Interactive 3D model · Exploded view
CC V8 ENGINE
Eleven components, one slider. Pull a V8 apart, fly to any part, then run the four-stroke cycle and watch the firing order light up.
Overview
A V8,
taken apart.
Every part of this engine is modelled separately, so it can travel along its own path when you explode it. Drag to orbit, then pull the slider and see how the block, heads, intake and exhaust fit around the crankshaft.
Click any part in the model or the list to fly straight to it and read what it does.
ENGINE EXPLORERDRAG TO ORBIT · CLICK THE MODEL TO ENABLE SCROLL-ZOOM
- SpaceStart Tour
- ← →Switch Parts
- EExplode
- XX-Ray On/Off
- LLines On/Off
- RReset View
- PRun Engine
Anatomy
Eleven parts.
One engine.
Four-stroke cycle
Draw. Compress.
Ignite. Expel.
The piston moves down and draws air in through the open intake valves.
The valves close and the piston rises, squeezing the mixture.
The spark ignites the mixture and the expanding gas drives the piston down.
The piston rises again, pushing the burnt gas out through the exhaust valves.
Help
Questions.
Are there keyboard shortcuts?
Yes, while the model is on screen: Space starts or stops the tour, the arrow keys step between parts, E explodes, X toggles X-ray, L toggles the callout lines, R resets the view and P runs the engine.
Is this a real engine?
It's a stylised educational model built from simple shapes in the browser, not a CAD copy of a specific production engine. The layout follows a typical V8: two banks of four cylinders at 90°, twin overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder and a cross-plane crankshaft. The proportions and details are illustrative.
Why is it called a V8?
"V" describes the layout: the cylinders sit in two banks that form a V when seen from the end of the engine. "8" is the number of cylinders, four in each bank, all driving one shared crankshaft.
Why does a V8 have a firing order?
The cylinders fire in a set sequence, 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2 in this model, so a power stroke arrives every 90° of crankshaft rotation. Spreading the firing evenly keeps the engine smooth and balances the load on the crankshaft. Press "Run engine" and the firing-order panel shows each cylinder's stroke as it happens.