V4 engine

Ford Taunus V4 engine in Saab Sonett III.

A V4 engine is a type of four-cylinder engine, a Vee-form engine with four cylinders. A V4 engine typically has three main bearings. Usually one bank of cylinders will comprise cylinders # 1&3, and the other bank # 2&4. For reasons of packaging, the Honda VFR1200 has a 1&4, and 2&3 layout, meaning one bank is longer than the other.

Advantages and disadvantages of the V4 engine

Compared to an inline-four, the advantages of the V4 engine include compactness, short length along the crankshaft, and, with a 90° V-angle, perfect primary balance giving a smooth and nearly vibration-free operation.

A disadvantage is that, as with a V-twin, it is more difficult to locate ancillaries, inlet systems, and exhaust systems. A V4 is usually more expensive to produce than an equivalent in-line four, having double the number of cylinder blocks, cylinder heads, and inlet and exhaust systems. Also, while a V-4 is essentially two V-twins side-by-side, a V4 can have a rocking couple that is not present in a V-twin. The compact 60° V4 is not perfectly smooth and needs a balance shaft.

In modern times, the V4's advantages have made it particularly suitable for motorcycles and outboard motors; but the advantages in a car have been found not to be worth the expense, especially as access for maintenance can become more difficult.

Automobile use

One of the earliest V4 internal combustion engines was that designed by Émile Mors of Paris to power his motor-car of 1897. The 90 degree V-angle with central camshaft and spark ignition meant its layout is much like more modern engines, though in this case the inlet valves were operated by suction alone. At the time the lack of vibration from this layout was a key selling point.[1]

The V4 engine has not been widely used in cars, with Lancia, Ford and ZAZ the only companies to manufacture such an engine.[2]

Lancia produced several narrow-angle V4 engines from the 1920s through 1960s for cars like the Lambda, Augusta, Artena, Aprilia, Ardea, Appia, and Fulvia.

Ford of Europe produced two totally different V4 engines with a balance shaft, one in the UK and one in Germany:

The Ukrainian manufacturer ZAZ used an air-cooled V4 with a balance shaft, produced by MeMZ and used in Zaporozhets and LuAZ cars.

In 2014, Porsche announced that their 919 Hybrid Le Mans Prototype would use a small-capacity, turbocharged V4 engine.[3]

Motorcycle use

Cutaway view of the V4 engine of a Yamaha V-Max
Longitudinal V4 engine in a Honda ST1100 with its fairing removed

In the 1930 Matchless Silver Hawk used a narrow-angle V4, while Puch used a very wide-angle V4. V4 engines are more recently found in motorcycles, typically transversely mounted. This engine design enjoyed particular popularity during the mid-to-late 1980s.[4] Models with V4 engines include:

Other uses

Wisconsin Motors produced an air-cooled V4 engine that is used in various industrial, agricultural, and stationary applications. Farm equipment Manufacturers liked to use the Wisconsin V4s due to their compact size and power output.

Another use of the V4 engine is in outboard motors. They are two-stroke cycle and generally carbureted. Some of the largest manufacturers are Johnson, Evinrude and Yamaha. This type of engine is popular because of its small size, while still producing 140 hp (104 kW), or more.

References

  1. ↑ "The Mors Motor-Car". The Automotor and Horseless Carriage Journal: 272–273. April 1897.
  2. ↑ "Obsolete Engines 101: The Mythical "V4"". Car Throttle. 10 September 2009. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
  3. ↑ "Porsche starts in Le Mans with four works cars". Porsche AG. 13 January 2014. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
  4. ↑ "Historical V4's". Honda Media Newsroom. American Honda Motor Co. Archived from the original on 23 February 2014. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
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