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Originally Posted by DavidNJ
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Second, iron and steel are approximately the same density. Less than a 10% difference at most. And that is usually made up by needing extra metal to make up from the lower yield strength. In a big block crank, a lot of the mass comes from the counterweights to balance heavy piston/rod assembly.
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I think you're missing his point: it isn't that iron and steel are 'approximately' the same density and therefore one would think that the weight difference is minor. It's that an FE cast crank IS (IS as is actual measured FACT) 17 pounds lighter than the steel FE crank. And both can be gundrilled and/or have work done to lighten them, but the crank is the same size, and the same lightening work would just result in one crank being STILL, 17 pounds lighter. On an 80 pound crank, that's more than 10% weight savings.
And all honors to theories, but actual real world facts are that the lightest rotating assembly, including the crank, wins.
As for the Cubs and Wrigley field. In my dotage, large sweaty foul-mouthed drunken fans and slatternly women in hard uncomfortable seats have lost their one-time allure for me. Even the skyboxes at Wrigley, well, let's just plain out say it: they suck too.
The new Sox stadium is much better nowadays, as long as you're down in the lower tiers, or better yet a skybox. Fans seem a better class too. Food is better (orders of magnitude better in the skyboxes), fireworks are better, access is better.
None of this is to imply I'm either a Cubs or Sox fan. Even though last year, I saw a game or two of the Sox, I'm more of a
night-out includes a game once in a while guy than any sort of 'fan'.
Has anyone ever actually USED a Dove block? That's what tips my boat. Or at least have some reason, based on a 'theory' or fact, other than, "I picked x block just because"?
One theory I might put out there regarding a Dove aluminum block is this: I think Dove uses the same molding for aluminum blocks as it does for their iron blocks. Aluminum blocks should have some modifications made to their castings due to the nature of the materials. So: has anyone actually built an engine using a Dove block, aluminum or iron, and if so, what was the reality?