Re: 944t

["Barton P. Chambers" <bchambers@atlantic.nos.noaa.gov>]

Eliot reminds Uncle Bart to be more careful with his wording when he 
notes:
> On Mon, 20 Mar 1995, Barton P. Chambers wrote:
> > *but*, viz G60, long-term *sporting* use of *any* 4-cyl without balance 
> > shafts  *will* eventually buzz you into an early grave... or the madhouse 
> > (unless,

> this is somewhat subjective of course, but in the engineering text books
> you will find that flat-fours do not generate the dreaded unbalanced 
> secondary couple.  a subaru legacy or alfasud (which i had many moons ago)
> is never buzzy in the engineering sense of the word.

Dang!  I'd swore I said, "In-line" 4s, but I clearly did *not*.  Boxers do not 
share the malady...

> the other rule of thumb is that 2.0 liters is the cut off point for
> acceptable levels of buzz. (which is why the unbalanced 2.4 pickup truck
> engine that nissan uses in the 240sx is so unacceptable for something they
> are trying to market as a "sports" car.  how dumb the masses are) anything
> smaller than that one can absorb with soft engine mounts.  

Yep, but that's why they call 'em rules of thumb, rather than "Laws"  Two of my 
three VDub waterpumpers all were ok until about 60K miles, after which they
started (making my dashbaord, instrument lenses, etc.,) buzz like a buncha 
hornets...

> of course i'd rather have a vr6 in any small car that i may own, but
> 4 bangers have their place in this world.

Yep, 4 bangers can be fun.  And the VR6 *is* sweet, but as to *any* other small 
car, hmmmmmm I can think of a whole bunch of weee boxer 6s that I might rather 
have, sentimental ofd fool that I may be...

Bart