Why do straight 6 engines sound like 4 cylinder engines?

Question

my friend bought a ford truck w/ a 300 inline 6 in it, he put straight pipes on it and it sounds like a honda lol...why do straight 6's sound like 4 cylinders? and what does a straight 8 sound like? has anyone ever heard one of those?

Answer 1

straight 8s were in older cars

I have a 2002 Olds Bravada with the inline 6--sounds smooth, runs smooth; I think the Ford is an exception (try driving a Trailblazer or one of its GM twins...you'll appreciate a good straight 6)

Answer 2

The reason your friend's straight six sounds like a four cylinder is because he ran a straight PIPE not pipes. The straight six will only have one exhaust manifold, which all six cylinders will exit at the same point. On a V8, there will be two exhaust manifolds, with four cylinders each, which will cause one pipe to have a different sound than the other due to the exiting of exhaust at different points. If your friend split the manifold of the six cylinder and ran two seperate exhaust pipes from each portion, three cylinders on one pipe and three on the other, then he would have a completely different sound. Not the bubble bee effect of the Hondas, where all cylinders exit into the exhaust at the same location. I have heard flathead v8s but not straight 8s. A straight 8cylinder would have been an exotic vehicle of the 30s and 40s, such as a Rolls Royce or Duesenburg. And just for a quick note for an earlier poster, the inline cylinder versions of the Gm products are 5 cylinder engines, not six, a useful note when wondering what to do with that extra spark plug:)

Answer 3

Straight 4 Engine

Answer 4

A 6 should not sound like a 4

Answer 5

V8 engines get their distinctive sound from the engine's firing order. Instead of always firing a cylinder on one side and then the other, sometimes it will fire two cylinders on the same side in a row. That's what gives it that distict V8 sound. Unless you put an unusual sort of headers on your inline six, it will not sound very different from an inline 4.

Answer 6

i havent seen any car with a straight 8 in it except for some really old ones. mid 30's- 40's. my uncle has a 78 jeep with a straight 6 that is has a mid-range sound. i would say high like a honda, but its not low, like you would expect.

So I didn't really answer your question.

Answer 7

should not run straight pipes on anything eng needs back pressure tell him to say goodby to his exhust valves put on a glass pack at least that will give better sound kinda (i you want to here you eng ). never heard straight eight too young

Answer 8

cylinder arrangement, straight

Answer 9

bad timing , ....consult chilltons ,for that make and year hope i could help