Car Enthusiast Club [Now Motorcycle friendly!] - First thread to 150k! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[iDeFecZx]

4 hours ago, bcredeur97 said:

Good Morning everyone  

its only flat at the bottom just turn it round 

[Computernaut]

Hello everyone!

I've become quite interested in cars these past few months, and while I've learned a lot, I have some questions that still perplex me. I thought maybe some of you more seasoned car people would be able to answer them. As it stands, my questions are as follows:

1. Why is the firing order (in V8) engines so seemingly random? Why can't it be more symmetrical and systematic?

2 (connected to 1). Why do opposing cylinders in a V engine always share a crank pin?

3. Why do American companies almost never make V10s or V12s?

4 (connected to 3). Why are American cars, and especially their engines, seemingly so different from the rest of the world?

5. Why is any car with the engine in front of the driver always a "front engine" while the difference between rear and mid engine is down to where the axle sits under the engine (or something like that)?

6. Is engine torque (and maybe horsepower as well) affected by the configuration of the engine and the number of cylinders (in addition to displacement)?

7. How does one measure the displacement of a rotary engine (and does it transfer well to a piston-engine context)?

8. What's up with Subarus having such a cult following? What makes them so special? Who decided to call their performance division "STI"? Doesn't that stand for Sexually Transmitted Illness?

 

Okay, I think that's enough. Feel free to answer as many or as few as you feel inclined to. Thanks in advance.

[vetali]

7 minutes ago, Computernaut said:

1. Why is the firing order (in V8) engines so seemingly random? Why can't it be more symmetrical and systematic?

2 (connected to 1). Why do opposing cylinders in a V engine always share a crank pin?

3. Why do American companies almost never make V10s or V12s?

4 (connected to 3). Why are American cars, and especially their engines, seemingly so different from the rest of the world?

5. Why is any car with the engine in front of the driver always a "front engine" while the difference between rear and mid engine is down to where the axle sits under the engine (or something like that)?

6. Is engine torque (and maybe horsepower as well) affected by the configuration of the engine and the number of cylinders (in addition to displacement)?

7. How does one measure the displacement of a rotary engine (and does it transfer well to a piston-engine context)?

8. What's up with Subarus having such a cult following? What makes them so special? Who decided to call their performance division "STI"? Doesn't that stand for Sexually Transmitted Illness?

1, Firing order boils down to mostly balance and crank design reasons. Plus arbitrary things like how the cylinders are labeled (like how GM does it vs Ford)

2, sizing and balance.

3, there is a few v10s. American car designers preferred big displacement v8s due to the HP war era. Simple and effective.

4, in what way? I can say German cars and engines are different from the rest of the world. Same with Japanese and Korean, or even down to the company.

5, no idea on that one.

6, there are so many variables at play for HP output. You can't blanket displacement and number of cylinders into it. Modern 4 cylinders make more power than v8s in the 60s and 70s. Modern v6s make more HP than v8s 20 years ago.

7, I believe its the total volume of one face, x3 for each rotor.

8, Every brand has a cult following. Some are weirder than others. STI stands for Subaru Tecnica International, their performance division. Most brands have this, or a nameplate for their performance oriented products.

[jagdtigger]

17 hours ago, PandaCopyRight said:

bandit 1250? 

Yes, it will take a bit of time to get used to it. It only has 25 more hp than my current 600ccm bandit but it has double the torque ...

[PandaCopyRight]

13 hours ago, Computernaut said:

Hello everyone!

I've become quite interested in cars these past few months, and while I've learned a lot, I have some questions that still perplex me. I thought maybe some of you more seasoned car people would be able to answer them. As it stands, my questions are as follows:

1. Why is the firing order (in V8) engines so seemingly random? Why can't it be more symmetrical and systematic?

2 (connected to 1). Why do opposing cylinders in a V engine always share a crank pin?

3. Why do American companies almost never make V10s or V12s?

4 (connected to 3). Why are American cars, and especially their engines, seemingly so different from the rest of the world?

5. Why is any car with the engine in front of the driver always a "front engine" while the difference between rear and mid engine is down to where the axle sits under the engine (or something like that)?

6. Is engine torque (and maybe horsepower as well) affected by the configuration of the engine and the number of cylinders (in addition to displacement)?

7. How does one measure the displacement of a rotary engine (and does it transfer well to a piston-engine context)?

8. What's up with Subarus having such a cult following? What makes them so special? Who decided to call their performance division "STI"? Doesn't that stand for Sexually Transmitted Illness?

 

Okay, I think that's enough. Feel free to answer as many or as few as you feel inclined to. Thanks in advance.

I will mostly add to what vetali answered as i agree with his points.

4. each manufacturer makes everything differently.... do they work together or copy each other once in a while? Yes.... do the general trends for engines and cars between regions differ? yes 
5. this might be more of my opinion on this but i think people dont care about it when the engine is in front of the driver or just dont want to get confused with mid engined cars where engine is behind the driver.

Some manufacturers do classify them the same as with behind the driver.... aka in front of the axle would be front engine and behind it would be mid engined.

Dodge Viper (what comes to my mind quickly) would technically be mid engine according to the engine position but i think people still call it front engined

7. Total volume of a single rotor face x how many faces the rotors have(usually 3) x how many rotors you got in the engine config like vetali said.
Total volume of one face of the rotor would be about the equal of single cylinder of a 2 stroke piston engine.. as thats the closest thing in the way the engines work yet no one will compare them this way.

[Bitter]

Engine layout has to do with it's relation the driver and to the axle it's nearest...usually.

Front engine has the engine over or ahead of the axle.

Front mid-ship has the front engine behind the front axle.

Mid engine has the engine behind the driver but forward of the rear axle.

Rear engine has the engine behind the driver and behind the rear axle.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Car_layout

 

There's a few other oddities with where the trans can be placed like in a Corvette, Plymoth Prowler, and Porsche 944 that have engine front but trans at the back.

[bcredeur97]

Welp dealership sold the Lexus from underneath me while I was on my way there. Can’t say I’m not angry I literally just got off the phone confirming everything with them this morning.

 

so that won’t be happening 

[Bitter]

6 minutes ago, bcredeur97 said:

Welp dealership sold the Lexus from underneath me while I was on my way there. Can’t say I’m not angry I literally just got off the phone confirming everything with them this morning.

 

so that won’t be happening 

Jerks. Not to nag after the fact but putting down a deposit can sometimes help with that situation...sometimes not. Just make sure it's refundable and use a credit card so you can dispute it if they don't want to give it back.

[bcredeur97]

2 hours ago, Bitter said:

Jerks. Not to nag after the fact but putting down a deposit can sometimes help with that situation...sometimes not. Just make sure it's refundable and use a credit card so you can dispute it if they don't want to give it back.

Yeah i didn’t think it’d  be refundable And never fully sure about old cars was why I didn’t. They also didn’t ask if I wanted to 

 

its all good I had a word with them about bad business practices and now it’s over 

[iDeFecZx]

10 hours ago, bcredeur97 said:

Welp dealership sold the Lexus from underneath me while I was on my way there. Can’t say I’m not angry I literally just got off the phone confirming everything with them this morning.

 

so that won’t be happening 

Hate times like that, had it wayy back when I bought my blue clio, was meant to be going to look at a black one about 6 hours away and about an hour before i set off the guy text me to say someone was coming to look at it about 4 hours before me ...

[jagdtigger]

18 hours ago, bcredeur97 said:

its all good I had a word with them about bad business practices and now it’s over 

Cant really blame them TBH, i only held once a scooter i was selling because someone said they coming for it. Well guess what they didnt, and because of that i was only able to sell it for 150€ less..... (doesnt sound much but when you get less than 1000€ a month it matters a lot).

[jooroth18]

Hello everyone! I have been on the LTT fourm for a bit but never realized there was a thread about cars. Ive been into cars for a little while, but personally don't really own anything special.

My current daily driver is a 2016 Toyota Avalon, nothing special, just wanted a reliable daily that had a V6 and was comfortable. i commute 60 Mi per day including weekends, with some days being even longer, so I spend a lot of time in my car.

My prior car was a 2008 BMW X5 3.0si, it was a very good car as far as BMW's go, reliability was surprisingly well, but unfortunately it got into an accident, and instead of fixing it myself, I donated it to a technical school.

Not much else to say, but it was cool finding this thread!

[Bitter]

3 minutes ago, jooroth18 said:

Hello everyone! I have been on the LTT fourm for a bit but never realized there was a thread about cars. Ive been into cars for a little while, but personally don't really own anything special.

My current daily driver is a 2016 Toyota Avalon, nothing special, just wanted a reliable daily that had a V6 and was comfortable. i commute 60 Mi per day including weekends, with some days being even longer, so I spend a lot of time in my car.

My prior car was a 2008 BMW X5 3.0si, it was a very good car as far as BMW's go, reliability was surprisingly well, but unfortunately it got into an accident, and instead of fixing it myself, I donated it to a technical school.

Not much else to say, but it was cool finding this thread!

A 2016 Avalon is nothing to be ashamed of, they're really nice cars. Interior is a little downgrade from the previous gens but overall is a nicer car. Keep an eye on oil consumption and make sure you don't have one that's part of the transmission cooler issues, I think they had that fixed by 2016 though.

[jooroth18]

21 minutes ago, Bitter said:

A 2016 Avalon is nothing to be ashamed of, they're really nice cars. Interior is a little downgrade from the previous gens but overall is a nicer car. Keep an eye on oil consumption and make sure you don't have one that's part of the transmission cooler issues, I think they had that fixed by 2016 though.

I do watch my oil levels whenever I get gas, but I never knew about the transmission cooler. Recently my transmission has been hesitant to shift gears when I use the paddles, and people on other forums said my throttle position sensor might have an issue. Will probably have my friend who owns a mechanic shop take a look at it and see what it is.

Overall the car has been great. the sound system was a definite downgrade from the X5, even though its the JBL system. I agree that the interior isn't the best, definitely not the most durable. I also upgraded the tires, as the Michelins on the car were really not great. Even though they are completely unnecessary, I fitted some PS4S tires, which i only did because I got a 30% discount on them as a set and could not resist. They make the car handle waay better, especially when the road is not completely dry. The only thing that annoys me is the suspension, as while its very soft and nice, it has a springy feel when going over bumps, almost like a trampoline. Its a thing that many reviewers noted, and an issue that did not exist before 2016.

[Beef Boss]

Been on the hunt for good coils, been trying to find the OEM Mitsubishi ones forever but didn't wanna spend 300+ on two coils. Pulled the trigger on NGK coils after using Delphi coils left the car feeling shakey. New coils, wires and ruthenium plugs feels totally different!

 

I imagine the NGK just rebranded these Mitsubishi coils, but the insides are not clear, the potting material is black. Whatever the case, the car runs much better with these units, do sort of wish I went with denso wires since that was OEM... But these NGK got here quicker.

 

Also wanna mention I switched to liquimoly products on this car... Their oil is pretty great, fun bottles all around. I switched to the ATF 1800 did a full flush and it drives immaculate now. Hasn't been running oem fluid for a long time since they don't make dex II no more, pair all that with the new coils and she rides like a dream!

[bcredeur97]

9 hours ago, Beef Boss said:

Been on the hunt for good coils, been trying to find the OEM Mitsubishi ones forever but didn't wanna spend 300+ on two coils. Pulled the trigger on NGK coils after using Delphi coils left the car feeling shakey. New coils, wires and ruthenium plugs feels totally different!

 

I imagine the NGK just rebranded these Mitsubishi coils, but the insides are not clear, the potting material is black. Whatever the case, the car runs much better with these units, do sort of wish I went with denso wires since that was OEM... But these NGK got here quicker.

-snip snip snip-

 

Also wanna mention I switched to liquimoly products on this car... Their oil is pretty great, fun bottles all around. I switched to the ATF 1800 did a full flush and it drives immaculate now. Hasn't been running oem fluid for a long time since they don't make dex II no more, pair all that with the new coils and she rides like a dream!

Reminds me of the coil/wire setup on my NB with the VVT motor.

[bcredeur97]

Borrowing the “family” 2012 XC60  (3.2) for the week (was my sisters car but she moved to Guatemala).
 

needs an oil change. Also it whines a bit at idle. I think it’s the PCV diaphragm starting to go based on what I’ve seen online. 

 

also the steering kind of “wobbles” when you’re in the middle of a long sweeping turn. It’s very odd and a bit hard to explain...You just feel it tightening/loosening as you hold a load on the wheel. Couldn’t find much online about that.
 

can normal people like me even get good scan tools for these cars? Like what’s the VCDS equivalent? 

[Bitter]

My guess would be LCA bushings for the cornering wobble....possibly lower ball joints.

[bcredeur97]

15 hours ago, Bitter said:

My guess would be LCA bushings for the cornering wobble....possibly lower ball joints.

I think it’s steering rack/power related. This morning with the car stopped I turned the wheel slightly just so it had turning force on it, and I could feel it pulsating tighter/looser 

 

no noise or anything just that. I guess it’s not a huge deal just bothers me 

[Bitter]

56 minutes ago, bcredeur97 said:

I think it’s steering rack/power related. This morning with the car stopped I turned the wheel slightly just so it had turning force on it, and I could feel it pulsating tighter/looser 

 

no noise or anything just that. I guess it’s not a huge deal just bothers me 

Oh that's weird, it electric PS isn't it? Ah with Volvo there's probably a software update for it. There's always a software update.

[bcredeur97]

4 hours ago, Bitter said:

Oh that's weird, it electric PS isn't it? Ah with Volvo there's probably a software update for it. There's always a software update.

I think it’s hydraulic power steering but the pump is powered electrically.

 

pretty weird. 
 

watch the battery be the problem, lol. Idk how old it is 

[AlwaysFSX]

On 10/18/2021 at 7:14 PM, bcredeur97 said:

but she moved to Guatemala

Their poor curbs

[Bitter]

19 minutes ago, AlwaysFSX said:

Their poor curbs

I've been there, they don't have many curbs outside the one larger city. It's more ditches and tree's to stop your car from getting too far from the road.

[bcredeur97]

8 hours ago, Bitter said:

I've been there, they don't have many curbs outside the one larger city. It's more ditches and tree's to stop your car from getting too far from the road.

She’s getting married there at the end of the month so I’ll confirm that while I’m there, lol

[Bitter]

1 hour ago, bcredeur97 said:

She’s getting married there at the end of the month so I’ll confirm that while I’m there, lol

What part of the country? I was in Guatemala city briefly but mostly near Tikal. We were visiting Belize but took a couple days to see the ruins there. This was 20+ years ago....might be all curbs now.