<VV> <WW> steam brakes

[Bryan Blackwell]

Granted I'm not in quite the shape I once was, but as a skinny high 
school sophomore I could leg press 550 pounds (both feet).  Think about 
it - stepping upstairs requires one leg to lift your entire body 
weight.  You might not be as big as some Jim, but I'll bet you weigh 
more than 121 pounds :-)  I *guarantee* that anytime I do a hard-harder 
brake system test, it sees well over 121 pounds.

--Bryan

On Jul 7, 2005, at 3:34 PM, James Davis wrote:

> With an overall mechanical and hydraulic ratio of 8.276:1, on a 1965 
> Corvair; 1000 psi line pressure would take 121 pounds of pedal 
> pressure.  I doubt you foot is that big :-).
> Jim Davis
>
> At 07:52 PM 7/6/2005, Padgett wrote:
>
>>> it would expand
>>> forcefully and lock up the brake system (INCREASING rather than 
>>> DECREASING
>>> the volume occupied by fluids in the close brake system).
>>
>> Two things to keep in mind:
>> 1) the pressure when you apply the brakes easily exceeds 1,000 psi
>> 2) while  steam will try to expand when water boils, that is in 
>> constant pressure. While water and brake fluid are both 
>> incompressible (why juice brakes work), steam is a compressible gas 
>> like air.
>>
>> It might be forceful but is probably not forceful enough.
>>
>> Now that is purely a swag, anyone know ?
>>
>> Padgett