1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2 is the firing order for SBC. Why? Can anyone enlighten me as to why the engineers chose that particular firing order?

Just curious, no particular reason

 

Bleak,

Here you can study the cylinder numbering sequences and firing orders:



If you look closely, you'll see that the SCB firing order is exactly opposite of that used by Ford. Since we all know that Ford gets everything backward, we can understand that Chevrolet did exactly the right thing in their selection.

Actually, the physical layout ot the engine, the fact that the adjacent cylinders share a common throw on the crankshaft, and that they are located 90° apart in rotation limit the choices to a few options. Chevrolet chose the order based on smoothest operation and, more importantly, minimal harmonic vibrations set up in the crankshaft by the sequence of firing. It would be possible to design an engine that would harmonically snap the crankshaft at idle, and engineers try very hard to do just the opposite. Fords are just the same, only backwards.

The new LS series of SBCs uses a different order and sequence, but the effect is engineered to achieve the same results.

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Later,
Vader
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"No matter how hard you try you can't stop us now"
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