nathan
10-10-2006, 07:52 PM
Okay, so this is kind of a geeky thread, and it really doesn't have any REAL benefits, but I'm going to share anyway...
I'll get some pictures tomorrow maybe, but in the mean time... check this out...
On the VX Civic D15z1 motor, Honda implemented (for some odd reason) an aluminum alternator and AC bracket. Both of which are about half the weight of the stock cast iron units (and don't rust as much).
Don't get excited, the total weight loss is (for a Y8), roughly 2lbs, I'll again, try to get more accurate measurements, but this is what my cheap bathroom scale tells me...of course, the Y8 started out with a solid aluminum AC mount (no hole in it)....so the Z6 and other blocks would have more weight loss here..5lbs, big deal, do it if you can get em for free or like $5.
The interesting part isn't the weight loss really, but WHY Honda chose to do this on ONLY this particular motor (possibly on the HX, anyone confirm?). Why would you make these mounts for weight loss when its minimum and more importantly, why would you do it with a material that is almost twice as much as cast iron in cost....for such a little benefit.
^ that is what I kind of want to hear some ideas on :).
One other VERY interesting note for some of you geekier D guys... is that the idler pulley on the Y8 ac bracket is about half as much weight as the d15z1 (and I'm going to assume blindly the rest of the 92-95 D series). While it probably would not be worth paying even $1 for...if you do happen to have a Y8 bracket sitting around, you should swap the pulleys as it would be a -very- theoretical, but plausible reduction in stress on the crank assuming you have AC still connected. So small of a difference that it may not even make the slightest difference, but hey, you'll feel cooler doing it?
Interestingly, again, I'll have to show ya'll pictures... the design is a little different between the two generations of idler pulley, and the tensioner, btw, is also aluminum as opposed to steel on the Z1 bracket. The pulleys, I should mention, are identical in size...however, it appears that honda just hollowed out a great deal of the material in the original idler pulley in the Y8 model I have here. Maybe for gas mileage or some type of reliability reason...I'm sure they had some reasoning behind it - so it's surely an improvement of SOME kind even if it's not the kind we're looking for :).
I'm sure all of you realize that none of this is worth fooling with if you have to pay for it - but for those of us with bone yards of D parts, it's a neat little bit of information that couldn't hurt knowing about :).
I'm also curious as to you guys' oppinions on WHY honda used aluminum on this application only.
I'm kind of curious if there are any other parts like this elsewhere - I know the Y8 oil pan is lighter/aluminum as opposed to steel.
Nathan
I'll get some pictures tomorrow maybe, but in the mean time... check this out...
On the VX Civic D15z1 motor, Honda implemented (for some odd reason) an aluminum alternator and AC bracket. Both of which are about half the weight of the stock cast iron units (and don't rust as much).
Don't get excited, the total weight loss is (for a Y8), roughly 2lbs, I'll again, try to get more accurate measurements, but this is what my cheap bathroom scale tells me...of course, the Y8 started out with a solid aluminum AC mount (no hole in it)....so the Z6 and other blocks would have more weight loss here..5lbs, big deal, do it if you can get em for free or like $5.
The interesting part isn't the weight loss really, but WHY Honda chose to do this on ONLY this particular motor (possibly on the HX, anyone confirm?). Why would you make these mounts for weight loss when its minimum and more importantly, why would you do it with a material that is almost twice as much as cast iron in cost....for such a little benefit.
^ that is what I kind of want to hear some ideas on :).
One other VERY interesting note for some of you geekier D guys... is that the idler pulley on the Y8 ac bracket is about half as much weight as the d15z1 (and I'm going to assume blindly the rest of the 92-95 D series). While it probably would not be worth paying even $1 for...if you do happen to have a Y8 bracket sitting around, you should swap the pulleys as it would be a -very- theoretical, but plausible reduction in stress on the crank assuming you have AC still connected. So small of a difference that it may not even make the slightest difference, but hey, you'll feel cooler doing it?
Interestingly, again, I'll have to show ya'll pictures... the design is a little different between the two generations of idler pulley, and the tensioner, btw, is also aluminum as opposed to steel on the Z1 bracket. The pulleys, I should mention, are identical in size...however, it appears that honda just hollowed out a great deal of the material in the original idler pulley in the Y8 model I have here. Maybe for gas mileage or some type of reliability reason...I'm sure they had some reasoning behind it - so it's surely an improvement of SOME kind even if it's not the kind we're looking for :).
I'm sure all of you realize that none of this is worth fooling with if you have to pay for it - but for those of us with bone yards of D parts, it's a neat little bit of information that couldn't hurt knowing about :).
I'm also curious as to you guys' oppinions on WHY honda used aluminum on this application only.
I'm kind of curious if there are any other parts like this elsewhere - I know the Y8 oil pan is lighter/aluminum as opposed to steel.
Nathan