What is the cylinder numbering? This scheme seems to be all over the web but many posts here don't seem to follow it.

 

It's where the cylinder is located in the block, the numbering is also used in firing order1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2 sbc.

 

Thanks. So is the pic above correct?

 

yes

 

Thanks!

 

That picture shows the typical numbering of the cylinders on a Chevrolet engine but is also used on many other engines.

#1 cylinder is always the cylinder that is right at the front. It has to do with the way the con rods sit on the crankshaft. The #2 cylinder in that picture is slightly behind #1. Some engines have the #1 cylinder on the right side. Ford seems to like numbering their cylinders 1,2,3,4 down one side and 5,6,7,8 down the other side.

With a V8 engine there will always be 2 pistons at TDC since one is on compression stroke and the other is on exhaust. The typical 18436572 firing order can be swapped with a different camshaft to 18736542. I run a swap cam in my race engine.

 

That's the GM numbering system. Used on ALL GM V engines: Chevy, Pontiac, Buick, and all the others; small block V8, 60° 6-cyl, 90° 6-cyl, big block V8, LSx, ... and whatever else.

I can't comment about "all over the web but many posts here don't seem to follow it". Idiots will be ... idiots. Doesn't affect REALITY too much, except to the extent that ya gotta have enough brain activity going on to be able to recognize and IGNORE em. Not in terms of cyl numbering or any other topic.

Back when Algore invented the Interwebz, we all hoped that ignorance would be banished forever. Unfortunately, didn't work out that way.

Never underestimate the power of stupid humans especially in large groups.

 

With the 60* V6 the #1 cylinder is on passenger side. Then goes from side to side in the numbering scheme.

If you ever need to set the timing on one it is easier to use the #4 cylinder for the pickup. Center cylinder on drivers side...

RBob.