The Elio Engine

[floydv]

Apologies if this has been covered before. I just had to add oil to my car, and I suddenly could not remember where, in the Elio, you pour oil into the engine, and where the dipstick is.

If you look at this pic, looks like the big black cap on top of the engine to the right of the green Elio logo is the oil filler cap, and next to the exhaust manifold toward the radiator is the oil dipstick (with the green finger loop). The oil filter is not visible in this pic, but it's positioned next to the exhaust manifold and looks easy to access from other pictures.

 

[Muzhik]

If you look at this pic, looks like the big black cap on top of the engine to the right of the green Elio logo is the oil filler cap, and next to the exhaust manifold toward the radiator is the oil dipstick (with the green finger loop). The oil filter is not visible in this pic, but it's positioned under the intake manifold and looks easy to access from other pictures.

Ahhh! Thanks! I realize now I had rotated the engine 90 degrees, i.e., what I thought was the front part of the engine is actually the top.

As for "easy to access", that remains to be seen. Is that "easy to access if you're a prepubescent 11-yo girl" or is that "easy to access if you're a ... husky ... grown man laying on his back trying to slither under the engine"? It also struck me that every garage shop I've seen has hydraulic lifts designed to raise the car so the mechanic can walk underneath it. The lifts have 4 plates to hold the tires, one for each tire. What are Pep Boys going to have to do to modify one of those things to handle a 3-wheeled configuration?

 

[Bert]

Unless it's a drive on ramps type lift, the "plates" you're speaking of actually go under the frame of the vehicle. Ramp type lifts "could" be a challenge, this is true.

 

[floydv]

Ahhh! Thanks! I realize now I had rotated the engine 90 degrees, i.e., what I thought was the front part of the engine is actually the top.

As for "easy to access", that remains to be seen. Is that "easy to access if you're a prepubescent 11-yo girl" or is that "easy to access if you're a ... husky ... grown man laying on his back trying to slither under the engine"? It also struck me that every garage shop I've seen has hydraulic lifts designed to raise the car so the mechanic can walk underneath it. The lifts have 4 plates to hold the tires, one for each tire. What are Pep Boys going to have to do to modify one of those things to handle a 3-wheeled configuration?

Correction to my note: the oil filter is next to the exhaust manifold, not the intake manifold, which means it is facing the front of the vehicle where there seems to be a lot of space (see above pic in my earlier post). So the filter should be reachable either from above or below. There's a pic somewhere that someone took at the LA auto show from beneath the Elio that showed a lot of empty space to work with around the filter.

 

[Sethodine]

It also struck me that every garage shop I've seen has hydraulic lifts designed to raise the car so the mechanic can walk underneath it. The lifts have 4 plates to hold the tires, one for each tire. What are Pep Boys going to have to do to modify one of those things to handle a 3-wheeled configuration?

I remember reading somewhere about a sort of cross-bar that would slide through the frame at the rear, with wheels on the end so it can be lifted on a car lift as you describe. I seem to remember that this was an official Elio answer to that question, but my memory has been known to betray me.

 

[Jeff Miller]

Ahhh! Thanks! I realize now I had rotated the engine 90 degrees, i.e., what I thought was the front part of the engine is actually the top.

As for "easy to access", that remains to be seen. Is that "easy to access if you're a prepubescent 11-yo girl" or is that "easy to access if you're a ... husky ... grown man laying on his back trying to slither under the engine"? It also struck me that every garage shop I've seen has hydraulic lifts designed to raise the car so the mechanic can walk underneath it. The lifts have 4 plates to hold the tires, one for each tire. What are Pep Boys going to have to do to modify one of those things to handle a 3-wheeled configuration?

I'm lucky that I'll do all my own maintenance. I have a 4 post lift but I also have a nice plate that sits between the rails to hold the middle third wheel up.

 

[Johnny Acree]

This seams like a good place to post the latest blog


Elio Motors 2015 Countdown: Number 3!
December 21, 2015

Today we continue to count down the top milestones of 2015! In case you missed it, last week we announced the 4th largest milestone of 2015, which featured the awards we were proud to receive this year. Without further ado…

Number 3: The Elio Engine

Fitting a round peg into a square hole is not a perfect fit. Sure, you can force it to fit, but it is far from perfect. Maybe an octagonal peg provides an even easier fit, yet adequacy and perfection are rarely tantamount. For Elio Motors, the right peg was needed for the right hole, which is why we designed our own engine for our unique vehicle. Through demanded perfection, excellence can be achieved.

The last time a startup automotive manufacturer designed their own internal combustion engine was 1951. Harry Truman was the President of the United States, “I Love Lucy” was captivating audiences across the country, and the average cost of a new house was $9,000. In other words, it has been a very long time. Many automotive manufacturers have come and gone since 1951, yet it took over 60 years for a startup automotive company to design their own engine.

Enter Elio Motors.

The body of the Elio is a very distinctive hole, and the engine is a very specific peg. As the project began to gain traction, it became clear that in order to achieve Elio Motors’ lofty goals, the status quo would not satisfy. As Paul Elio said, “We are literally trying to reinvent the auto industry, so why go the conventional route and rework someone else’s engine? There really was nothing available that combined the speed and power that we want and our customers deserve. IAV came through with an outstanding execution of today’s best technology that will be a cornerstone to delivering a world-class vehicle.”

Successful partnerships require both parties to bring a unique skill set to the table. Steve Jobs had Steve Wozniak, John Lennon had Paul McCartney, and Elio Motors has IAV. IAV has designed engines for Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Bentley, and Bugatti, so they have demonstrated an ability to provide excellence. The understanding that compromise is unacceptable and that greatness is expected has made for a perfect partnership.

The engine that propels the Elio is a symbol of the project as a whole: it is designed for equal parts power and fuel-efficiency, with neither being a target for compromise. The 0.9 liter, 3-cylinder engine is designed to reach speeds over 100 MPH and achieve up to 84 MPG on the highway. Prior to the design and execution of the IAV engine, Elio Motors’ goals were unattainable. Now, those goals are more than realistic.

There is a reason it took 60 years for an automotive startup to design their own internal combustive engine. It is hard work. Elio Motors, however, was able to accomplish this ambitious goal through perseverance, rigorous work, and the right partner.

Check back on Thursday as we continue to count down the biggest milestones of 2015!

 

[Rob Croson]

I'm not getting emails about any of the "Trending Topics" blog posts. I get emails about all the other categories.

 

[ehwatt]

Unless it's a drive on ramps type lift, the "plates" you're speaking of actually go under the frame of the vehicle. Ramp type lifts "could" be a challenge, this is true.

I have wondered about a front / rear wheel alignment.

 

[Coss]

I remember reading somewhere about a sort of cross-bar that would slide through the frame at the rear, with wheels on the end so it can be lifted on a car lift as you describe. I seem to remember that this was an official Elio answer to that question, but my memory has been known to betray me.

You're correct; but EM was calling them "dollies" and were supposed to be used primarily for transport. They can use the same "Dollies" in service bays and since Pep Boys is the warranty center they will probably all have them. And it very well may be that once a lot of Elio's are out on the road, the "Grease Monkey's" and other oil change centers will have them also. My prediction (take it with a grain of salt) in 5 years there are going to be a lot of 3 wheelers (not just the Elio's) on the road so these service centers will be missing a lot of business if they can't accommodate 3 wheelers.