flat 8

[pod]

i was wondering how feisable would it be to make a flat 8 and if it had the space saveings of a v8 and the out put of the straght 8

[darkaccord]

That would be a very long engine.

The best flat engine is out there is the Porshe flat 6.

[2strokebloke]

I guessing that you mean a horizontally oposed eight, as a "flat eight" could be a straight 8 layed on it's side. It would actually be more compact than a V-8 because it wouldn't be as tall, and I see no reason why it wouldn't be as powerful.

[Hudson]

A flat, or horizontally-opposed, eight-cylinder engine would allow for a lower center of gravity but would require a wider engine bay. A V8 layout provides a very compact package and accessability to the heads, spark plugs, intake and exhaust, etc.

There's no reason why a flat-eight couldn't be as powerful as any other eight-cylinder design but the packaging would be the problem.

Where have you seen that a straight-eight is more powerful than a V8?

[pod]

basicly its what the manufactures sink into them but the fireball 8 and the mercades straght 8 were really torquey engines with about the same output as there v counterparts

[454Casull]

Originally posted by darkaccord
That would be a very long engine.

The best flat engine is out there is the Porshe flat 6.

About as long as a V8 of similar size.

[454Casull]

Originally posted by Hudson

Where have you seen that a straight-eight is more powerful than a V8?

He said "as powerful", not "more powerful".

Also, flats are V-type engines with 180 degrees of bank angle. They're not straights laid on their sides.

And no, a straight 8 would NOT be space efficient. That would be about the length of a V16, all else equal.

One last thing - Ferrari put flat-12s in their cars a long time ago.

[Hudson]

454:

Originally posted by pod
i was wondering how feisable would it be to make a flat 8 and if it had the space saveings of a v8 and the out put of the straght 8

This wording makes is sound as if a V8 was less powerful than a straight-8.

[454Casull]

Originally posted by 2strokebloke
I guessing that you mean a horizontally oposed eight, as a "flat eight" could be a straight 8 layed on it's side. It would actually be more compact than a V-8 because it wouldn't be as tall, and I see no reason why it wouldn't be as powerful.

I was referring to this post, not the first. I'm not sure I've ever heard of a straight 8 before.

[454Casull]

BTW, Hudson, I noticed this long ago but I never got around to it. It's spelt " extraordinaire".

[Hudson]

Originally posted by 454Casull
BTW, Hudson, I noticed this long ago but I never got around to it. It's spelt " extraordinaire".

You're right...I'll get Igor right on that.

[454Casull]

Originally posted by Hudson


You're right...I'll get Igor right on that.

Wow, it's done!

[Porsche]

Have a chat with Porsche and see if they give you one of the 3 liter flat 8's from the 908/3. It's rated at about 350 Bhp, pulled off an impressive 1-4 place victories at the 1970 Targa Florio amongst a bunch of other accomplishments.

Basically a small displacemtn (around 3 liter, probably a lot smaller than you were thinking) would be quite feasible, especially if you could get your hands on some 908 engine blueprints.

[V-8Fan]

Originally posted by 454Casull

I was referring to this post, not the first. I'm not sure I've ever heard of a straight 8 before.

There were some American-made straight-8s made many years ago. My great grandmaother had a 1949 Buick Roadmaster with a straight-8. I do not know what the displacement was. I was told they were very torquey engines, and I suppose that the crankshaft, being so long, accounted for a relative abundance of rotating mass, and therefore an abundance of torque.

I am not personally aware of any other straight-eights having been made in the USA, but I wouldn't be surprised to learn of more.

[Hudson]

Buick, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, and Chrysler/Imperial as well as a number of smaller companies offered straight eights. The last straight eights were offered by Pontiac in 1954.