mercedes problems of today are you referring to? I don't follow
modern cars much but am always curious. Have they been having big
problems?
Happy New Year
John
>>Hi David:
>>
>>How right you are. From recent postings I realized that I had overlooked
>>two infamous GM engines.
><snip>
> The engine was horribly unreliable, however, and was
>>>quickly discontinued.
>>>
>
>
>Years ago, I bought a book by a Mr. Alfred P. Sloane,
>"My Years with General Motors".
>
>This is a book, written about 1957 when this GM big boss had just retired.
>I was a bit disappointed to find that this was NOT a book about cars or
>engineering, but rather about management techniques and changing concepts
>and ideas about management.
>
>I understand that this book is a MUST READ for anyone even contemplating
>employment at GM in a management function, even nowadays.
>
>
>However, there are also some descriptions on engineering feats,
>albeit rather on the side.
>
>(e.g. that crankshafts were first balanced in 1924 and that this gave an
>enormous improvement in smooth running at the time. And that no balancing
>machines were available at the time, GM had to develop them themselves.
>Very interesting to me, because that's what I do for a living.
>I'm the owner of an industrial balancing workshop).
>
>Mr. Sloane also describes things that went wrong.
>Since he has been working from the mid-twenties until 1957
>and that has been a long time, quite a lot has been described
>that went wrong.
>
>The WORST EVER disaster described there was an air-cooled engine, called
>the Copper-Clad Engine.
>
>GM had to recall total production. This was somewhere in the mid-twenties.
>
>A feat not even the Mercedes problems of today even come close to!
>
>
>Happy New Year !
>
>Bert
>1970 MGB Roadster.
>
>
>
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