The V8 engine is one of the most popular automotive industries. The crankshaft is the most important part; your car would not start running without it.
The power that makes the engine runs is produced by the crankcase stretching and squeezing that lead to rotation drive at the end of the crankshaft. Before you can learn about the V8 Engine crankshaft details, let’s see How many crankshafts are in the V8 engine?
Contents
What Is a V8 Engine?
The V8 engine, also known as the eight-cylinder motor or quad camshafts, is an internal combustion engine first used in cars manufactured by Daimler AG’s August Zoller company between 1901 and 1905.
There are four valves per cylinder which means it can be categorized under heads of utility vehicles rather than passenger cars because most people don’t buy them for driving around town!
Why Does A V8 Have One Or More Crankshafts?
There can be one or more crankshafts, but common V8 engines only have one!
To be more precise, internal combustion engines have been around for a long time, and many people are familiar with them. They only use one crankshaft, not depending on how many cylinders.
However, you can change this setting depending on what type of engine you want to build – whether it’s a V8 or straight four-cylinder design. Building upon these designs mainly lies within converting linear motion into rotating motions.
Therefore there isn’t a need for multiple crankshafts serving that function. Moreover, with eight cylinders, many V8 engines have one crankshaft because there is limited space for more.
How Many Types Of V8 Engine Crankshaft?
There are two types of crankshafts manufactured to be compatible to use with V8 engines: flat-plane cranks and cross-plane cranks.
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Flat-plane cranks
Although you can find these cranks in hypercars and luxury supercars, they are mostly used with single crankpins or four-cylinder inline systems. The operation always alternates from bank to bank, no matter the firing order.
The change in orientation helps to decrease the number of times the header complexes cross, which means an optimal scavenge exhaust.
Flat-plane cranks are light and don’t need heavy counterweights, making them quick to accelerate. They are, however, more prone to secondary vibrations.
What are the benefits of using a flat-plane crank?
- Their lightweight design provides good balance (by making less inertia).
- The tuned headers have the highest performance, allowing for a more enjoyable driving experience.
What are the downsides of using a flat-plane crank?
- The amount of torque generated will be smaller.
- A small counterweight leads to vibration.
Which car uses Flat-Plane Cranks?
Typically flat-plane crankshafts are found in European sports cars such as :
- McLaren P1
- Porsche 918
- Lotus Esprit
- Ferrari F430
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Cross plane cranks
Cross-plane cranks are mostly associated with hot rod engines. They typically get their name from where the four crankpins are placed on the sides. An examination of the rod will show a (+) configuration when looked at from its end.
Typical firing order is usually 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2 (cylinder order is determined by odd-even side order). These cylinders have two exhausts per bank, making these vehicles louder, which most car lovers like.
The design of the cross-plane crank creates a larger counterbalance hence proper balance of the engine. The downside is that its exhaust fumes scavenging is ineffective as the flat-plane crankshaft.
What are the benefits of using a cross-plane crankshaft?
- Working smoothly with no vibration.
- Characteristic sound in the exhaust (noise, like a muscle car).
- The amount of torque generated is large.
What are the disadvantages of using a cross-plane crankshaft?
- A big engine makes the whole car body heavier.
- Large counterweight leads to slow rotation and slow response.
- Exhaust scavenging is not effective.
Which car uses a cross-plane crankshaft?
This type of crankshaft is commonly found on most American manufacturers with those muscle cars like Coyote, Hemi, and LS.
- Ford Mustang GT
- Hemi V8
- Mercedes-AMG M156
FAQs Section
Can I know how much horsepower is in a v8 engine?
The 2018 Mustang GT is coming out with a few upgrades. This includes the 5-liter V8 engine, which currently produces 435 horsepower but will be getting both direct and port fuel injection along with higher compression ratios as well.
This will result in a 20-horsepower increase which is plausible!
How many pistons can you find in a V12 engine?
A V12 engine is a type of high-performance racing car that was originally designed for speed and efficiency.
As its name suggests, the 12 cylinder configuration consists of two banks containing six cylinders, each positioned at 60 degrees (but not always) apart from one another on either side of the crankcase.
All pistons drive off a single crankshaft together, making it possible to produce extreme amounts of power without losing any energy!
Conclusion
A V8 engine has one crankshaft, but this can vary depending on the configuration. There are two major types of the crankshaft in most cases: cross-plane and flat plane designs.
The former is found more often in American muscle cars, while the latter can be seen in full race engines or high-class cars like those in Europe, though there are still some exceptions. Both types of the crankshaft can lean more towards performance over efficiency standards with their highly tuned internals’ layouts.
We hope you’ve enjoyed reading about the basics of a V8 engine and How many crankshafts are in the V8 engine. We encourage you to browse our blog for other informative posts if you want to learn more.
Should you have any questions about what type of crankshaft would be best for your vehicle or want to get started on a new project, feel free to reach out! We would love to chat and learn more about how we can help fulfill all of your needs.
