Cylinder number & sound. Can you really tell?

[Chapap]

Flat, V, inline, W, 1, 2, 3, 4……….

Is it possible to actually identify engine type from the sound? I imagine I could tell between a v6 and v8 with similar exhaust side by side, but I’m never certain what engine a Camaro (or similar) has by listening. Exhaust setup makes it even harder.

Ive heard amazing and terrible sounding engines of about every setup.

 

[Uncle Gump]

you forgot rotary... pretty unique sounding

i think I can tell a few of them.

 

[1990RangerinSK]

I don't know about sound. I know that some Ford engines can be identified by sight when you open the hood. Older Toyota engines had a tag on the valve cover that identified the engine.

Of course, all of that aside, since the late 70's, when VIN numbers were standardized, you could tell what engine a vehicle had by checking the 8th digit of the VIN. Now, mind, you had to know the engine code for every engine in production, but that's a pretty foolproof way to tell.

 

[stmitch]

Flat 4, Inline 4, V6 and v8 are fairly easy for me to differentiate most of the time.
V10s and V12s usually sound the same to me.

 

[Blmpkn]

This kinda post may be worthy of man card revocation.

 

[Chapap]

This kinda post may be worthy of man card revocation.

Hold up now, lets talk about this. Each setup has all the different harmonics they produce (technical type stuff), but there are oh so many more factors that get in the way. Say you hear a Camaro pass by but don't see it so you can't factor in it's acceleration. It could be a 4, 6, or 8. If I were to hear the 3 side by side with similar exhaust, I could hopefully identify the 4 pretty quick, but I'm not confident I'd pin down the 6 and 8.

If blind comparing a 4 cyl Camaro and a 2.3 lima ranger, I may peg the ranger for a 6 or 8. It's of the era of large displacement/ low hp, leaning it towared the burble sound vs blat (burble being far superior).

Could you differentiate a BRZ and a Camaro (horizontal opposed vs inline)? VMax vs something else of similar displacement (V vs inline)? flat and cross plane? Various V bank angles?

A neat note: I once had an '82 Honda 250cc bike. had the exhaust manifold off and rant it to see what it sounded like with NO exhaust. It had a comical *blop* sound like I was above a whale blowing bubbles... really loud bubbles.

 

[bilbo]

A neat note: I once had an '82 Honda 250cc bike. had the exhaust manifold off and rant it to see what it sounded like with NO exhaust. It had a comical *blop* sound like I was above a whale blowing bubbles... really loud bubbles.

Haha I've never heard it described that way, but I pulled up alongside a cruiser of some type a few years back that made that very noise. It was like a cartoon faucet drip sound. I couldn't help but laugh.

 

[Blmpkn]

Hold up now, lets talk about this. Each setup has all the different harmonics they produce (technical type stuff), but there are oh so many more factors that get in the way. Say you hear a Camaro pass by but don't see it so you can't factor in it's acceleration. It could be a 4, 6, or 8. If I were to hear the 3 side by side with similar exhaust, I could hopefully identify the 4 pretty quick, but I'm not confident I'd pin down the 6 and 8.

If blind comparing a 4 cyl Camaro and a 2.3 lima ranger, I may peg the ranger for a 6 or 8. It's of the era of large displacement/ low hp, leaning it towared the burble sound vs blat (burble being far superior).

Could you differentiate a BRZ and a Camaro (horizontal opposed vs inline)? VMax vs something else of similar displacement (V vs inline)? flat and cross plane? Various V bank angles?

A neat note: I once had an '82 Honda 250cc bike. had the exhaust manifold off and rant it to see what it sounded like with NO exhaust. It had a comical *blop* sound like I was above a whale blowing bubbles... really loud bubbles.

I'm just pulling your chain naturally lol.

Obviously it's very unlikely that an individual could call a motor exactly what it is from just sound... but they could get real damn close at the very least.

I-4's all sound very similar, easy to tell what is is whether it's in a car or a bike.

I-6's sound somewhat distinct.. IF you know.

Boxer 4's usually sound distinct enough to know its a boxer. 6 cyl boxers sound kinda wierd though.. could be confused as a v6.

V6s in trucks are usually obvious, as are higher compression 6's in cars like the Z's.

Rotaries are obvious.

V8s are obvious, and it's usually obvious if the v8 has a flat plane crank.. with the exception of that Mustang Ford ruined the sound of with unequal length headers.

V10 and 12s sound the same for the most part.

Inline/Paralell twins could be confused for a high strung thumper I think.. if they're 4 strokes

 

[Blmpkn]

Oh them wierd vw motors too.... the ones that sound like a wookie... thats a motor you know a mile away.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Seems like some motors typically have a rather distinctive sound unless it’s covered up by other things like obnoxious exhaust or supercharger or whatever. Other motors get harder to identify, especially if an obnoxious exhaust is used. There’s a few vehicles running around here with those stupid loud fart can exhausts and made to sound like they are badly misfiring when they let off the exhaust. Most are on 4 cyl but there’s a couple 6 and one that I’m reasonably sure is a v-8 truck that runs around here and they all sound the same, ridiculously annoying.

That said…

Rotary engines, Ford 5.0, and the mighty 300 straight six are typically very distinctive

 

[racsan]

I remember the first time I saw a challenger drive by, the “newer” retro ones, I rolled down my window as it went by. Nothing. nothing at all. wth? Is it electric? Doubtfull but was most likely a base V6. I would think a retro made to look like a ‘70’s musclecar would sound the part. That one didnt. My ranger was louder than it was. (at the time I had the ‘93 4.0 green supercab 4x4)

 

[Uncle Gump]

I find those turbo pop off valves pretty annoying.

Also most Harley riders that think we need to hear how loud and annoying his pipes are.

 

[sgtsandman]

I find those turbo pop off valves pretty annoying.

Also most Harley riders that think we need to hear how loud and annoying his pipes are.

The ecoboost in the new Rangers have a bit of that in the right conditions. You can hear the blow off valve dumping. I've not paid enough attention to the other ecoboost equipped vehicles to notice if they are the same. It's not super loud from the cab but you can hear it if the windows are down. I also couldn't tell you how loud it is to a by stander near the vehicle when it does it.

 

[gw33gp]

V10 and 12s sound the same for the most part.

Do you think the Ford V10 (6.8L Triton) sounds the same as a Ferrari V12? I think even the Viper V10 sounds completely different that the the Ferrari V12. Of course I can think of some V12s that sound different than a Ferrari V12 too.

 

[Blmpkn]

I remember the first time I saw a challenger drive by, the “newer” retro ones, I rolled down my window as it went by. Nothing. nothing at all. wth? Is it electric? Doubtfull but was most likely a base V6. I would think a retro made to look like a ‘70’s musclecar would sound the part. That one didnt. My ranger was louder than it was. (at the time I had the ‘93 4.0 green supercab 4x4)

The r/t challengers make some noise from the factory, coworker just got one.

Do you think the Ford V10 (6.8L Triton) sounds the same as a Ferrari V12? I think even the Viper V10 sounds completely different that the the Ferrari V12. Of course I can think of some V12s that sound different than a Ferrari V12 too.

I DID say 'for the most part'

Any one of them that has a flat plane crank is gonna sound different than one of the American options, naturally. I just saw one of the viper motor'd trucks rip out of the gas station last week.. and I think one of those could be mistaken for a v8 that's above average in the department of rowdiness