Basic Engine Construction

• Components and Function

– Engine block
– Cylinder head
– Combustion chamber

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 Engine Block
• Contains:
– Cylinder bores
– Pistons and rings
– Connecting rods
– Crankshaft
– Bearings
– Timing gears
– Oil pan and filter
– Camshaft and lifters (pushrod engines)
– Flywheel or flexplate
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 Engine Block
• Cylinder bores:
– Round hole cast in block
• Bored to a precise diameter
• Honed to smooth finish
– Guide for piston
– Contains forces generated during 4-stroke
cycle
– Some engines use steel sleeves

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 Engine Block
• Pistons:
– Moves up and down in cylinders
• Creates low pressure to draw in mixture
• Compresses mixture for ignition
• Transmits forces of combustion to rotate
crankshaft
• Pushes exhaust gases out of cylinder

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 Engine Block
• Rings
– Mounted in grooves on piston
– Takes up clearance in cylinder required for piston
expansion
• Compression
– 2 top rings
– Seal combustion chamber
• Oil control
– Bottom ring on piston
– Consists of 3 parts: 2 rails and expander
– Scrapes oil from cylinder as piston moves down on power
stroke

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Oil Control Rings

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 Engine Block
• Connecting rods:
– Connect pistons and crankshaft
– Upper end is connected to piston pin
• Uses bushing to allow movement on pin
– Lower end is split to allow installation on
crankshaft journal
• Uses precision insert (bearing) to allow rotation on
crankshaft journal
• Bearing requires oil film at all times to prevent
metal to metal contact with journal

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 Engine Block
• Crankshaft:
– Changes reciprocating motion to rotary motion
– Provides turning force to wheels
– Crankshaft “throws” connect to rods
– Crank “journal” is machined surface for rod bearings
• Rod bearings allow rod to rotate on crank journal
– Flywheel or flexplate is mounted on rear of crank and
transfers power to transmission
– Pulleys mounted on front of crank drive accessories
such as alternator or A/C compressor

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 Engine Block
• Bearings:
– Rod and main bearings
• Bearing inserts are held in place with locking tab
• Must have small hole for oil lubrication
• Pressurized oil keeps bearing from contacting
journal

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 Engine Block
• Timing gears:
– Allows crankshaft to turn camshaft
– Can be chain or belt
• Timing belts normally use plastic covers
• Pushrod engines normally use chains
– Usually found on the front of the engine’

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 Engine Block
• Oil pan and filter:
– Pan serves as reservoir for oil
– Covers bottom of crankcase
– Made from:
• Stamped steel
• Aluminum
• Plastic
– Contains pickup assembly for oil pump
– Oil filter is usually mounted on engine block
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 Engine Block
• Camshaft and lifters (pushrod engines):
– Camshaft lobes open valves
– Lifters sit on top of lobes and transmit motion
to pushrods
– Pushrods transmit motion to cylinder head
rocker arms to open valves
– Contains distributor drive gear if equipped
– Camshaft must be timed to crankshaft

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 Engine Block
• Flywheel or flexplate:
– Flywheel is heavy steel plate mounted to crankshaft
• Smoothes out power pulses to keep engine spinning
smoothly
• Serves as mounting surface for clutch on manual
transmission
– Flexplate is thin plate that bolts crankshaft to torque
converter for automatic transmission
– Both have external ring gear for starter operation

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 Cylinder Head
• Covers cylinders
• Forms top of combustion chamber
• Contains intake and exhaust valves and springs
• Contains spark plugs
• Bolted to engine block with head bolts
• Head gasket is placed between block and
cylinder head
• Overhead cam engines contain camshafts
– Single cam engine= SOHC
– Dual cam engine= DOHC
• Can be made from cast iron or aluminum
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 Combustion Chamber
• Area formed by bottom of cylinder head and top of piston
• Air and fuel mixture is compressed and ignited in
chamber and applies force from combustion to piston
• Spark plug protrudes into chamber
• Chamber is sealed by:
– Valves
– Piston rings
– Head gasket
• Chamber is exposed to very high pressures and high
temperatures

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