Head on Collision- Gas VS Diesel

[ryan]

I was thinking more along the lines of an aluminum engine block crushing, as where a cast iron diesel block would probably not crush and take a lot of the grunt... keeping it away from the driver?

i'd say it'd come down to mass instead of materials in most cases. generally a vehicle with a cast block will have more mass and win the collision

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

i'd say it'd come down to mass instead of materials in most cases. generally a vehicle with a cast block will have more mass and win the collision

Mass is a double edged sword, it might be better to be able to lose some speed before the impact rather than drop kick the other vehicle into next week.

 

[lil red]

in this case the only thing that saved him is the fact he was hammered,and did a "rag-doll" at the impact and bounced around, because he didnt tence up

the truck is also built to be the toughest thing around, so its kinda like an old(30s-50-s)car ,its a tank, but the astrovan, not so much

 

[Jspafford]

I think it stood up well, as compared to the van. Bittersweet knowing I own one just like it.. Except the fact I haven't driven it in 6 weeks...

 

[snake]

Suicide watch? They should hand him a rope...

 

[ryan]

Mass is a double edged sword, it might be better to be able to lose some speed before the impact rather than drop kick the other vehicle into next week.

very true - better way for me to say it is that the more massive vehicle will usually more damage than the less massive one will

 

[MAKG]

While it's true that mass matters, why are you guys focusing on the engine? That's a small part of the vehicle's weight, comparable to 2-3 adults. On a 4000 lb Bronco II, for instance, the engine weighs less than 450 lb.

It's not the engine. It's the chassis. Along with quite a number of other variables. For instance, most vehicles and their occupants withstand frontal impacts FAR better than other types, including off-axis frontal impacts. The pickup suffered a front end collision close to on-axis. The van didn't.

And there are other variables like the relative SPEEDS of the vehicles.

 

[Jspafford]

I am not discussing how well the vehicle held up. What I wanted to know is if anyone thought that the stronger and heavier massed diesel motor would have changed the way the truck took an impact, as compared to a gasser of the same setup.

 

[MAKG]

I would assert that any effects due to the Diesel engine alone would be quite small compared to other effects, and putting one in that van would have made no significant difference to the result.

Less than 100 lbs or so (comparable gasoline engines, right? Don't compare a 7L Diesel to a 3L gas) isn't going to matter.

 

[Jspafford]

Yes Mike, Assuming he had the 7.3L or 6.0L diesel where as my truck has the 5.4L gasser.

Anyone know they weights on those motors?

Curious as to the weight difference.

 

[ryan]

While it's true that mass matters, why are you guys focusing on the engine? That's a small part of the vehicle's weight, comparable to 2-3 adults. On a 4000 lb Bronco II, for instance, the engine weighs less than 450 lb.

It's not the engine. It's the chassis. Along with quite a number of other variables. For instance, most vehicles and their occupants withstand frontal impacts FAR better than other types, including off-axis frontal impacts. The pickup suffered a front end collision close to on-axis. The van didn't.

And there are other variables like the relative SPEEDS of the vehicles.

i didnt say anything about engines, i just said mass in a very simplified world, force = mass * velocity, right? physics has leaked out of my head since high school. i deal with it relatively little now