Cars - http://maxpages.com/carsinhistory/F

Fabric fatigue: A term used with tires in that the fabric degrades and results in tire cord breakdown due to repeated flexing and heat.

Face: To shave the outer edges of a bottom bracket shell or the upper and lower ends of a head tube to make them parallel with one another and square to the tube's centerline. Also see valve face.

Facel Vega: The 1954-64 V-8 models are milestone cars.

Facia: A front protective panel. Also spelled "fascia."

Fact: Abbreviation for "factory."

Factory options: !!!.

Fade: A gradual reduction in efficiency. See brake fade.

Fahrenheit: Thermometer on which the boiling point of water is 212 deg. and the freezing point is 32 deg. above zero. To convert from Fahrenheit to Celsius, subtract 32 then multiply the result by 5 and divide by 9. To convert from Celsius to Fahrenheit, multiply by 9, then divide by 5. Now add 32 to the result.

Fairing: !!!.
Fan: 1. A fan is a rotating device with curved blades like a propeller. The primary fan in a vehicle is located behind the radiator. Some electric fans may be placed in front of the radiator. It draws air through the radiator so that the coolant looses its heat through the fins of the radiator. It is especially needed when the vehicle is idling or moving slowly. When the vehicle moves quickly, there may be no need for the fan. In some cases, the fan is automatically disengaged. The fan may be driven by a fan belt driven by the engine, or by electricity independent of the engine itself. 2. Other fans are located throughout the vehicle to push air from one location to another, especially for heating and ventilation.

Fan belt: A flexible rubber belt that connects various components in the engine compartment, i.e., alternator, water pump, emission controls, power steering pump, air conditioner compressor.

Farewell tour: !!!.

Farman: The 1925-1948 models with required application are classic car.

Fascia: A front protective panel. Also spelled "facia."

Fast idle: When the engine is cold, it needs to run faster to keep it from stalling. A cam on the carburetor forces the throttle open a little more when the choke is engaged.

Fastback: A design of car where the roof gently slopes to the rear end of the car.

Fatigue: A condition of a material, especially a metal, causing loss of elasticity and tendency to fracture after long or repeated stress, even though the stress may be less than that which would cause failure under static conditions. See metal fatigue.

FCAI: Acronym for "Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries" (Australia).

Feather edge: See feather-edge.

Feather-edge: The tapered edge of the paint where it meets the metal. The edges should be tapered or slanted so that no edge will be felt when a finger is passed over it.

FEBIAC: Acronym for "Fédération Belge des Industries de L'Automobile et du Cycle 'réunies'" (Belgium) on http://www.febiac.be/.

Federal side impact standard: !!!.

Federal version: A vehicle that complies with U.S. emission standards which are less restrictive than the standards in California. Also called a "49-state car."

Federation International De Automobile: (FIA) .

Feedback: 1. The return of part of the output of a system to the input. Negative feedback causes self-adjustment of the system and therefore stability. Positive feedback causes instability. See closed loop system. 2. The information that a computer-controlled fuel system returns. The sensor measures the oxygen content of the engine's exhaust in order to keep the fuel-air ratio very close to the ideal proportion for combustion. Such tight control of the fuel-air ratio is required for the proper operation of three-way catalysts.

Feel: The detection of the operation of a vehicle and its components. Brake feel involves detecting how effectively the brakes work; road feel conveys to the driver the way the suspension responds to the road.

Feeler gauge: A thin strip or blade of hardened steel, ground to an exact thickness, that is used to check clearances between parts. Thicknesses increase by 0.001 inch.

FEMA: Acronym for "The Federation of European Motorcyclists Associations" on http://mag-uk.org/fema/.

Fender: A covering over the wheels to prevent mud from splattering.

Fender rail: !!!.

Fender skirt: A plate designed to cover a portion of the rear fender wheel opening.

Ferrari: The V-12 (All Front Engined) (1947-70) models are milestone cars.

Ferrous metal: Metal containing iron or steel. Non-ferrous metals are aluminum alloys, brass, copper, or magnesium.

Ferrule: A cap (cylindrical metal piece with a hole at each end) attached to the end of the cable outer housing to protect the cable housing from fraying.

Ferrules: See ferrule.

FFÖ: Acronym for "Fachverband der Fahrzeugindustrie Österreichs" (Austria) on http://www.wk.or.at/fahrzeuge/.

F head: See F-head engine and engine type.

F-head: See F-head engine and engine type.

F head engine: See F-head engine.
F-head engine: An engine having one valve in the head and the other in the block. The position of the valves create an "F" shape in combination with the combustion chambers. Also see engine type

F.I.: Abbreviation for "fuel injection."

FI: Acronym for "fuel injection."

FIA: Acronym for "Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile" on http://www.fia.com/.

Fiat: The 1925-1948 models with required application are classic cars.

Fiberglass: A mixture of glass fibres and resin that when cured (hardened) produces a very light and strong material. It is used to build boats, car bodies, repair damaged areas, etc. It can also be spelled "Fibreglass".

Fibreglass: A mixture of glass fibres and resin that when cured (hardened) produces a very light and strong material. It is used to build boats, car bodies, repair damaged areas, etc. It can also be spelled "Fiberglass".

Field: 1. The area covered or filled with an electric, magnetic, or gravitational force. See magnetic field. 2. A particular body of interest or expertise.

Field coil: Insulated wire wrapped around an iron or steel core. When current flows through the wire, a strong magnetic force field is built up.

Field intensity: The force acting on a unit electric charge or unit magnetic pole placed at a given point.

FIEV: Acronym for "Fédération des Industries des Equipements pour Véhicules" (i.e., The French Vehicle Equipment Industries Association) on http://www.fiev.fr/.

Fifth wheel: 1. A wheel that is temporarily attached to a vehicle to test the accuracy of the speedometer, etc. 2. A trailer which has its tongue attached to the bed of a truck.

Filament: A fine wire inside a light bulb that heats to incandescence when current passes through it. The filament produces the light.

Filler strip: A free flowing rubber used under the tread when added thickness is needed.

Fillet: A round joint between two parts connected at an angle.

Film: A thin layer of something. See paint film.

Filter: A device designed to remove foreign substances from air, oil, gasoline, water, etc. See air cleaner, bypass filter, ceramic filter, cuno filter, fuel filter, full-flow oil filter, and oil filter.

Fin: 1. A thin metal object projecting from a surface and is used to dissipate heat. It is found on radiators and air-cooled engines. 2. Wings and airfoils used to improve a vehicle's aerodynamics or possibly aesthetics.

Final drive: !!!.

Final drive gear: The last gear in a drivetrain before the driven wheels. Usually it is in the differential.

Final drive ratio: This is the ratio that describes the difference between the number of times the driveshaft must turn before the axle shaft turns once. In a final drive ratio of 3.55:1, for example, the driveshaft must turn 3.55 times before the axle will turn once. The number of teeth on the ring and pinion gears determine the ratio.

Finance and control: ownership of company (i.e., Canadian, U.S., Japanese, German, etc.); public or private; capital investments: buildings, machinery and equipment, tooling programs.

Finger: A protruding piece which engages or triggers something. See clutch semi-centrifugal release fingers.

Fingers: See clutch semi-centrifugal release fingers.

Finish: 1. The final coat of paint applied to a vehicle. See original finish. 2. The overall look of a vehicle so that the paint, for instance, is evenly applied, there are no bare spots, etc. Usually this word is used in the expression "fit and finish." 3. Surface refinement as in smooth finish..

Finish coat: The final color coat applied to a vehicle.

Finishing stone: A fine grain stone used at the completion of the honing process to give a smooth surface.

Fins: !!!.

Fire point: The temperature at which the vapor continues to burn. See flash point.

Firewall: The metal partition between the driver's compartment and the engine compartment. On front engine vehicles, it is located below the windshield; but on rear engine vehicles, it is located below the backlight (i.e., back window). It protects the driver and passengers from engine fires, noise, and fumes.

Firing order: The sequence or order in which cylinders must be fired: 1, 5, 3, 6, 2, 4, etc. It differs from the cylinder sequence which starts with cylinder number one and goes to the last cylinder: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

Firm: a business or institution comprising sole proprietorships, partnerships, companies and other forms of organizations.

Fish eye: A small pit that forms in the finish coat of paint, usually due to insufficient or improper cleaning of the old coat.

Fish eyes: Small pits that form in the finish coat of paint, usually due to insufficient or improper cleaning of the old coat.

Fit: Contact area between two parts.

Fit and finish: The evaluative standard of a vehicle's cosmetics. Good fit and finish means all the body panels and trim are evenly spaced, aligned, and secure. The paint is evenly applied with no bubbles or pit marks.

Fitting: A small part that is attached to a larger apparatus. Also see grease fitting.

Five speed transmission: See five-speed transmission.

Five-speed transmission: A manual transmission with five forward gears. Generally the fifth gear is an overdrive to allow the wheels to turn faster than the engine. See overdrive.

Fixed cup: The right-hand cup of the bottom bracket of a bicycle, ordinarily not loosened or removed during bottom bracket disassembly. Also see adjustable cup.

Fixed gear: A cog attached to a hub without a freewheel; it always turns as fast as the bicycle's wheel so that you cannot coast.

Fixed price selling: published fixed price displayed on a new vehicle eliminating need for negotiation.

Fixed wheel: Same as fixed gear, the kind of rear wheel found on track bikes.

Fixing bolt: A bolt used to hold a crankarm on an axle in a cotterless crankset.

Fixture: device for holding goods in process while working tools are in operation that does not contain any special arrangements for guiding the working tools.

Flame front: The term used to describe certain aspects of the fuel explosion in the cylinders. The flame front should move in a controlled pattern across the cylinder, rather than simply exploding immediately. See pinging.

Flange: 1. A projecting rim or collar on an object for keeping it in place. 2. The parts of a hub shell to which spokes are attached and which secure the tire on the rim base. 3. The circle of metal inside the teeth on a chainring.

Flange height: A measurement from the top of the flange to the bead seat, and is the difference between the overall diameter and nominal rim diameter, divided by two.

Flange seal: An "L" shaped rubber seal used in some earthmover tubeless tire mountings. It prevents air loss between the tire beads and both the flange and rim base, and the flange and loose taper seat.

Flap: A rubber protector used in tube-type truck tires to prevent injury to the tube by the bead toes and at the valve slot of the rim.

Flare: 1. A gradual spreading or widening of a tube. See double flare. 2. A sudden burst of flame.

Flaring tool: A tool used to form flare connections on tubing.

Flash: 1. The first stage of the drying process of paint where most of the solvents evaporates. 2. A sudden burst of energy. 3. When crude oil is heated the lighter or more volatile vapor is separated and travels to the top of the tank. This travelling is called flash.

Flasher: !!!.

Flash point: The point in the temperature range at which a given oil (especially diesel oil) in vapor form will ignite and flash into flame. The higher the flash point, the better the lubricating quality of the oil. The temperature at which the vapor continues to burn is called the "fire point."

Flash time: The time required for a coat of paint to lose most of its solvent through evaporation.

Flashover: Tendency of electrical current to travel down the outside of a spark plug instead of through the center electrode.

Flat: See flat tire.

Flat base rim: A truck rim with no center depression. A demountable flange (consisting of 1 or 2 piece side/lock ring) permits the removal of the tire and holds it in place after installation. Also see flat base rim taper.

Flat base rim taper: An obsolete form of rim with no taper at either bead seat.

Flat crank: A crankshaft having one of the bearing journals out-of-round.
Flat engine: An engine where opposite cylinders are 180 degrees apart. This engine type is found on the following: VW Beetle, Corvair, Porsche six-cylinder, Subaru "quadrazontal," and BMW motorcycle engines.

Flathead: An engine with all the valves in the block on one side of the cylinder. Also called "L-head" because the combustion chamber is L-shaped.

Flat key: A small bar of any length but its width is greater than its height.

Flat rate: A pre-determined length of time set down by the manufacturer that a particular repair job will take and is listed in the flat rate manual. If the flat rate is two hours, but the mechanic completes the job in more or less time, you will be charged for two hours. For the shop, flat rate encourages mechanics to work harder to beat the prescribed time, thus earning more for the shop and the mechanic; but it also hurts the shop when the mechanic cannot complete the job because of other contributing factors (i.e., a bolt which should have taken 10 seconds to remove breaks off and requires 30 minutes to remove). For the customer, flat rate means fair pricing for the same job no matter how long it actually took. Thus both Sam's labor bill and my labor bill to do the same work is the same cost. It can be unfair if the mechanic worked faster on my vehicle (because I keep it in excellent shape) than on Sam's vehicle (because his involved a lot more cleaning, etc. to do the job). Also, there is the danger that a mechanic may take shortcuts in order to beat the flat rate, but which may cause mechanical problems later. Charging by the actual time the mechanic takes is called straight time.

Flat rate manual: A listing of almost every job that can be done on a vehicle with the time required for a mechanic to do the work. It is used in service shops to determine labor charges. If a mechanic completes the job before the flat rate time, the customer is still charged the flat rate time. If he exceeds the flat rate time, the customer is not charged for straight time, but the lower flat rate time.

Flat spot: 1. Refers to a spot during an acceleration period where the engine seems to lose power for a moment and will then begin to pull again. 2. Irregular wear in an isolated spot or spots around the tire tread.

Flat spring: A long bar that is bent in the middle. When pressure is applied to the outside ends, the middle flexes.

Flat tire: A condition where an air-inflated tire is no longer pressured up with air. The problem may be a cut in the casing or tube; or may be caused by a bad valve.

Fleet sales: the purchase of vehicles by a business that meet a minimum requirement of units sold.

Flickability: !!!.

Flipper strip: See ply turnup.

Float: 1. A small hollow tank which is more buoyant than the liquid in which it is immersed. In a carburetor it operates the valve (needle and seat) which controls the amount of fuel entering the carburetor. In the fuel tank, it indicates the amount of fuel. Also see valve float. Older floats were hollow and made of metal, but newer ones were made of a solid synthetic material. 2. The action of the breaker arm when it is pushed out as the cam strikes the rubbing block; and before the arm can return after the cam has passed, the next cam strikes the block and re-opens it. In other words, the breaker arm never has the time to fully close before being opened again.

Floatation: The ability to float generally referring to large low pressure tires (i.e., the ability of a tire, to pass over soft surfaces without sinking in.)

Float bowl: That part of a carburetor that acts as a reservoir for gasoline and in which the float is placed. The float controls the amount of fuel moving through the fuel valve.

Float level: 1. Height of the fuel in the carburetor float bowl. 2. The specific float setting that will produce the correct fuel level.

Floating piston pin: A piston pin which is not locked in the connecting rod or the piston, but is free to turn or oscillate in both the connecting rod and the piston.

Flood: A condition where the fuel mixture is overly rich or an excessive amount has reached the cylinders. Starting will be difficult and sometimes impossible until the condition is corrected.

Flooding: A condition where the fuel mixture is overly rich or an excessive amount has reached the cylinders. Starting will be difficult and sometimes impossible until the condition is corrected.

Floor: A verb meaning to push the accelerator as far as it will go (i.e., to the floor).

Floorboard: !!!.

Floor Pan: !!!.

Floorpan: the large stamped metal part of the car's body over which the carpet is laid. Usually assembled from several smaller stampings, the floorpan forms the floor and fixes the dimensions for most of the car's external and structural panels. It is also the foundation for many of the car's mechanical parts.

Floor shift: When the shifting lever is placed in a vehicle, it usually occupies one of three primary positions: the dash (usually a pushbutton arrangement); the steering column; and on the center column between the driver and front seat passenger. Also see gearshift.

Floorboard: The floor of the vehicle under the instrument panel.

Flow through ventilation: See flow-through ventilation.

Flow-through ventilation: A system which allows (or even forces) outside air into the passenger compartment through the dash and leaves through openings in one of the pillars (usually the C-post) or rear quarter panels.

Fluid: Any liquid. See brake fluid, transmission fluid, and windshield washer fluid.
Fluid coupling: On a manual transmission, there is a mechanical connection between the engine and transmission through the clutch. On an automatic transmission a fluid coupling provides a viscous fluid to connect the engine output and the transmission. It transfers engine torque to the transmission input shaft through the use of two units with vanes (called a "torus") operating very close together in a bath of oil. The engine drives one torus causing it to throw oil outward and into the other torus which then begins to turn the transmission input shaft. A fluid coupling cannot increase torque above that produced by the crankshaft. Buick's Dynaflow is an example of this kind of coupling.

Flush: 1. To cleanse a system by sending water or other liquid through a system. 2. To align two items so that they fit evenly.

Flushing: To cleanse a system by sending water or other liquid through a system. See brake flushing and flushing the cooling system.

Flushing the brakes: See brake flushing.

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Page Updated Sun May 20, 2001 8:08pm EDT