Thunderboy

Just to let anyone interested of the weight of the smog pump, etc. I removed all these stuff last weekend, and plan to keep on logging in anything that goes into and out of the car, to trim its weight down. Not that much weight, but I can feel the difference in engine response, since it doesn't have to spin the air pump.


Air pump/pulley/bolts 7 pounds
AIR tubes/ diverter/hose 4.5 pounds
charcoal canister: 2 pounds
air scoops behind grille 1 pound/both (probably will adapt back as brake cooling scoops)
bottom curved air deflector 1.5 pounds

cruise control vacuum reservoir .65 pound (probably will remove the whole system)
misc. bolts and hardware .5 pound
horn (will replace the other with bosch bmw plastic units) 1 pound
underhood light (wasn't working) .25 pound
RS grille aprox weight, couldn' find it for actual weigh in 1 pound

Total removed so far: 19.4 pounds.

If anyone knows the exact weights of other parts that can be removed, I would like to know. I don't need emissions equipment here, so that's why I could get away with all this, engine temp has stayed the same.

Thunderboy

rezinn

So all that work and you only lost 19 pounds? I'd rather just leave it and have the car not missing a ton of components. I think the difference you felt was psychological, unless you're extremely sensitive somehow.

As for easy things to remove: spare tire and jack, tools, stereo equipment. Put some headers on and get rid of the heavy exhaust manifolds. Use the restroom before you race (hey, you DID count an underhood light as .25lbs).

Thunderboy

yep, I'm counting up everything!! well, the engine bay is a lot more accesible now (looks better too, and just a couple of hours of turning wrenches), I'm also thinking of removing the A/C (it's 72 most of the time here). I will install headers (true duals) later on, so the first step was to remove the smog pump and air tubes. Also I'm contemplating fiberglass and aluminum parts, to trim the weight down. Some of the weight will be put back, on other items that yield more gains (structural, hp, etc) like subframe connectors (which are about 20 pounds, but located at the lowest part of the car), so I can put them on, and it is like I didn't add any weight!!

Of course, when you're racing, you remove the jack, the spare tire, etc. but I'm counting the weight towards a road driven car.

Thunderboy

ZZ405

Eventually the little stuff will add up. If your building a race car, have at it.
Personally, I wouldn't strip my 50k mile IROC to that extent. Anything I do remove needs to be easily replaced at any time.
Think about this (for low et), a fiberglass hood weighs about half that of a steel one, a front sway bar (IROC) weighs 16 lbs, 2 IROC 15X7 aluminum wheels with 235/60r15s Eagles weigh 96 lbs and for comparison 2 15X3.5 weld draglites with 25X4.5 Eagle frontrunners weigh 43 lbs.
In a half hour I can take around 100 lbs off the nose of my car and it is all easily replaced.

EvilCartman

iTrader: (1)

I've taken about 50 lbs out of the engine compartment so far Only problem is, think I bolted it all back up with the Spohn crossmeber lol