DICTIONARY OF AUTOMOTIVE TERMS - "Tu"

Tub
See
Tube
  1. A long, narrow, hollow cylinder for holding or passing liquids or gases.
  2. A rubber doughnut-shaped bladder which is placed within the carcass of a tire and inflated.
  3. A light tube, fluorescent tube
Also see
Tube axle
See
Tube bender
A tool for bending tubing without collapsing it
Tube, constricted
Tubing reduced in diameter.
Tube butyl
See
Tube cutter
A tool used to cut tubing by passing a sharp wheel around and around the tube.
Also see
Tubed
A tire which has an inner tube
Tube drive
See
Tube frame
A car frame made up of rigid tubing welded together. Tube frames are easier to manufacture in small quantities than unitized frames.
Tube latex
See
Tubeless
A tire with no inner tube
Tubeless tire
A tire which does not have a tube. Air is sealed in the tire chamber because the bead of the tire adheres to the tire's rim. First developed by B. F. Goodrich in 1948.
Tubeless tires
See
Tube Refrigeration
See
Tube seat
An insert or machined face, against which a flared tube end seals.
Tube Shifter
See
Tube System
See
Tube Trailer
A semitrailer used to transport cryogenic gases.
Tube-within-a-tube
Water-cooled condensing unit in which a small tube is placed inside large unit. Refrigerant passes through outer tube, water through the inner tube.
Tubing
  1. Fluid-carrying pipe which has a thin wall.
  2. Semi-rigid conduit of steel, copper, aluminum, or plastic.
Also see
Tubing bender
A tool used to bend tubing without kinking or deforming its walls.
Tubing reamer
A tool used to remove burrs on hard tubes (not inner tubes), e.g., after a tube cutter is used when servicing the brake line system
Tubing wrench
A wrench used to turn fittings on tubing. A tubing wrench distributes the turning forces evenly around the fitting and minimizes the possibility of damage.
Tubular
In the shape of a tube; cylindrical
Tubular backbone frame
A backbone chassis with a tubular central spine
Tubular cells
Fuel Cells that are formed in cylindrical fashion and allow fuel and oxidant to flow on the inner or outer surfaces of the pipe.
Tubular frame
A frame construction that features members of tubular cross section; often used for racing cars, as this layout allows for weight-saving design with the use of aluminum
Tubular nut driver
A nut driver with handle and tubular shank for driving hexagon nuts and bolts
Tubular Rivet
A small rivet having a coaxial cylindrical hole in the headless end, designed for securing by splaying the end.
Tubular tire
A type of Bicycle tire that has a tube sewn up inside the casing, also known as a sew-up.
Tucker
A vehicle brand of which the 1948 models are milestone cars.
Tucking
Reducing the length of certain sections of a panel. Opposite of Throwing. When making a panel with rounded edges that has to be folded along the inner edge, the radius along this edge must be increased and its length reduced; this is done by thickening the material in certain areas
Tudor
A word coined by Ford for a 2-door Sedan.
Tug
A boat equipped with powerful engines for towing or pushing large ships or barges
Tumble
To clean, smooth, or polish in a rotating barrel or drum by friction with each other, assisted by added mediums, as scraps, balls, sawdust, sand, etc.
Tumblehome
  1. The severe inward (concave) curvature used on the sides of some cars.
  2. The tilt of a panel of moveable glass such as the side windows as it aligns within the window frame.
  3. The inboard slope of a ship's side above the designed waterline
Tumbling
  1. The smoothing of an aluminum surface by turning it over and over in rotating barrels with metallic or ceramic shot but without any form of abrasive
  2. To flip fasteners around like clothes in a dryer in order to clean fasteners and increase the shininess of stainless. Soap or a cleansing solution is often added.
Tune
To adjust the engine controls (carburetor, timing, etc.) for optimum running.
Also see
Tuned exhaust
Intake and exhaust systems that harness the pressure pulses and resonances inside the various passages and chambers of the intake and Exhaust manifolds. In this way they increase the flow of intake charge into and out of the combustion chambers. Although the Exhaust port must be a smooth as possible, the Intake port must not because the fuel must churn and mix with the air.
Tuned for economy
An engine (and often other components) which have been adjusted to use less fuel
Tuned header
See
Tuned port injection
(TPI) a GM fuel injection system that uses tuned air intake runners for improved airflow
Tuner
That component/circuit of a radio which tunes to the frequencies of radio stations; (tuner + amplifier = receiver)
Tune up
See
Tune-up
  1. The intent of a tune-up is to obtain the maximum performance and economy of an engine with the lowest possible exhaust emissions so that the vehicle engine will meet the manufacturer's Specifications. It involves checking the Components of the Ignition system and cleaning or replacing them; cleaning and adjusting the carburetion or Fuel injection system; adjusting the points and Timing cleaning and Gapping the Spark plugs. Tune-ups should be performed according to the recommendation of each manufacturer.
  2. To disassemble the components of a bicycle, cleaning, adding lubricant, reassembling, replacing worn components (brake pads, chain, bearings, cables, tires), adjusting chain, brakes, derailleurs, and tire pressure in order to make the unit safe and efficient.
Tune up kit
See
Tune-up kit
A set of parts containing points, Rotor, Condenser, cam lube, and possibly a Feeler gauge. Each vehicle make, model, and year has its own tune-up kit.
Tungstate Screen
See
Tungsten
A hard, malleable, greyish-white element used in lamp filaments, electrical contact points and, alloyed with steel, in high-speed cutting tools
Tungsten-arc
See
Tungsten-arc welding
See
Tungsten-halogen bulb
A quartz-halogen bulb with a tungsten filament
Tuning
The adjustment of the carburetor, ignition timing, etc. to improve performance.
Also see
Tuning system
See
Tuning the exhaust
See
Tunnel
A passageway cut through a hill, cliff, or mountain
See
Tunnel drier
A heated tunnel through which body shells are passed in painting lines, e.g., to dry their phosphate coatings
Tunnel furnace
A heated tunnel through which body shells are passed in painting lines, e.g., to dry their phosphate coatings
Tunneling
Moving a component deeply into its surrounding sheet metal to give the appearance of being recessed, e.g., headlights, tall lights, and antennas
Turbine
  1. A rotary machine which extracts mechanical shaft power from the working fluid (gas or liquid) using rotor vanes.
  2. A machine for generating rotary mechanical power from the energy of a stream of fluid (such as water, steam, or hot gas). Turbines convert the kinetic energy of fluids to mechanical energy through the principles of impulse and reaction, or a mixture of the two.
  3. A type of engine in which all the parts that are in regular motion are rotating, making for very smooth operation. The basic gas turbine operates as follows air enters the Compressor and is compressed. It is then delivered to the Combustion chamber under pressure and here the fuel is introduced, mixed with the air and burned, the quantity injected determining speed and power output. The hot, high-pressure burning gases then proceed to the first turbine, which drives the Compressor and continue to the power turbine, which delivers power to the Output shaft through reduction gears. The gears are necessary because the speed of turbine rotation is measured in tens of thousands of rpm not thousands as with a typical Piston engine. The turbine's attractions include its utter simplicity and directness in getting power from burning gas, its smoothness, easy cold starting and its ability to run on almost any Hydrocarbon fuel. On the minus side are high cost, problems with materials because of the high temperatures and speed of rotation and relatively high NOx production.
Also see
Turbine casing
The casing enclosing a turbine
Turbine engine
An engine that uses burning gases to spin a turbine, or series of turbines, as a means of propelling the vehicle.
Also see
Turbine housing
The casing enclosing a turbine
Turbine wheel
  1. A turbocharger wheel driven by exhaust gases, the turbine wheel spins at speeds up to 160,000 rpm and drives the compressor which is located at the opposite end of the turbine shaft; wheel and shaft are usually inseparable.
  2. A driven member of a torque converter which transmits multiplied engine torque to the transmission input shaft
Turbo
Abbreviation for Turbocharger. In Computers the term is erroneously used to mean an increase in speed.
Also see
Turbocharged engine
An engine fitted with a turbocharger
Turbocharger
  1. An Exhaust powered Turbine super-charger. Turbochargers always use centrifugal-flow compressors, which operate efficiently at the high rotational speeds produced by the exhaust turbine.
  2. A device used for increasing the pressure and density of a fluid entering a fuel cell power plant using a compressor driven by a turbine that extracts energy from the exhaust gas.
Also see
Turbo charger
See
Turbocharging
  1. A method of increasing power and decreasing emissions by rerouting hot Exhaust gases through a Turbine which drives a Pump that forces more air into the engine Cylinders.
  2. Using an exhaust-driven turbine to drive an air compressor that compresses air into the cylinders and increases the power of the engine.
  3. A process of compressing the engine intake air charge in order to allow more air and fuel into the cylinder and, thus, to increase the engine power output. The compressor, called the turbocharger, is driven by an exhaust gas propelled turbine.
Turbocompressor
Machine for compressing air or other fluid (reactant if supplied to a fuel cell system) in order to increase the reactant pressure and concentration.
Turbo-diesel
A diesel engine which is turbocharged
Turboexpander
Machine for expanding air or other fluid (reactant if supplied to a fuel cell system) in order to decrease the fluid pressure and concentration. The unit is normally used in conjunction with a compressor to recover unused energy from hot, pressurized gasses, thereby reducing the net amount of energy required to power the compressor.
Turbo gauge
A boost pressure gauge on turbocharged engines
Turbo Generator
Gas turbine combined with an electrical generator.
Turbojet
See
Turbo lag
  1. Within a Turbocharger's operating range, lag is the delay between the instant a car's accelerator is depressed and the time the turbocharged engine develops a large fraction of the power available at that point in the engine's power curve.
  2. The time delay between injecting fuel to accelerate and delivering air to the intake manifold by the turbocharger. This phenomenon may cause black smoke emissions in some turbocharged diesel engines during acceleration.
Turbo-supercharger
See
Turbulence
Violent, broken movement or agitation of a fluid or gas.
Also see
Turismo
See
Turn
  1. To machine on a lathe
  2. To change direction
See
Turn a lap
To drive one full circle around the race track.
Turnbuckle
  1. A device which allows the Linkage to be lengthened or shortened. A threaded hole is found on each end of the turnbuckle. The linkage which attaches to the turnbuckle can be screwed in or out on each end to create the necessary length. Usually a lock nut secures the turnbuckle in place. In some instances, the turnbuckle may have a threaded hole at one end and a threaded Stud at the other.
  2. A coupling, threaded right and left or swivelled on one end, for adjustably connecting two rods.
Turndown Factor
See
Turner
See
Turn-in
The moment of transition between driving straight ahead and cornering.
Turning circle
The smallest circle in which a vehicle can turn, i.e., with the wheels on full lock.
Also see
Turning over
See
Turning radius
  1. The diameter of the circle created by the outer front wheel when making a full turn. There are two ways of measuring the turning radius curb to curb and wall to wall. The latter is always larger because it takes into account front-end overhang. As the vehicle turns, the inside wheels make a smaller circle than the outside tires.
  2. The relation of one front wheel to the other on turns. If your tires are squealing on turns, have your front-end alignment checked to be sure that bent steering arms have not affected the turning radius of the car.
Also see
Turn-in rate
The way a car steers into a bend; the roll-steer effect
Turn into the skid
To turn the steering wheel in the same direction as that in which the rear of the car is sliding, in order to counteract the skid
Turnout
A drainage ditch that drains water away from roads and road ditches.
See
Turn over
An engine is said to turn over when the Starter has caused the Crankshaft to begin to turn, which starts the Pistons moving so that Combustion can begin to take place in the Cylinders providing power to move the vehicle.
Turnpike
A U.S. toll road, especially one that is an expressway
Turnpike Double
A combination vehicle consisting of a tractor and two 40 to 53 foot trailers.
Turns
See
Turn signal
See
Turn signal indicator
A light (usually accompanied by a click or chime) which flashes when the turn signal lever is engaged and the signal lights flash. Most are located somewhere on the dash in front of the driver, but Cadillac and others also mounted them on the upper edge of the front and rear fender or the rear headliner.
Turntable
A circular platform mounted under the front of a full trailer or a jeep dolly to which an axle or axles are attached, allowing the axles to pivot in a turning maneuver.
Turn-under
The inward sloping of a car's body below the waistline
Turnup
See
Turret web
See

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