The author confines his discussion to engines used on pleasure cars, inasmuch as practically all commercial vehicles use the four-cylinder type. The performance expected of their cars by automobile owners is outlined, particularly as regards performance, durability and maintenance cost. In-asmuch as the horsepower required is often determined by the acceleration demanded, the argument in favor of four-cylinder engines is based mainly on a comparison of its acceleration performance with those of engines having a larger number of cylinders. A number of acceleration curves are given for these engines.The paper next considers smoothness of operation at low, medium and high running speeds, asserting that the decrease in inertia forces due to lighter reciprocating parts has made it possible to increase the speed and thus reduce remarkably the vibration of the four-cylinder engine. In conclusion, the statement is made that the only proper field for the engines of more than four cylinders is in very high price cars of large weight in which the cost of the engine and of operation is not important. In the medium and low price fields, however, the four-cylinder engine is entirely satisfactory.


    Access

    Check access

    Check availability in my library

    Order at Subito €


    Export, share and cite



    Title :

    FIELD OF FOUR-CYLINDER ENGINES*


    Additional title:

    Sae Technical Papers


    Contributors:

    Conference:

    Pre-1964 SAE Technical Papers ; 1906



    Publication date :

    1916-01-01




    Type of media :

    Conference paper


    Type of material :

    Print


    Language :

    English





    FOUR-CYLINDER ENGINES OF TO-DAY*

    PORTER, FINLEY R. | SAE Technical Papers | 1916



    Saturn DOHC and SOHC four cylinder engines

    Reilly,D.J. / Andersen,R.P. / Casparian,R.J. et al. | Automotive engineering | 1991


    Vauxhall ten and twelve four-cylinder engines

    Engineering Index Backfile | 1940