> dealing with a lot higher compression there,  but I don't understand 
 > why a diesel engine should be that much heavier,  nor why they're so 
 > darn noisy!
They're heavy because of the high compression ratio and because of the 
combustion process. Quite a lot of fuel is injected into the combustion 
chamber before it lights off, so there is a bit of 'detonation' as ignition 
takes place. That's where the 'Diesel clatter' comes from. It's much worse in 
very cold weather or when the engine is cold, and is better in indirect 
injection engines.
 >JD> Many people look fondly upon the 'big iron' of the '60's, yet 
 >JD> few would say that those engines were 'better' than today's 
 >JD> stuff.
 > 
 > Well,  let me tell ya...   
 > 
 > I was at a service station once and they had a car there which was 
 > an early or mid-sixties GTO,  that belonged to some local radio 
 > station (that played a lot of "oldies" stuff).  I happened to glance 
 > at that car as the mechanic there raised the hood,  and it was a 
 > wonderful feeling -- to know *exactly* what I was looking at!  To be 
 > able to identify all of the parts,  and know what they were,  what 
 > they were in there for,  and to be able to get at stuff,  with lots 
 > of room.
Sure. Extrapolate a bit further. Ever seen a hit 'n miss engine? A 5HP engine 
that weighs 600 lbs? They have an open crankshaft and other exposed 
mechanisms, so they're easy to understand, but that's about their only 
redeeming value.
I stand by my statement. :-)
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