What gives an engine it's sound?

[sebhaque]

I know the soundtrack of an engine can be influenced heavily by air intakes/exhausts/superchargers etc. But what makes a bog-standard straight-three engine sound different from a straight-four? Same with i5/v6/v8/v12 etc. It's something I've never understood, but I'm guessing the crank shaft configuration comes into it, as Ferrari flat plane V8s sound completely different to (typically) US cross plane V8s. Can anybody shed some light on this?

[wackojacko]

Crank angle etc has alot to do with it Seb, also pitch/angle of pistons and firing order and obviously the exhaust on most performance cars have been tweaked to enhance the sound of that particular Engine.

[anonymous-user]

A lot of it is the pattern and frequency of exhaust pulses so hence the off-beat burble of Volvo 5-pots and the Viper V10.

Mainly influenced by crank angles and firing order. Hence the scream of a Ferrari V8 compared with the rumble of a Chevy V8. Very evident at Le Mans!

[wackojacko]

5 USA said:

Very evident at Le Mans!

Corvette C6R compared with a Lola Aston is awesome ! .......although not so awesome when extremely hungover...... so my solution is just don't sleep

[Caruso]

As has been said crank angle plays a big part together with firing order.

With the right crank angle and firing order you could have a V8 that fires all 4 pistons on one bank at the same time with the other 4 firing 180deg apart and it would be like a V twin.

Or you could have it firing 2 cylinders on 1 bank, then 2 cylinders on the other, then 2 cylinders on the 1st bank etc.

Or you could have it firing alternating cylinders on each bank.

You could even have it firing 3 cylinders then 1 cylinder on alternate banks, but it would sound wrong and introduce unwanted vibrations into the engine.

[McSam]

wackojacko said:

5 USA said:

Very evident at Le Mans!

Corvette C6R compared with a Lola Aston is awesome ! .......although not so awesome when extremely hungover...... so my solution is just don't sleep

Heard the Spykers? Just a wall of raw noise comes out the back of those things!

[wackojacko]

McSam said:

wackojacko said:

5 USA said:

Very evident at Le Mans!

Corvette C6R compared with a Lola Aston is awesome ! .......although not so awesome when extremely hungover...... so my solution is just don't sleep

Heard the Spykers? Just a wall of raw noise comes out the back of those things!

3 LeMans trips under my belt so far ..... so ovcourse

Corvette and Aston Martin get my support for noise and class wins

[Zod]

petrol - without it they don't make a sound.

[davepoth]

Or diesel. I loved the noise the last rental van I had made. It was a VW Crafter with a V5. Warbly.

[wackojacko]

davepoth said:

Or diesel. I loved the noise the last rental van I had made. It was a VW Crafter with a V5. Warbly.

Talking of Diesels + the LeMans talk = the Audi Diesels sound pretty awesome ...... for a diesel

[B'stard Child]

Combustion - petrol on it's own is silent

[Stedman]

Could be complete poo, but doesn't the inlet manifold have something to do with ?

[Caruso]

Stedman said:

Could be complete poo, but doesn't the inlet manifold have something to do with ?

Not if you are capable of comprehending the OP. Otherwise yes, it does make a big difference.

[Caruso]

Stedman said:

Could be complete poo, but doesn't the inlet manifold have something to do with ?

Not if you are capable of comprehending the OP. Otherwise yes, it does make a big difference.

[Stedman]

Caruso said:

Stedman said:

Could be complete poo, but doesn't the inlet manifold have something to do with ?

Not if you are capable of comprehending the OP. Otherwise yes, it does make a big difference.

Stupid reply by me!

[sebhaque]

Thanks for the responses guys. Something I've been pondering for a while.

[*Al*]

Firing orders and configuration ie, straight 3,4,5,6 or flat 4,6, V8, V10,V12 etc etc.All have their own signature to sound.

[lazy_b]

Why do flat fours sound different from straight fours? They are both symmetrical, and the firing orders are the same, but flat fours have a distint "burble".

[McSam]

wackojacko said:

3 LeMans trips under my belt so far ..... so ovcourse

Corvette and Aston Martin get my support for noise and class wins
...
Talking of Diesels + the LeMans talk = the Audi Diesels sound pretty awesome ...... for a diesel

Good man

The Audis were a surprise for me.. A load of hushed induction roar and gear whine as it approaches, and a very deep, low roar as it goes by. Awesome in the most literal sense of the word, because it feels like a massive amount of power being forcibly restrained.. But they're only awesome until a Pescarolo screams by, tries to set fire to itself on the overrun, and is about four times louder

Corvettes bouncing off their pitlane limiter, now that's an impressive one. Standing maybe a hundred yards away, the thing nearly shook my beer out of my hand!

[Henry Fiddleton]

At Le Mans, the F430s bouncing off the limiter in the pit lane sound some what electric.

The blue flames from the exhaust at night were also equally as magical.