Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Engine Block
Contains:
Cylinder bores
Pistons and rings
Connecting rods
Crankshaft
Bearings
Timing gears
Oil pan and filter
Camshaft and lifters (pushrod engines)
Flywheel or flexplate
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Engine Block
Cylinder bores:
Round hole cast in block
Bored to a precise diameter
Honed to smooth finish
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The cylinder block also provides the foundation for the cooling
and lubricating systems. The cylinders of a liquid-cooled
engine are surrounded by interconnecting passages cast in
the block. Collectively, these passages form the water jacket
that allows the circulation of coolant through the cylinder block
and the cylinder head to carry off excessive heat created by
combustion.
The water jacket is accessible through holes machined in the
head and block to allow removal of the material used for
casting of the cylinder block. These holes are called core
holes and are sealed by core hole plugs (freeze plugs). These
plugs are of two types: cup and disk.
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Cylinder Block:
The cylinder block, also called engine block, is the main bottom end structure. Iron or
aluminum is normally used for its construction. Nickel may be added to the iron to
increase strength and wear.
Aluminum blocks weigh less and are better at dissipating heat. Core plugs (1), also
called freeze plugs, seal holes left in the block after casting. The plugs prevent the
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leakage of coolant from the water jackets.
Block Design:
The design of the cylinder block varies among manufacturers.
The block's geometry is determined by the number of cylinders
(2), cylinder orientation (opposed, in-line, slant, V-shaped), and
camshaft location (overhead cam or in-block cam). Regardless
of design, the block must withstand the forces exerted by the
pistons and crankshaft, serve as a mounting structure for other
engine components, and be light in weight.
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Main Caps:
The main caps (3) secure the crankshaft to the engine block. When bolted in place,
they form the main bearing bore in which the crankshaft's main journals rotate. Two
or four bolts are used to secure the caps. Some blocks use a main cap girdle which
is a structure in which the caps rest. The caps and girdle are secured to the block.
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The cylinders are bored right into the block. A good cylinder
must be round, not varying in diameter by more than
approximately 0.0005 inch (0.012 mm). The diameter of the
cylinder must be uniform throughout its entire length. During
normal engine operation, cylinder walls wear out-of-round, or
they may become cracked and scored if not lubricated or
cooled properly. The cylinders on an air-cooled engine are
separate from the crankcase. They are made of forged steel.
This material is most suitable for cylinders because of its
excellent wearing qualities and its ability to withstand high
temperatures that air-cooled cylinders obtain. The cylinders
have rows of deep fins cast into them to dissipate engine
heat. The cylinders are commonly mounted by securing the
cylinder head to the crankcase with long studs and
sandwiching the cylinders between the two. Another way of
mounting the cylinders is to bolt them to the crankcase, and
then secure the heads to the cylinders.
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CYLINDER LINERS
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Cylinder Sleeves:
Cylinder sleeves (1) or liners are
removable, cylindrical inserts. Two types
are used. The dry sleeve is separated from
the water jacket (2) by the cylinder wall (3).
The wet sleeve is in direct contact with the
coolant and has thicker walls since no
outside structure provides support. Sleeves
are typically cast iron.
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Dry Sleeves:
Dry sleeves are thinner in construction since structural support
is provided by the engine block cylinder wall. The loads
generated by combustion pressure are absorbed by the engine
block and not the sleeve. Dry sleeves can be pressed into older
engines to repair damaged cylinders.
Wet Sleeves
Wet sleeves are designed to withstand the loads generated by
combustion pressure. The sleeves are in direct contact with
engine coolant. A rubber or copper O-ring (yellow circle) is used
at the bottom flange to prevent coolant from leaking into the
crankcase. The cylinder head gasket prevents any coolant
leaking through the top.
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Cylinder Barrel
___________________ or nickel-molybdenum
steel
Used to guide and seal piston and to mount
cylinder assembly to head
Barrel _______ into head to form cylinder
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assembly
Cylinder Walls
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Cylinder Walls
Inside surface of cylinder barrel is _________
to a controlled amount of roughness
Rough enough to __________ but smooth
enough to minimize friction and wear
Plain steel cylinder walls are not _______ to
prevent wear or corrosion
Nitrided cylinder walls are _________ to reduce
wear but still rust as easily as plain steel walls.
Nitriding is exposing the cylinder wall to
ammonia at high temperatures and it hardens
the wall to a thickness of approximately .005
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Cylinder Head
Covers cylinders
Forms top of combustion chamber
Contains intake and exhaust valves and springs
Contains spark plugs
Bolted to engine block with head bolts
Head gasket is placed between block and
cylinder head
Overhead cam engines contain camshafts
Single cam engine= SOHC
Dual cam engine= DOHC
Combustion Chamber
Area formed by bottom of cylinder head and top of piston
Air and fuel mixture is compressed and ignited in
chamber and applies force from combustion to piston
Spark plug protrudes into chamber
Chamber is sealed by:
Valves
Piston rings
Head gasket
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Wedge-Shaped Chambers
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Bowl in Piston
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Cylinder heads
Constructed of cast
aluminium
Provides combustion
chamber, and mounting
areas for spark plug and
valve parts
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Crankcase
The crankcase is that part of the cylinder block below the
cylinders. It supports and encloses the crankshaft and
provides a reservoir for lubricating oil. The lower part of
the crankcase is the oil pan, which is bolted at the
bottom. The oil pan is made of cast aluminum or pressed
steel and holds the lubricating oil for the engine. Since
the oil pan is the lowest part of the engine, it must be
strong enough to withstand blows from flying stones and
obstructions sticking up from the road surface.
The crankcase also has mounting brackets to support the
entire engine on the vehicle frame. These brackets are
either an integral part of the crankcase or are bolted to it
in such a way that they support the engine at three or
four points. These points are cushioned by rubber
mounts that insulate the frame and body of the vehicle
from engine vibration. This prevents damage to engine
supports and the transmission.
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