What makes more power, a 4.0-litre V6 engine or a 4.0-litre V8? The answer isn’t so simple. When discussing various engines, the layout isn’t the biggest contributing factor to how much power it makes. With a bit of ingenuity (and you know, cash), a four cylinder engine can make just as much power as a V12. So what makes manufacturers choose different engine layouts? Here are the advantages and disadvantages of each layout.

1. Four-cylinder inline four

Let’s start with one of the most common engines, the inline four cylinder. There’s a reason it’s common, largely because it’s so simple: one cylinder bank, one cylinder head and one valve train. Here’s all you need to know:

Advantages:

• The four-cylinder, inline four is small and compact, meaning it easily fits in nearly any engine bay.
• It’s also lightweight, and with only one exhaust manifold, weight is further reduced.
• With only one cylinder head, there are fewer moving parts than engines with multiple cylinder banks. This means less energy is lost which reduces the probability of malfunctions.
• Primary forces are balanced because the outside two pistons move in the opposite direction of the inside two pistons (see picture above).
• Four-cylinder engines are easy to work on; the cylinder head is the highest point which makes spark plug jobs and valve train access very easy.
• Four-cylinder engines require lower manufacturing costs.

Disadvantages:

• Secondary forces are not balanced, which ultimately limits the size of the engine.
• Inline fours will rarely exceed 2.5 litres to 3.0 litres.
• Larger four cylinder engines will often require balancing shafts to cancel the vibration caused by the secondary imbalance.
• High centre of gravity compared to some layouts (H4).
• Not as rigid as some layouts (V6, V8).

Here’s a quick video explanation of the four-cylinder engine:

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2. Horizontally-opposed

From a performance standpoint, there aren’t many options as attractive as an engine with horizontally-opposed cylinders. The boxer four isn’t nearly as common as the other engines on this list, but from an engineering standpoint it’s a logical choice for your race car.

Advantages:

• Primary and secondary forces are well balanced. This is a smooth engine.
• This allows for less weight on the crankshaft, resulting in less power lost to rotational inertia.
• Low centre of gravity allows for better handling.

Disadvantages:

• Packaging size: these are very wide engines.
• Flat engines were once used in Formula 1 for their performance advantages, but due to their width they obstructed airflow and are no longer used.
• Complexity - two cylinder heads/valve trains.
• Rocking couple (plane imbalances) due to offset pistons to allow for the connecting rods to connect with the crankshaft.
• Maintenance can be challenging if packaging is tight.

3. Straight-six

An engineer’s object of affection, the straight-six is the result of tacking on two more cylinders to an inline four engine. BMW loves them, and it’s the layout of one of the most well-known boost-ready engines, the 2JZ. So what’s so special about the straight-six?

Advantages:

• The straight-six is Inherently balanced.
• The layout combined with its firing order leads to essentially the smoothest engine out there.
• V12s and Flat-12s are the next step in further reducing vibration, as they are two I6s matched together.
• Lower manufacturing cost - single cylinder block with all the cylinders in one orientation.
• Simple design, easy to work on much like the I4.

Disadvantages:

• Packaging can be difficult due to the length.
• Not ideal for FWD vehicles.
• High center of gravity (vs flat engines).
• Lower rigidity than V engines as it’s long and narrow.

Here’s a quick video explanation of the straight-six:

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4. V6

Now cut that straight-six in half and match the two cylinder banks to a common crank. The V6 is a common layout when there are six spark plugs involved. It’s also the current layout for Formula 1 engines. Why use it?

Advantages:

• They’re compact and can easily be used for both FWD and RWD vehicles.
• Allows for greater displacement than four-cylinder engines, typically meaning more power.
• Rigid design.
• Formula 1 chose to use V6s rather than I4s for the 2014 season because they wanted to use the engine as a stressed member of the car.

Disadvantages:

• Two cylinder heads means added cost, complexity, and weight.
• Additional rotational inertia and friction (more moving parts).
• High centre of gravity vs flat engines.
• Cost is often greater than inline.
• Secondary imbalance requires additional weight on the crankshaft.
• Two exhaust manifolds means additional weight.

5. V8

When you add a cylinder to each bank of the V6, you get an icon in both American muscle and European exotics - the V8. It can produce a refined whine, or a shuddering burble. So what makes this layout such a popular choice?

Advantages:

• Packaging size (short in length).
• Good balance, depending on the crankshaft type and firing order (flatplane vs crossplane).
• Rigid design.
• Allows for high displacement.

Disadvantages:

• Like a V6, the V8 engine’s weight can be high.
• Additional rotational inertia and friction (more moving parts).
• Cost and complexity will be higher.
• Higher centre of gravity vs flat engines.
• Engine weight is usually increased.
• Packaging is large, typically restricted to RWD/AWD vehicles.

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Let us know below which engine type you are currently running and what you like and loathe about it.

Washing a car engine – advantages and disadvantages

(photo: pxhere)

Washing the engine can make servicing easier and allow you to more easily diagnose any faults. In addition, a clean engine looks more aesthetically pleasing compared to an engine covered with oil and road dirt. How to clean the drive unit so as not to damage it and what engine cleaning preparation should be used?

Every car fan will be happy when they look under the hood and see their engine is impeccably clean. Drivers of off-road vehicles may be particularly happy. Such cars get dirty extremely quickly. However, they are much better adapted to this purpose than the cars that we all use on the road every day.

It is worth realizing that when necessity touches us engine washing, this activity may often bring more harm than good. It seems that washing the engine and its components under the hood is simple, but the truth may surprise you. It turns out that this needs to be approached with truly surgical precision. Why? You will learn about it in this article!

What is the purpose of washing a car engine?

In simple translation, under the hood it should be possible to clean and clean at all times. Apart from the engine itself, there are many other components related to it that do not necessarily tolerate dirt, dust or moisture. However, when it comes to the engine itself, it is worth knowing that washing it has both advantages and disadvantages.

The advantages of washing a car engine include:

• maintaining the engine's aesthetics at a high level,
• cleaning and unblocking the necessary engine air vents,
• discovering places of fluid leaks,
• discovering other faults.

Apart from these obvious advantages, there are even more advantages. During washing, all defects are revealed not only in the engine, but also in other seemingly unrelated components.

In addition to the advantages, washing the engine may also have some disadvantages, including:

• moisture in the ignition device, which results in starting problems,
• moisture in air filters,
• damaging electrical and electronic components located in the immediate vicinity of the engine.
• moisture and damage to electrical cables, especially worn-out ones,
• moisture in exposed mechanical mechanisms,

As can be seen washing the engine, although often necessary, requires high precision so as not to cause faults instead of cleaning. Sometimes washing the engine becomes necessary. How to do this?

How to prepare your car for engine washing?

Before cleaning the engine, we should properly protect the drive unit and other components located in the chamber. What is worth remembering?

Above all, we cannot wash the engine when it is hot. Pouring cold water on a hot unit may cause serious damage to the engine, e.g. cracking the head. In addition, cleaning the engine while it is still warm poses a risk of burns.

The electrical system must be secured. This is especially important for cars powered by gasoline engines. These types of units need a spark to burn the fuel-air mixture.

For this reason, a gasoline engine is equipped with a system consisting of spark plugs, coils, high-voltage cables and a distributor that is sensitive to moisture. Diesel engines have a simpler and more water-resistant design.

We can protect high-voltage cables, the distributor and other elements of the ignition system with food foil. Erasers and adhesive tape may be useful.

We also protect the alternator, control computer and fuse box. Disconnect the battery terminals. We can either cover the battery or simply remove it from the engine compartment when cleaning the engine.

It may also be a good idea to protect the intake system. We should not allow the air filter to get wet. We can dismantle it and put it into the cover after washing.

How to wash a car engine?

You should know that a pressure washer, although very effective, will not always work. It may harm the engine, especially one with a relatively old design. Although new types of engines can withstand pressurized water well, older designs may suffer. This may include damage to seals or water getting into sensitive mechanisms. Unfortunately, you have to be careful about this. It is equally important not to use overly aggressive cleaning chemicals. Yes, they remove even old and stuck dirt, but their use must be carefully considered.

Also read: Engine overheating – learn about the symptoms and effects of an overheated car engine

Washing the oil pans and lower parts of the engine is a good idea. However, parts that come into contact with sensitive components are not necessarily safe. In such situations, it will be better for the engine to wash it manually and precisely remove impurities than to wash it mechanically, which is quite risky. It is worth paying close attention to washing exposed drive and toothed belts. They are durable elements, but in contact with harmful chemicals they may lose their properties and lead to premature failure. The same applies to cleaning places that are connected and require the use of seals. There are many such places, and washing with the first cleaning agent may damage the seals, lose the tightness of the connections and lead to faults and damage.

What engine cleaning fluid will be useful when cleaning?

The drive unit should not be washed using standard cleaning agents, such as dishwashing liquid. It is also not recommended to use aggressive preparations that may destroy plastic or rubber.

It is best to choose a specialized one engine cleaning preparation, with a composition that is safe for the components contained in the chamber. What are the characteristics of a good engine cleaner?

First of all, it should help us remove all greasy stains and impurities. The engine cleaner will remove traces of grease and oil.

It is also important that, despite its cleaning properties, a good quality engine cleaner will be safe for rubber components. When using this type of fluid, we do not risk damaging the seals.

What should you do after washing the engine?

After applying the liquid to washing engines the drive unit should be rinsed with water. We can use a sponge soaked in water, a hose or a pressure washer for this purpose.

When doing this, remember not to direct the jet at the electrical installation elements. If we use a lance or hose, set the pressure to low. The rinsing itself should be as short as possible.

Do not start the engine immediately after cleaning. We wait until the water drains. It is best to let the drive unit dry for a few hours, if possible - with the hood open. We can support the drying process. We can use a compressor or a can of compressed air.

Is it worth washing the engine yourself?

As we mentioned, when washing the engine, you need to take into account water-sensitive components. These include the alternator, filters and fuel supply electronics. When washing the engine, it is impossible not to splash water on them. Even though they are sometimes well protected (except for the alternator), contact with pressurized water may affect their functionality. So should you wash the engine yourself or should you entrust this task to someone who does it every day?

Washing is not completely safe for the engine, so maybe it is worth entrusting this task to an experienced person? Such a person not only has the appropriate equipment, knowledge and practice, but also realizes the risk of thoughtlessly pouring water on everything around him. Therefore, anyone who is not confident in undertaking this task on their own should entrust it to a specialist. In addition, you can learn much more about the condition of your vehicle when a specialist takes a look at its components and mechanisms.

So washing the engine is not as easy and safe as some people imagine. However, when undertaking this task, you must be sure that you will be able to complete it safely.