Varying from vehicle to vehicle, the camshaft may either be located within the engine block or in the cylinder heads. Similar to how a jack-in-the-box operates, the crankshaft turns the pistons up and down motion into a reciprocal motion, at engine speed. This keenly machined and balanced mechanism is connected to the pistons through the connecting rod. The crankshaft is located in the lower section of the engine block, within the crankshaft journals (an area of the shaft that rests on the bearings). The cylinder head contains many items including the valve springs, valves, lifters, pushrods, rockers, and camshafts to control passageways that allow the flow of intake air into the cylinders during the intake stroke.Īs well as exhaust passages that remove exhaust gases during the exhaust stroke. Inside the piston, lie piston rings that are made to help create compression and reduce the friction from the constant rubbing of the cylinder.Īttached to the engine through cylinder bolts, sealed with the head gasket. Pistons on engines that rotate at 1250 RPM, will travel up and down 2500 times per minute. Pistons travel up and down within the cylinder twice during each rotation of the crankshaft. The role of the piston is to transfer energy created from combustion to the crankshaft to propel the vehicle. Inside the block is where the magic happens, such as combustion.Īre a cylindrical apparatus with a flat surface on top. The engine block also houses the pistons, crankshaft, camshaft, and between four and twelve cylinders depending on the vehicle, in a line, also known as inline, flat, or in the shape of a V.Īll other parts of the motor are essentially bolted to it. Oil paths are narrower than water flow paths. Often made of aluminum or iron, it has several holes to contain the cylinders as well as provide water and oil flow paths to cool and lubricate the engine. The engine block is the main part of an engine. You may have heard of some of these car engine parts names but it’s important to know what their role is and how they relate to other components within the engine. While many of us think of the engine as one major component, it’s actually made up of several individual components working simultaneously. The cylinders are made to open and close at precisely the correct time to bring in fuel to combine with the spark for burning internally, and to release the exhaust gases produced. Most modern vehicles have between four and eight cylinders, though some vehicles can have as many as sixteen!