On 9/28/07, Robert Keezer <warmerwagen@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> Tiico "buzziness" is not due to the angle the
> engine is mounted.

Agreed

Vibration is an inherent part of the inline-four
> engine design.

Disagree, it's inherent to operation of any reciprocating internal
combustion engine... the inline-four layout must be "handled" much more
carefully than many other engine layouts at design time because they are one
of the most troublesome layouts to compensate for when it comes to
vibration. But it is the case that there are inline 4 cylinder engines much
smoother than samples of any other engine layout, so it is not inherent to
one layout over another alone.  It it sets you up for more difficulty in
design, but it's the specific design/implementation of the chosen layout
that has the largest affect, in addition to the quality of manufacture.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but the Tiico is a 1.8 VW block with stoker crank
to get the 2.0 liters. It is a custom configuration not produced from a
VW/Audi design(and the engine on which it is based is also known for
vibration issues).  A stroker is begging for trouble when it comes to
vibration for one because of the change in rod ratio.. which as you point
out helped when the inverse happens as in the vibration improvement from the
VW made 1.8 and ABA 2.0, and if the reman 2.0 stroker they build isn't
balanced well on top of things it is even more noticeable. When I drove one
it had a very steady buzz that seemed more tied to just rpm than load, which
is another clue.

Jim Akiba