robert_tsxgeek

All Acuras have aluminum engines....
What's the big deal with alum. engines anyway ?

What about other Honda engines ?
What other cars have alum. engine - name a few ?
What cars have not - name a few ?

CGTSX2004

iTrader: (1)

Aluminum is a light material that is very strong. The use of it in engines is to help reduce the weight. Nearly all Acura and Honda high-performance engines are made out of aluminum these days. Plus, the Lexus 4.3L V8 is all aluminum as well. The new Ford 4.6L V8 is also aluminum. There are lots of other examples of aluminum engines.

MarkPinTx

Aluminum, generally speaking, is about 2/3 the density of iron and is 3/4 as strong. It also has different (higher) thermal conductivity than iron. Consequently, an engine block and/or heads can be manufactured that is lighter, equally strong, and has better heat transfer characteristics than an iron block.

Drawbacks are that aluminum is not as hard as iron and it is difficult to make it sufficiently abrasion-resistant to make a decent cylinder. Further, it has a higher coefficient of thermal expansion than iron, making it susceptible to warpage and deformation even at relatively low engine temperatures. It is also more difficult to deal with from a casting perspective than iron.

Early aluminum blocks/engines (ie Chevy Vega) were pretty dismal failures because of the drawbacks above. Only in the last 10 years or so have aluminum blocks/engines "come into their own."

TSXownzJOO

CGTSX2004: yeah lotsa engines are aluminum. strength isn't really the reason but rather it's the weight difference. The LS1 for example is not an aluminum engine.

blueingrid

*pretty* sure that the LS1 is ALUM as well.

(Corvette, Trans-Am, GTO, etc)

CGTSX2004

iTrader: (1)

That's what i said.

blueingrid

Just looked it up.

LS1 IS aluminum. Heads, block, pistons, etc. All aluminum.

They actually had a problem with pushrods bending 'because' they are aluminum.

TSXownzJOO

welp, looks like I'm wrong ...

mmm mmm... crow tastes good...

blueingrid

Don't feel bad, I'm driving a '02 WS6 and had to look it up