Is this possible?

"Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing." (granfury)
08/27/2014 at 15:58 • Filed to: None

Although I'm not a big fan of V8 engines (more of an I6-V12 guy for the perfect primary and secondary balance characteristics), I do love the sound of a flat-plane V8. Would it be possible, with a change of crank, cam(s) and firing order, to make a domestic, conventional V8 (LS, Ford Modular) into something akin to what you'd find in a Ferrari or Lotus?

I realize that there would be a loss of torque as compared to the original configuration, but in unusual application and/or smaller car, such as in a Porsche 968 or Miata, I would think that this type of engine would be more in keeping with the style of vehicle, particularly if built with an aluminium block.

DISCUSSION (15)

Will with a W8 races an E30 > Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing.
08/27/2014 at 16:02

scroll down to "powertrain"

http://www.caranddriver.com/features/2016-…

Jake, Yes, wearing khakis > Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing.
08/27/2014 at 16:03

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing.
08/27/2014 at 16:04

Easy answer.. Nope... More detailed answer.. well, perhaps... but probably no.

samssun > Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing.
08/27/2014 at 16:04

Search flat plane LS V8 and you'll find Lingenfelter and others making race engines etc.

Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow > Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing.
08/27/2014 at 16:05

Domestic V8 in a Lotus? I think that's been done...

Kinja'd!!!

I know what you really meant, but I couldn't help myself. lol

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing.
08/27/2014 at 16:07

It would be cheaper to buy a Ferrari V8

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing.
08/27/2014 at 16:07

180 degree headers make it sound like that.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing.
08/27/2014 at 16:09

Yes, it's possible, but expect a ton of custom engineering and milling of parts that has to be of the highest quality to make it happen. Basically, throw enough money at it and it will happen, but it would be stupid expensive. If you're looking for that exotic high-revving sound, you could always find an old Ferrari engine. Every once in a while I'll see the engine from a 308 or Mondial pop up for sale for like four or five grand, which would be way cheaper than trying to re-engineer an engine to be like it. Also, it's probably the easiest and cheapest Ferrari engine to work on and get parts for since they also put it in some Lancias. Not the most powerful engine in the world by modern standards, but does it matter if it says Ferrari on it and you're talking about putting it in something lightweight?

Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. > Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow
08/27/2014 at 16:10

That's a FINO - Ford In Name Only

Wouldn't that have to be the Buick/Rover V8 to properly qualify as domestic?

GhostZ > Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing.
08/27/2014 at 16:11

It's possible, but extremely expensive. And with most domestic V8s (LS, MOPAR) the RPm limits of the rockers, valves, springs, and pushrods are much lower than the vibrational limits of the crank. You wouldn't gain anything. The Modular engine however, might, but it also suffers from exponentially increasing camshaft friction (x4 since its DOHC). Ferraris can get away with it because the rest of the engine components are machined to higher spec to match the higher RPMs.

Also, there would be no loss of torque, that's silly to assume.

The only reason that it seems flat-plane engines make less torque is because they are able to rev higher, therefore they have camshaft profiles meaning they make lower peak torque numbers. However, if you kept the same cam profile, it should technically make more torque since there's less parasitic loss from a lighterweight drivetrain (flat plane cranks don't need counterweights) but that would also be outweighed by a less efficient exhaust design, since the exhaust headers would still be tuned for a crossplane crank.

GhostZ > Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing.
08/27/2014 at 16:14

Also, for what you want to use it for, a 4-bolt-main Ford 289 is pretty much perfect. They'll rev to 9000rpm , produce 450HP on high octane, and with 180 degree headers, sound pretty close to a flat plane.

GhostZ > Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing.
08/27/2014 at 16:14

YSI-what can brown do for you > Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing.
08/27/2014 at 18:18

Don't like American V8s? You have just been listening to the wrong ones!!

Now fill yourself with the bliss that is crossplane V8s!

Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. > YSI-what can brown do for you
08/27/2014 at 18:45

Well, racing cars are another matter. Those two both sound wonderful.

My bias comes from more of an engineering and physics mentality, as well as experiences when I first started driving. You simply cannot beat the balance characteristics of an I6 or V12, and that kind of mechanical/numerical perfection appeals to the nerd in me. I also tend to associate V8s with excess weight, especially in the cars during the malaise era when I grew up.

In my senior year in high school I bought a Rabbit GTI. My girlfriend didn't get it, wondering why I spent so much on a car that looked just like her mom's Rabbit Diesel. My classmates, especially in auto shop, didn't get it as they were only interested in quarter mile times and triple-digit (!) horsepower. But I knew that less was more, and spent many a Saturday night, much to the chagrin of my girlfriend, zipping down twisty canyon roads, stupid grin pasted across my face the whole way.

YSI-what can brown do for you > Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing.
08/27/2014 at 18:51

Well think about it like this. A Toyota V8 from 1989 with 4 cams weighs 390lbs!!! A inline 4 from a S13 weighs 350lbs. Not all V8s are heavy! Plus they are much smaller and lighter than V12s! Making them easier to package! An inline 6 is very long, which is why you see more V6s than inline 6s. Even though V6s generally aren't the best balanced engine(or they are extremely hard to balance).

My thought on it is, smoothness is for grand tourers, if you want to go fast get the lightest biggest engine that will fit and put it in the car!!!

And I too love V12s! Particularly racing ones. They are the best of both worlds! Light and fast!