- Noble metal
- A rare or precious metal (such as gold, silver, mercury, platinum) which conducts electricity very well, resists corrosion, and is inert; some are used as catalysts in catalytic converters
- No fault insurance
- A form of vehicle accident insurance in which the insurance company of each driver pays for the damages of its own driver regardless of who is at fault. So if you and I have an accident, my insurance company will pay for my damaged car and your insurance company will pay for your damages. If you don't have insurance, my insurance company will pay for my damages even if I think you are at fault.
- No-frost freezer
- Low-temperature refrigerator cabinet in which no frost or ice collects on freezer surfaces or materials stored in cabinet...
- Noise cancellation system
- (NCS) The reduction of noise by means of anti-noise loudspeakers. Compare Soundproofing material
- Nomad
- A Chevrolet vehicle brand produced from 1955 to 1961 of which the 1955-57 models are milestone cars.
- Nominal capacity
- A capacity used for general rating/specification purposes. The actual capacity of a
specific unit will be approximately the same as the nominal capacity but need not be
exactly the same.
See
- Nominal diameter
- A characteristic value used for pipeline systems to identify parts which belong together such as pipes, pipe joints, fittings, etc.; a nominal size for the inside diameter
- Nominal length
-
- The length of the shank of screws/bolts with flat bearing faces.
- The length of shank plus height of head of countersunk bolts/screws.
- The overall length of a stud minus the length of the stud end
- Nominal size tubing
- Tubing measurement which has an inside diameter the same as iron pipe of the same stated size.
- Nonassociated natural gas
- Natural gas that is not in contact with significant quantities of crude oil in the reservoir.
- Non-Car Lane
- Traffic management technique aimed at improving accessibility for non-car modes of transport.
- Non-code installation
- Functional refrigerating system installed where there are no local, state, or national refrigeration codes in force.
- Noncombustible materials
- Substances which are not capable of being ignited and burned, such as materials consisting of, or a combination of, steel, iron, brick, tile, concrete, slate, asbestos, glass and plaster.
- Noncondensable gas
-
- Gas which does not change into a liquid at operating temperatures and pressures.
- Gas which will not form into a liquid under the operating pressure-temperature conditions.
- Nondedicated vehicle
- A motor vehicle capable of operating on an alternative fuel and /or on either gasoline or diesel.
- Non-directional tread
- An arrangement of bars, grooves and ribs in a manner that gives equal traction in
forward or reverse direction.
Also see
- Nondisplaceable rotor member
- A valve member which cannot be moved from its seat by a force applied to-the valve handle, or force applied by a plane surface to any exterior portion of the valve.
- Non-drying oil
- Any oil that does not have the ability to take up oxygen from the air to change it from a liquid to a solid state. Mineral oils are non-drying oils; so are a few vegetable oils
- Nonferrous metal
- Pure metal or alloy without an appreciable amount of iron such as aluminum, brass, copper, etc. Because they do not contain iron, they are not subject to rusting.
- Nonfungible product
- A gasoline blend or blendstock that cannot be shipped via existing petroleum product distribution systems because of incompatibility problems. Gasoline/ethanol blends, for example, are contaminated by water that is typically present in petroleum product distribution systems.
- Nonhydrocarbon gases
- Typical nonhydrocarbon gases that may be present in reservoir natural gas, such as carbon dioxide, helium, hydrogen sulfide, and nitrogen.
- Non-integral system
- An anti-lock brake system whose major hydraulic components are separate from the master cylinder, and are installed between the master cylinder and the wheel brakes Also called Non-integrated system or Independent ABS
- Non-integrated system
- An anti-lock brake system whose major hydraulic components are separate from the master cylinder, and are installed between the master cylinder and the wheel brakes. Also called Non-integral system or Independent ABS
- Non-load-bearing flue gas baffle
- A flue gas baffle, which does not add support, strength or rigidity to a heat exchanger or flue.
- Non-Magnetic steel
- Steel alloys with sufficient quantities of manganese or nickel to render the steel non-magnetic. 18-8 (300 series chrome-nickel steel) is non-magnetic when annealed. Type 316 is non-magnetic in all conditions.
- Non-Methane Organic Gases
- (NMOG) The sum of non-oxygenated and oxygenated hydrocarbons exclusive of methane contained in a gas sample as measured in accordance with California's non-methane organic gas test procedure.
- Nonmethane volatile organic compounds
- (NMVOC) Organic compounds, other than methane, that participate in atmospheric photochemical reactions.
- Nonroad alternative fuel vehicle
- (nonroad AFV) An alternative fuel vehicle designed for off-road operation and use for surface/air transportation, industrial, or commercial purposes. Nonroad AFVs include forklifts and other industrial vehicles, rail locomotives, self-propelled electric rail cars, aircraft, airport service vehicles, construction vehicles, agricultural vehicles, and marine vessels. Recreational AFVs (golf carts, snowmobiles, pleasure watercraft, etc.) are excluded from the definition.
- Non-self-priming pump
- A centrifugal pump which is unable to evacuate and prime the suction line without external assistance. The opposite is Self-priming pump. Most centrifugal pumps are non-self-priming and require a flooded suction line
- Non-servo brake
-
- A drum brake design; each brake shoe is anchored, therefore no one shoe can assist in the application of the other; one shoe is self-energizing, the other is not
- A drum brake in which each shoe is applied individually; the operation of one shoe has no effect on the other.
- Non-servo drum brake
- A drum brake design in which the application of one shoe has no effect on the other
- Non-staged carburetor
- A 4-barrel carburetor that has secondary throttle plates which open at the same time as the primary throttle plates, or a two-barrel carburetor with only one throttle shaft (both throttle valves open simultaneously)
- Nontoxic coolant
- Transfer fluids having a Gosselin rating of one (1), including water, Propylene glycol, mineral oil, polydimethyoil oxane, Freon and FDA-approved water additives. Such fluids are deemed essentially nontoxic by the BOCA Basic/National Plumbing Code or GRAS (generally recognized as safe) by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration).
- Nonventilated enclosure
- An electric motor housing that is not equipped with a fan for external cooling, but depends on convection air for cooling. It may be Totally enclosed or Explosion-proof
- Non-volatile random access memory
- A non-volatile memory that is used to store information for either short or long term usage. This type of memory can be written to. If external energy is removed from the device, the contents in memory are not destroyed.
- Noodle
- The L-shaped tubing piece found on the side of Shimano V-Brakes and some other direct-pull cantilever bicycle brakes
- NORBA
- Acronym for National Off-road Bicycle Association -- the US governing body for off-road racing
- Nordic Anti-Corrosion Code
- A code developed by the Scandinavian automobile and consumer associations which stipulates that, as of January 1983, all cars must be free of surface corrosion for three years and free of perforation and weakening damage for six years
- No rinse treatment
- An application method of chemical conversion coatings by means of a roll coating system whereby no rinsing treatment is required
- Normal Butane
- (n-Butane), technical Grade. A liquefied petroleum gas composed of a minimum of 95 percent n-butane (C4H10) which may contain other impurities such as Isobutane, Butylenes and Propane not in excess of 5 percent.
- Normal charge
- Thermal element charge which is part liquid and part gas under all operating conditions.
- Normalize
- To remove internal stresses by heating a metal piece to its critical temperature and allowing it to cool very slowly.
- Normally aspirated
- An engine that intakes air or breathes without the assistance of a Supercharger or Turbocharger.
- Normally aspirated engine
- An engine which uses the factory installed carburetor or fuel injection system with its normal air filter, etc. It does not use modified air flow systems which pump more air into the engine. Usually this expression is used as comparison as in My modified intake puts out more horsepower than a normally aspirated engine. Also called Naturally aspirated engine or a free breather.
- NORS
- Acronym for new old replacement stock, or new old reproduction stock. These are parts that were aftermarket replacements, usually of the same quality, for the manufacturer's parts. Or, they are parts that were reproduced by an aftermarket supplier using the same quality of materials and manufacture as the original manufacturer, but now are old.
- North American Free Trade Agreement
- (NAFTA) Agreement creating free trade among the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The NAFTA went into effect on January 1, 1994.
- North American Industrial Classification System
- (NAICS) Industry Classification between Canada, the United States and Mexico to increase compatibility of data with these countries. The classification is based on establishment rather than commodity. This classification system will be implemented with reference to year 1997 and data will be available in 1999.
- North pole
- The magnetic pole in a Magnet from which the lines of force emanate; travel is from North to South pole.
- North-south layout
- An engine layout with the cylinders lying lengthways from the front (north) to the back (south). Also called Longitudinal engine. Compare East-west layout
- NOS
- Acronym for new old stock. These are parts that originally were available from the manufacturer of a vehicle. They have never been used, thus are new. But they also may have been on the shelf for decades, thus are old. Duplicates of parts for out-of-production cars that are issued by the original manufacturer for the restoration of older vehicles.
- Nose load
- Trailers should be loaded heavier at the front (i.e., nose). The nose-load is the amount of nose-heaviness (sometimes called trailer preponderance) measured at the tow-hitch and must be considered part of the towing vehicle's payload.
- Nose-to-tail
- A driving mode in rush-hour traffic. Also called Bumper-to-bumper
- Nosepiece
- An insert for pop-rivet pliers that is used to allow various pop-rivet diameters to be used
- Nose protector
- A cover, usually of black soft plastic sheeting with flannel-like backing, that fits around the front end of a car. Also called nose bra. Compare Stealth bra. It protects the front portion of hood and fenders against damage caused by flying rocks, road debris and insects; attaches to car with bendable plates, straps, or hooks and grommeted edges; sometimes personalized with a vehicle logo; relatively common in the USA, but rarely found in Europe
- Noseweight
- A vertical weight on the center of the towing ball exerted by the vehicle being towed (on level ground). This must be within certain limits; generally between 110-165 lbs (50-75 kg) for car and trailer
- Notch
- A V-shaped or U-shaped indentation cut into a test piece, test bar, or into a molded part
Also see
- Notchback
-
- A classical sedan shape which is sometimes called a three box design. When you look at the side of the car, the front section in front of the windshield is one box; the section with the doors and windows is the second box; and the third box is the trunk. Because the third box starts just below the back window, it is called a notchback.
- A body shape which differs from a fast back. When a Fastback is observed from the side, there is a smooth line (curve) along the roof from the A-pillar to the back of the car. In a notchback, the roof is abruptly dropped down to the leading part of the rear deck (or Trunk).
- Notched rocker arm stud
- A rocker arm stud with a notch worn in its side; a notched stud is more likely to break
- Notchy
- The action of changing the gears in a rough way which causes a slight crashing of gears. It is often caused by the clutch failing to disengage fully
- Nova
-
An compact automobile of the Chevrolet division of General Motors which was an evolution of the Chevy II (1962-69) and was produced from 1964 to 1988.
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Chevrolet Nova
- Novachip
- A thin application of liquid asphalt emulsion and a single layer of stone, coated with asphalt (such as NYS #1 stone, which is about 1/2" in size). The material is put down with a special paver. It cools and sets within minutes. The road is opened to traffic almost immediately after placement of material.
- NOx
- Oxides of nitrogen. A compound formed during the engine combustion process when oxygen in the air combines with nitrogen to form photochemical smog. Acid deposition, commonly called acid rain, occurs when sulfur dioxide (SO2) and, to a lesser extent, NOx emissions are transformed in the atmosphere and return to the earth as dry deposition or in rain, fog, or snow. Highway vehicles - autos, trucks and buses - account for nearly 30 percent of all NOx and non-methane hydrocarbons emitted annually in the United States. Burning any fossil fuel produces NOx, and it is difficult to generalize with respect to the relative NOx emissions of the various fuel types for different applications. However, the substitution of new high-efficiency gas equipment can offer significant NOx reductions, relative to older and less efficient equipment. For example, replacing a coal-fired electricity generating unit with a new gas-fired combined-cycle unit can reduce NOx by some 95 percent. It is at its worst when Combustion is most efficient. It is produced because the air is 78 percent nitrogen. Combines with HC in sunlight to form PhotochemicalSmog. NOx emissions can be reduced by lowering peak Combustion temperatures through lowering Compression ratios and by Recirculating exhaust gases.
- NOx-Control module
- (NCM) A digital ignition control module for retrofitting to cars with Motronic engine control; modifies ignition timing characteristics for lower NOx emissions
- Nozzle drip
- Air rushing by the venturi at idle can cause fuel to drip from the discharge nozzle for the main metering circuit
- Nozzle restrictor
- A restrictor in the fuel filler neck of cars fitted with catalytic converters that prevents filling from leaded petrol pumps, which have larger pump nozzles