4 Motorcycle engine

mechanical,
lubrication &
cooling system
units & components
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Engine mechanical, lubrication and cooling systems are essential to the operation
of every motorcycle. This chapter will help you develop an understanding of the
construction and operation of these systems. It will also cover procedures you can
use when removing, replacing and testing engine mechanical systems for correct
function and operation. This chapter provides you with knowledge that will help
you with both theory and practical assessments. It will help you plan a safe and
systematic approach to engine mechanical, lubrication and cooling systems inspection
and maintenance.
This chapter covers:
• Engine mechanical system operation • How to check, replace and test motorcycle
• Engine lubrication system operation engine mechanical, lubrication and cooling
system units and components
• Engine cooling systems operation
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Kick S T A R T
In order to contribute to the productivity
of your workshop, you need to develop
practical skills that are beneficial to the
company or organisation. With practice, you
will become competent at these skills and
increase your capabilities. The following
exercise will help start your hands-on
training and improve your abilities.
Replacing the engine oil and filter
A customer has left their motorcycle at your workshop
for an intermediate service. You have been asked to
change the engine oil and filter.
• Are there any health and safety risks involved with
this activity?
• Make a list of personal protective equipment (PPE),
vehicle protective equipment (VPE), tools and
equipment that you might need.
Safe Working
• Always protect your skin from contact with waste
engine oil. Waste engine oil can cause dermatitis or
even cancer.
• Always clean up any oil spills immediately to reduce
the possibility of accidents caused by slips, trips
and falls.
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Remember: as with any skill that you
wish to develop, the more you practise,
the better you will become.
Now turn to page 369–70 in this book and
check your answers against the checklist
and any safety information given for this
Safe Environment
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task. Following the technical skills steps and
observing all necessary health and safety
precautions, practise changing the engine oil
and filter on a motorcycle in your workshop.
During the maintenance of motorcycles, you may be
required to dispose of waste engine oil and filters.
Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (EPA),
you must dispose of all waste in the correct manner.
You should store all waste safely in a clearly marked
container until it is collected by a licensed recycling
company. This company should give you a waste
transfer note as the receipt of collection.
4 Motorcycle engine mechanical, lubrication & cooling system units & components
Engine mechanical system operation
The engine is the motorcycle’s power plant. It provides energy for
movement and to generate electricity.
A motorcycle engine uses petrol as a fuel, which it combines with
air. This mixture is then burnt in a cylinder containing a piston.
The heat energy given off by the burning mixture is used to drive
Key terms
Combustion – the process
of burning.
Internal combustion – the
combustion process takes place
inside the piston cylinder.
Piston – a pressure-tight plunger.
pistons and operate the engine. As the combustion takes place
Cylinder block – the main
directly in the cylinder containing the piston, it is known as an body of the engine that
internal combustion engine. contains the cylinders.
Crankshaft – the main engine
Engines rotating shaft, driven by
Depending on the motorcycle type and how it will be used, the pistons.
manufacturers use different engine layouts and configurations
within their bike design, as shown in Table 4.1.
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Action
Practise: Identify the engine layouts of the bikes in your workshop.
Explore: Do some research and find at least one manufacturer that uses each of the
engine layouts listed in Table 4.1.
Figure 4.1 A modern motorcycle engine
Table 4.1 Engine types and configurations
Engine type Configuration and features
Inline • The pistons are arranged in a line next to each other.
• This is the most common design.
• It takes up a great deal of space because of the length of the cylinder block
Flat
needed to hold the pistons.
• Sometimes known as a ‘boxer’ or ‘horizontally opposed’ engine.
• The pistons are laid out flat on each side of the crankshaft, so if you have a
two-cylinder horizontally opposed engine, there will be one piston on each side
of the crankshaft.
• Provides a low centre of gravity, and the crankshaft can be kept relatively
short because there is only one piston each side, making the engine compact.
Vee • The cylinders are laid out in the shape of the letter V.
• In a similar way to the flat engine, the crankshaft can be made shorter and
more compact.
• This design can allow for a long stroke, which is able to create a large
amount of torque. It is a popular design for use in cruiser motorcycles.
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 Level 2 Motorcycle Maintenance & Repair
Did you know?
During the manufacture of
cylinder blocks and heads, holes
are left in the castings to help
remove sand from the water
jackets. (The sand is used in the
moulding process.) Small metal
caps called ‘core plugs’ are used
to block off the holes left in the
cooling system. Although not
part of the design process, these
core plugs have been known
to fall out during the freezing
of a cooling system. This can
help relieve pressure and save
engines from damage caused
by ice.
Figure 4.32 A core plug
(sometimes called a welch plug)
Key terms
Radiator – a unit designed
to transfer heat energy to the
surrounding air.
Dissipate – spread out in many
directions (usually associated
with the movement of heat
to air).
Core – the central pipework
and cooling fins of a radiator.
Upright – where the pipework
of the radiator core runs
vertically (top to bottom).
Crossflow – where the
pipework of the radiator core
runs horizontally (side to side).
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The advantages of liquid-cooled systems are:
 They provide more even cooling of engine components.
 They run much more quietly than air-cooled engines.
Some disadvantages of liquid-cooled systems are:
✗ Water boils at 100°C, and when it boils it changes to steam.
Once the water has changed to steam, it no longer acts as an
efficient coolant.
✗ The cooling system will be complicated, with extra components
such as radiators, water pumps and thermostats. Because of
this, there is more to maintain and more to go wrong.
Radiator and radiator cap
The liquid coolant absorbs heat from the engine mechanical
components. This heat energy is transferred into the surrounding
air using a radiator.
A radiator is a series of metal tubes, surrounded by cooling fins
(thin pieces of corrugated metal designed to increase the surface
area). The radiator is mounted away from the engine, in a position
that allows airflow to pass over it and dissipate heat to the
surrounding air.
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The pipework in the centre of the radiator zigzags backwards and
forwards. This means that the coolant passing through it is in
contact with the air for the longest time possible, which makes it
efficient at getting rid of the heat.
• If the pipework is mounted top to bottom (up and down), the
radiator core is known as upright.
known as crossflow.
NEW TECH
Curved radiators
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• If the pipework is mounted side to side, the radiator core is
Some manufacturers of high performance motorcycles are
producing curved radiators. A curved radiator helps preserve a
large surface area while maintaining clearance for the front wheel
when steering.
Pressurising the cooling system
Antifreeze raises the boiling point of the water slightly, yet under
normal circumstances, this would not be enough to stop the coolant
boiling at some stage within the engine system. A method to raise
the boiling point still further is to pressurise the cooling system.
4 Motorcycle engine mechanical, lubrication & cooling system units & components
Pressure has a direct effect on the boiling point of water:
! Safe working
• If the pressure is lowered, the boiling point is lowered.
If the cooling system pressure is
• If the pressure is increased, the boiling point is raised. suddenly released by opening
To raise the boiling point of the cooling system, it can be the radiator cap, the coolant
can boil. It will then gush out of
pressurised by sealing it with a radiator cap, also called a the system and can cause burns
pressure cap. As the coolant warms up, it tries to expand, but it and scalding. Never open the
has nowhere to go (because the radiator cap is sealing the system), radiator cap when the engine
so pressure increases. This pressure increase raises the boiling is hot. Once it is cool, open the
cap slowly.
point of the liquid coolant in the system.
Pressure valve
Key terms
Pressure cap/radiator cap – a
Vacuum valve
spring-loaded cap designed to
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raise the pressure in the cooling
Figure 4.33 Cooling system pressure cap, with relief valve open
system, and therefore the
boiling point of the coolant.
To make sure that the pressure does not continue increasing past Vacuum – a pressure that is
lower than atmospheric pressure.
safe limits, the radiator cap contains a spring-loaded valve. When
a preset pressure is reached, the valve releases, allowing some Thermostat – a temperature
coolant to escape into an overflow expansion tank. control valve, which regulates
system temperature.
As the system cools down, pressure falls. As some of the coolant
has been allowed to escape past the radiator cap, this pressure
fall would create a vacuum, making the cooling system hoses
collapse. To overcome this, the radiator cap is fitted with another
valve that works in the opposite direction. As cooling system
pressure falls, this valve opens, allowing the expelled coolant to
be drawn back into the system from the overflow expansion tank,
keeping it topped up.
Thermostat
An engine runs most efficiently when its overall temperature
is around 100°C (the boiling point of water). This means that
when an engine starts from cold, it results in high levels of fuel
consumption, emissions and wear.
To help with the rapid warm-up of the engine, a thermostat is
fitted in the system (see Figure 4.34).
A thermostat is a temperature-sensitive valve. It is positioned in
the system so that when it is closed, it will stop the flow of coolant
into the radiator. This restricts the circulation of water until the Figure 4.34 Cooling system wax-type
engine has reached a certain temperature. thermostat
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 Level 2 Motorcycle Maintenance & Repair
Key term
Specific gravity – the density
of a liquid when compared
to water.
Using a hydrometer to test the strength of coolant/antifreeze
Checklist
PPE & VPE
• Steel toe-capped boots
• Overalls
• Latex or nitrile gloves
1. Allow the engine to cool.
! Safe working
You must always allow the engine
to cool before removing the radiator
pressure cap. If you remove the
radiator cap while the engine is hot,
a sudden drop in pressure may cause
the liquid coolant to boil, causing
scalding or severe burns.
2. Once the engine is cool, carefully
remove the radiator pressure cap.
Figure 4.38 Blue smoke (from
burning oil) being emitted from a
motorcycle exhaust
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4 Motorcycle engine mechanical, lubrication & cooling system units & components
Testing the strength of coolant or antifreeze • If piston rings are the cause of oil smoke, this will usually be
most noticeable during acceleration.
To make sure that the system has the correct strength of coolant
or antifreeze mixture, you can use a hydrometer to check the • If lubrication oil is leaking past the valve stem seals, oil smoke
specific gravity. will usually be most noticeable on start up, or after the engine
has been left idling for a short time.
Remember that a two-stroke engine uses total loss lubrication,
burning its own engine oil. This means that it is normal to see
Tools and equipment Source information blue smoke coming from the exhaust of a two-stroke.
• Cooling system hydrometer • Cooling system technical data
Damage to the cylinder walls
• Antifreeze mixture instructions
Overheating or lack of lubrication can lead to the cylinder walls
• Job card
being damaged. If this happens, you will often find scoring on the
piston thrust side of the cylinder. The thrust side of the cylinder is
3. Select a hydrometer for the type of 6. While you are carrying out the
the one that the piston presses against as it moves downwards on
coolant in the system. Two main types of hydrometer test, this is also a good
its power stroke. The throw of the crankshaft will force the piston
coolant are used: monoethylene glycol
and polypropylene glycol. Each coolant
time to assess the condition of the
coolant. (Check it to see if it is dirty or to one side and this is where the greatest amount of wear and
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type has a different hydrometer and will contaminated.) damage might occur.
provide antifreeze protection. Figure 4.39 A damaged engine cylinder
Incorrect valve clearance
7. If the coolant is below the standard Because of expansion due to heat, inlet and exhaust valves require Key terms
4. Insert the hydrometer into the coolant
required, you should drain it, flush the
and take a sample. clearance between them and any operating mechanism. This is Valve stem seals – rubber
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system and refill it with the correct
quantity and type. often known as tappet clearance. seals designed to prevent oil
leaking passed the inlet and
If the clearance is too small, two problems can occur: exhaust valves.
8. If you are using an antifreeze and • When the valves expand due to heat, they might be held Throw – the distance between
open when they come into contact with the valve-operating the crankshaft main bearing
water mix, follow the manufacturer’s
journal and the crank pin.
recommendations, including the ratio of mechanism. This will lead to loss of compression and misfiring.
water to antifreeze. Mix the antifreeze The throw of an engine will
Because the valves conduct their heat away through the determine the length of
and water in a separate container and
5. The indicator on the hydrometer will
show the antifreeze strength.
Common faults in motorcycle engine mechanical,
lubrication and cooling systems and their causes
Worn piston rings
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then fill the system. cylinder head, if they are held open they may not cool and
could burn out.
• If the valve clearance is too small, the operating mechanism
will come into contact with the valves sooner, advancing the
valve timing.
If the valve clearance is too large, you can often hear a rattling
noise from the top end of the engine.
• The valves may not fully open. This reduces the amount of air/
its stroke.
Tappet clearance – the
gap between the end of
the valve stem and the
operating mechanism.
Two problems can occur if piston rings wear. If the compression fuel mixture that can be drawn into the cylinder or reduces the
rings are worn, cylinder compression is reduced or lost, leading amount of exhaust gas that can be expelled. This will affect the
to poor performance on that particular cylinder. If the oil-control volumetric efficiency and therefore performance.
ring (the piston ring that helps keep oil below the piston) becomes
• The operating mechanism will come into contact later, delaying
worn, the engine may start to burn its own lubrication oil. When
the valve timing.
this happens, the oil level will fall and excessive blue smoke in the
exhaust may occur (see Figure 4.38).
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