In the past years, V8s configuration became popular in terms of producing high performance race cars and vehicles. They posses unique characteristics in which the prominent one is having a special exhaust sound. It is important to expand your knowledge about these kinds of engines. To get started, take note of the following information indicated below.
What is a V8 Engine?
The V8 engine has been the V engine having 8 cylinders which are mounted on its crankcase in2 banks of the 4 cylinders. Most of the time, this is set at the right angle to one another. However, at times, this is placed at the narrower angel, having all 8 pistons which drive the common crankshaft.
In the simplest form, V8 engine has been basically 2 straight-four engines that share a typical crankshaft. But such simple configuration, having single-plane crankshaft, got similar problems in the secondary dynamic imbalance as the 2 straight-4s. As a result, there are vibrations when it comes to larger engine displacements.
During 1920S, majority of V8s used crossplane crankshaft that were most complex. The crankshaft got heavy counterweights in eliminating vibrations. It then results in the engine that is smoother compared to the V6, and this has been considerably more affordable than the V12 engine. Many racing V8 engines are continually using the single plane crankshafts due to more efficient and faster acceleration exhaust system design.
Types
V8 Engines are divided into 2 main types. They differ in terms of crankshaft.
• Flatplane – V8 flatplane has been the same with 2 inline 4 cylinders that share a single crankshaft. Once it has been viewed from the other end, crankshaft will appear like the flat shape.
• Crossplane – crossplane V8 is more common wherein Cadillac showed up in 1923. The 4th and 1st crank pins have been 180 degrees apart. The inner 2 crank pins were also 180 degrees apart with one another, and 90 degrees apart from those pins on every end.
Balance
When talking about balance, V8 engines are classified into 2 order balance.
1. First Order Balance
• Flatplane – V8 flatplane got 1st order balance which means that a rocking instance that a piston will cause has been cancelled by the other at another engine’s end.
• Crossplane – V8 crossplane will get 2 first order balance due to how pistons were moved by a crankshaft. However, the usage of full weight counterweights has been preventing this.
2. Second Order Balance
• Flatplane – it has similar kind of imbalance just like the inline 4 cylinder does. At a given instant, piston velocities that travel upward are not equal with negative velocities that the cylinders travel downward.
• Crossplane – the second order balance has been the major reasons for the existence of crossplane V8. Its odd-looking crankshaft will move the piston in a way wherein all pistons’ velocity remains 0. This means that there are no present 2nd order vibrations.
