Honda Indy Engines: Whats Happening?

[oil_film_movies]

Anybody know what keeps failing in those Honda engines? I know they like secrets, but surely there are some leaks of info out there.

Notice the taunting Chevy (sponsor) symbol in the upper left corner from the Jalopnik site.... hee-hee

 

[PimTac]

Honda crossed the finish line first though.

 

[oil_film_movies]

Originally Posted By: PimTac
Honda crossed the finish line first though.
Three didn't even finish....
Wonder how Honda is handling the PR disaster with the negative-HaloEffect its getting.

Smoke out the exhaust is the only clue I've got. Cracked pistons?

 

[mcrn]

The Chevy emblem in the upper corner is hilarious.

 

[knerml]

Several Honda engines where also lost during the weeks leaving up to the race.

May have been a simple risk vs. reward (reliability vs. power) decision, that did pay off big time:
- Winning the Indy 500
- 6 out of top 10 finishers

 

[Mr Nice]

Engines are built only for WOT 500 miles, some engines will blow up.

Sames goes for NASCAR.

 

[simple_gifts]

Taking a cue from dealers Honda replied, "Burning 14 quarts / 500 miles" is normal.

 

[Leo99]

Winner of the indy 500 and 6 out of the top 10 is a PR disaster? Sounds pretty good to me.

 

[mikered30]

Honda has 11 engine failures in May.

 

[billt460]

Originally Posted By: mikered30
Honda has 11 engine failures in May.


"Failures" is too kind of a word. They were heavily "Chunking". Fluids were gushing out of the cars that failed. There was enough oil dry around those cars after they ground to a halt, to deplete every cat litter box in America. Holes in engine blocks you could put your fist into.

 

[billt460]

Originally Posted By: PimTac
Honda crossed the finish line first though.


And 7 guys with heart trouble can run a marathon. 1 can still win if only 6 drop dead.

 

[FowVay]

Low tension piston rings, low viscosity grade oil and extended drain intervals... what do they expect?

 

[JavierG]

Originally Posted By: billt460
Originally Posted By: PimTac
Honda crossed the finish line first though.


And 7 guys with heart trouble can run a marathon. 1 can still win if only 6 drop dead.

Huh? That doesn't make any sense.

Congrats to Sato and the Micheal Andretti Team on the victory!

 

[Vern_in_IL]

Racing is about getting across the finish line. Not "durability"


....and HONESTLY the traditional crank/piston internal combustion engine design is to the point of marginal gains.... Time to switch to Rotary engines or another design.

 

[Johnny2Bad]

Honda doesn't really have a great record in competition. They seem only to be able to focus for a brief period, then lose interest, or support, or something.

There used to be a mantra in motorcycle racing, not particularly complimentary but there's a grain of truth in it:

Honda Races.
Honda Wins.
Honda Loses.
Honda Quits.

 

[oil_film_movies]

Originally Posted By: Vern_in_IL
Racing is about getting across the finish line. Not "durability"

Tell that to Fernando Alonso, Ryan Hunter-Reay, and Charlie Kimball.

 

[E150GT]

Originally Posted By: Johnny2Bad
Honda doesn't really have a great record in competition. They seem only to be able to focus for a brief period, then lose interest, or support, or something.

There used to be a mantra in motorcycle racing, not particularly complimentary but there's a grain of truth in it:

Honda Races.
Honda Wins.
Honda Loses.
Honda Quits.


Senna used to dominate with a Honda engine although he could have dominated with a yaris engine I suspect.

 

[oil_film_movies]

Originally Posted By: billt460
Originally Posted By: mikered30
Honda has 11 engine failures in May.
"Failures" is too kind of a word. They were heavily "Chunking". Fluids were gushing out of the cars that failed. There was enough oil dry around those cars after they ground to a halt, to deplete every cat litter box in America. Holes in engine blocks you could put your fist into.
I'm not sure big holes happened in every case. Another clue though. Too hard to speculate as to root cause I guess. Throwing rods would make a hole, or even losing a chunk of piston moving fast.

Nobody knows except a few at Honda I guess.

Honda civilian cars are know for their great engines. Seeing Honda engines blowing up on race tracks puts an impression into people's minds. Not to mention Japanese cultural honor. (Takahiro Hachigo, take it easy, easy big fellow, don't do anything rash.)

 

[kc8adu]

all brands run racing engines to the hairy edge.
most are beyond done at the end of a race.
they are expendable items and they carefully calculate the gains in power and economy by doing things like certain oils,lower friction rings,ect.
sometimes they get bit by this.
they dont care if it wont run one more lap without failure if it crosses the finish line first.
the one shown may be blowing oil but may still win if it doesnt scatter first.

 

[oil_film_movies]

Originally Posted By: kc8adu
the one shown may be blowing oil but may still win if it doesnt scatter first.

Massive power loss at failure time means it slows down quickly. Its not going to win.