Overhead camshaft

engine

An overhead camshaft (OHC) engine is a

piston engine where the camshaft is
located in the cylinder head above the
combustion chamber.[1][2] This contrasts
with earlier overhead valve engines
(OHV), where the camshaft is located
below the combustion chamber in the
engine block.[3]
Cross-section view of a DOHC cylinder head

Single overhead camshaft (SOHC)

engines have one camshaft per bank of
cylinders. Dual Over Head Camshaft
(DOHC, also known as "twin-cam.[4]")
engines have two camshafts per bank.
The first production car to use an DOHC
engine was built in 1910. Use of DOHC
engines slowly increased from the
1940s, leading to most automobiles by
the early 2000s using DOHC engines.
Design

1987 Honda D15A3 OHC cylinder head

In an overhead camshaft engine, the

camshaft is located at the top of the
engine, above the combustion chamber.
This contrasts the earlier overhead valve
engine (OHV) and flathead engine
configurations, where the camshaft is
located down in the engine block. The
valves in both OHC and OHV engines are
located above the combustion chamber;
however an OHV engine requires
pushrods and rockers to transfer the
motion from the camshaft up to the
valves, whereas an OHC engine has the
valves directly actuated by the camshaft.

Compared with OHV engines with the

same number of valves, there are fewer
reciprocating components in an OHC
engine and there is less valvetrain inertia
in an OHC engine, which reduces valve
float at higher engine speeds (RPM).[1] A
downside is that the system used to drive
the camshaft (usually a timing chain in
modern engines) is more complex in an
OHC engine.

The other main advantage of OHC

engines is that there is greater flexibility
to optimise the size, location and shape
of the intake and exhaust ports, since
there are no pushrods that need to be
avoided.[1] This improves the gas flow
through the engine, increasing power
output and fuel efficiency.

During engine repairs which require the

removal of the cylinder head, a
disadvantage of OHC engines is that the
camshaft timing needs to be reset if the
cylinder head is removed. In 1920-1940
Morris and Wolseley cars with OHC
engines, oil leaks in the lubrication
systems were also an issue.[5](pp15-18)

1973 Triumph Dolomite Sprint SOHC engine

(unusual arrangement with four valves per
cylinder)

Single overhead camshaft (SOHC) ...

The oldest configuration of overhead

camshaft engine is the single overhead
cam or single cam design.[1][6] A SOHC
engine has one camshaft per bank of
cylinders, therefore a straight engine has
a total of one camshaft. A V or flat
engine with a total of two camshafts
(one per bank of cylinders) is a single
overhead camshaft engine, not a double
overhead camshaft engine.

Regardless of number, the camshaft

usually operates the valves indirectly via
a rocker arm.[1][6]

Most SOHC engines have two valves per

cylinder. However a few engines, such
as the 1973 Triumph Dolomite Sprint
engine and Honda J Series V6 Engine
were an SOHC configuration with four
valves per cylinder. This was achieved by
the camshaft being located in the center
of the cylinder head, with equal length
rocker arms actuating the intake and
exhaust valves.[7] This arrangement was
used to provide four valves per cylinder
while minimising the valvetrain mass and
minimising the overall engine
size.[8][9][10]

Double overhead camshaft

(DOHC)
...
1977 Suzuki GS550 DOHC motorcycle engine (top
view)

A double overhead cam, dual overhead

cam, or twin-cam engine has two
camshafts per bank of the cylinder
head,[1][2][6] one for the intake valves
and the other for the exhaust valves.
Therefore there are two camshafts for a
straight engine and a total of four
camshafts for a V engine or a flat engine.
Sometimes a DOHC V engine is
marketed as a quad cam engine,
however the "extra" two camshafts are a
result of the engine's layout rather than
providing a benefit compared with other
DOHC engines. To further confuse the
terminology, some SOHC flat-twin and
V-twin motorcycle engines
manufactured by Harley-Davidson,
Indian, Riley Motors, and Triumph have
been marketed with the misleading term
"twin-cam engine".

Most DOHC engines have four valves

per cylinder, however DOHC engines
with two valves per cylinder include the
Alfa Romeo Twin Cam engine, the
Jaguar XK6 engine, the early Ford I4
DOHC engine and the Lotus Ford Twin
Cam engine.[6]

The camshaft usually operates the valves

directly via a bucket tappet. A DOHC
design permits a wider angle between
intake and exhaust valves than in SOHC
engines, which improves gas flow
through the engine. A further benefit is
that the spark plug can be placed at the
optimum location, which in turn improves
combustion efficiency.[6]

Components

Timing belt / timing chain ...

Rubber timing belt during installation

The rotation of the camshaft(s) are

driven by the crankshaft. Many 21st
century engines use a toothed timing
belt made from rubber and kevlar to
drive the camshaft.[1][6][11] Timing belts
are inexpensive, produce minimal noise
and have no need for lubrication.[12](p93)
A disadvantage of timing belts is the
need for regular replacement of the
belt;[12](p94) recommended belt life
typically varies between approximately
50,000–100,000 km (31,000–
62,000 mi).[12](pp94-95)[13](p250) If the
timing belt is not replaced in time and
fails and the engine is an interference
engine, major engine damage is to be
expected.

The first known automotive application of

timing belts to drive overhead camshafts
was the 1953 Devin-Panhard racing
specials built for the SCCA H-modified
racing series in the United States.[14](p62)
These engines were based on Panhard
OHV flat-twin engines, which were
converted to SOHC engines using
components from Norton motorcycle
engines.[14](p62) The first production car
to use a timing belt was the 1962 Glas
1004 compact coupe.[15]

Another camshaft drive method

commonly used on modern engines is a
timing chain, constructed from one or
two rows of metal roller chains.[1][6][11]
By the early 1960s most production
automobile overhead camshaft designs
used chains to drive the
camshaft(s).[5](p17) Timing chains do not
usually require replacement at regular
intervals, however the disadvantage is
that they are noisier than timing
belts.[13](p253)

Gear train ...

A gear train system between the

crankshaft and the camshaft is
commonly used in diesel overhead
camshaft engines used in heavy
trucks.[16] Gear trains are less commonly
used in OHC engines for light trucks or
automobiles.[1]

Other camshaft drive systems ...

Norton motorcycle engine with a bevel shaft-
driven camshaft

Several OHC engines up until the 1950s

used a shaft with bevel gears to drive the
camshaft. Examples include the 1908-
1911 Maudslay 25/30,[17][18] the Bentley
3 Litre,[19] the 1929-1932 MG Midget,
the 1925-1948 Velocette K series,[20] the
1931-1957 Norton International and the
1947-1962 Norton Manx.[21] In more
recent times, the 1950-1974 Ducati
Single,[22] 1973-1980 Ducati L-twin
engine, 1999-2007 Kawasaki W650 and
2011-2016 Kawasaki W800 motorcycle
engines have used bevel shafts.[23][24]
The Crosley four cylinder was the last
automotive engine to use the shaft tower
design to drive the camshaft, from 1946
to 1952; the rights to the Crosley engine
format were bought by a few different
companies, including General Tire in
1952, followed by Fageol in 1955,
Crofton in 1959, Homelite in 1961, and
Fisher Pierce in 1966, after Crosley
closed the automotive factory doors, and
they continued to produce the same
engine for several more years.
A camshaft drive using three sets of
cranks and rods in parallel was used in
the 1920-1923 Leyland Eight luxury car
built in the United Kingdom.[25][26][27] A
similar system was used in the 1926-
1930 Bentley Speed Six and the 1930-
1932 Bentley 8 Litre.[27][28] A two-rod
system with counterweights at both ends
was used by many models of the 1958-
1973 NSU Prinz.[5](p16-18)

History

1900-1914 ...
Among the first overhead camshaft
engines were the 1902 Maudslay SOHC
engine built in the United
Kingdom[18](p210)[5](p906)[29] and the 1903
Marr Auto Car SOHC engine built in the
United States.[30][31] The first DOHC
engine was a Peugeot inline-four racing
engine which powered the car that won
the 1912 French Grand Prix. Another
Peugeot with a DOHC engine won the
1913 French Grand Prix, followed by the
Mercedes-Benz 18/100 GP with an
SOHC engine winning the 1914 French
Grand Prix.
The Isotta Fraschini Tipo KM— built in
Italy from 1910-1914— was one of the
first production cars to use an SOHC
engine.[32]

World War I ...

DOHC cylinder head of a 1917-1930 Napier Lion

aircraft engine

During World War I, both the Allied and

Central Powers; specifically those of the
German Empire's Luftstreitkräfte air
forces, sought to quickly apply the
overhead camshaft technology of motor
racing engines to military aircraft
engines. The SOHC engine from the
Mercedes 18/100 GP car (which won the
1914 French Grand Prix) became the
starting point for both Mercedes' and
Rolls Royce's aircraft engines. Mercedes
created a series of six-cylinder engines
which culminated in the Mercedes D.III.
Rolls Royce reversed-engineered the
Mercedes cylinder head design based
on a racing car left in England at the
beginning of the war, leading to the
Rolls-Royce Eagle V12 engine. Other
SOHC designs included the Spanish
Hispano-Suiza 8 V8 engine (with a fully
enclosed-drivetrain), the American
Liberty L-12 V12 engine, which closely
followed the later Mercedes D.IIIa
design's partly-exposed SOHC valvetrain
design; and the Max Friz-designed;
German BMW IIIa straight-six engine.
The DOHC Napier Lion W12 engine was
built in Great Britain beginning in 1918.

Most of these engines used a shaft to

transfer drive from the crankshaft up to
the camshaft at the top of the engine.
Large aircraft engines— particularly air-
cooled engines— experienced
considerable thermal expansion, causing
the height of the cylinder block to vary
during operating conditions. This
expansion caused difficulties for pushrod
engines, so an overhead camshaft
engine using a shaft drive with sliding
spline was the easiest way to allow for
this expansion. These bevel shafts were
usually in an external tube outside the
block, and were known as "tower
shafts".[33]
1914-1918 Hispano-Suiza 8A SOHC
aircraft engine

1914-1918 Hispano-Suiza 8Be SOHC

aircraft engine with "tower shafts" at the
rear of each cylinder bank
1919-1944 ...

1933 Bugatti Type 59 straight-eight grand prix

racing engine

An early American overhead camshaft

production engine was the SOHC
straight-eight engine used in the 1921-
1926 Duesenberg Model A luxury car.[34]

In 1926, the Sunbeam 3 litre Super

Sports became the first production car to
use a DOHC engine.[35][36]

In the United States, Duesenberg added

DOHC engines (alongside their existing
SOHC engines) with the 1928 release of
the Duesenberg Model J, which was
powered by a DOHC straight-eight
engine. The 1931-1935 Stutz DV32 was
another early American luxury car to use
a DOHC engine. Also in the United
States, the DOHC Offenhauser racing
engine was introduced in 1933. This
inline-four engine dominated North
American open-wheel racing from 1934
until the 1970s.
Other early SOHC automotive engines
were the 1920-1923 Wolseley Ten, the
1928-1931 MG 18/80, the 1926-1935
Singer Junior and the 1928-1929 Alfa
Romeo 6C Sport. Early overhead
camshaft motorcycles included the
1925-1949 Velocette K Series and the
1927-1939 Norton CS1.

1945-present ...
1946-1949 Crosley CoBra SOHC engine

The 1946-1948 Crosley CC Four was

arguably the first American mass-
produced car to use an SOHC
engine.[37][38][39] This small mass-
production engine powered the winner
of the 1950 12 Hours of Sebring.[37](p121)

Use of a DOHC configuration gradually

increased after World War II, beginning
with sports cars. Iconic DOHC engines of
this period include the 1948-1959
Lagonda straight-six engine, the 1949–
1992 Jaguar XK6 straight-six engine and
the 1954-1994 Alfa Romeo Twin Cam
inline-four engine.[40][41] The 1966-2000
Fiat Twin Cam inline-four engine was
one of the first DOHC engines to use a
toothed timing belt instead of a timing
chain.[42]

In the 1980s, the need for increased

performance while reducing fuel
consumption and exhaust emissions saw
increasing use of DOHC engines in
mainstream vehicles, beginning with
Japanese manufacturers.[40] By the mid-
2000s, most automotive engines used a
DOHC layout.

See also
 Cam-in-block
Camless
Overhead valve engine
Variable valve timing

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