Re: -WOB- Ferrari engine

[Robert T Chafin <rtchafin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 06:19 PM 8/26/98 -0400, Richard Welty <rwelty@domain.elided>
 wrote:
>
>
>Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1998 16:08:56 -0400
>From: Richard Welty <rwelty@domain.elided>
>Subject: Re: -WOB- Ferrari engine
>
>At 01:11 PM 8/26/98 PDT, Calvin Hare wrote:
>>Hans writes:
>>>I've always understood that that BB512 engine was built as a V12,
>>>albeit with a 180 degree angle. That angle and the name of the car 
>>>(Berlinetta Boxer) cause people to think it's a flat..
>
>>Huh?  I'm confused...where's the "V" in a 180 degree angle?
>
>i think it has to do with the crank throws...
>
>richard

Hoping this was one of your tongue-in-cheek remarks, Richard.
As Calvin noted, 'where's the "V" in a 180 degree angle'; the "V"
designation has to do simply with the geometry, the physical appearance.
Crank throws must line up with their respective cylinders so that firing
proceeds in a uniform fashion, at regular intervals.  If not, you'll end up
with one of those oddball engines like GM used to make (heck, maybe they
still do), 90 degree V-6's with offset crankpins so they could fire at 60
degree intervals. Thus, a 90 degree V-engine will (unless it's from GM)
have crankpins disposed at 90 degree intervals (unless they're race engines
- - a whole 'nuther subject); a flat 4 will have a flat crank, etc.
On the original topic:  there are only a few inherently balanced engine
configurations, meaning, if I recall correctly from some long-ago classes
(the facts haven't changed, but my memory has), no first- or second-order
shaking forces.  This means engines like the I-6 and V-8 (?) are inherently
balanced, while no 2-cylinder or 4-cylinder is, regardless of layout, nor
is a V-6, neither 90 nor 60-degree.  Maybe some current mech. eng'g student
out there can set us all straight on this.
Regards,
Robert

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