The camshaft, which opens and closes the valves, is driven from the crankshaft by a chain drive or gears on the front end of the engine. Because one turn of the camshaft completes the valve operation for an entire cycle of the engine and the four-stroke-cycle engine makes two crankshaft revolutions to complete one cycle, the camshaft turns half as fast as the crankshaft. It is located above and to one side of the crankshaft, which places it directly under the valves of the L-head engine or the pushrods that extend down from the rocker arms of the valve-in-head engine. Because of the long pushrods and the rocker arms, the speed of the valve-in-head engine is limited to that at which the cam followers can remain in contact with the cams when the valves are closing. Above that limiting speed the valves are said to float, and their motion tends to become erratic. For this reason, the overhead-camshaft engine is quite popular. Located immediately above the valves, this type of camshaft is driven either by a vertical shaft and bevel gears or by a cog belt.

Flywheel

The cycle of the internal-combustion engine is such that torque (turning force) is applied only intermittently as each cylinder fires. Between these power impulses, the pistons rising on compression and the opposition to rotation caused by the load carried by the engine apply negative torque. The alternating acceleration caused by the power impulse and deceleration caused by compression result in nonuniform rotation. To counter this tendency to slow down and speed up is the function of the flywheel, attached to one end of the crankshaft. The flywheel consists of a heavy circular cast-iron disk with a hub for attachment to the engine. Its heavy rotating mass has sufficient momentum to oppose all changes in its rotational speed and to force the crankshaft to turn steadily at this speed. The engine thus runs smoothly with no evidence of rotational pulsations. The outer rim of the flywheel usually carries gear teeth so as to mesh with the starter motor. The driving component of a clutch or fluid coupling for the transmission may be incorporated in the flywheel.

Bearings

The crankshaft has bearing surfaces on each crank throw and three or more main bearings. These are heavily loaded because of the reciprocating forces at each cylinder applied to the crankshaft and the weight of the crankshaft and flywheel. All but the smallest engines use split-shell bearings, usually made of bronze with babbitt metal linings. The surface material is sufficiently soft to minimize the possibility of scoring the crankshaft in the event of inadequate lubrication. The smallest engines usually have cast-babbitt bearings. A small amount of bearing clearance is necessary to permit an oil film to separate the surfaces.

Ignition

Ignition systems

Electric ignition systems may be classified as magneto, battery-and-coil, and solid-state ignition systems. Although these are similar in basic principle, the magneto is self-contained and requires only the spark plugs and connecting wires to complete the system, whereas the battery-and-coil and solid-state ignition systems involve several separate components.

A magneto is a fixed-magnet, alternating-current generator designed to produce sufficient voltage to fire the spark plugs. A high-tension magneto is entirely self-contained and requires only spark plugs, wires, and switches to meet ignition requirements.

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The battery-and-coil system consists of a battery, one terminal of which is grounded while the other leads through a switch to the primary winding of the coil, and then to a circuit breaker where it is again grounded. Rotation of the circuit-breaker cam opens and closes the primary circuit. The secondary circuit, consisting of several thousand turns of fine wire, leads to the rotor of the distributor, which acts as a rotary switch, selecting the spark plug to be placed in the circuit. Each plug is connected to one of the outer terminals of the distributor to receive an electrical impulse in proper sequence. When the primary circuit is broken, a high potential (up to 20,000 volts) is developed in the secondary winding and conducted to the appropriate spark plug.

The high voltage for the spark plug may also be produced by a capacitor discharge ignition system. Such a system consists of a source of 250 to 300 volts direct-current power applied to a storage capacitor, a device for storing an electric charge. A lead from the capacitor goes to one side of the spark coil primary through cam-actuated breaker points or an electronic switching device. At the instant this switching device establishes a contact, the capacitor discharges through the primary of the spark coil, and an instantaneous high voltage is delivered to the distributor and thence to the spark plug. The capacitor discharge system provides a more intense spark, thus improving the start-up of a cold or flooded engine. It continues to fire the plugs when they are fouled by carbon or other deposits or when the spark gap has widened because of erosion of the points. Other notable advantages include increased spark plug life, improved firing over a wider speed range, and better moisture tolerance.

Solid-state ignition systems, unlike battery-and-coil systems that use a distributor, use an electronic module to collect information from engine sensors, compute engine operating parameters, and control ignition discharge to a separate coil for each spark plug. The electronic control module activates a transistor to break the ground circuit leading to each plug’s coil, thereby causing a spark. In addition to eliminating the high-voltage spark plug wires, electronics allow for more precise control of ignition timing, which improves fuel efficiency, reduces emissions, and increases power.

Carburetor

The gasoline carburetor is a device that introduces fuel into the airstream as it flows into the engine. Gasoline is maintained in the float chamber by the float-actuated valve at a level slightly below the outlet of the jet. Air flows downward through the throat, past the throttle valve, and into the intake manifold. A throat is formed by the reduced diameter, and acceleration of the air through this smaller passage causes a decrease in pressure proportional to the amount of air flowing. This decrease in throat pressure results in fuel flow from the jet into the airstream. Any increase in airflow caused by change in engine speed or throttle position increases the pressure differential acting on the fuel and causes more fuel to flow.

The volume ratio of fuel to air established by the throat and fuel-jet sizes will be maintained with increased flow, but the weight ratio of fuel to air increases because the air expands to a lower density as the throat pressure decreases. This enriching tendency necessitates the inclusion of a compensating device in a practical carburetor. Carburetor design is further complicated by the need for an enriching device to provide a maximum-power ratio at full throttle, a choke to facilitate starting a cold engine, an idling system to provide the special needs of light-load operation, and an accelerating device to supply additional fuel while the throttle is being opened.

Fuel injection

Most modern automobile engines use an electronic fuel-injection system in the intake manifold of the engine instead of a carburetor. The fuel-injection system is a closed-loop feedback system controlled by an engine management system that consists of sensors, an electric fuel pump, fuel injectors, fuel tubing, and valving. The engine management system controls both the ignition firing and the fuel management. In some designs the engine management system also controls the transmission. Sensors monitor the engine’s operation and environmental conditions and transmit the data to the engine management system to determine how much fuel should be pumped to the fuel injectors for delivery to the engine. Typical sensors include the following: mass airflow, exhaust oxygen, engine revolutions per minute, manifold absolute pressure, barometric pressure, coolant temperature, throttle position, knock, vehicle speed, air-conditioning load, power steering load, crankshaft position, and camshaft position.

The principal advantages of gasoline injection over carburetors are improved fuel economy as a result of more-accurate fuel and air proportioning, greater power because of the elimination of fuel heating, elimination of inlet icing, and more-uniform and direct delivery of fuel load to the cylinders. Since fuel injection does not rely on an intake manifold vacuum to deliver fuel, electronic fuel injection is used with turbocharged engines.