I just read the specs on the new EVO comparing to WRX. I didn't understand that Evo has Flat Line 4 cylinders and WRX has inline 4.
Can someone school me on what they mean? Thank you

 

The wrx is a boxer style four... where the block is arranged with two pistons on each side firing sideways... this enables them to keep the engine closer to the ground (aiding handling)... the evo is an inline motor like our hondas where the pistons fire straight up and down... each has advantages and disadvantages, if anyone wants to get real technical, i'll leave that to the others

 

So what's flat line and inline?

 

The last post just answered that, but I'll try wording it a different way.

Flat is a misleading term, horizontally opposed is the correct way to say it. Basic cylinder arrangement works like this: if you have one bank of cylinders (bank = a group of engine cylinders working in the same plane and direction) it's by definition an inline motor. Every cylinder is arranged down a straight line and all work in the same direction, which a typical Honda 4 cylinder follows. If you have more than one bank of cylinders though, there are several options on angular layout. You can separate the banks by a given angle, which in the case of a horizontally opposed motor would be 180 degrees. Both banks actually opperate in the same plane (a flat plane), but one bank opposes the other's direction of movement because it faces the opposite direction. Hence the term horizontally opposed vs. inline cylinder layout. Get it?


[Modified by texan, 12:06 PM 3/12/2003]

 

yep. Thank you. So it's like you and your gf laying on the same bed and pushing and pulling the pillow in the middle (crank) right? hehe

 

you got it