Most GA piston singles are powered by either Lycoming or Continental engines.

The engine designs used by both manufacturers are broadly similar (4-cycle, horizontally-
opposed, gasoline-powered, air-cooled), and they're both generally available with either
carburetors or fuel injection, but I know they're not "identical products".

Lycoming engines have the camshaft above the crankshaft, and Continental engines have the cam
below the crankshaft. This seems to keep the Conti cams better oiled and therefore less susceptible to
corrosion.

 The larger Continentals have the alternator belt-driven off the back of the engine.
 And Continental still builds the four-cylinder O-200, and a lightweight version of that engine,
too.
 Continentals cost more money.
 Continental parts cost more money.
 Continentals normally have more valve trouble than Lycomings.
 Lycomings have better valves and guides.
 A Lycoming usually has its carb mounted to the oil sump, either the bottom or rear, and feeds
the cylinders via tubes cast into the sump and connecting tubing from there to the intakes. The
heat of the oil wicks into the carb body and reduces the likelihood of carb ice.
 Continentals mount the carb on a separate intake manifold that doesn't transfer that heat, so
pilots trained on Lycs can get bitten by Continentals if they haven't been trained in the detection
and management of carb ice.
 The fuel injection systems used by Continental and Lycoming are somewhat different.
 Continental numbers their cylinders back-to-front.
 Lycoming numbers them front-to-back, and the staggering of the cylinders is opposite
between the two.
 Continentals, at least the smaller ones, have the right mag firing at the top plugs and the left
firing the bottom.
 One of Lyc's mags will fire the top plugs on one side and the bottom plugs on the other, with
the other mag firing the rest.