The internal combustion engine is made up of cylinders, pistons, fuel injectors, and spark plugs. Together, these parts burn fuel and release exhaust gases from the cylinders. This process is repeated to generate the energy that powers the vehicle.

What drives the Car Lift For Sale  pistons up and down are thousands of tiny, controlled explosions occurring every minute. These explosions happen when fuel is mixed with oxygen and ignited. Each ignition is known as the combustion, or power, stroke. The heat and expanding gases from this small explosion push the piston down in the cylinder.

Most modern internal combustion engines, particularly gasoline engines, operate on a four-stroke cycle. In addition to the combustion stroke, which pushes the piston down from the top of the cylinder, there are three other strokes: intake, compression, and exhaust.

Four-Stroke Engine Cycle:

1. The Intake Stroke:

   The Car Lift For Sale  intake stroke allows air and fuel to enter the engine’s combustion chamber. The method varies depending on the engine type. In gasoline-direct-injected (GDI) engines, fuel can be injected as the piston moves down to create a homogeneous mixture, or in smaller amounts nearer the end of the compression stroke, depending on the duty cycle. Some manufacturers even use both port and direct injection.

2. The Compression Stroke:

The crankshaft completes its first full revolution, driving the piston upwards and compressing the fuel and air mixture.

3. The Power Stroke:

4. The Exhaust Stroke:

   Finally, the exhaust valve opens, and the piston moves back up one last time, pushing the exhaust gases out of the cylinder while applying a fresh coat of oil to the piston.

An engine block, also referred to as a cylinder block, houses the key components where combustion occurs in a reciprocating engine.

Typically made from an aluminum alloy (though older engines often used cast iron), the engine block contains the cylinders and their components, the water-cooling system, and the crankcase.

Its metal construction provides strength and efficiently transfers heat from the combustion process to the integrated cooling system.

This Car Lift For Sale  cooling system, sometimes called the water jacket, is connected to the car’s radiator, which cools the water before it is pumped back into the engine block. Without proper cooling, the engine would quickly become less efficient and could eventually seize.

The water jacket surrounds the engine’s cylinders, typically four, six, or eight in number, which house the pistons. Once the cylinder head is secured in place, along with the camshaft, the pistons move up and down within the cylinders, turning the crankshaft, which ultimately powers the wheels.

This reservoir stores oil that lubricates the engine’s moving parts. The oil level is monitored electronically via the car’s dashboard or manually with a dipstick inserted into the engine block.

Car Lift For Sale  Engine oil should be changed at regular intervals. This is usually done through the sump plug located at the base of the block or with a vacuum pump and hose inserted through the dipstick hole. The oil filter should also be replaced during this process.

Common Symptoms of a Faulty Engine Block:

– Poor engine performance due to low compression

– Visible engine smoke

– Engine overheating caused by leaking antifreeze

– Discoloration in oil or antifreeze

– Leaking oil or coolant

– Frozen coolant in the radiator

– Excessive exhaust smoke

– Low coolant levels

A piston is a crucial component of your car’s engine. It’s a cylindrical piece of metal equipped with piston rings that create an air-tight seal when the piston is installed within the engine cylinder. The piston is connected to a connecting rod via a piston pin or gudgeon, and the rod is, in turn, linked to the crankshaft.

In Car Lift For Sale  four-stroke engines (both petrol and diesel), the intake, compression, combustion, and exhaust processes occur above the piston in the cylinder head. These processes force the piston to move up and down (or in and out in horizontally opposed, or flat, engines) within the cylinder, causing the crankshaft to rotate.

Internal combustion engines can have just a single cylinder and piston, as seen in motorcycles and lawnmowers, or up to 12 cylinders, though most cars typically have four, six, or eight.

Pistons are also used in external combustion engines, such as steam engines, where water is heated in a boiler to produce steam. The steam drives pistons in external cylinders, which then power the wheels.

An engine crankshaft is a key component of the car’s engine. It is located at the bottom end of the motor and converts the vertical movement of the pistons into horizontal rotational movement, which ultimately powers the wheels via the gearbox.

In modern Car Lift For Sale cars, the crankshaft has evenly spaced “throws” (four in a four-cylinder engine, as shown below), which are connected to the bottom of the pistons by connecting rods. These throws are offset from the crankshaft’s axis, generating rotational energy.

The crankshaft is secured to the engine by large bearings at either end and is connected to the flywheel, which, in turn, connects to the clutch.

When the Car Lift For Sale  clutch is engaged, the crankshaft’s rotational energy is transmitted through the gearbox, then through the differential to the driveshafts, which are connected to the wheels, allowing the car to move.

Here are some signs that you might have a cylinder that is failing:

– Difficulty starting the vehicle

– Intermittent stalling

– Check engine light activation

– Uneven acceleration

– Engine misfires or vibrations

– Rough idle and/or vibrating engine

– Reduced fuel efficiency

In a modern internal combustion engine, camshafts are typically, though not always, positioned directly above the cylinder banks, where they control the valves. Their precise calibration regulates the amount of air-fuel mixture entering the chamber and ensures the efficient expulsion of exhaust gases from the previous combustion, making room for the next charge.

This function is crucial to the engine’s operation, as the opening and closing of the valves must be perfectly synchronized with the pistons’ movements. This synchronization has a significant impact on engine performance.

To maintain this timing, the camshafts are linked to the crankshaft, which directly drives the pistons, via a timing belt or chain.