GM's silly engine covers...

[Cory Wolfe]

It's one of the smoothest, creamiest engines ever. The light reciprocating elements of the 2.5 liter mill, 60-degree bank angle and relatively low 9.2:1 compression all helps I guess. But one of the things they did with the K-series (including the 1.8, 2.0, 2.5 and the 2.3 SC-Miller) was engineer the block to eliminate low frequency resonances. 7000 rpm in a K-series feels like 3500 rpm in terms of shakes and there is absolutely no strain or valve train racket. It was an all whirl no rumble engine, and particularly endearing because of it.

Unfortunately, these engines aren't particularly high performance. 164hp (later 170hp) isn't much out of a 2.5 and 156 lb-ft (later 160 lb-ft) is really on the soft side. Whats worse is that the engines doesn't seem to get "on cam" until about ~4000 rpm or so. They are also a little "old fashioned" in their use of a traditional distributor fired ignition and a "bullet plug" style mechanical MAF meter which is quite restrictive. It was a traditional timing belt engine with 60K replacement intervals so thats a little annoying especially when you buy a used car with it. Well, its also a non-interference engine so you can -- if you really want -- drive it till the belt snaps and all you will be forking out will be the towing bill. The V-RIS variable manifold system doesn't do very much. Flaps open at 3800~4000 rpm to connect the plenums of both banks to raise the reasonance frequency. For some reason thy close off again after 6000~6200 rpm. I tried tying them to be open all the time and noticed a little softness off idle to ~2000 rpm. No difference after that. I wasn't too impressed. Ford continue to use this general intake design and layout on their Duratecs -- which unfortunately do not share the creamy smooth character of the K-series. There was a 200hp version of the K-series... but it was never available in the US market Mazdas or Fords.

Definitely great engines other than not being overly powerful.

[hyperv6]

If not for idiots the average here would not feel so good about themselves.

The more advanced we get the more dim society has become as a whole.

They need to change the Geico ad to so simple an average American can do it. It would be more truthful and not offend any cave men.

Barrett Jackson leads to the old saying Rich Guys, Fast Guys anf Idiots.

Guys we live in a day where Paris Hilton has been made a star. So it is a good theng most cars no longer have Chrome Bumpers or it would distract the many already on the Cell Phone on the interstate and many more would die.

Anyone notice with the increase in Seatbelt usage and the increase in Toyota Sales? We used to thin the heard and now we protect the dumb and look what they do to pay us back.

[CARBIZ]

"We used to thin the heard and now we protect the dumb and look what they do to pay us back. " Sadly, there is a lot of truth to this. Triage, as the French call it. Dumping the excess baggage of an overfreighted society!

[John]

In reading through this whole thread it looks like a lot of high school kids on here

For one the so called beauty covers have been on Corvettes for many years, long before the so called fad by the riceballs and others.

1. The reason vettes have had them is for those who buy a sports car but use it like a doll and dress it up for car shows along with a bunch of other junk plastered in the engine bay.

2. due to valvetrain and injector noise covers reduce the noise just a bit.

Where its really stupid and does not belong in a real sports car

1. traps heat and not allowing airflow over injectors, fuel rails, fuel lines, fuel inside all of them and the 8 coils.

2. causes hotter fuel into the cylinders

3. causes more resistance to coils and injectors due to that heat

4. when engine is turned off the heat in engine bay is increased, heat soaks, fuel left in injectors then cooks and leaves deposits.

Reason the covers on the Covette pop off in just a minute so if the wazers love the shiny crap they can have it but real men knowing what effects heat have on performance pitch them in the junk pile and those having the hots for pretty things need to stick with playing with dolls.

JR

Team ZR-1 Corvette Racers http://teamzr1.com

Edited May 18, 2007 by John

[FAPTurbo]

Some of these posts have had plenty of time vested into them. Way more time than it would have taken to take off a lousy engine cover.

Edited May 18, 2007 by Captainbooyah

[deftonesfan867]

Some of these posts have had plenty of time vested into them. Way more time than it would have taken to take off a lousy engine cover.

Amen!

[LosAngeles]

Let's all remember something folks, not everyone out there is a car enthusiast.

New sig as of today (in response to the silliness I've seen here)

ETA everything below.

Even kia has a nicer finish on the underside of their ash tray inserts than GM! C'mon, GM- you're the worst at every single thing you've ever done since 1908 (butI'mstillabigbigfan!!)

That's in too, bro, thanks. We may not always agree, but you're telling the real here.

No offense, but this thread is pointless. Why are we complaining about an engine cover when it's something that most people in the general public hardly ever see? The only people who should be complaining are the auto mechanics who have to pry these things off the engine block every time they need to change oil, do routine maintenance, etc. I think there are a lot of other things we can complain about.

Well then people who like to do-it-themselves have a right to complain then

Touche, poosycat!

I like em...old engines were nice looking...modern engines...not so much...

That's all because they tend not to be dressed up the same. I would love to see more color on engines of today.

Sad thing is, I taught my friend how to open her hood and add windshield washer fluid. She used to take it to a gas station to have them do it. That's common mentality for the area I grew up in.

That's just pathetic. Everyone in that town should be drawn and quartered.

I'd hate to see what it's like in the Hamptons.

Edited May 18, 2007 by LosAngeles

[JM9777]

Further proof that the vast majority of the auto-buying public are idiots: The bottle holders molded into the door panels of the new Toyota Tundra have warning labels....no kidding....that say "No hot beverages."

I'm just waiting for the day that the logo in the steering wheel is replaced with a five-paragraph, CYA warning label about how driving a car is dangerous to your health.

[Robert Hall]

Honestly sorry but who really cares...

Exactly... I raise my hoods and check the oil, add washer fluid, etc once in a month or so, otherwise, every 3 months it's at the shop for the regular service interval. Most of today's cars are just a mix of black, gray and silver tubes and boxes under the hood, so it's not like there is much to look at...

[Robert Hall]

If the lock is flush and your power locks fail for some reason, how will you unlock the door?

Solution: put the lock with the handle. Cleaner, classier.

Exactly...I'm amazed that some vehicles still have the old style lock posts on the door tops... I always notice them in rental card and it seems anachronistic. (my Jeep is 7 years old and doesn't have them).