2. Engine Components/Features

One of the most important sub-assemblies of an engine is the valvetrain, which consists of the camshafts which are used to open and close the intake and exhaust valves. There are three main types of valvetrains, as described in this video:

Of course, the engine needs fuel to produce power, which is fed to the cylinders by fuel injectors in most modern cars. Originally, however, fuel was delivered to the cylinders via a carburetor, using pressure differences to extract the fuel. The following two videos go into detail of each topic:

To ignite the fuel, we'll need a spark. This job is accomplished by the ignition system, using spark plugs. This video explains how the charge is created and how the timing is accomplished.

The starting of an engine requires crankshaft to rotate a few times to get things running. This is accomplished through rotating the flywheel using a starter motor. The following video explains the full process:

Aside from starting the vehicle, the flywheel plays a major role in keeping the engine running, and allowing the engine to run smoothly even when torque is applied to the crankshaft in pulses.

Of the thousands of engine power strokes which occur each minute, quite a bit of heat is produced. This heat must be displaced from the engine, and this is the job the radiator and cooling system satisfies.

These components satisfy the major needs of an engine.You can continue on to lesson three, on  clutches and torque converters, or continue below on some advanced topics within engine components.

VTEC (Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control) is a form of variable valve timing used by Honda. The idea remains nearly constant, though it is named different for different companies (VVT, MIVEC, etc.). Below is a video on VTEC.

Honda has developed various forms of VTEC, including 3-Stage VTEC, which maximizes fuel economy at low RPM, and maximizes power at high RPM.

Next, let's learn about the link between the engine and the transmission:

Lesson 3: Clutches and Torque Converters