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I now want to try this down-sizing cruelty on my Saab 96 V4, but such an engine makes the selection of pistons to rip out a lot more difficult. The engine, a Ford V4 designed in the early 1960´s I guess, have an even 180 degree firing order with pistons in opposite corners travelling in paralell. -It doesn´t share the same crankshaft throws for two opposing cylinders as a traditional american V8 or a Harley V-twin. A V4 engine must have a counter-rotating balancing shaft to run smooth. This shaft is driven from the crankshaft by the same cogwheel as the camshaft and is made by a fiberous plastic. A few weeks ago my balance shaft stopped working (and so did the fan, alternator and waterpump since their driving pulley is attached to the balance shaft and not to the crankshaft -a stupid solution) Anyhow, this failure gave me the experience of feeling a V4 without balance shaft and this was a lot worse than the vibrations in my modified Fiat. It was quite nasty vibrations of higher frequency.
I realy have to think twice if I decide to repeat the "engine split" on my Saab V4...
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