With the new class 1500, 1600, and 1800 models, BMW started to slant the inline engines by 30 degrees to lower the hoodline. When compared to modern cars, they were still somewhat tall. To reduce the hoodline, most cars switched to V engines for that reason. The similar rationale is used by the Japanese to tilt some of their transverse front-wheel drive engines.
The tilt is calculated from the vertex. Horizontal would be 90 degrees. Although BMW did so with their motorcycles, it would be useless for a straight engine. A 180 degree V engine is typically referred to as a flat engine or a horizontally opposed engine. Since the oil reservoir must be entirely below so that the pistons do not slop around in it, flat engines do not drop the CG as much as one might expect. The CG ends up being rather high because the bulk of the mass is thus on the crank’s centerline.
Before the new class, BMW may have used this idea, but I am not familiar with them. I assumed that most of them had V engines or were installed virtually.
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Vertical vs. slanted engines
The majority of vertical engines that occupy the same space must have longer strokes and bigger cylinders. The overall height is reduced and, in some situations, the center of gravity is lowered with a tilted engine. Performance-wise, they can be identical because any inline engine can tip over with the proper oiling configuration.
It’s a fitting issue, since sport bike engines tilt the engine just enough to give the intake ports a direct shot for the injector spray, which is the perfect position for performance.
Cons of an e36/46 include dealing with the shifter and altering the angle. Yes, it is possible, but it shouldn’t be disregarded. Standing the engine up causes a change and puts pressure on the selector. It will need to be addressed.
Snik
Imagine our engines running straight up and down; the hood would need to be raised by about six inches.
When they wanted to construct an LHD variant of the skyline, it became problematic, which is why the present models have a V6 engine. shame. Therefore, that is a drawback in that the tilt left little room for the steering box on one side. I’m not sure if the piping for the turbo caused this problem, but BMWs don’t seem to have it.
The n54 is therefore 30 degrees tilted, and from what I understand, it only serves to lower the headline and lower the center of gravity. Working on the car is a pain because of the 30 degree slant, especially on the exhaust side. Would turning the engine vertical have any drawbacks? I am aware that you would require hood, bell housing, and bespoke mounts. According to my understanding, doing this would enhance oiling and make it easier to work on. Cost and a greater center of gravity would be disadvantages. Personally, a lot of the problems would be resolved if the n54 was vertical from the factory.
The oil pan is tilted to account for the angle, thus oiling would not be better. I would guess that you would need a bespoke pan or at the very least a pickup tube that has been adjusted.
A new hole would need to be cut in your trans tunnel as a result of tilting the engine, and the shifting angle would become exceedingly difficult. Don’t forget about the trans assembly specifically for 6MT. I concur with Tyc0 on the oiling; given the design of the pickup tube, you would probably be depriving the engine of oil. You would require a lot of bespoke work, and you would probably face bigger problems in the future. The engine is on that slant for a purpose, and I’m confident that it was designed to be there.
#6
lustigson first uploaded this. I almost grasp the concept. Was the car’s length such that the cylinders, so to speak, were twisted backward or sideways?
The inline 4-cylinder engine had a crankshaft that was parallel to the centerline of the vehicle. The engine was turned on its side for aerodynamic and probably C of G reduction purposes. To find out more and to see how low the engine installation was, perform a Google search for “Brabham BT55.”
What causes engines to lean?
Manufacturers started creating lab test rigs around ten years ago that could imitate the lateral and longitudinal accelerations produced by an automobile by tilting the engine.
The reason inline engines lean is.
Due to the water pump’s offset mounting and lower bonnet in passenger cars made possible by the slanted configuration, the engine’s overall length was reduced.
BMW inline 6 engines are they dependable?
Modern BMW engines are those that made their debut in vehicles built within the last 25 years. A secondhand BMW becomes a classic the older it gets.
One dependable BMW engine, the N52 inline-6 featured in the E90 325i, 328i, and 330i, has already been covered in detail. This engine isn’t ideal, but because it isn’t turbocharged, it doesn’t have the issues of the current N54 engine. Additionally, the N52 is free of the rod-bearing problem that plagued the E90 M3.
Make sure the BMW you’re looking at has the 2009 models’ upgraded cylinder head if it has a N52 engine. According to BMW Tuning, this eliminates the oil-related valve-tick problem that frequently arises in older vehicles. Automobiles manufactured in 2008 and earlier may experience steering lock and ABS module failure.
The M54 inline-6 is another dependable contemporary BMW engine. This engine is found in the 2000–2006 E46 3 Series, as well as modern Z3 and Z4 roadsters and X3 and X5 SUVs, according to BMW Tuning. And it has a reputation for performing dependably even after traveling a great deal of distance.
Having saying that, the M54 engine isn’t entirely faultless. It includes BMW’s VANOS technology, which controls the valvetrain, just like the N52. The system’s solenoids and seals deteriorate and fail over time. The DISA valve on the intake manifold and the plastic valve cover both have a similar tendency to deteriorate.
But contemporary spare components come in better and more durable materials. Additionally, certain M54s have loose oil pump nuts, which could fall off and cause an engine to fail. However, according to BMW Tuning, most have already been better secured with Loctite.
The M44 4-cylinder engine, which can be found in the 1996-1999 BMW Z3 and E36 318ti, is the last option, according to Turner Motorsports. According to UnixNerd, the M44 is descended from the M10 4-cylinder used in the E30 3 Series and was preceded by the M42 and M40 engines.
Although the S14 engine in the M10 and E30 M3 is quite robust, according to BimmerLife, the M44 is more tolerable. Not the least of which is that it features an OBD-II port that is current. It’s also a reliable engine, according to UnixNerd, with the exception of certain age-related gasket and tubing problems.
What engine has the ideal balance?
Inline-6 cylinder engines are the most naturally balanced engines. The six cylinders move in pairs but ignite in alternation cycles because of the timing of the pistons. As a result, there is always the same distance between each cylinder movement.
Exactly why are single-cylinder engines not perfectly balanced?
No, a single-cylinder engine is never completely balanced. The con rod’s angle causes the top half of the cylinder to move more quickly than the bottom, therefore the piston’s motion isn’t nearly completely sinusoidal. This causes additional vibration at a crankshaft speed twice as high.
Can an engine be balanced perfectly?
- An ideal primary balance can be achieved in a V-twin engine by using offset crank pins and a 90 degree V angle.
- The 360deg crankshaft causes an irregular firing interval if a shared crank pin is employed (as in a Ducati V-twin engine). Additionally, these engines exhibit primary rotational and reciprocating plane asymmetries. This offset results in a rocking coupling within the engine when the connecting rods are at various points along the crankshaft (which is the case until fork-and-blade connecting rods are employed).
The ‘V’ angle and crankshaft configurations of V4 engines can be set up in a variety of ways. Examples include:
- The firing interval for the Lancia Fulvia V4 engines’ narrow V angles matches that of a straight-four engine because the crank pin offsets match the V angles.
- Some V4 engines have variable firing intervals, so every design must be taken into account separately in terms of all the balancing components. The firing intervals of the Honda RC36 engine’s 180deg crankshaft and 90deg V angle provide inconsistent firing intervals within 360 degrees and within 720 degrees of crankshaft rotation. The firing interval for the Honda VFR1200F engine is 256deg-104deg-256deg due to its 76deg V angle and 360deg crankshaft with common crank pins that are 28deg misaligned. Additionally, this engine’s connecting rods are arranged in an unique front-rear-rear-front pattern, with the front cylinder bank’s “bore spacing” being significantly wider than the back, which reduces rocking pairs (at the expense of wider engine width).
- The engine is small due to the 60deg V angle and the short crankshaft length, which also lessens torsional vibrations. imbalances on rotating planes. Because of the spacing between the left and right cylinder banks and the thickness of the connecting rod and crank web, it is more challenging to use crankshaft counterweights to balance the reciprocating plane.
- In order to save money on design and construction, two cylinders from a 90-degree V8 engine were historically removed from this design. The 3.3 L (200 cu in) and 3.8 L (229 cu in) Chevrolet 90deg V6 engines are an early illustration of this, as they had an 18deg offset crankshaft that causes an uneven firing interval. The Honda C engine, one of the more recent versions, uses crank pins that are offset by 30 degrees to produce an equal firing interval. These engines have smaller secondary imbalances, staggered cylinder banks, and primary reciprocating plane and rotational plane imbalances similar to V6 engines with 60deg V angles.
V12 engines are smooth because…
- Low Vibration: V12 engines consist of two straight-six engines mated to a single crank. They are therefore naturally balanced at all V angles.
- Smooth Power Delivery: The V12 engine boasts one of the smoothest power delivery of any engine thanks to its piston firing every 60 degrees of crankshaft rotation.
- Free Revving: The crankshaft can be manufactured with less counterweight since the engine is naturally balanced, which lowers rotational inertia.
- Power: Smaller cylinders facilitate fast rpm, and larger displacements allow for more air and fuel to be used. These two elements combine to make V12 engines produce large power figures.
- Cost: This is not a cheap option, as one might assume.
- Complexity: An engine with 12 pistons and frequently 48 valves is complex due to the large number of moving parts.
- Size: Make sure to leave enough of room in your engine bay to fit a big V12.
- It is a large, heavy engine. Naturally, you can always spend more money on materials that are lighter.
Engines are balanced out of the box?
All crankshafts are factory balanced, but not to the extent required for a racing engine or a high-performance street engine, which often entails keeping the imbalance to less than ounce-inches. For manufacturing vehicles that don’t experience frequent high-rpm blasts, the factory balance is sufficient.
The n54 is tilted; why?
The n54 is therefore 30 degrees tilted, and from what I understand, it only serves to lower the headline and lower the center of gravity. Working on the car is a pain because of the 30 degree slant, especially on the exhaust side. Would turning the engine vertical have any drawbacks? I am aware that you would require hood, bell housing, and bespoke mounts. According to my understanding, doing this would enhance oiling and make it easier to work on. Cost and a greater center of gravity would be disadvantages. Personally, a lot of the problems would be resolved if the n54 was vertical from the factory.
Is a horizontal or vertical engine superior?
The air flow direction is better matched with the horizontal engines, which allows for easier cooling. The majority of the horizontal engines’ components are exposed to the air, which contributes to air convection cooling. However, vertical engines have a poor likelihood of being cooled by air since they are not totally exposed to the moving air.
We must weigh the benefits and drawbacks of both orientations in order to give the engine the optimal orientation possible. Since they place the motorcycle’s center of gravity lower, horizontal engines are obviously more stable, and vertical arrangements are utilized to house larger engines. The configuration with an inclined orientation would be ideal. Lowering the center of gravity by inclining the engine vertically will ultimately increase the vehicle’s stability. The structure also readily fits inclined engines, and their exposed surface to moving air also somewhat rises. Therefore, the majority of larger engines are mounted on frames in an inclined posture.