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MG MGB Technical - Steve S please contact me regarding your article

Hi Steve,

A while back I printed out your article and we talked a bit about the structure of what is now nearly a book.

Then, a hardrive crash sent some of my information to never never land, including my email address for you.

I'm at the point in my review where I would like to touch base with you. By the way, reading the entire document made me a huge fan of your contribution to our hobby.

Please drop me an email.

warmly,
dave
Dave Braun

Hello Dave - I just finished the piece as well and was going to suggest the addition of topic headings for the various areas addressed in the comprehensive technical survey.

Steve put a great deal of work into that - I think it would flow a little better with some subject headings above the areas of text.

Best regards Steve and Dave,

Jeff
J Delk

Dave-
Sorry to hear it. I'm in the middle of writing a section on the subject of rebuilding the steering rack, but it won't be finished for a bit yet, so I hope that you will be able to wait for the newest version. In the interim it has expanded to about 240 pages.

The reason that I don't use subject headings is that I don't want people to use it soley as a repair manual. The whole idea is to help people to understand why they're doing something, not just how to do it. The two matters are interlinked, and technical understanding is the key to attaining improved performance. Also, some subjects bleed into one another, so there is no clear point of deliniation that would enable the placement of a subject heading.
Steve S.

Dave,

I spent a good deal of time this afternoon trying to find Steve Strange's e-mail address for you, but to no avail. I too would like to see this book (it already IS a book) organzed a bit in favor of easier access. I don't know if Steve recognizes this, but I agree with you: this piece he has written is truly one of the most important manuals of the MGA and MGB hobbies. Alas, trying to organize this article is an exercize in shooting at a moving target. I'll bet Steve adds to it at least weekly!

However, if Steve, or you, or anybody else would like some help in indexing this amazing piece, I wholeheartedly volunteer whatever services I have to offer. I'm not capable of making Steve's piece "better", or more readable. It's already the best. I can help make it a more useful reference. It is important that we all read it cover-to-cover and enjoy, as well as learn. But beyond that, for example, there was a recent thread on the Maniflow intake manifolds. I wanted to run to my printed copy of Steve's article to see what he had to say about them. I know it's in there -but where?

I also know that I will never again invest so much as a dime in any kind of performance hardware unless it is endorsed by Steve Strange.

Ahhh.... Steve, it must be lonely at the top!

Cheers,
Allen
Allen
Allen Bachelder

Allen-
I'd add an index to make referencing quick and easy, but as material gets added, the paragraphs keep moving to another page. I wonder if computer technology has a way around this problem? Some kind of permanent link?
Steve S.

Steve-
I'm sure you can do it in Word, but I haven't tried to figure out how, will see if I can look that up if someone more versed in such doesn't come to our aid. And you can certainly do it with html links, if it is to stay as electronic info. I'll try to look that up too, but it's been 7yrs since I did it. If you go to "insert" in top toolbar, there is both "bookmark" and "hyperlink", one of those should do. These things are different in different versions of Word, so specific instructions won't help if your version is different from mine, and I know it is. For ex, I am most versed in Word 6.0, but looking at my current Word 97 it's totally different, and much more in the modern and vexing computerese instead of plain English words - arrrgh! The "help" file in W97 is useless, and I don't have the printed manual, as I do for W6.0. The basic concept is that you put an "anchor" someplace, and it stays there no matter where the "someplace" goes as revisions happen. The index would then reference the anchor. Closely related to footnotes, etc, no doubt. When it's all finalised and you print it out, the index references all get converted to page numbers. If you add reference anchors in the middle of existing ones, it automatically changes all the following numbers. I know that can be done either for the whole work, or for individual chapters or sections separately.
FRM
FR Millmore

Hi

One of the best typsetting packages which allows you to use permanent links, and produces superior output documents, it called LaTex... its Unix based, but you can get a Windows based version called MikTex. Even better... its free.

Depending on your experience with computing, it may be a steep learning curve, but the output is more than worth it. I have used this package for the past ten years or so, and my PhD thesis turned out beautifully!

Cheers
Rick.

R Sims

Rick-
Being a computer neanderthal, such learning is all but beyond me. I need something akin to what Allen is describing, an anchor that stays with the selected text wherever it moves to within the body of the work, chained to a hyperlink-style point in the index so that the seeker need only click on the index to go to the part of the text that he's seeking.
Steve S.

Steve,

Can I get a copy of your article?

Thanks
Chris
Chris

Steve,

Yes, Word will index your article properly. The thing with Word is that it is font and machine dependent. i.e. even with the same font in two computers, if the font has a different kerning table attached to it, the text displayed may flow differently. What is on page 70 on one computer may display on page 72 in another. Word is not a page layout program, which tend to truncate text to preserve page layout. Word has a very powerful method of keeping it all straight between a table of contents and the text.

Everyone has a different style. My guess is that those of you who are detailed machinists learn much differently than those of us who reinvent the wheel each time we do things. I would have to read your book three or four more times before all the dots started connecting. On the other hand, I'm good at ferreting out the little possibilities in Software, and although I've not done the TOC thing recently (years!) in Word, I could probably 'reinvent' the process in a half hour. What I'm trying to say is that while you may wish people would read the entire document, and see how engine power is closely related to handling and tire compounds, and why cams, carbs, heads and bores all need to compliment each other, most people aren't set up that way. Those who want to see the connections will read through it. Those who want to use it as a repair reference will. It will screw up some people, and some people will have epiphanies, each to the capabilities hardwired into them. As the document gets larger, with a section on steering racks coming, and I can see a gearbox tear-down in the future, it needs organization for those who think that way. I didn't agree with everything in the book, but in a lot of cases I'm not qualified to comment. My last IC engine course was 30 years ago in college.

Right now, after reading the entire tome, I know there are things that I want to go back and check and re-learn, and it is simply a hassle to ferret them out. I also believe that a well placed graphic here and there may help. And honestly, I think the work needs a bit more attribution to sources which you have used over the years so that if a reader wants to learn more, he can check out those sources.

Steve, its your document. I had knee surgery, and needed something to occupy my brain while I sat in my recliner and contemplated the phase transition of ice to water. I went through and found the logical places to introduce headings, found very few but some misspellings (and believe me that's a challenge!) and found some spots where the writing repeated itself within a page or so. Simple things that don't have to be incorporated if you don't wish. Your choice, no problem for me if you choose not to. If you want me to ship off my handmarked copy to you, let me know.

warm regards,
dave
Dave Braun

Using Word 2004 here, on a Mac platform. The Mac has a find feature that lets me search any document for any word. As long as I work only with the document on the computer, I can find all references to "maniflow" or "Burlen" or "Burgess, or "three-angle" etc.

If the document were to remain static, I suppose one could do such searches from a previously-determined set of key words and record all the page numbers on which they appear, and form an index from that. But not useful if the document keeps changing.

FWIW,
Allen
Allen Bachelder

Allen-
Exactly. That's why I need a system like the one that I mentioned above.
Steve S.

Goodness - I feel bad at having mentioned the subject of headings for the piece. Didn't mean to generate so much discussion.

Steve, I do feel that your excellent work, and your intentions, would not be seriously impacted by adding simple topic breaks - even if they cover several systems at once. All this would do is help when you are trying to reference something specific that had been referenced earlier. I dont think most people would find that the addition would intrude on their efforts to understand the theories behind the various systems.

Thanks for all of your effort on the piece - my B runs much better due to your efforts.

Thanks Steve
J Delk

Steve-
A bit of a half-way fix, but an easy start, is to:

First, ad revision version numbers in the header, so everyone (you!) knows what version they are looking at. I do it like this: "docname" "070413Revision", the date backwards. This causes things to come up in order in computer lists of documents; if you do more than one a day you need another final digit, but plan ahead for that, since added digits create whole new groups. Works great for invoices, purchase orders, and the like. Now all ya gotta do is remember to update the headers when you revise! You can likely automate that too, but damned if I know how.

Second, insert hard page breaks at the end of each section. That keeps sections together, and unchanged by additions in other sections.

Third, Assign the page numbers to sections or chapters, instead of the whole doc. So a page will be Sec2,P34; or Sec7,P12; etc
FRM
FR Millmore

Steve,
Would you kindly send me a copy of your article. Thank you so much to your contributions to our community.
Steve.
Steve Meline

Steve,
I would appreciate a copy of the most recent version of your article sent to hcstallings@yahoo.com. I believe I have collected "chapters" over the years and I would love to have a current, complete version. Thanks for all of your contributions.

Hank S.
B4Miata

Your technical journal has created a lot of interest within the MG community. It sounds like it is similar to the "XJS Jaguar Experience in a book"
Is there a chance that I may have a copy?
Thankyou in advance,

peterl
PeterL

I would be very pleased if you would send a cop of your article to my address.
Thank you.
Bob Marshall

Steve

I would like a copy also at your convenience.

On the Table of Contents thing, click on "Help" at the top of your screen and search for "Table of Contents". This should give you a step by step process for creating a TOC for your document. When you make a revision you can, with a couple of key strokes, update the TOC.

Thanks

Larry
Larry Hallanger

Steve - I received an earlier draft of your work several years ago - a truly great work! I have read a lot of mgb books and I honestly feel yours provided me with the most help in trying to understand how to improve my B. It sounds like you've added some new interesting material. I would very much appreciate a newer version when it is convenient for you.
My Best Regards,
Jim
Jim H

Steve:

I also would appreciate a copy.

Regards,

Peter Van Syckle
Peter Van Syckle

Ciao Steve,
Any chance you could email me a copy of the article too? I've got an old copy, and I understand a lot has been added in the mean-time! ohellum[AT]hotmail[DOT]com
Ø. Hellum

I've been away from the MGB world for a while, but I have my 73 roadster back now. I could definitely use some help getting Boopsie back to peak form. If it's not piling on, I'd love a copy of the article as well, in whatever state of completion you can manage.

I'd also like to offer the suggestion of using LyX, a front-end for LaTeX (which someone else suggested above). The learning curve for LyX is much, MUCH shorter than for LaTeX, and doing a proper Table of Contents, Index, headings, etc. are all very simple in LyX. I personally can't imagine having tried to write my thesis in either Word or raw LaTeX, but in LyX it was a piece of cake. It's the simplest thing in the world to spit out PDF files with all internal links already in place, too. If this sounds interesting, please drop me a line and I'll be happy to help with getting started in LyX, etc.
Rob Olsen

I would have sent the latest version of the Performance Article to you all sooner, but I was in the middle of ading some more material and converting some of the tables to both MPH and KPH, which is very time-consuming. If it is printed in Ariel typeface with #11 font, it should total 249 pages.
Steve S.

Hey Steve,

Read the comments about your article. I need all the help I can get with my "B's".

I would appreciate a copy also.

Thanks in advance,

James
James Huggins

James-
I sent an earlier copy to you back in January. Did you ever get it? Your new copy is in the mail now.
Steve S.

This thread was discussed between 12/04/2007 and 30/04/2007

MG MGB Technical index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG MGB Technical BBS is active now.