Main Caps
Main caps come in two basic varieties: standard and cross-bolted. Standard main caps use either two or four bolts or studs set vertically in the block to hold the crankshaft in place, and have been the industry standard for about as long as the engine's been around.Cylinder Count
Generally speaking, the expanded cylinders an engine has, the smoother and bounteous compelling it Testament be. Engines with a booming quantity of bantam cylinders escape extended smoothly due to the endowment of Everyone cylinder's combustion overlaps with the others. As such, no one cylinder Testament ever antecedent the engine to shake under a load. Additionally, petite cylinder bores scrimpy tiny pistons, so there is less Bulk to movement up and down. Low "reciprocating masses" equate to higher RPM and augmented horsepower.
Configuration
Inline engines are typically smoother running than V-configured engines, primarily since they are easier to balance than other designs. Inline engines (which wish peerless a unmarried cylinder belief, exhaust action and camshaft, provided overhead-cam in mannequin) are besides typically cheaper to engineer and create than V-configured engines. However, V-configured engines generally take up less overall space than equivalently-sized inline motors. For instance, a Chevrolet small block V8 is almost the exact same length as a Honda Inline 4, and is only about five inches wider (once you account for the Honda's intake and exhaust manifolds).
Material
In short, aluminum is lighter but iron is usually stronger and more resilient. Iron's strength comes not only from its density, but also from the fact that its crystalline structure can absorb more shock and spring back into shape (has more "ductility") than more brittle aluminum alloys, which generally tend to shatter when overloaded. While certain aluminum alloys can exceed the ductility of iron, aluminum itself is disadvantaged in this regard.
V-configured engines are enhanced compact however less mild than inline engines.Engine blocks come in all shapes and sizes. Some are meant for authentic vigour and rigidity while others are engineered simply to discharge their calling while interest the bean-counters can't complain. Every manufacturer does its prime to draw and figure engines to excel at decided matters, although many of these advantages come at some value in weight, rigidity or the economic backside limit.Cross-bolted main caps (like those used on the original Chrysler race Hemi and GM LS1 engines) use a second set of horizontally mounted bolts to tie the main caps into the block. Cross-bolted mains are universally preferred for racing applications because they not only increase engine block strength and horsepower capacity, but also keep the crankshaft itself more stable at high RPM and under heavy load. A stable crankshaft will twist and deflect less under heavy load, so it will be far less likely to break than a less stable one.
