Flat Plane Crank

[BIIOAB]

After 5 Rover V8 engined TVRs, I'm thinking of switching to a Cerb V8.
I know the AJP engine is a different animal altogether, but can someone tell me breifly how the flat plane crank layout works as I hate not being able to explain things

[GreenV8S]

On the RV8 the crank pins are 90 degrees apart. On the flat plane engine they're 180 degrees apart.

[tvrolet]

ergo each bank of 4 runs just like a regular 4 cylinder engine, with the middle two pistons 'up' and the outer two 'down', and vice versa, with the V angle (75 degrees on an AJP IIRC?) being the relative offset in tdc between corresponding pistons the 2 banks. So it sounds like 2 'fours' (as that's what is effectively is) rather than an 8 with equal spaced pulses.

[BIIOAB]

Thanks guys - sort of understand now.
Think i'll need to find a diagram or pics to visualise it properly though...

[central]

http://www.autozine.org/technical_school/engine/sm...

[carlb]

great link
thanks central