Inline-6 vs V6

sorry if this is the wrong spot to put this, but i'm new so i dont know



This is something i have been wondering about and also a topic my friends argue about all the time. What are the pros and cons of Inline6 engines and V6's opposed to eachother? Is it true that inline 6's produce more low end torque but are slower higher up? Does anyone race with an inline 6?

The I6 is longer than the V6 because the cylinders are all in a row vs in two banks. Generally, the inline 6 cylinders are more susceptable to harmonics problems with the very long crankshaft, but the V6 isn't as smooth. The BMW M3 is an I6 for example. The NSX is a V6. Obviously both of those engines are exceptionally refined, and make excellent horsepower.

Aren't v6's supposed to be smoother than inline 6's?

I personally prefer the V6 ,and it is smoother, the inline six is outdated technology it has been around FOREVERand then in the late 60's early 70's the V6 came around to replace it, it is not as efficient at using its hp as the V6, it does have better high end tq (barely even a noticeable amount) because the crank is heavier and when you get it going it has better momentum but off the line the heavier crank doesn't build power very fast. The V6 has a FAR lighter rotating assembly IE the crank and cams(they are half the size of the I6)that right there is a HUGE plus for the v6 if you have a I6 with a 3 foot crank weighing 50lbs and you have a v6 with a 1.5 foot crank weighing 25lbs which crank is going to require more horsepower to turn ? obviously the inline six's crank is going to require more hp the same applies to the cam, the v6 has 2 heads giving the option for a true dual exhaust for better exhaust flow, the engine itself is FAR lighter, it revs Much faster and builds better power off the line, it is able to sit farther back in the engine compartment of a car giving a better weight distribution allowing for better handling. I have probably forgottena few things, but I think I made my point. I have had this argument with my friend a hundred times, he thinks the I6 is better, the only reason he thinks it is better is because BMW uses it in the M3 instead of the V6 so it must be better he can give no other reason why, and it is a bit irritating.

American cars dont use I-6 engines anymore. About the only companies that still use I-6's are BMW and Mercedes. And also it matters who builds the engine, because my Exporer has a 4.0L V6, but my Mercedes has a 3.2L I6 and the I6 is much more powerful. You cant really compare a Mercedes to a Ford I know, but in my opinion I6's are just as good if not better than V6s.

forgot about nissan skylines

Just because your 4.0L v6 doesn't put out as much power as your I6 doesn't mean the I6 is better if I have 4.6l v8 from a 02 Mustang at 260hp and I have an I6 from an m3 at 330hp does that mean that all I6's are better than v8's because that one I6 has more hp than the v8? no it doesn't, the whole point is to give mechanical reasons why the I6 is better not compare hp on engines because car company's can give any engine pretty much any amount of hp they want, don't just say the I6 is better because one I6 has more hp give mechanical reasons as to why its better.

Actually the I6 has 7 more horses at 217 but 21 less pound feet of torque. It is much more responsive and quick, not to mention higher revving and more reliable. Both engines are about 10 years old, and have quite a few miles on them, but the Explorer spends at least twice the amount of time in the shop. Also the I6 just hauls ass.

American cars dont use I-6 engines anymore
Excuse me??? What about the trailblazer they all have inline 6's in 'em.:eek:

my friend has a 4.0 I6 Cherokee and it blows parents 2001 impala away (v6)

Originally posted by audi&benz
Actually the I6 has 7 more horses at 217 but 21 less pound feet of torque. It is much more responsive and quick, not to mention higher revving and more reliable. Both engines are about 10 years old, and have quite a few miles on them, but the Explorer spends at least twice the amount of time in the shop. Also the I6 just hauls ass.

I could compare a 350Z motor against your 3.2L I6 and the 350Z is going to be going faster and it has more hp does that make the V6 a better DESIGN no it doesn't, comparing those 2 engines makes no sense, compare the two designs against each other, don't compare specific engines against each other compare the 2 Designs, if you compare engines you're not going to prove anything, try and tell me why the inline 6 design is better than the V6 what technical aspects of the inline 6 design are better I have all ready explained why the design of the V6 is better and I didn't compare any engines against each other


the inline six is outdated technology it has been around FOREVERand then in the late 60's early 70's the V6 came around to replace it, it is not as efficient at using its hp as the V6, it does have better high end tq (barely even a noticeable amount) because the crank is heavier and when you get it going it has better momentum but off the line the heavier crank doesn't build power very fast. The V6 has a FAR lighter rotating assembly IE the crank and cams(they are half the size of the I6)that right there is a HUGE plus for the v6 if you have a I6 with a 3 foot crank weighing 50lbs and you have a v6 with a 1.5 foot crank weighing 25lbs which crank is going to require more horsepower to turn ? obviously the inline six's crank is going to require more hp the same applies to the cam, the v6 has 2 heads giving the option for a true dual exhaust for better exhaust flow, the engine itself is FAR lighter, it revs Much faster and builds better power off the line, it is able to sit farther back in the engine compartment of a car giving a better weight distribution allowing for better handling.

Also if the inline design is so good why don't companies make inline 8 cylinders? I know pontiac had made some, but they stopped.

First off, you believe that V6s are superior, so prove to me that they are. Dont tell me to provide evidence that says that I6s are better. In my opinion they are, so prove me wrong jackass.

Secondly, many I8s were made. Mercedes made them up to just a few years ago, when they stopped, I dont know why, but they did.

Since I am not an engine expert I decided to do some research.
A straight-6, which has advantages over the V-6 design: inline-6 engines has significantly less vibrations (second-level vibrations are absent), it is more smooth, has less friction (there is only one bank of cylinders and twice less camshafts to deal with), cheaper in production and lighter. And as far as I can tell the only advantage to a V6 is that it takes up less room in the engine compartment.

Originally posted by audi&benz
First off, you believe that V6s are superior, so prove to me that they are. Dont tell me to provide evidence that says that I6s are better. In my opinion they are, so prove me wrong jackass.

Why wouldn't I try to tell you to provide evidence am i just supposed to take you word that the I6 is better if you want me to believe that you need to provide technical evidence

Originally posted by audi&benz
Since I am not an engine expert I decided to do some research.
A straight-6, which has advantages over the V-6 design: inline-6 engines has significantly less vibrations (second-level vibrations are absent), it is more smooth, has less friction (there is only one bank of cylinders and twice less camshafts to deal with), cheaper in production and lighter. And as far as I can tell the only advantage to a V6 is that it takes up less room in the engine compartment.

I allready proved that V6's are superior in my first post maybe you should read it I only posted it TWICE, and an OHV v6 has only one cam, a SOHC V6 has 2 cams or the DOHC has 4 cams, and there's nothing about an I6 that would cause it to produce less friction and where exactly is this extra friction coming from on the v6 also where does this vibration come from? explain your opinions, and it is not lighter the I6 has a longer CAM, and A longer BLOCK, and a longer CRANK more mass equals more weight, also since you didn't read my first post here it is.

the I6 is not as efficient at using its hp as the V6, it does have better high end tq (barely even a noticeable amount) because the crank is heavier and when you get it going it has better momentum but off the line the heavier crank doesn't build power very fastthe heavieer crank also saps hp because it costs more hp to turn a heavier crank. The V6 has a FAR lighter rotating assembly IE the crank and cams(they are half the size of the I6)that right there is a HUGE plus for the v6 if you have a I6 with a 3 foot crank weighing 50lbs and you have a v6 with a 1.5 foot crank weighing 25lbs which crank is going to require more horsepower to turn ? obviously the inline six's crank is going to require more hp the same applies to the cam, the v6 has 2 heads giving the option for a true dual exhaust for better exhaust flow, the engine itself is FAR lighter, it revs Much faster and builds better power off the line, it is able to sit farther back in the engine compartment of a car giving a better weight distribution allowing for better handling.

thats alotta text, but when i scanned throught it, itsn't it that the third time you've posted it?

It is and i'm not going to repost it again I just hope that audi&benz
actually read it this time and can give a good argument against it

I just want to know where you got this information. Because you are saying I6s have more fricton, but I found that V6s have more friction. I just want to know either where you got your information, or how you know this, since you seem to know everything.

I never said that the I6 had more friction I stated other things but not that you saif the I6 had less friction and I asked you what was producing this extra friction on the V6.

The I6 block may be longer, but the V6 is much wider. You're starting to lose your credibility. Its why we go by displacement not length or width. Average v6 weighs 350lbs vs the I6 at 370lbs. Not that big of difference. I6's are well balanced and most contain 7 main bearings making them very tough. Also classic Mustangs with the I6 had nearly 50/50 weight distribution.
The simple truth is a v6 are easier to fit in the engine bay. As for why they don't make I8's, the shafts do start to get too long and just try fitting one in a modern car.

The I6 is obviously going to require more reinforcement because of its longer crank so it is good they use more main bearings, that doesn't make it tougher they use more main bearings to compensate for the longer crank, and I know the difference in size is more thn 20lbs those I6's are nearly as heavy as a V8, when I had the I6 out of my sister's 66 mustang we also had the 289 that was going to go in it sitting next to it and we periodically ahd to move them around the difference in weight between the v8 and I6 was negligable they were almost the same. Why is it that no one has responded to my sttements about the rotating assembly on th V6 either?

'fraid not about the weights. Look up the average weights, you'll see for yourself. From personal experiance, I know my I6 weighs much less than my old 302. They didn't require the 7 bearings, just put them there to make a bulletproof bottom end. They worked great with only 4 for many years. In general they can handle higher rpm than a V6. You can also have duel exhaust, with the Ford small block you have to weld in a port divider, but its duel exhaust. An inline six also has more torque than a V8 of the same size (compare a 300 and a 302). Yes the shafts are longer in the I6. Do you truely believe they soak up more than a few ponies? :lol:

Still laughing about your longer block arguement

I'm not sure about the mustang's engine, i was just saying that in my opinion the I-6 is better.

Originally posted by audi&benz
I'm not sure about the mustang's engine, i was just saying that in my opinion the I-6 is better.

You have to look at it in a neutral light. Comparing an I6 from a BMW to an I6 from, let's say a Ford, isn't going to cut it. BMW puts a shit load of money into their cars as far as superior hp and shit is concerned. Ford just makes do with a mild tweaking.

Are I6s inferior? Well, the Supras have run em for awhile and with their TT or single turbo setup, they're just highway monsters. What do you see with v6s? The GN does the same thing, if modified correctly.

Face it. V8s > *

:bigthumb:

As I noted in my original post, Inline 6 cylinders are far more refined and smooth than V6s. Why? You've got two banks of cylinders with pistons firing in opposite directions creating a shake. Since there are only 3 pistons that fire per revolution this enhances the rocking motion. To nullify some of the vibration, V6's are optimally designed in a 60* slant. On an inline 6 engine, all the pistons fire in the same direction. Drive a 79 Mercury Capri with the 2.8L V-6, and then drive a 82 Capri with the I-6, and you tell me which is smoother. It's not even a contest. I've driven several of both the V-6 and I-6, and the much older I-6 was way smoother. The I-6 is more susceptable to harmonics problems because of the extremely long crankshaft. If it's not perfectly straight, it can create an ever worsening wobble. This has been solved by most manufacturers with several beefy main bearings.

By the logic the I-6 is too old, the V8 might as well be sent to the graveyard because it's been around nearly as long as the I-6. Also, since OHC engines predate OHV engines (yes that's right, SOHC was around before OHV) that old fashioned OHC stuff is garbage.

I stated in my original post that inline 6 cylinder engines are long. Find a front wheel drive inline 6 car. Not going to happen. With front wheel drive taking over as the popular drivetrain configuration, the I-6 was pretty much shelved by mainstream car manufacturers. The I-6 is too long to fit transversely, and to save money, manufacturers design their FWD and RWD engines to be kissing cousins. IE 3.8L Ford. 3.0L Ford (which should be finding it's way into the next generation Mustang).

The side load friction on an inline engine isn't nearly as significant as it is on a V engine, either because the pistons move directly up and down, not laying on their side partially.

As far as the valvetrain goes, most engines are now OHC, making the I-6 more efficient than the V-6.

Everything can be argued either way.

Just compiled some resarch since I mostly use big block V8's. The 289 weighs from 460 to 475 pounds. So its about 100 lbs difference between it and Ford's old I6.

my 1983 datsun 280ZX inline 6 turbo is far supperior then any v6 engine i've ever known. Its been sitting for 8 years, i changed the fluids,plugs and battery and it started, i have read several storys like this, go to carsurvey.org not only did it start but it has 523k miles on it. Try doing that with any other V6, get it to 523k miles with minimal engine problems and proper matinance and only getting it rebuilt once at 150k miles, then let it sit in someones backyard in new york long island, suffering through some brutaly cold winters (well , brutaly cold to me i drove the Z up from florida in 1985 and bought a house) let it sit for 8 years in your driveway. I doubt there is any V6's or even many other cars that could do that. I have read dozens of stories like this, storys like it started after sitting in a feild for years, or other things like that. I doubt other inline 6's are as durable or reliable as the datsun's but thats my experiance with the inline 6, oh yeah my turbo stopped working but that was it.

The best single benefit to an i6 is that it's one of the few engine configurations that is perfectly in balance along with all horizontally opposed configurations. V8's? No. V6's? Definately not. I have the 4200 Vortec in my TB. It doesn't nail you to the seat with power, but it's delivery is smoother than any engine I've ever driven. They need to put a shift interlock on it because when it's idling, it's so buttery smooth and quiet that on more than one occasion, I've been tempted to try starting it when it was already running.

The Volvo S80 T6 is a FWD inline-6.

even though its a jeep there 6 was an i6 and its a bullet proof engine 160k and still running strong. a frend of mine has the modern jeep with a v8 and i can still kep up till about 75 mph then the long gearing takes ahold and he starts to pull ahead he does have a leter more displacement on me though. what id like to see though is 4L flat 6 the fricton is overcame becouse it dosent have to work agenst gravity a flat 8 would be even more cool

ok first off shinrekka: i gots a v6 with 350k on and it was only rebuilt once 50k ago (88 toyota 4-runner) and no other major problems regular oil change and stuff just like you so asfar as inlines outliving v's...........no also in reference to the balance comments a firing pattern on a v crosses out the vibration since its criss cross so they are just as smooth \
rob

fomr what i have heared i6's seem to be more boost friendly then v6.

oh onad fro teh record i would LOVE to have a 82 280zx, my mom had a '78 200sx and that thing was peppy for what it was(at the time) i love the old zx/sx cars

No offense, but try to keep thread posting within a 3 month timeline; Or repost the subject. :smile:

ok first off shinrekka: i gots a v6 with 350k on and it was only rebuilt once 50k ago (88 toyota 4-runner) and no other major problems regular oil change and stuff just like you so asfar as inlines outliving v's...........no also in reference to the balance comments a firing pattern on a v crosses out the vibration since its criss cross so they are just as smooth \
rob It would be nice if a v really worked that way, but in the real world, it doesn't.

Something that I did not see is diesel engines, if v engines were so supperior to inline engines than why are the majority of long haul rigs inline engines?
A lot of things depend on technology and packaging, its really hard to say which is better or worse, because its hard to compare directly the two types of engines

First off, you believe that V6s are superior, so prove to me that they are. Dont tell me to provide evidence that says that I6s are better. In my opinion they are, so prove me wrong jackass.

Secondly, many I8s were made. Mercedes made them up to just a few years ago, when they stopped, I dont know why, but they did.

Since I am not an engine expert I decided to do some research.
A straight-6, which has advantages over the V-6 design: inline-6 engines has significantly less vibrations (second-level vibrations are absent), it is more smooth, has less friction (there is only one bank of cylinders and twice less camshafts to deal with), cheaper in production and lighter. And as far as I can tell the only advantage to a V6 is that it takes up less room in the engine compartment.

I think inline 8s just weren't feasible in the engine bay anymore. Too long. And the v-8s of today just kick butt so no need to explore the I-8 tech.
Now as far as inline 6ers go ford made a 300 cubic inch sixxer that was built by the hundreds of millions since it was in production from the 60s until the mid 90s. That inline sixxer went into everything from full size dump trucks to passenger vans and trucks and ford even outfitted generators,wood mulchers and many other industrial uses with that 300 inline sixxer. I even read that it was just awesome as a race engine in some classes as well.
Then there is the slant six from dodge and Chevy's inline sixxers that were also legendary for durability.
Then there are the German inline sixxers that are absolutely stellar and refined.
There are also examples of incredibly durable v-6s such as the Chevy 3.8 that once the intake manifold gasket was fixed the engines would run forever and get 30mpg to boot in the boats they were put into. And lets not forget the Japanese and their contribution. If not for the Japanese raising the bar here in North America we would still be stuck with the nightmare 305s of the 80s with the soft cams and 318s with nylon timing gears.
Through it all though ford always had the 302 and the 351. Those engines were always durable. Not one year were they bad or had to watch out for,not like most other manufacturers.
As far as best goes each engine as long as each engine was maintained adequately I'd find it hard to say one or the ther was best.
In a performance car I'm sure some engines did better than others and some ran dump trucks better then potentially a different design would.

Sorry. Didn't see the date of last post. Thread resurrected. Oops