Quote:
Originally posted by hermunn123
i assume when you say, regular, you mean V configuration?? inline's are balanced perfectly and dont need counterbalances, same with flats. v's and flats need more room and require twice as many parts=heavier. inlines are the best
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Okay...there are a few problems here.
Inline engines are not necessarily balanced perfectly. You've never heard of vibrations from four-cylinder? Many inline-fours have counterbalance shafts to deal with this. And straight-eights are notorious for harmonic vibrations.
Theorectically, a "perfectly balanced" engine depends on the number of cylinders. For an "Otto-cycle" (4-stroke) engine, "balance" is achieved by placing the cylinders in banks angled at differing degrees. Fours are best at 180 (flat, horizontally opposed, boxer). Sixes should be at 120-degrees. Eights at 90-degrees. Twelves at 60-degrees.
"VEE" engines are best for their packaging. They are the most compact of the setups. Most companies use this design for engines six-cylinder or larger.
Inline engines take up additional length but are typically narrower than Vee engines. Most odd-cylinder engines use this design, almost all fours, and a few sixes.
Flat engines are quite wide but feature a low center-of-gravity. Old air-cooled Volkswagens and Porsche six-cylinders as well as Subarus and some Lancias used this design. Ferrari used the horizontally-opposed design on some older twelves.
No one design is the best. Each design has its applications.