Corvette Glossary Of Terms
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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Heads Up Display (HUD)
Any transparent display that presents data without requiring users to look away from their usual viewpoints. The origin of the name stems from the pilots being able to view information with heads “up” and looking forward, instead of angled down looking at lower instruments. Although they were initially developed for military aviation, HUDs are now used in commercial aircraft, automobiles, and other applications. Content ccourtesyof Wikipedia. Corvsport Page References: 2002 Overview.
Heinricy, John
John Heinricy is a U.S. automotive engineer and noted racecar driver. Heinricy has had a long and distinguished career at General Motors, serving as assistant chief engineer for the Corvette and as Director of the GM Performance Division. John retired from GM in October 2008.
He also campaigns a variety of GM products in SCCA competition, winning the annual SCCA National Championship Runoffs in Corvettes and Camaros , Firebirds and a Chevrolet Cobalt.
In 2007, Heinricy claimed his 11th SCCA Runoffs championship (driving a Chevrolet Cobalt in Showroom Stock C). Heinricy presently holds the third most Runoffs titles, behind Duane Davis (13) and Jerry Hansen (27).
John also has a sub 8 minute time in a 2009 Cadillac CTS-V around the Nürburgring. John Heinricy biographical content courtesy of Wikipedia. Corvsport Page References: 1985 Overview.
Henderson, Frederick
Frederick Arthur “Fritz” Henderson (born November 29, 1958) was President and Chief Executive Officer of General Motors. Prior to his appointment as CEO on March 31, 2009, Henderson was the Vice President of General Motors and has been with the company since 1984. Frederick Henderson resigned as the CEO of General Motors on December 1, 2009.
He replaced Rick Wagoner as CEO of GM when Wagoner stepped down at the request of President Barack Obama in relation to the General Motors Chapter 11 reorganization after serving in that position for eight years. Henderson assumed the new position on March 31, 2009. Regarding the appointment, Wagoner said: “Having worked closely with Fritz for many years, I know that he is the ideal person to lead the company through the completion of our restructuring efforts. His knowledge of the global industry and the company are exceptional, and he has the intellect, energy, and support among GM’ers worldwide to succeed.” Henderson announced that “over the next 60 days, we will work around the clock, with all parties, to meet the aggressive requirements that have been set by the Task Force, and to make the fundamental and lasting changes necessary to reinvent GM for the long-term.” Content courtesy of Wikipedia. Corvsport Page References: 2009 Overview.
High Energy Ignition (H.E.I.)
High energy ignition, also known as H.E.I., is an electronic ignition system designed by Delco-Remy Division of General Motors and introduced by General Motors around May 1974 on most GM engines. It was used on all engines in 1975 through the mid 1980s. There were many design variations over the years and provisions for computer controls were added in for some applications starting in the late 70’s. A predecessor system was optional on Pontiacs as “code 704 UPC K65 unitized ignition system” for the 1972-73 model year. Corvsport Page References: 1975 Overview.
Hill, David C.
January 15, 1943 – . The third Chief Engineer of the Corvette program since its inception in 1953, David Hill has had a long and distinguished career with General Motors – most especially with the Cadillac and Chevrolet divisions.
In 1965, Hill earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Technological University. Later, he earned a Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Michigan in 1970. While working on his Masters degree, HIll began his career with Cadillac in 1965 where he began working in the engine lab on power development and eventually moved into the field of emissions controls. He continued his career with Cadillac over the next twenty years before becoming the Cadillac Engineering Program Manager in May, 1992. On November 18th of that same year, Hill became the the Chief Engineer of the Corvette program. He held that position until his retirement from General Motors on January 1, 2006. Corvsport Page References: C5 Overview, C6 Overview.
Holley Carburetors
Holley has been manufacturing fuel systems of all shapes and sizes since 1903. In that time, they hae manufactured over 250,000,000 carburetors for everything from Henry Ford’s original Model A to some of the most powerful muscle cars ever built. Holley supplied over half the carburetors for the vehicles used in WWII including automobiles, PT Boats and military aircraft. Today, Holley carburetors continue to be a dominant force in high performance and racing. Holley carbs have powered every NASCAR Sprint Cup Series™ team and nearly every winning NHRA® Pro Stock team since the 1960s. Corvsport Page References: 1964 Overview.
Holls, David
1931-2000 – Holls joined GM design under Harley Earl in 1952 and worked on the 1959 Cadillac, 1963 Corvette Sting Ray, 1966 Riviera, 1968 Corvette, 1970 Monte Carlo and 1970½ Camaro. After a stint at Opel, Holls became head of advanced design, then director of corporate design in 1986. He retired in 1991. An avid classic car collector, Holls co-authored the book, A Century of Automotive Style–100 Years of American Car Design. Corvsport Page References: C3 Overview.
Hood
The hinged cover over the engine of motor vehicles that allows access to the engine compartment for maintenance and repair. In British terminology, hood refers to a fabric cover over the passenger compartment of the car (known as the ‘top’ in the US). In many motor vehicles built in the 1930s and 1940s, the resemblance to an actual hood or bonnet is clear when open and viewed head-on; in modern vehicles it continues to serve the same purpose but no longer resembles a head covering. Content courtesy of Wikipedia.
Hotchkiss drive
A type of power transmission. It was the dominant form of power transmission for front-engine, rear-wheel drive cars in the early-to-mid-20th century. The name comes from the inventor Albert Hotchkiss. Originally born in the United Kingdom before moving to Australia, Hotchkiss was noted for over 5,000 inventions including the modern front loading washing machine.
During the early part of the 20th century, the two major competing systems of power transmission were the shaft-drive and chain-drive configurations. The Hotchkiss drive is a shaft-drive system (another type of direct-drive transmission system is the torque tube, which was also popular until the 1950s).
All shaft-drive systems consist of a driveshaft (also called a “propeller shaft” or Cardan shaft) extending from the transmission in front to the differential in the rear. The differentiating characteristic of the Hotchkiss drive is the fact that it uses universal joints at both ends of the driveshaft, which is not enclosed. The use of two universal joints, properly phased and with parallel alignment of the drive and driven shafts, allows the use of simple cross-type universals. (In a torque tube arrangement only a single universal is used at the end of the transmission tailshaft, and this universal should be a constant velocity joint.) In the Hotchkiss drive, splines eliminate thrust transmitted back up the driveshaft from the wheels, allowing simple rear-axle positioning using parallel leaf springs. (In the torque tube type this thrust is taken by the torque tube to the transmission and thence to the transmission and motor mounts to the frame. While the torque tube type requires additional locating elements, such as a Panhard rod, this allows the use of coil springs.)
Some Hotchkiss driveshafts are made in two pieces with another universal joint in the center for greater flexibility, typically in trucks and specialty vehicles built on truck frames. Some installations use rubber mounts to isolate noise and vibration. The 1984-1987 RWD Toyota Corolla (i.e., Corolla SR5 and GT-S) coupe is another example of a car that uses a 2-part Hotchkiss driveshaft with a rubber-mounted center bearing.
This design was the main form of power transmission for most cars from the 1920s through the 1970s. Presently (circa 2008), it remains common in pick-up trucks and sport utility vehicles (while front-wheel drive with a transverse mounted engine and transaxle, connected to the front wheels through axles with CV joints to allow steering, is most common for sedans and minivans). Hotchkiss Drive content courtesy of Wikipedia.
Hydraulic Lifter
Also known as a hydraulic tappet or a hydraulic lash adjuster, the hydraulic lifter is a device for maintaining zero valve clearance in an internal combustion engine. The conventional means of adjusting valve actuation always requires a small clearance to be left between the valve and its rocker or cam follower to allow for thermal expansion and wear. The hydraulic lifter was designed to ensure that the valve train always operates with zero clearance, leading to quieter operation and eliminating the need for periodic adjustment of valve clearance.
The hydraulic lifter consists of a hollow expanding piston situated between the camshaft and valve. It is operated either by a rocker mechanism, or in the case of one or more overhead camshafts , directly by the camshaft. The lifter is filled with engine oil intermittently from an oil gallery via a small drilling. When the engine valve is closed, the lifter is free to fill with oil. When the valve is opening and the lifter is being operated by the camshaft, the oil feed is blocked and the lifter acts just as a solid one would, oil being incompressible. Hydraulic Lifter content courtesy of Wikipedia.
