INTRODUCTION COVER: Few things are harcer to Photograph than the heart of an engine, which is made up of the intorelctionship of the camshaft, the ‘valves and the exhaust systam, £0 wo Gid the next best thing. Technical artist Shuse! Nagaoka rendered this Chryster Hemi engine cutaway for us. ustation courtesy of Car Craft magazine. Cover ‘design by Al Isaacs. There Is no single part thot constitutes the heart of an engine. Rather, @ combination of components and factors comprise a total system, ond ‘that system is a powerplant’ innermost part. What makes up the heart, then, Is the interrelationship of the cam, the valves and the exhaust system. The three areas work together to regulate how much (and how fost) air enters the engine and how much (and how fas!) air leaves. In essence, then, the intemal combustion engine is an air pump. The flow of air through’an engine dictates how fast it will run, how much power it wil generate and now efficiently it will operate. But because air is put to work deep down inside an engine where you can't see it, some people take basic engine design for granted. They assume that the designers knew what they were doing and that there’s no room for improvernent. But just because the air that flows through an engine can bbe likened to its lifebiood, it's really quite easy to improve on an engine's design, to make that air flow better and faster. And making alr flow better and faster is what Basie Cams, Valves and Exhaust Systems is all about, as you'll lean as you leaf back through this book, which, incidentally, Is its 3rd revision. Readers of the previous editions have written asking us to expand the chapters on installing replacement or special camshafts in specific engines, so we've added Iwo new installation stones this time around, One is on camming ihe latest version of the 4-cylinder Pinto, the 2.3uiter engine, and the second is on camming AMC’s V-8, which actually covers a number of vorious-displacement powerplants. With the shaved-down-in-size and all-new small cars so much on the ‘automotive forefront today, we're taking a look at the already-efficient 4-cylinder engine that powers so many Dodge Colts now, and seeing how it reacts to the car finkerer’s probings. You'll find that no matter how Ccaretully designed and built an engine is, there's room for much improvement. Flick on back to page 118 for the insight. While getting air into an engine is allimportant, so Is getting rid of it. To this end, we've expanded our how-to stories on header installations oy adding @ new one just for the mini-truck set. ‘As you can see, the intent of this book is to help you improve your ‘engine, whether improvement to you means increasing power, increasing gas mileage or a happy combination of the two. Even If you don’t want to actually dig into the innermost depths of that “mystery” under your hood. there’s plenty of theary too on the pages that follow. aimed at ‘those who want to know why and how an engine works without actually getting diy. Whatever your interest, there is sure to be something Detween these covers that you can relate to. Good reading! ‘SPENCE MURRAY PETERSEN'S BASIC CAMS, VALVES & EXHAUST SYSTEMS No. 4 Edited by Spence Muray and the statt ‘of Specialty Publications Division. Copyright * 1977 by Petersen Publishing Go. B190 Suneat Bled. Loe Angalas, Cait 90059. Phone: (213) 657-5100, All fights reserved. No part of ths book may be reproduced without waitien permission. Pinted in USA. Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 70-902 ISBN 0-8227-5010-4 2/CAMS, VALVES & EXHAUST SYSTEMS ‘SPECIALTY PUBLICATIONS DIVISION PETERSEN PUBLISHING COMPANY Erwin M. Rosen/Executive Editor ‘Spencer Murray ‘Senior Editor Al Hall/Ecitor ‘Ann C. Tidwell/ Managing Editor Jay Storer Feature Ecitor Erie Rickman Photo Ecitor Richard L. Busenkell ‘Technical Editor im Brightly Associate Editor Dick Fischer/Art Director George Fukuda /Avtist, Design Angle Ullrich /Editonal Assistant RE. Poterson/Chalinan ofthe Boar ER. Waingrow P'ostant Herb Meleait Sesor Vice Prescent Philip €. Trimbach VP. France William Porter? -Orecter Ceulaton ack Thompeon Aszetart Oreo", Creuaton Tr Swit Lockard/Orector, Averising Marketing Spencer ison’ Drector, Administrative Sonices ‘an ©. Hal rector, aveet Development slomes J: Krenek rector, Menulectring Services [A eases ‘Dwoctr. Graphics Bob Dole Decier, Protogaaty Maria Cox Manager, Data Procsesing Servione