V8 engine

, manufactured 1954–2003 was manufactured 1956–1991; pictured here, the AMC 390, installed in an AMX A V8 engine is an eight-cylinder piston engine in which two banks of four cylinders share a common crankshaft and are arranged in a V configuration.

, manufactured 1954–2003 ]] was manufactured 1956–1991; pictured here, the AMC 390, installed in an AMX]] A V8 engine is an eight-cylinder piston engine in which two banks of four cylinders share a common crankshaft and are arranged in a V configuration. === Crankshaft configuration=== ==Automobile use== The first V8 engine used in a road-going car was the 1905 Rolls-Royce built in the United Kingdom. This model was initially equipped with a V8 engine. However, only three cars were made before Rolls-Royce reverted to using straight-six engines for their cars. In 1907, the Hewitt Touring Car became the first car built in the United States with a V8 engine. The engine was designed and built by Edward R. Hewitt who emphasized the V8's superiority to the typical I4 and I6 and six-cylinder engines of the time because of its lower weight and easier to make crankshaft compared to the I6s of equal power as well as the V8 not taking much more space than a I4. The 1910 De Dion-Bouton— built in France— is considered to be the first V8 engine produced in significant quantities. The 1914 Cadillac L-head V8 engine is considered the first road-going V8 engine to be mass-produced in significant quantities, with 13,000 sold the first year. This engine was built in the United States and was greatly assisted by Cadillac's pioneering use of electric starter motors. The popularity of V8 engines in cars was significantly increased following the 1932 introduction of the Ford Flathead V8. By the early 21st century, the use of V8 engines in passenger vehicles declined as automobile manufacturers opted for more fuel efficient, lower capacity engines, or hybrid and electric drivetrains. ===Size, layout, and classification=== The displacement of modern V8 engines is typically from . However, size of production engines varies widely - for example the BMW M502 V8 introduced in the 1954 BMW 502 displaced only , while the 1971-1978 Cadillac Eldorado was powered by an motor. V8 engines intended for motorsport are often small and short-stroke to maximize RPMs and thus power. The Cosworth DFV is an example. Due to its large external dimensions, V8 engines are typically used in cars that use a longitudinal engine layout and rear-wheel drive (or all-wheel drive). However, V8 engines have also occasionally been used in transverse engine front-wheel drive vehicles, sometimes using closer cylinder bore spacings and narrower cylinder bank angles to reduce their space requirements. The classification of 'big-block' or 'small-block' refers to the engine's external dimensions and does not necessarily indicate the actual engine displacement. Engines with displacements from have been classified as both small-block and big-block, depending on the particular manufacturer's range of engines. ===Automobile use by country=== ==Airplane use== aircraft engine, ]] Several early aircraft engines used a V8 configuration, such as the French 1904 Antoinette engine and 1906 Buchet engines. The 1905 version of the Antoinette engine produced with of weight (including cooling water), resulting in a power-to-weight ratio that was not surpassed for 25 years. Early airplanes continued to use V8 engines. During World War One, V8 aircraft engines included the French Renault 8G, the Spanish Hispano-Suiza 8, the British Sunbeam Arab, and the American Curtiss OX-5. The 1915 Hispano-Suiza 8 SOHC engine was designed by Marc Birkigt from Switzerland and was built by Hispano-Suiza in France and Spain as well as under license in England and the United States. This engine was used by American, French, and British military aircraft in World War One. It was one of the most important engines with most of the leading aces piloting aircraft powered by this dependable, flexible-performance, as well as light and well-balanced Hispano-Suiza 8 engine. By 1922, the versions incorporated improvements by Wright Aeronautical and was considered the lightest and most efficient pursuit engine in the world. After this time, flat-eight engines became more commonplace than V8 engines due to their lighter crankshafts and better suitability for air cooling. One of the few remaining V8 airplane engines by World War Two was the German Argus As 10 inverted V8, which was air-cooled and used in several trainers and small utility aircraft. ==Marine vessel use== marine/truck engine ]] The V8 configuration is not commonly used in marine vessels. Nevertheless, the arrangement provides for a short engine that is also well-balanced for high-speed work. In addition to gasoline fuel, several marine diesel V8 engines have been produced by companies such as Brons, Scania, and Yanmar. Gray Marine Motor Company was one of the first to use petrol V8 engines for marine use. Engines from American Motors Corporation (AMC) were utilized by Gray Marine from 1957 until 1968. They were marketed as "Fireball" inboards and available in versions. They used a variety of carburetor combinations, including single and dual Carter one barrel YH side-drafts, Carter two-barrel, and Carter AFB/AVS four-barrel types. The engine is mostly the same as for automobile applications, with changes to freeze plugs and cam profiles (to reduce top rpm), and well as positive displacement pump to cool each cylinder bank separately and evenly. Reverse rotation allowed for use in twin-engine boats. The "Fireball" engines often powered Century motor yachts and many Lyman boats. In the 1970s, AMC's V8 engines were also available as marine versions, with most fitted to jet drive boats for water skiing. Wärtsilä 31, a four-stroke medium-speed diesel engine manufactured by Wärtsilä, is one of the few large marine diesel engines available in V8 configuration. The 8V31 model, which has a cylinder bore of , is available as diesel (8V31), dual-fuel (8V31DF), and pure gas (8V31SG) configurations with an output of depending on the model. ==Motorcycle use== Until Boss Hoss Cycles began production in 1990, the few V8 motorcycles made were either prototypes or racing machines. In 1907, Glen Curtiss set an unofficial world record of on a home-made motorcycle. The Moto Guzzi V8 was a motorcycle capable of used for Grand Prix racing from 1955 until 1957. The 1994 Morbidelli V8 was an concept motorcycle which did not reach production. , Boss Hoss had sold over 4,000 bikes and trikes with Chevrolet V8 car engines.

Text derived from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1378657303 under CC BY-SA 4.0; modifications have been made.