page_title: V6 engine
section_title: 60 degrees
hierarchical_section_title: V6 engine / Design / Cylinder bank angles / 60 degrees
caption_attribution_description: Nissan VG30E engine.
context_page_description: A V6 engine is a six-cylinder piston engine where the cylinders share a common crankshaft and are arranged in a V configuration.
  The first V6 prototype engine was produced in 1906, however it took until 1950 for the first automotive V6 engine to reach production. In the past 20 to 30 years, the V6 layout has become the most common layout for six-cylinder automotive engines.
context_section_description: A V-angle of 60 degrees is the optimal configuration for V6 engines regarding engine balance. When individual crank pins are used for each cylinder (i.e. using a six-throw crankshaft), an even firing interval of 120 degrees can be used. This firing interval is a multiple of the 60 degree V-angle, therefore the combustion forces can be balanced through use of the appropriate firing order.
  The inline-three engine that forms each cylinder bank, however, produces unbalanced rotating and reciprocal forces. These forces remain unbalanced in all V6 engines, often leading to the use of a balance shaft to reduce the vibration.
  The 1950 Lancia V6 engine was pioneering in its use of a six-throw crankshaft in order to reduce vibration. More recent designs often use a three-throw crankshaft with 'flying arms' between the crankpins. The flying arms allow an even firing interval of 120 degrees to be achieved, and also used as balancing masses for the crankshaft. Combined with a pair of heavy counterweights on the crankshaft ends, flying arms can eliminate the primary imbalance and reduce the vibration from the secondary imbalance to acceptable levels. The engine mounts can be designed to absorb these remaining vibrations.
  A 60 degree V-angle results in a narrower engine overall than V6 engines with larger V-angles. This angle often results in the overall engine size being a cube shape, making the engine easier to fit either longitudinally or transversely in the engine compartment.
caption: 1984-1999 Nissan VG30E 60-degree engine
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