Inline-6 is Smoother
 

An inline 6 is more "naturally" balanced, and you will probably never feel a smoother engine than your 104.

The V's have addressed this with counterbalancers, and aren't too shaky these days.

On top, I'm also lookin' at the small torque @ rpm being offset by vehicle weight.

1995
217bhp@5500 rpm; 232 ft/lb@3850 rpm; curb weight 3605

2005
221bhp@5600 rpm; 232 ft/lb@3000 rpm; curb weight 3691


As well, the Ford 200 cu in L6 was attractive to my W123 coupe planning because of extremely weight, its ability to hit 7000 red line with light Ford production pistons, and facility to install a turbocharger (intake/exhaust same location). But then I said to myself... W110... cross flow DOHC hemi? wassa problem there?

So straight sixes with 7 main bearings rule rwd fore-aft six cylinder installations, is what I see.

All else is jigged to favour the v6 or v8.

It's not just the perfect natural balance of an inline-6 that makes it smoother than a V6 in terms of engine vibrations.

An inline-6 has a regularly-spaced firing order of the cylinders, i.e., once every 120degrees rotation of the crank. This has 2 effects:

- the torque delivery over the crankshaft is smoother (v-sixes need might need higher flywheel mass and/or harmonic dampers to smoothen this out)

- the exhaust pulses are smoother (nothing sounds like an inline-six at high rpm)

Doesn't the E350 have the new 7spd? It would spank your car in a 0-60 race if thats what you are asking.

Both are really cool engines though. I think the new V6 went back to4 valves per cylinder.:cool:

On your list of bulletprrof I6 engines, don't forget the 300CID Ford in passneger car, pickup and industrial power applications. They may not be particularly exciting, but they are durable.

Original Datsun Z-car. :) 2.4l I6.

The old Volvo 4 cylinder was widely considered bulletproof. I had one in a '67 121 wagon. Sweet but slow car.

My 2.5 Beemer (see sig.) has 249 K and feels mighty strong. You read about old BMW hands giving it the highest praise: Bulletproof. Sounds right to me.

I thought about that one but don't know that they were particularly durable. You don't see many around. I had a 72 that had everything break but the engine.

I love an inline 6. Before we got the infinity (V6) I pointed out to the wife that we had 23 cylinders (three 6's and the 5cyl MB), all of them in a row. She was strangly unimpressed:confused:

The Datun engines were pretty durable, but the "Z" cars' bodies were weak.
I saw a book on restoring the "Z" cars. On one page a caption said something on the order of, " On the following pages is a phantom view of the Z car with area prone to rust highlighted in red", On turnng the page, there a phantom view of the car; all red. The author wenrt on to state that the only parts not subject to rusting were those composes of rubber, or glass.

If the V6 is a 60 degree or 30 degree engine then there are no odd harmonics. Only when the V6 is a 90 degree engine is there a balance problem fixed by offset crank journals and/or balance shafts.

Also, the Old Volvo B30 pushrod engine used in the 164 is very stout but suffers from poor coolant circulation in the back 2 cyls. due to sediment buildup.

The old Chevy Blue Flame 6cyl was an engine concieved before the discovery of fire. :)

Must have seemed like a hell of a market at the time.

I have one of each: '94 E320 with 123,000 miles, and a '96 Nissan Maxima with 135,000 miles. Each is wonderfully smooth and powerful. The Nissan 3 liter v6 is regarded as the world's best v6 by some automotive 'experts', and I cannot argue the point.
regards,
Mark

You sure don't see many of 'em around any more, the Datsun 280 Z that is, maybe less than the old Volvo P1800. I saw one of the Volvos at the local buggy bank (consignment yard) and, God forgive me, I went in and took a short test drive. My first on that model. God, I was being careful. How $h!tty would I feel if I racked it up?

Anyway, boh-ring. Too clunky for my patience. And a buncha little things wrong -- seat belt, seat tracks, door function -- thought the body was cherry and the engine sounded good enough. It was like $5 or $6 Grand, I think.

Did the same on a Mazda Miata that I was actully considering about 4 years ago. Oh man. Uninspiring.

I know a guy who loves his. What was it that displeased you? (I will be fishing with him this weekend and need some amo.)

Also, I would like to cast a vote for the Toyota 22R/RE... series as: durable. Though they didn't wield much power, even in a Celica.

P.S. cmac, I like your new sig quotes, particularly the middle one:

I can explain it to you but I can't understand it for you. -- anon.
We find comfort from those who agree with us and growth from those who don't. -- anon.
There's a sucker born every minute. -- P. T. Barnum

I6 vs.V6
 

The quote below is taken directly from the 1989 THE 300 CLASS Benz sale brochure (I have the original sales brochure my 300TE).

Page 17, "Merceds-Benz 300 Class"

"The cylinder block (of the W124 engines) is of an in-line configuration. Unlike a V6, this design is inherently balanced for secondary forces. Running smoothness is optimized. The ribbed, remarkably rigid block resists torsional twisting to maximize long-term duarability."

I guess that the ad writer had no way of knowing that, just a few short years down the road, Benz was going to employ a V6 design.