Is it possible to make a V engine sound like an inline engine?
Posted by NoTurnip2099@reddit | askcarguys | View on Reddit | 29 comments
I really like the sound of inline engines and today I got currious about something. Since inline engines are generally weaker compared to V engines is it possible to make a V engine sound exactly like an inline engine, and if so how?
not-a-toad@reddit
Purely theoretically speaking i think you might be able to mess with header lengths to make it sound more similar to an inline. Could be wrong on that.
Max_Downforce@reddit
Inlines are generally weaker than V's? What are you smoking?
NoTurnip2099@reddit (OP)
How often do you see a I10?
Max_Downforce@reddit
Long ass engine would make for a long ass car...
NoTurnip2099@reddit (OP)
exactly so nobody makes a 10 cylinder inline engine. But you can find cars with V10 engines. so when you compare the potential amount of power you can get with V engines and inline engines V engines are better
RemoteVersion838@reddit
There are few passenger cars with anything bigger than a V-8's and they are all "exotic" or specialty cars other than the Ford V-10 truck engine.
It is also dependent on displacement. Take an I 6 and a V-8 with the same displacement and you can get similar power.
jrileyy229@reddit
Because nobody wants a car with a 20 foot long hood... Not because they're "better"
Former_Mud9569@reddit
it doesn't work like that. No one makes an inline 10 cylinder for modern cars because packaging would be a nightmare.
In terms of being able to make power, all engines are just fancy air pumps. If you can force more air volume into the cylinders, you're going to get to burn more fuel, and make more power as a result. you can do that via A. forced induction. B. increasing displacement or C. a valvetrain that can handle running at higher RPM.
Max_Downforce@reddit
Plenty of I6 engines. A much better engine than a V6, as it's naturally balanced.
NoTurnip2099@reddit (OP)
most inline engines have ≤6 cylinders and most V engines have ≤12 cylinders. Usually more cylinders means better engine so V engines are generally better than inline engines.
AdditionSelect7250@reddit
Think you're talking shit to be honest, some of the inline 6's that have been produced are some of the best and most reliable engines ever built, Buick also did a straight 8 in the day, a V doesn't make it better just makes it more compact when using more cylinders!
Max_Downforce@reddit
Packaging...
SandstoneCastle@reddit
Yeah. The V4 is exceptionally rare in cars, because there's little need for an engine shorter than an I4, and it's not worth the additional complexity. They're not rare in bikes, but still much less common that I4s which are the strongest regular production motorcycle engines.
Max_Downforce@reddit
You nailed it.
RunninOnMT@reddit
lol no. It’s just that engines get really long if you try to line up more than 6 cylinders.
Tons of old race cars are inline 8s though. Inline is generally superior, but Vs make sense for packaging with minimal downsides.
Peanutbuttersnadwich@reddit
Layout has nothing to do with strength or power potential and all to do with packaging a i6 is a mathematically "better" engine then a v6 due to harmonics but is a packaging issue in most cars.
jaqattack02@reddit
That's less about potential power and more about packaging. What kind of car are you going to fit that long of an engine into?
d00kieshoes@reddit
If you put 2 inline engines together and set up the firing order just right and then connected the exhaust a certain way you could achieve a similar sound I bet.
NoTurnip2099@reddit (OP)
That would be like a U engine I think. And using a U engine in a car isnt a good idea.
Daniele323@reddit
Wut?0
tony22233@reddit
Big truck engines are usually i6s
LankyNihilist@reddit
How are inline engines weaker? They make more torque lower than a v block. The inline engines that have come in trucks are some of the most reliable work horses ever built. The 300 straight 6, the slant 6 and the 5.9 Cummins are all legends for their torque and reliability.
NoTurnip2099@reddit (OP)
when I said that inlines are weaker I meant it's easier to make more powerful V engines compared to inline engines because you can fit a bigger engine into the same amount of space
NoTurnip2099@reddit (OP)
Guys when I said that inclines are weaker O meant it's easier to make more powerful V engines compared to inline engines because you can fit a bigger engine into a smaller space
MeyersonAdam@reddit
Is this a V or straight? I guess you can make them sound like anything?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XRXwWbo_mX0
Jakomako@reddit
Sure, when they go 20k rpm.
u3b3rg33k@reddit
TLDR: no. the sound it makes is part of the timing that is your valvetrain.
you can change it a bit by putting on long/short tube headers, using a x to 1 collector (for best sound), but a v8 will never sound like a straight 6.
nueroticalyme@reddit
Yes and no. You cant make a v8 sound like a inline 4. But you could make a v6 sound like an inline 6. There are 4 main things that change how an engine sounds. 1 cylinder number. This can not be changed. 2 crank design. There are flat plane and cross plane cranks. Both sound very different due to when the cylinders fire in relation to each other. 3 firing order. The order in wich each cylinder fires. 4 exhaust design. This is the only one you can change after an engine is already engineered and produced. You can alter the length of each tube coming off of each cylinder. What this does is change the amount of time it takes for the exhaust and sound from the cylinder to reach the end of the tail pipe. This can be used to mimic the sound of a different style engine. 2 good examples are subarus and new mustangs. Subarus are boxer engines. They have a very unique sound that no other 4 cylinder has. They come with unequal length exhaust manifolds from the factory. If you install equal length headers, they sound closer to a traditional inline 4. Old mustangs came with flat plane cranks. Most American v8s have this design and thats what give them that unique muscle car sound. The new mustangs now have a cross plane crank. It has a very different exhaust note. Think ferarri v8 or something similar. A lot of people did not like the change in the sound of the exhaust. They want it to sound like a traditional muscle car and not a sports car. So someone made an exhaust for them that changed it to sound more like a traditional flat plane v8. https://www.reddit.com/r/cars/s/XMH8oeIwlx
lazarinewyvren@reddit
No.