Internal Combustion Car Engine

Front 1

engine block/cylinder block

Back 1

The foundation of an engine, the thick skeleton that encases the components.

Front 2

inline engine

Back 2

Four cylinder engine, where the cylinders are mounted in a straight line above the crankshaft.

Typical set-up for a four cylinder engine.

Front 3

flat four

Back 3

Four Cylinder engine, where the cylinders are laid horizontally in two banks, with the crankshaft going down the middle.

Front 4

V6/V8

Back 4

Cars with more than four cylinders have their cylinders divided into two banks, three (or more) on each side. This division makes it look live a "V", when looking straight on.

V6= 6 cylinders

V8= 8 cylinders

Front 5

combustion chamber

Back 5

It’s where fuel, air, pressure, and electricity come together to create the small explosion that moves the car’s pistons up and down, thus creating the power to move the vehicle.

Front 6

combustion chamber components

Back 6

The combustion chamber is made up of the cylinder, piston, and cylinder head.

Front 7

cylinder

Back 7

Where the engine's piston's slide up and down.

More cylinders = More power.

Front 8

cylinder head

Back 8

The piece of metal that sits over the engine's cylinders.

Small indentations are cast into the cylinder head in order to allow room at the top of the chamber for combustion.

Front 9

what is mounted to the cylinder head

Back 9

Intake and outtake valves, spark plugs and fuel injectors.

Front 10

what is the head gasket

Back 10

Seals the joint between the cylinder head and cylinder block.

Front 11

pistons

Back 11

Move up and down in the cylinder.

Front 12

describe the piston movement

Back 12

Fuel ignites in the combustion chamber, creating a force that pushes the piston downward, which in turn moves the crankshaft.

Front 13

how are the pistons and crankshaft connected

Back 13

The piston attaches to the crankshaft via a rod (con rod). The connecting rod is connected via a piston pin. The connecting rod connects to the crankshaft via a connecting rod bearing.

Front 14

what does the crankshaft do

Back 14

It converts the up and down motion of the pistons into rotational motion.

Front 15

crankshaft location

Back 15

It typically runs lengthwise in the engine block along the bottom

Front 16

what does the crankshaft connect to at the front and back of the engine

Back 16

At the front of the engine the crankshaft connects to rubber belts which connect to the camshaft, which power other parts of the car. At the back of the engine, the camshaft connects to the drive train in order to power the wheels of the car.

Front 17

what is found at either end of the crankshaft

Back 17

Oil seals or "O-rings", to keep the oil inside the engine

Front 18

where does the crankshaft reside

Back 18

In the crankcase of the engine, located below the cylinder block.

This protects the crankshaft and connecting rods from outside objects

Front 19

where is the oil pan and what does it do

Back 19

At the bottom of the crankcase, stores the engine's oil.

Front 20

describe the path of this oil

Back 20

The oil is pumped through an oil filter by the oil pump, and is then squirted onto the crankshaft, connecting rod bearings, and cylinder walls in order to provide lubrication for the movement of the pistons.