THE BEECHMONT CREST AUTOMOTIVE LEARNING ZONE
Cylinder Arrangement
The position and layout of the cylinders in relation to the crankshaft. Five basic cylinder arrangements are found in modern automobiles:
Inline engine: The cylinders are arranged in a single row. Each cylinder is parallel to the crankshaft. The inline arrangement is common in four-, five-, and six-cylinder engines.
Slant engine: There is only one row of cylinders, arranged at a vertical angle.
V-type engine: The cylinders are arranged in two rows. The rows are tilted at an angle towards each other, so that the engine resembles a letter “V” when viewed from either end. This arrangement allows for a more compact engine design.
W-type engine. Similar to the V-type engine, but the cylinders in each row are offset. This design allows for a large engine displacement in a relatively small engine compartment.
Opposed engine: This type of engine is found in some race cars, in some older Volkswagens, and late-model Porches. The cylinders in an opposed engine lie flat on both sides of the crankshaft. The pistons move right and left rather than up and down, so there is less pressure on the main bearings. The opposed engine type also has a low center of gravity.
