"Zebulon" @###@.^net wrote in message
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"Zebulon" @###@.^net wrote in message
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"Ernest Christley" wrote in message
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http://www.rotaryaviation.com/PSRU Zen Part 2.html

Bad link.




Ok, got it now, but what's your point?

Is this what you are referring to?

"At this point it should be obvious that our original assumption about the
intended purpose of the damper is wrong. The engineers in Detroit are not
stupid and they don't put in relatively expensive parts for no reason, so
why do manual transmission equipped cars have a damper? The main reason
is to absorb unexpected torque overloads. This happens only on rare
occasions like when someone gets overly aggressive with the throttle and
suddenly releases the clutch. The springs store the energy of the shock
load and release it in a more controlled fashion in order to avoid
breaking drive-train parts. "



The damper, which is indeed a relatively expensive part, is on the other end
of the engine and is intended to eliminate resonance within the engine. A
breif treatise, which probably started as an an internal document at one of
the big three auto makers, has been included on this forum a number of times
and is probably in an issue of Contact! Magazine as well; but I can't find a
copy on my current computer.

I could easily be incorrect about the purpose of the springs, but another
article from Contact! regarding the development of the BD-5 drive train
(which I also can not find) does provide some food for thought.

Peter