The Classic V8 Burble
Discussion
I've noticed a common theme in various threads is the sound of our cars. People talk about changing cams to get a different tick over sound as well as lowering the idle speed. The truth is they won't sound like the classic V8 unless you change the engine to a small block or similar aged V8. I wondered why my Monaro didn't sound the way I expected it to when I first bought it, and wondered what the firing order should be. I knew the firing order for a SB Chevy (and probably 95% of all V8's if the cylinders are numbered the same way) to be 18436572, and when I looked for the LS firing order I found it to be 18437265. The LS firing order is a better firing order in that it is more even, but it takes away the off-beat that makes the Classic V8 Burble so appealing.
No all V8s do sound the same, ones with a cross plane cranks anyway. Only a few racing V8s and Ferraris have single planes and sound much less interesting at low revs anyway.
The key to the burble is the firing order going left/right banks LRLLRLRR and so on. There are lots of equivalent patterns and numbering systems.
I've owned a Rover, 351 Cleveland, Ford mod 4.6 and the LS1. They all sound basically the same but the detail is obviously very much down to the inlet and exhaust systems.
The key to the burble is the firing order going left/right banks LRLLRLRR and so on. There are lots of equivalent patterns and numbering systems.
I've owned a Rover, 351 Cleveland, Ford mod 4.6 and the LS1. They all sound basically the same but the detail is obviously very much down to the inlet and exhaust systems.
r-kid said:
I thought that to get these engines to sound more like classic V8's you need to run separate pipes from each bank, so no x or H pipe crossovers.
That would certainly help, the crossover pipes blend together the sound of each bank firing, so you get less of the 'potato-potato-potato-potato' sort of sound (if you see what I mean 
)A big cam would help give the classic lopey sort of sound, they can certainly be made to sound very good either way
Granada,
Funnily enough I too have had a 351 Cleveland (In a 1972 Aussie Ford Fairmont Station Wagon destroked to 289) as well as Dodge 318ci in a Winnebago and now a 454 Rat Motor in my current Winnebago. Taking your left Bank, Right Bank scenario:-
Standard Chevy.18436572 RLLRLRRLRLLRLRRL
351 Cleveland....15634278 RRLRLLRL
LS V8'S............18437265 RLLRRLLR
You will see that the 351 Cleveland (Converted to Chevy Cylinder numbering) has the same L/R pattern as a standard chevy (just shifted a bit)whereas the LS engine has an even 2Left followed by 2Right cylinder pattern. This has almost certainly been done to sort out the harmonic distortions in the crank which is why there is a harmonic balancer on the front crank pulley.
It was a common thing that was noticed in dragracing that the first rod out the side of a block was usually No5 (IIRC). I'm off to remove my anorak now
Funnily enough I too have had a 351 Cleveland (In a 1972 Aussie Ford Fairmont Station Wagon destroked to 289) as well as Dodge 318ci in a Winnebago and now a 454 Rat Motor in my current Winnebago. Taking your left Bank, Right Bank scenario:-
Standard Chevy.18436572 RLLRLRRLRLLRLRRL
351 Cleveland....15634278 RRLRLLRL
LS V8'S............18437265 RLLRRLLR
You will see that the 351 Cleveland (Converted to Chevy Cylinder numbering) has the same L/R pattern as a standard chevy (just shifted a bit)whereas the LS engine has an even 2Left followed by 2Right cylinder pattern. This has almost certainly been done to sort out the harmonic distortions in the crank which is why there is a harmonic balancer on the front crank pulley.
It was a common thing that was noticed in dragracing that the first rod out the side of a block was usually No5 (IIRC). I'm off to remove my anorak now
Gary H 2008 said:
Rasp?! I HATED mine so much I changed the X-pipe for a resonated one - and virtually no rasp now
Rasp off the X pipe? I went H to X and it made it sound less bassy and more busy, but I found rasp came from the decat. I like the decat rasp, although long-term I may put the cats back on. YMMV and all that though!My manual has the firing order as 18726543 where left cylinders are even and right are odd when viewed from the front.
So that is RLRLLRLR - same as previously posted.
My 05 CV8 has a Pontiac GTO system, same as original but with no middle boxes. I would say the woofle is 100% classic V8 from any era particularly if I catch it right and pull away at highish load and low revs, best of all the V8s I have had. I think the Cleveland perhaps has the edge on induction roar due to the cross plane intake manifold rather than the plenum chamber with equal length runners. A slightly softer noise, less buzz.
The Holden V8 is a mirror image and starts at a different point but same pattern, same sound.
So that is RLRLLRLR - same as previously posted.
My 05 CV8 has a Pontiac GTO system, same as original but with no middle boxes. I would say the woofle is 100% classic V8 from any era particularly if I catch it right and pull away at highish load and low revs, best of all the V8s I have had. I think the Cleveland perhaps has the edge on induction roar due to the cross plane intake manifold rather than the plenum chamber with equal length runners. A slightly softer noise, less buzz.
The Holden V8 is a mirror image and starts at a different point but same pattern, same sound.
Edited by granada203028 on Wednesday 8th October 20:54
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