When you are on the lookout for used car engines, you’ll come across plenty of V4 engines. Several sellers refer to their inline four-cylinder engines as V-4 engines. It is a common mistake as people follow the syntax used for V-6 and V-8 engines.
However, the V-4 engine is quite different than the inline four-cylinder engine, rather it is a great engine. Interestingly, it is rarely used in cars. Read on to understand why V4 used car engines for sale are not preferable.
Even though the V4 engine is a rare configuration in the world of cars, its production and usage are plenty in the motorbikes industry. However, there are a few reasons for that, including:
Engine Balance
V4 engines lag in the balance aspect of an engine. As per the drivers of a V4 engine, it creates so much vibration that it is difficult to see properly when behind the wheel, which is not a good sign while driving. Thus, V4 engines aren’t quite intrinsically balanced engines and need to use a balancing shaft to attain a primary balance and stop the engine from shaking itself to bits.
Double of Everything
V4s are also way too complicated than the usual inline-four-cylinder engines as the miniature layout doubles up numerous components in the bonnet including the cylinder heads, cam bearing, exhaust manifolds, etc. The doubling makes it needlessly messy and expensive to develop. Although, Volkswagen and a few other automakers have tried to strategize a creative layout method by rearranging the cylinder heads. However, that only solves a fraction of the problem.
Occupies Space
While the inline-4 engines are slim and compact that hardly take up huge space in the engine bay, the V4 engine occupies a large section due to its V-angled layout. Even if you get a balanced V4 engine with a 90° ‘V’, it may still fill in the volume under the hood leaving very little space to work upon.
Advantages of a V4 Engine
Alongside accomplishing essential balance when set at 90°, a V4 can possibly make more power than an inline-four. It is due to the crankshaft being more concise than expected. It makes the shaft more grounded and less vulnerable to winding under force. So, you can test the speed limit and enjoy the power yield.
Moreover, the crankshaft in the V4 engine is more equipped to deal with the wind stream inside it as compared with an inline-four engine. It implies that siphoning misfortunes are limited, and the max energy can be moved from ignition to the wheels in a V4 engine.
Bottom Line
V4 engines have their pros and cons, but they are liable to a common confusion arising from the names of V4 and inline-4 engines. Hence, when you are in the market to buy a used car engine, assure the type of engine you are buying to avoid getting stuck with an engine that is useless to your vehicle.
Alternatively, you can save yourself from the trouble of finding a used engine and transmission for sale by simply searching for one online. Many esteemed sellers in the states may hook you up with a high-quality used engine easily.
