Got the new GRM magazine...

How much do Mahle pistons weigh...are there lighter pistons and rods of course????

What about a lighter fan...would that effect the balance of the crank??

Type 4 engine.

Rich

Lighter pistons are available. If nothing else, J&E will make 'em for you. Or you can do some fiddling and get Type I big-bore 94mm pistons, which are quite a bit lighter than stock Type IV ones.

The wrist pins are different sizes, so you either need to deal with bushings or different rods. Or Type I rods can be used, but the crank journals have to be ground to size.

A lighter fan will affect the balance of the rotating assembly, but then again so will changing the weight of anything. Have it all dynamically balanced if you're worried about it. Note that boxer engines do not generate the nasty harmonics that Vizard was so concerned about in the article, so we don't need anything like a "harmonic balancer".


BTW, Vizard's writing in that article really irked me. He assumes a number of things and glosses over them, and then uses those assumptions later in the article as proven points. He's good, he's clear about what he's saying, but he takes a very argumentative stance and then does not use good arguments in the article.

Or maybe I'm just jealous....

--DD

I agree with you regarding the author...

I am just about to buy P/C's and I read this timely article and a light went off, just thought there might be a better combo than mahle p/c and stock rods...

I was looking into pauter chevy rods, and je pistons...

Just looking for thoughts and weights...

Rich

Check into the stuff at Aircooled.net as they sell all that stuff set up and ready to go.
Geoff