V8 Engine

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A V8 engine is an eight-cylinder piston engine in which two banks of four cylinders share a common crankshaft and are arranged in a V configuration. The first known working V8 engine was produced by the French company Antoinette in 1904, while the American 1914–1935 Cadillac L-Head engine is considered the first automotive V8 engine to be produced in significant quantities. The popularity of V8 engines in cars was greatly increased following the 1932 introduction of the Ford Flathead V8. In the early 21st century, use of V8 engines in passenger vehicles declined as automobile manufacturers opted for more fuel efficient, lower capacity engines, or hybrid and electric drivetrains. Most V8 engines fitted to road cars use a cross-plane crankshaft, since this configuration produces less vibration due to the perfect primary balance and secondary balance. The cross-plane crankshaft has the four crank pins (numbered from the front) at angles of 0, 90, 180, and 270 degrees, which results in a cross shape for the crankshaft when it is viewed from one end. The iconic rumbling exhaust sound produced by a typical cross-plane V8 engine is partly due to the uneven firing order within each of the two banks of four cylinders. A typical firing order of L-R-L-L-R-L-R-R (or R-L-R-R-L-R-L-L) results in uneven intake and exhaust pulse spacing for each bank. When separate exhaust systems are used for each bank of cylinders, this uneven pulsing results in the rumbling sound that is typically associated with V8 engines. However, racing engines seek to avoid these uneven exhaust pressure pulses, to maximize the power output. The 1960s cross-plane V8 racing engines used long primary exhaust pipes (such as the Ford GT40 endurance racing car) or located the exhaust ports on the inside of the V-angle (such as the Lotus 38 IndyCar) to link the exhaust systems from each bank and provide even exhaust gas pulses),. chrome vehicle retro classic machinery power car engine sport race racing modification racing car