question.. i6 vs v6

[KJOV22]

whats the difference between the 2? never really knew... just a general reply would be fine

[blktbon20s]

whats the difference between the 2? never really knew... just a general reply would be fine
Some people say u can get more torque 4m a V8 but a I6 can give u more Hp not sure if this is right but thats what i heard

[ieatglue]

The letters, one's a "v" and the other's an "i" :rotfl: Sorry couldn't resist :D

In an inline 6 the cylinders are one next to another in a row. In a V6 there are two opposite triplets of cylinders with a certain angle between them. An inline engine can rev quicker than a V6 tho there are much more vibrations from the engine such setups are kinda streesed! The V6 allows more compact design and better vibration isolation as also the length of the cranksaft is shorter. V6s usually offer more torque and are easier and more cost effective to produce. Bith of the two setups offer brilliant sound and great responce in a compact size. That V6 in the audi TT has almost the same dimensions as the 4cyl 1.8T engine.

[mattcincy]

I don't know how true the vibration thing is. It is my understanding that the an inline motor has less vibration than that of a v configuration.

As a rule, inline motors have a flatter powerband meaning it makes similar power across a wider rpm range. They also tend to rev higher than their counterparts.

A V6 is somewhat of a stump puller when compared to an I6 meaning the power is all at the bottom of the rpm's. Think of the difference between a Harley and a pocket rocket. Harley's (1340 cc V2) redline around 6000 rpm's and have a bunch of torque where a Suzuki Haybusa (1300cc inline 4) redlines around 11,000 rpm's and has a bunch of horsepower. One of the reasons for the redline disparity is they are similar in total size but the 'zuke is divided by 4 where the Harley is only by 2. These are very general rules and rules are ment to be broken! These days a motor can be tuned to have power wherever you want.

[KJOV22]

thanks guys! ieatglue.. lol thanks man

[ieatglue]

No problem dude. Found the info on a BMW M3 forum :D

[Siege87]

yeah, i think that the vibration thing is correct.
If i remember what i read correctly, the I6 is the only perfectly balanced engine. meaning that there are no sideways movements (like in any V or flat engine) for obvious reasons. And, that the vertical movements are balanced because (i know theres a firing order and for each cylinder no two are at the same place at the same time but for general descriptive purposes...) 2 pistons are at the top or moving close to it, 2 are at the botton or moving close to it, and 2 are in the middle. unlike a 4 which will rock and vibrate more. maybe someone can explain it better but i think that that was the jist of what i read. also 12's are balanced well because they are just 2 I6's with a common crank.
this article is not the exact one but its close, click on the "balance" and Balance shaft" links in the text too.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straight-6

[wmomran]

this file will make everyone more familiar with his engine :)

http://media.gm.com/division/powertrain/news/4200_Tech.pdf

[jjsryd]

I'm not sure about the V6 having more low end torque then the I6. Look at all the Tractor-Trailers, they are all inline engines. There must be a reason for that logic.

[whatahottie]

this file will make everyone more familiar with his engine :)

http://media.gm.com/division/powertrain/news/4200_Tech.pdf


Sweet! All the more reason to own a TB:D ,good Info

[traumadog]

An I6 does have perfect first-and second-order vibration cancellation, making it exceptionally smoother for any given displacement (though I'm not sure flat/V12's wouldn't have the same thing). The down side is it's length (a V6 is a little more than half as long); but the flip side is the narrower engine could allow a tighter turning circle.

[Dave]

Inline 6 engines are very smooth but they can not achieve a higher RPM then a V-6 engine. A big truck engine or an airplane engine can have an I6 but they can't rev more than around 3000 rpm. A V6 in say an NSX can screem to around 7-8000 rpm.

The main disadvantage with an inline 6 is its length. It won't fit in most cars. So the V-6 is better that way

VW even uses a VR6 that has 2 banks of cylinders but only one cylinder head because the banks are only around 15% apart. That engine can produce a lot of HP and a lot of torque for only around 3 liters.

Inline 6s also were known to have cooling problems (mostly in airplanes and air cooled engines).

The flat 6 is also an extremely smooth engine and can produce high horsepower, especially if it has Porshe on top of it.

But I prefer a good old pushrod V-8. With DOD it has the economy of a 6 cylinder but has a lot more torque. Yes, it is not as smooth but mine idle at 600rpm without shaking.

[traumadog]

Inline 6 engines are very smooth but they can not achieve a higher RPM then a V-6 engine. A big truck engine or an airplane engine can have an I6 but they can't rev more than around 3000 rpm. A V6 in say an NSX can screem to around 7-8000 rpm.

The main disadvantage with an inline 6 is its length. It won't fit in most cars. So the V-6 is better that way

VW even uses a VR6 that has 2 banks of cylinders but only one cylinder head because the banks are only around 15% apart. That engine can produce a lot of HP and a lot of torque for only around 3 liters.

Inline 6s also were known to have cooling problems (mostly in airplanes and air cooled engines).

The flat 6 is also an extremely smooth engine and can produce high horsepower, especially if it has Porshe on top of it.

But I prefer a good old pushrod V-8. With DOD it has the economy of a 6 cylinder but has a lot more torque. Yes, it is not as smooth but mine idle at 600rpm without shaking.

Small-displacement I6's should be able to have comparably high rev-limits - just like the old Formula 1 V-12's would (10K+ RPM from 3 liters).

The truck and boat motors (I don't know of any current aviation I6's) you talk of have 8+ liter capactities (and are frequently diesel, to boot). So with that much reciprocating mass, I wouldn't expect a high-rev capacity anyway.

[Dave]

The F1 cars now have 2.4 L V-8s that rev up to around 19000 RPM, yikes! Of course you don't want to drop below 9000 rpm though.

The cooling reason is why you don't see many I6 aviation motors, especially since they were air cooled.

[MTPockets]

this file will make everyone more familiar with his engine :)

http://media.gm.com/division/powertrain/news/4200_Tech.pdf

That is an awesome write-up! :thumbsup: A little out dated @ August 2000 :confused: , but I think the only additions were the AIR system and 2006 model year cylinder head changes, MAF addition, etc.. That's the first I've seen of the the cam phaser assembly and timing chain layout. Cool stuff.

Joel

[montecarlo04]

one thing about inline engines. inline 6 and 8 engines were common untill the 1950s. one problem they had was fuel delivery to the outmost cylanders and crank support. thats why they moved to V configurations.

[rbarrios]

it was interesting to read about the longer life of oil due to the 7 quarts.
I had not thought about it that way.
I changed my oil at about 9000 miles, and the change oil light had not come on....... but just 2 days ago the light came on-.... and I think It was about 11,000 miles..... I changed it at 9K cause I thought the oil life monitor stopped working..... but I guess not

[APDMC6008]

this file will make everyone more familiar with his engine :)

http://media.gm.com/division/powertrain/news/4200_Tech.pdf


Wow. Informative is not the word for that! :eek:

[pervisanathema]

An inline 6 is one of if not the smoothest cylinder configuration in existance. I believe this is one of the reasons that high end luxury cars (Rolls Royce, BMW...) use a V-12. It is basically two I6s that share a crankshaft.

[ylab]

An inline 6 is one of if not the smoothest cylinder configuration in existance. I believe this is one of the reasons that high end luxury cars (Rolls Royce, BMW...) use a V-12. It is basically two I6s that share a crankshaft.

Don't forget that for the longest time BMW & Jaguar basically used inline 6 engines exclusively in their higher trim vehicles! BMW had the 325i & 525i (2.5l six) and the 330 & 530i (3.0l six). It wasn't until the mid-90s that they came out with their small eight for the 5 series. Even the X3 uses one of two inline 6s and the base engine on the X5 is also a six. Jaguar had the XJ6 in one of two engine trims and then the V12 for those wanting performance for the longest time....butter smooth, both of them.

[jay boy]

The inline 6cyl engines that I work on in Kenworth trucks are 14 to 16 Liters. The newer ones have STEEL pistons! LOTS of mass to stop and start! We only turn 2100 rpm max. Most run for about 1 million miles before needing overhalled. Jay

[Bulldog]

Simple - My I6 smoked a V6 the other day!

[Sport_truck]

Easier

If you want speed get an I6 if you want Power get a V6....

By the way I love the way my father's Hemi Ram Rattles when you rev it...
I wish my tb rattle that way...:D