Talk:Straight-eight engine

Flathead to OHV had nothing to do with it

Overhead valve cylinder heads allowed the compression ratio to be increased enough to take advantage of high-octane gasoline, and the V8 engine was particularly inexpensive to build in the overhead valve configuration. A single short camshaft located in the V could drive the valves in both cylinder banks, and it required the same number of main bearings as the modern straight-4 to support the crankshaft adequately. As a result of low cost and high power, the overhead valve V8 quickly took over the US market.

The argument about the V-8 being better suited to cam-in-block construction than the straight-8 is just as true for side-valve engines as it is for overhead valve engines. Therefore, this cannot have been a reason for switching from straight-8s to V-8s, especially since the Buick straight-8 already had overhead valves. Respectfully, SamBlob (talk) 23:40, 9 December 2007 (UTC)

That's true, the old Ford flathead V8 was cheaper to build than the straight-8s, too. Daniels, in his book, describes the straight-8 as a blind alley from the very beginning, but that's not very NPOV. The original text I put in was more accurate: The American straight-8s by then were relics of the past, as all except the Buicks were flathead engines which could not take advantage of new high-octane gasolines to produce the higher power output expected of cars in the post-war era.

The point I was trying to make is that the obsolescence of the pre-war engines was an excuse to throw out all the old designs and introduce new ones. Given the availability of cheap high-octane gasoline after the war, the OHV V8 gave the most horsepower for the least cost. However, I was getting a bit ahead of myself. After low-octane unleaded gasoline was made mandatory, and fuel prices increased, the pushrod V8 in its turn became a much less desirable solution compared to some other engine designs. But that's another article.RockyMtnGuy (talk) 06:40, 11 December 2007 (UTC)

Packard?

Didn't Packard have a staight-8 engine in many of their cars? --Ragemanchoo (talk) 02:38, 5 June 2008 (UTC)

Yes, they did. Respectfully, SamBlob (talk) 19:26, 8 July 2008 (UTC)

Straight Eight

The above term is colloquial and is not widely known outside Canada and the USA. The proper description for this type of engine is inline eight, not straight eight. The word inline refers to any engine in which the vertical centerlines of all cylinders are in one plane when the crankshaft is viewed axially. Bigdumbdinosaur (talk) 23:38, 25 November 2008 (UTC)

It is interesting that this "colloquialism" argument is only present in the Straight-8 article, while the term "straight engine" is unchallenged in the straight engine, straight-two (the term "straight-twin" is challenged, I don't know how validly), straight-3, straight-4, straight-5, and straight-6 articles.

"Usually found in 4- and 6-cylinder configurations, the straight engine (often designated inline engines) is an internal-combustion engine with all cylinders aligned in one row, with no or only minimal offset." - Straight engine article here on Wikipedia

Below are four quotes from British books that use the term straight-8 or variations thereof:

The engine was a colossal straight-eight, with overhead valve gear, a single overhead camshaft and three valves per cylinder. - The World's Most Powerful Cars, Graham Robson, 1990, Quintet Publishing Ltd., 6 Blundell Street, London N7 9BH "Bugatti Royale" p.34-35 ISBN 1-85076-254-6

Common to both types, however, was the big and heavy straight 8-cylinder engine, an overhead valve unit which had a cast iron cylinder block bolted to a light alloy crankcase. - The World's Most Powerful Cars, Graham Robson, "Mercedes-Benz 'Grosser' 770" p. 101

The 3-litre V16 engine comprised two Miller straight-eights and produced well over 500 bhp with supercharging. - Automobile Recordbreakers, David Tremayne, 1989, Quintet Publishing Ltd., 6 Blundell Street, London N7 9BH "Beauty and the Beast" p.45 ISBN 1-55521-454-1

Power came from a straight-eight engine and only six of the long wheelbase limousines were ever built, each being clothed in specialist bodywork. - Automobile Recordbreakers, David Tremayne, "Sound Investments" p.119

Further, as can be seen here: http://www.motorbase.com/vehicle/by-id/-457712191/ , Motorbase, a British car enthusiast site, abbreviates the Bugatti Royale's engine type as a S8... do you suppose that the "S" is short for "inline"?

Rummaging through for British automotive publications netted me the February 1996 issue of Thoroughbred and Classic Cars. While the magazine did not feature any straight-8 cars in its articles, a full-page advertisement on Page 139 is headlined: "Straight Eight For The Ultimate!" and features a Bugatti Type 57c and a Packard 840.

So perhaps the term "straight-8" is neither as colloquial nor as improper as you might think? Respectfully, SamBlob (talk) 01:42, 27 November 2008 (UTC)

I would describe it as "historical", rather than "colloquial". When they made the things, which they no longer do, they tended to call them "straight eights". The phrase does have a lot of assonance going for it, after all. Particularly that last headline ("strAIGHT EIGHT for the ultiMATE"?) - Maybe he's a poet and don't know it.RockyMtnGuy (talk) 22:44, 11 December 2008 (UTC)

Summery of brands and models that are often forgotten but are greatly known to have produced Straight 8s

Horch with the 856A and 850 and lots more Daimler Benz with early 540K, 380 and its final Version in the 300SL Uhlenhapt

Triumph did the Dolomite 1934 Alfa Romeo the widely known 8C 2300 to 2900 B and finalky the 308C

Ferrari Auto Avion 815

Renault Reinstella, Nervastella, and Suprastella

Maybach Zeppelin

ZIL ZIS 110

Scania Vabis. 83.226.11.23 (talk) 23:05, 20 March 2024 (UTC)