Would you guys like it if I posed a Car Talk puzzler everyday?

"Chuck 2(O=[][]=O)2" (pompei426)
05/10/2014 at 12:49 • Filed to: None

Just asking. I love these things and I think it would be nice to bring them to OPPO. Here's and example:

Question -

RAY: This puzzler took place some years ago, when Crusty the mechanic was in our employ and still was in possession of his faculties.

A schoolteacher had taken his car into us, and we had done a lot of brake work on it. He came in one day and said, "I'm kind of disappointed. Now that the academic year is over, I've been doing a lot more driving. During the school year, I drove back and forth to school, and everything seemed fine. Now I'm on summer vacation, and I've been taking a lot of long distance trips.

"I've noticed that if I'm driving on the highway for any period of time, when I get off the highway I often lose the brakes. I step on the brakes and they sink to the floor."

So, we put the car on the lift and we pulled off the wheels. We went over everything we had done to the car, checking to see if the calipers were free, the brake hoses free. Everything was fine.

Crusty, meanwhile, was just sitting there in the inky shadows not saying a thing. Finally, after we determined there was nothing wrong with the brakes, Crusty said, "When did you have the exhaust system replaced?"

The fellow says, "As a matter of fact I did have it replaced — just before the end of the school year."

Crusty says, "That's the problem."

And that's the question.

How in the world could someone's exhaust system affect his brakes?

Answer -

RAY: Here's the answer. What Crusty knew was that we had eliminated everything else. And without even looking, he knew that the people who put the muffler in the exhaust system had done something awful. They had put the exhaust pipe touching one of the brake lines. Now exhaust temperatures can run upwards of 500 degrees. And brake fluid boils at something less than 300 degrees. This was a recipe —

TOM AND RAY: For disaster.

RAY: So when he drove the thing, it sustained high speed in the summer. The exhaust system got that brake line really hot and the brake fluid turned into a vapor and made the pedal sink to the floor. And, of course, by the time we got the thing, everything was cooled off and worked normally. But when it was hot, it would fail because the brake fluid had turned to vapor.

TOM: And, as we know, vapors are compressible and liquids ain't very.

RAY: Who's our winner?

TOM: The winner is Regina Warren from Suffern, New York!

Just let me know. Leave comments below.

DISCUSSION (6)

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > Chuck 2(O=[][]=O)2
05/10/2014 at 13:03

I like it. Maybe even post the question and answer seperately to give people a chance to work it out themselves first. Could make for a fun game.

FJ80WaitinForaLSV8 > Chuck 2(O=[][]=O)2
05/10/2014 at 13:04

Not a fan of the mathematic ones. But the folkloric, historic, and automotive ones I am a big fan of.

Eazy-O > Chuck 2(O=[][]=O)2
05/10/2014 at 15:41

I've never noticed these posts. Please do post, but tag appropriately, so we can catch up. :)

Chuck 2(O=[][]=O)2 > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
05/10/2014 at 20:22

That's what I would do. Post the question with the previous days answer. I just wanted to put both together for the example so those unfamiliar with the show would know what the puzzler is.

Chuck 2(O=[][]=O)2 > FJ80WaitinForaLSV8
05/10/2014 at 20:23

Will try to avoid those, but if they come up, I greatly apologize. I will mostly stick to the car ones at first just so people get hooked.

Chuck 2(O=[][]=O)2 > Eazy-O
05/10/2014 at 20:23

Haven't started yet, but I will be sure to number them and tag them.