If a 180º crank is flat-plane and 90º is cross-plane, what is...

...a 60º crank called? Or a 120º? Or a ...? You get the picture.

 

"different"?

Seriously -- I've never come across special names for those configurations.

 

Exactly.

The terms flat-plane and cross-plane ONLY refers to v8 engine cranks. This probably comes about due to the enormous amount of slang used in the ever so common v8 engine.

Thus a v12, v6 could never have a flat-plane crank ... and have proper firing order. It's all just angles to get even firing pulses, no black magic.

Pete

 

Google: flat engine wikipedia
This covers all types of engine.

 

I was also confused because of previous discussions wether a flat 12 Cyl was a Boxer or not, but I think I got the picture now.

Ferrari has chosen for all the 12 cylinder engines that I could find, either being flat, V60 or V65, a crank that has 6 crank taps resp at 0, 120, 240, 240, 120 and 0 degrees.
This is called a three plane crank and has the same setup as in a 6 cylinder inline engine.

A Ferrari 12 cylinder engine is in fact composed of two 6 cylinder inline enginges sharing the same crank, rotated against each other by 60, 65 or 180 degrees depending on the car model.

A three plane crank can also be a crank that has crank taps at 0, 180, 120, 300, 240, 60 degrees, but this setup was never used by Ferrari as far as I can see.

A V8 can be two 4 cylinder inline engines sharing the same crank, with crank taps at 0, 180,180, 360 degrees(F360). In this case the crank is called a single plane crank.

A V8 can also be build with a crank having crank taps in two planes like two combined V4´s, with taps at 0, 90, 270 and 180 degrees (F430), then of course the crank is called a two plane crank.

 

BTDT and it was no help.

 

I really don't want this topic to get into flat engines and flat-plane cranks. A search will bear more fruit on that topic. I just wanted to know if the other crank configs. had unique names or not.

Three-plane crank. That makes sense, count the number of crank planes. Don't know if that makes it "official" in the SAE world but it sounds logical to me. I guess three or more planes could simply be grouped into a generic term of "multi-plane".

 

http://www.autozine.org/technical_school/engine/smooth4.htm

 

Wait, are you telling me the F430 doesn't have a flat plane crank?

 

I believe ALL Ferrari v8's do, but this engine when installed in the Maserati does not.

Everything else t024484 said is exactly right .
Pete

 

Once again, BTDT and it doesn't answer my original question

Just to get it out of the way before someone thinks it will help (and it won't):
http://www.e31.net/engines_e.html

 

Look here for the 430 crank

http://www.eurospares.co.uk/partTable.asp?M=1&Mo=488&A=1&B=27717&S=

 

Hmmm, well that picture does NOT show a flat plane crank, thus I am very surprised.

I have heard the Maserati Coupe and they sound like a Chevy ... no F430 sounds like a Chevy which is what a 2 plane v8 crank causes.

Very odd.
Pete

 

Your original question HAS been answered.

A 60º crank is called a 60º crank, and a 120º crank is called a 120º crank, they are no SLANG terms for these cranks.

There is nothing special about the term flat and 2 plane, just like a non-rigid framed Harley (ie. it has rear suspension) is called a 'soft-tail' ... it's just a slang term somebody thought of.

Pete

 

Yup, that's what I figured out by post #7. Just wanted to get a solid answer, that's all.

 

Having trouble proving the F430's crank is flat , but

Hardly as solid as a parts manual , but I suspect that the picture is incorrect.
But this is from Ferrari

and

Thus maybe the picture incorrectly shows the Maserati crank?
Pete

 

I am also quite surprised, but the drawings that Eurospares uses are from Ferrari.

look here for the F360 crank

http://www.eurospares.co.uk/partTable.asp?M=1&Mo=627&A=1&B=35409&S=

This is very much a single plane crank, like all the V8´s before this model.

Either the 430 drawing is right, or Ferrari has considered to use a two plane crank but has left the idea and forgot to change the drawing.

 

Photo of a 308 engine, or motore', crankshaft.
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