Mahle printed pistons for fuel mileage?

[freebeard]

Pistons are usually balanced by other pistons, at least in 4, 6 and 8 cylinder engines.

....at least in boxer configurations. The various masses rotate in unison, but they can trade momentum which results in internal vibration.

[Isaac Zachary]

Originally Posted by freebeard

....at least in boxer configurations. The various masses rotate in unison, but they can trade momentum which results in internal vibration.

In inline-4's the two outer pistons go up as the two inner pistons go down also canceling each other out. On a boxer the pistons aren't exactly across from each other an so do induce a little vibration.

I could be wrong, but from what I understand counter weights on the crank shaft are to counteract the centrifugal forces of the big end of the rods and the rod journals, not the reciprocating forces of the pistons.

Have you checked out Driving 4 Answer's recent ongoing series on engine balance?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82rxavW0A3c

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by Isaac Zachary

I could be wrong, but from what I understand counter weights on the crank shaft are to counteract the centrifugal forces of the big end of the rods and the rod journals, not the reciprocating forces of the pistons.

AFAIK that's it, but the weight of the pistons may also have some influence.