New car and driver

Dunno...lighter maybe? Cheaper?

Xxsrt4xX said:

The latest car and driver has an article on the SRT. Why the hell would Dodge use an Aluminum block with this type of performance. The current SRT-4 uses cast iron. Granted it's heavier, but it will withstand more punishment (ie, modding).

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because its lighter, probobly not much cheaper, but def. lighter. and your wrong about iron withstanding more power. take a look at the ls1 and ls2 small blocks. aluminum blocks and the block withstands easily 1200 hp. another example the cobalt ss or ecotec motor. the block in that is aluminum also and drag cars use stock blocks and they handle 1300 hp.

its more the parts within the block then the block itself with these new motors.

Very true.

yeah sort of like turbos versus inches if you get what i mean

Say whaaaaat?

leakslikasieve said:

because its lighter, probobly not much cheaper, but def. lighter. and your wrong about iron withstanding more power. take a look at the ls1 and ls2 small blocks. aluminum blocks and the block withstands easily 1200 hp. another example the cobalt ss or ecotec motor. the block in that is aluminum also and drag cars use stock blocks and they handle 1300 hp.

its more the parts within the block then the block itself with these new motors.

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Not wrong with iron withstanding more power. More power = higher temps. Yeah, aluminum can dissipate more, but it has a lower threashold to overheating. It is lighter than iron which attributes to better gas mileage. Follow this link ----> http://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/news/hits/001018lat.htm

And here's a link that gives some more downsides to aluminum, ie the LS1 ----> http://www.idavette.net/hib/ls1c.html scroll down to alloy block.

were talking about the caliber and chrysler here, not the chevy engines....... i'm sure the caliber motor will hold up fine. if someone wants a drag car, i'm sure they would maybe take a caliber body and put a v8 in it... otherwise i think its kinda a waste to race neons, and stuff in nhra just not my thing.

Unless you're going to be throwing tens of thousands of dollars into the engine to reach the magical 1,000 horsepower mark, I really don't see a need for cast iron blocks in the SRT-4. Aluminum can withstand enough punishment for what the car will be doing. I can imagine you can get up to 800 HP or more out of the block as it is. The Neon's was rated at, what, 700?

I was just trying to point something out, not make a flame war.

I know, and you did. No one that I know of was trying to start a flame war.

caliber4whoosh said:

I know, and you did. No one that I know of was trying to start a flame war.

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Yeah, ur not, but I have noticed a lot of negative people on these boards..........well, let's just leave it at that.

Yeah...bitter Neonites...


j/k

Or am I?

Xxsrt4xX said:

The latest car and driver has an article on the SRT. Why the hell would Dodge use an Aluminum block with this type of performance. The current SRT-4 uses cast iron. Granted it's heavier, but it will withstand more punishment (ie, modding).

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Actually, the benefit of using an Aluminum Block is that it matches the coefficient of linear expansion of the Aluminum Head; as they heat up, they grow at the same rate.

That means headgaskets will be much less likely to fail, and the stress from multiple heat and cool cycles will be less.

Bottom line: Better Durability

Only reason a car overheats is due to inadequete coolant circulation and coolant cooling. I.e. not having coolant flowing through the block in key locations, not having it flow enough, or not having a radiator efficent enough to cool the coolant.

Don't forget that the world engines have iron sleeves for the cylinders. So there's your strength right there. Not that aluminum is weak by any stretch of the imagination. *cough cough* air craft *cough cough*

Silverfox said:

Unless you're going to be throwing tens of thousands of dollars into the engine to reach the magical 1,000 horsepower mark, I really don't see a need for cast iron blocks in the SRT-4. Aluminum can withstand enough punishment for what the car will be doing. I can imagine you can get up to 800 HP or more out of the block as it is. The Neon's was rated at, what, 700?

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IIRC Shaun Carlson was up around 1300 with stock block and crank

was that one of those that blew tho?

Haha...for sure, aluminum is plenty strong, case in point, like Amandkye mentioned, airplanes..

I agree with the other posters. An aluminum block is not an issue unless your trying to make a rediculous amount of horsepower in a drag car. Of course, the actual reason for the switch was to keep commonality with the NA aluminum block 2.4's used in the regular caliber and other cars. No reason for them to waste money running a special casting for iron blocks when the aluminum will be just fine.

All the best engines nowadays use alum. Besides, if you wanna get mad at anyone, blame Mitsubishi. It's their engine!!! lol