Outer Limits 4x4 Board

Why does a V8 (say 4litre) sound good with a dual exhaust but a 4cl with a single pipe sounds..well there is no sound. Say a 4litre V8 has a piston displacement of 500ml same as a 2litre 4cl shouldn't the note sound the same?

There's 4 less bangs occuring each time round


It's all to do with the motor and type of exhaust though.
I've heard 4 cylinders which sound awesome, and V8s which sound horrible and vice-versa.

Could be the Firing order of the V8

I wonder What a straight 8cyl sounds like

Its all to do with the firing order. Thats the reason a Ford V8 sounds better than a chev IMO . Not being biased or starting a war but its true. Obviously there are other contributing factors. Also on a twin system, a good exhaust will be length tuned, different length pipes will give an uneven burble at the arse end.

A straight 8 sounds like an aeroplane, at least the ones I have heard!

I agree though, a 4 banger with a big exhaust sounds horrible

It's got to do with the manifolding not just the cylinder configuration. That's why V8's have a balance pipe. You know when you here a really 'crackly' V8 note, it has no balance pipe so the air waves resonate in the pipebecause it's a low frequency. A rumble has a balance pipe which allows the resonance to be shared down each pipe which inturn alters the frequency. A real nice rumble comes from a two into one system where the two systems join and each frequency actually compliments the other by helping the air shift.
I Hope that sort of clears it up.
It's not just about the amount of air each cylinder moves, but rather the total amount of air and the frequency it's shifted at. Inlet manfold variations will also make a slight difference to exhaust note.
Cheers Dan

But by mucking around with a 4cl can you really get a V8 rumble?

Dozoor wrote:NO.

yep. NO!

Vineboy wrote:But by mucking around with a 4cl can you really get a V8 rumble?

yeah you can but you need to put an extra 4 clyinders in there.

tuf045 wrote:

Vineboy wrote:But by mucking around with a 4cl can you really get a V8 rumble?

yeah you can but you need to put an extra 4 clyinders in there.

So true!

the subaru horozontally opposed engine sounds good, about the only thing i like about a wrx

pity the all sound the same what about the six's theres some sweeet six cylinders out there im sick of hearing gen3's cant beat the sound of a drag car mmmmmmmm

Grandfather had an old straight eight Packard(?I think?)
Sounded absolutely gorgeous

Ford V8 properly tuned about the best sound, although a well tuned Rover can match it.

The OHC Falcon sixes can sound pretty good too, as does the Bimmer

Best of the fours would be the suby, followed closely by the L18 / L20 Dattos

Then there's the 3 cyl suzuki 2 stroke ...

Vineboy wrote:But by mucking around with a 4cl can you really get a V8 rumble?

Depends on how many hi-clones your using

Eddy wrote:
Best of the fours would be ..., followed closely by the L18 / L20 Dattos

firing order and capacity. Thats why ls1's sound shite and lt1's sound sweet as! The firing order on the ls1 was changed to reduce the load at the crank by 8% from memory. I think capacity makes a big difference too. A 253 is the audio equivalent of an abortion, where as a 350, 454 etc sound tough and deep.

The way an engine is tuned will reflect the way it sounds as well. My exhaust note changes under load when i reach 3,000rpm and the HSV chip starts doing it's thang. Sounds awesome! with the older 6pot engines, the ford 6 sounded like crap compared to the Holden red motor, i absolutely HATE the sound of a Subaru with a noisy exhaust..... sounds like it's running on 3 cylinders. Best sounding V8 would have to be the 3.9 rovers! those things sound good! Actually, any V8 with a nice throaty zorst going at full noise gets movement

The firing order is all about the two-plane crankshaft in a V8. To get good balance, the firing order is uneven, which gives the characteristic V8 rumble.

Build a V8 on a single plane crankshaft i.e a like a 4 cyl shaft, and you'll get more power coz the manifolds etc can be tuned properly. Race V8s sometimes have single plane cranks. But vibration is then a problem.

And the sound of a single plane V8 is something else again..

Regards
Max P

Patrolden wrote:Best sounding V8 would have to be the 3.9 rovers! those things sound good!

AJFeroza wrote:

Eddy wrote:
Best of the fours would be suby, followed closely by the L18 / L20 Dattos

Add to the mix the induction noise which is a lot of what you will be hearing on some cars when the revs come up.

Give me a quiteish exhaust with a good induction noise when you really give it some stick over any loud exhaust.

juls wrote:Add to the mix the induction noise which is a lot of what you will be hearing on some cars when the revs come up.

Give me a quiteish exhaust with a good induction noise when you really give it some stick over any loud exhaust.

like a pod filter enclosed and hooked up to a snorkel With the passenger window down, the induction noise under load at high revs easily drowns out the exhaust

although, you will never beat a setup of webbers with torque tubes at full throttle

juls wrote:Add to the mix the induction noise which is a lot of what you will be hearing on some cars when the revs come up.

Give me a quiteish exhaust with a good induction noise when you really give it some stick over any loud exhaust.

My old 20valve corolla had the best induction noise this side of an f1 car. The exhaust noise is much the same as any other 1.6 twin cam toyota.

Best sounding car engine is the RB26 at full noise.

Best sounding bike is a duke 996, closely followed by the VTR and VFR hondas.

ANYONE who thinks a rotor sounds good ought to be shot.

Gribble wrote: ANYONE who thinks a rotor sounds good ought to be shot.

shoot me now then a rotisary that has been ported sounds very nice as it winds up to over 10,000rpm

Patrolden wrote:

Gribble wrote: ANYONE who thinks a rotor sounds good ought to be shot.

shoot me now then a rotisary that has been ported sounds very nice as it winds up to over 10,000rpm

*writes patrolden on 30-30 bullet*

Gribble wrote:

Patrolden wrote:

Gribble wrote: ANYONE who thinks a rotor sounds good ought to be shot.

shoot me now then a rotisary that has been ported sounds very nice as it winds up to over 10,000rpm

*writes patrolden on 30-30 bullet*

More off topic banter.

L18 / L20 Dattos + twin cam

never heard a sexier car.

http://www.osgiken.co.jp/video1001.wmvhttp://www.osgiken.co.jp/video2001.wmv

close 2nd is my leyland 4.7(ish)ltr

Simon

My Opinion:

Nothing matches a V8 (petrol) (FULLSTOP).

Some sixes sound good, usually inline not vee. I'll vote Holden red, or Nissan here.

4cylinders are a joke, I drive one and i have a slightly louder exhaust than standard, but I wouldn't turn the CD player down to here it go.

2 - strokes should be only used with glow-plugs and nitro (they still don't cut it though).

Rotatries sound almost as bad as abba, and i don't like abba.

Diesels can sound interesting (usually the turbo winding up), but just still don't have anything on a big block V8 with twin exhausts and none of that pollution garbage like catalitic converters.


I Guess its like music, everyone has there own taste, but thats my 2 cents worth.

RB petrol 6's sound nice. thou getting sick of hearing them tearing around.

commos, falcodoors. crap.

4cyl - as below. the zook sounded better with only the extractors thou not the system on there.

rotary - nice with the right exhaust,extras..

8's old skool are the best

The sound of a big turbo diesal winding up is pretty cool, a rover V8 at full noise gets my attention... not a big fan of many other v8's ...

A suby with a proper exhaust (not just a milo can) can sound pretty good tootleing about ... sounds like it is being restrained and wants to run.