Plastic engines

[Christ]

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

Yes I did read it. Just sayin.

Okie, I was just making sure you didn't miss it, as it's a crucial piece of the story.

[Frank Lee]

It was re: attempts to make alum cyls work i.e. with nikacyl (sp?) and whatnot. They sorta work, but try to bore/hone/do anything with them. Not user friendly like iron.

[Christ]

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

It was re: attempts to make alum cyls work i.e. with nikacyl (sp?) and whatnot. They sorta work, but try to bore/hone/do anything with them. Not user friendly like iron.

Gotcha. Check your PM's.

[CoastRider]

I hate plastic! I like things that are made to last, and/or servicable. Plastic just gets thrown away when it no longer serves it's purpose.

[gone-ot]

Originally Posted by CoastRider

I hate plastic! I like things that are made to last, and/or servicable. Plastic just gets thrown away when it no longer serves it's purpose.

...but that's exactly the mantra of today's society, ie: "throw away" rather than repair!

...yesterday, R&R meant remove & repair; but, today it means remove & replace.

[Peter7307]

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

It was re: attempts to make alum cyls work i.e. with nikacyl (sp?) and whatnot. They sorta work, but try to bore/hone/do anything with them. Not user friendly like iron.

Frank , agreed. User friendly they are not.

I think it is like a lot of stuff these days.
When it works it works well and is reliable but when it fails it is not repairable and has to be replaced.

Many cars have that now with fuel pumps.
When they fail they are replaced and there are not "user serviceable part inside" as the warning label suggests.

The costs of labour also plays a part here too.
When it is cheaper to throw it away and buy a new one than to spend time tracking the fault and repairing it then that is exactly what happens.

The other side is "mechanics" now can't trace faults or repair things simply because no one is there to tell them how it is done and most people won't pay someone to do it anyway.

Pete.

[Frank Lee]

You are spot-on, Pete. I remember when mechanical fuel pumps were disassemble-able. When the diaphragm went bad, you could pull it out and replace it. Only it.

I can deluge y'all with stories about people who had their vehicles- or even other stuff- in to the shop for repairs, and it remained broken even after the "mechanics" threw hundreds of dollars worth of new parts at it.

Evidently diagnostic skills are a thing of the past.

XGF's mom had a poor running carbd car. It had the fuel economy of a bus, no power, etc. The local garage threw everything at it- computer, wires... basically replaced the entire ignition system from top to bottom... can you imagine the cost???... and IIRC some fuel system parts too, with no improvement. I said "lemme have a looky-see". Brought it to my place, popped the lid off the carb- didn't even remove the body- pulled the floats out and threw em in a bucket of water. One of them went straight for the bottom. DAH. $4.60 later she had her car back, running better than it had in years.

That's basic stuff Man. BASIC.

[bgd73]

interesting.

The epiphany...

if an engine were designed compact enough into self balance, (as if I haven't babbled a 3 main boxer enough), the components would have to remain metal.

Kinda funny.

The plastic proves how stupid the inline is...

[Christ]

Originally Posted by bgd73

interesting.

The epiphany...

if an engine were designed compact enough into self balance, (as if I haven't babbled a 3 main boxer enough), the components would have to remain metal.

Kinda funny.

The plastic proves how stupid the inline is...

Interesting point of view... considering that the idea has also been considered for rotaries, and, indeed, boxer engines.

[smflorkey]

Originally Posted by CoastRider

I hate plastic! I like things that are made to last, and/or servicable. Plastic just gets thrown away when it no longer serves it's purpose.

Yes, plastic does not last. I have had two Hondas blow chunks out of the top radiator tanks -- PLASTIC radiator tanks! The only thing the mechanic can do is replace the whole radiator.

I understand the radiator core is aluminum to save weight and money. Brass and copper are much heavier and more expensive. But aluminum is much harder to solder, even with the right materials, so the most cost effective thing is to put plastic tanks on the ends of these aluminum cores. They're light and relatively inexpensive, but I'm almost to the point of just replacing Honda radiators every ten years so I don't find myself driving a green cloud down the highway.

And they want me to trust a plastic engine block? Even with iron cylinder sleeves and crank/cam supports, I don't trust the plastic to keep the iron together very long. I won't buy one if anything else is available. YMMV.