A balancer shaft is used to counter the vibrations caused by the engine, strait sixs are completly balanced and hence dont need a balancer shaft at all. The general theory is that any 4 pot needs a balancer shaft if its > 2L, 1 4 pot usually uses 2 balancer shafts, whereas a 5 pot only needs a single shaft.

The shaft itself usually spins in the opposite direction to the engine to give it the counter weight that it needs.

Check out this excellent site for information on the various engine configurations and it will probably explain clearer than i can Autozine Technical School

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by ddelaros
[B]My brother was talking to a Honda engineers and he said that a S2200 model is in the works.

 

Rumors of a 2.2L "S" have been around since 1999. I'll believe it when I see it.

(Of course, that's what I said about the glass rear window... )

 

Just in passing, the original Mitsubishi 2 litre Turbo (1984ish) used balancer shafts very effectively and SAAB use the principle to great effect also

 

I've been telling you guys for a good two and a half years now that the next "S" is an S2400 folowed a couple of years later by the S3200 - all inline 4s. When are you guys going to listen??

Oh, and don't forget the move back to chain drive in order to save weight and solve the diff problems.

 

UL

The point is that an I4 engine 2.0L or smaller doesn't *need* balance shafts. A bigger I4 will have vibrations that are problematic. Mitsubishi used balance shafts on everything. I believe they invented the original 2-shaft system for an I4.

Actually, on an I4, one spins the same direction as the crank and one spins the opposite direction, both spinning at double the crank's speed. The 2 shafts also can be used to minimize the vertical shaking of the engine.

 

Well your brother or whoever he is talking to is somehow mistaken. Everything I've read (and some of it comes from way back before the car was even named S2000) points to that the car will be made in it's current form, with only slight modifications, until it's no longer popular then it will be discontinued completely. I highly doubt we see Honda will put a 2.2 in this car. Now I could see Honda developing an all together different roadster, that would likely debut a year or two after S2000 production stops, that would geared more toward the average consumer but it would likely be badged a Acura and not have the race car feel like the S2000 has.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by ultimate lurker
[B]Not to step on Billy's toes, but yes, the H22A does use a balance shaft.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by KeithD
[B]


Your brother live in Japan or something?

 

I've heard the same stories but it stands to reason that if that were the case, aftermarket tuners would have found where that power went by now. Seems the F20C is pretty topped out as is (N/A of course).