Engine Fundamentals

What is an engine ?

1. Introduction

An engine is a mechanical machine used to convert

the chemical energy of the fuel into heat energy and
then to mechanical energy.
 Engine classification

Engine

External combustion Internal combustion (IC)

Reciprocating Rotary

Gasoline Diesel

Carburetor Injection Mechanical

EFI
Reciprocating IC Engines component parts

IC Engine

Engine systems Engine mechanisms

 Starting system

Engine systems
Intake system
Fuel system
Ignition system

Lubrication system

Exhaust system

Charging system

Cooling system
 Engine mechanisms

Engine mechanisms

Crank gear mechanism Valve gear mechanism

• Camshaft
• Crank shaft
• Valve lifter (OHV)
•Connecting rod
• Push rod (OHV)
• Piston
• Rocker arm
• Cylinder • Valve spring
• Valves
 Component parts of IC Engines

1. Valve
2. Cylinder
3. Cylinder head
4. Piston rings
5. Piston
6. Connecting rod
7. Flywheel
8. Cylinder block
9. Crankshaft
10.Main bearings
11.Timing gear
Four-stroke gasoline engine cycle of operation

Principle of engine operation

 Principle of engine operation
Two-stroke gasoline engine cycle of operation
 Principle of engine operation
Four-stroke diesel engine cycle of operation
 Principle of engine operation
Two-stroke diesel engine cycle of operation
 Engine Classification

Even though basic parts are the same,

design differences can change the way
engines operate and how they are repaired
For this reason, you must be able to classify
engines.
 Internal Combustion Engines
An engine, such as a gasoline or diesel
engine, in which fuel is burned inside the
engine.
Designed to be run on any fuel that
vaporizes easily or on any flammable
gas.
 External Combustion Engines
An engine, such as a steam engine, in which
fuel is burned outside the engine
Fuel is burned to produce heat to make steam
Fuel burning can take place within a few feet of
the engine to several miles away
 Steam Engine
• Heats water to produce steam
• Steam pressure operates the engine pistons
• Known as an external combustion engine since
its fuel is burned outside the engine
Diagram External Combustion

Steam Engine
 Engine Classification

Cylinder arrangement
Number of cylinders
Cooling system type
Valve location
Camshaft location
 Engine Classification cont.

Combustion chamber design

Type of fuel burned
Type of ignition
Number of strokes per cycle
Number of valves per cylinder
Type of aspiration
 1 Cylinder Arrangement
 Refers to the position of the cylinders in
relation to the crankshaft
 There are five basic cylinder arrangements:
 inline
 V-type
 slant
 W-type
 opposed
Cylinder Arrangement
Horizontally Opposed
In - Line
V configuration
 2. Number of Cylinders

Most car and truck engines have either 4, 6, or

8 cylinders
Some may have 3, 5, 10, 12, or 16 cylinders
Engine power and smoothness are enhanced by
using more cylinders
 Numbering of Cylinders

Engine manufacturers number each engine

cylinder to help technicians make repairs
Service manual illustrations are usually
provided to show the number of each cylinder
Cylinder numbers may be cast into the intake
manifold
 3 Firing Orders

Refers to the sequence in which the cylinders

fire
Determined by the position of the crankshaft rod
journals in relation to each other.
May be cast into the intake manifold.
Service manual illustrations are usually provided
to show the firing order.
Numbering and Firing Order
 4 Method of Cooling

 There are two types of cooling systems:

 Liquid cooling system
 surrounds the cylinder with coolant
 coolant carries combustion heat out of the cylinder
head and engine block
 Air cooling system
 circulates air over cooling fins on the cylinders
 air removes heat from the cylinders
 5 Fuel Type
Engines are classified by the type of fuel
used
Gasoline engines burn gasoline
Diesel engines burn diesel fuel
Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), gasohol
(10% alcohol, 90% gasoline), and pure alcohol
can also be used to power an engine
 Aspiration (how does air arrive)

• Normal aspiration – atmospheric pressure

• Forced induction (Turbo or Supercharger)

 6 Method of Ignition

Two basic methods are used to ignite the

fuel in an engine combustion chamber:
spark ignition (spark plug)
compression ignition (compressed air)
Spark Ignition
Compression Ignition
 7 Valve Location

Engines are classified by the location of the valves:

L-head engine
also called a flat head engine
I-head engine
Both overhead valve (OHV) engines and overhead
com (OHC) are I-head
 ‘I’ and ‘L’ Head

Both the intake and exhaust

Both valves are in the valves are in the block
cylinder head Flathead-Model T
 8 Camshaft Location

There are two basic locations for the

engine camshaft:
Camshaft located in the block
cam-in-block engine
Camshaft located in the cylinder head
overhead cam (OHC) engine
 Cam in Block (OHV)

Uses push rods to transfer motion to the

rocker arms and valves
Also called an overhead valve (OHV)
engine
 Diagram of OHV

Note the adjustment screw on

the end of the rocker arm. Not
all rocker arms have this
adjustment. Check the shop
manual for adjustment
procedures.
 Cam in Head

OHC engines may use one or two camshafts per cylinder head
Single overhead cam (SOHC) engine
uses only one camshaft per cylinder head
Dual overhead cam (DOHC) engine
uses two camshafts per cylinder head
one cam operates the intake valves, while the other cam
operates the exhaust valves
 Diagram of OHC

Notice that the pushrod and rocker

arm have
been eliminated in this OHC engine.
Less moving parts in the
transmission of camshaft motion to
open the valve.
This not only reduces friction points
and weight but also less points for
wear and component breakage.

NOTE-not all OHC have eliminated the rocker arms.

Diagram of OHC with Rockers
Diagram of DOHC
# 9 Combustion Chamber Design

 Four basic combustion chamber

shapes are used in most automotive
engines:
pancake

wedge

Hemispherical (hemi)
pent-roof
 Pancake

Chamber forms a flat pocket over the

piston head
Valve heads are almost parallel to the top
of the piston
 Wedge

The valves are placed side-by-side

The spark plug is located next to the valves
When the piston reaches TDC, the squish area formed
on the thin side of the chamber squirts the air-fuel
mixture out into the main part of the chamber
this improves air-fuel mixing at low engine speeds
 Hemispherical (Hemi)

Shaped like a dome

The valves are canted on each side of the combustion chamber
The spark plug is located near the center of the chamber, producing
a very short flame path for combustion
The surface area is very small, reducing heat loss
 Pent Roof

Similar to a hemispherical chamber

Has flat, angled surfaces rather than a domed
surface
Improves volumetric efficiency and reduces
emissions
Pent Roof Combustion Chamber

Uses two exhaust valves and two intake

valves to increase flow
Additional Combustion Chamber Designs

Swirl

Causes the air-fuel mixture to swirl as it enters

the chamber, improving combustion