Auto Basics|The Engine

The engine is the heart of any automobile and understanding how it works will help you to understand things that can go wrong with it.
An engine is essentially a machine that converts energy stored in fuel to circular(or rotating) motion.
The most commonly used engine used in today's cars is the 4 stroke internal combustion engine.
Although there are many different variations of this deign they all function primarily the same way.
the main parts of an engine are as follows:

1. The engine block ( this is a cast assembly that contains the cylinder bores. It has provisions at the bottom to hold the crankshaft in place and provisions at the top to mount the cylinder head/s.
2. The crankshaft (as the name implies it is a crank much like that on a bicycle)
3. The piston (this is a cylindrical shaped casting that is solid on top and and has a pin running perpendicular across it's midsection to connect to the connecting rod)
4. The connecting rod (this is a cast or forged beam that has parallel holes in each end that is used to attach the piston to the crankshaft)
5. The camshaft ( this is a round shaft that has eccentric lobes placed throughout it's length these lobes are egg shaped and are designed to open the valves at a precise time in relation to the pistons location in the cylinder bore)
6. The cylinder head ( this has 2 functions, first to contain the compression created inside the cylinder bore and secondly to house the valves that open and close to allow new air and fuel in and spent gases out.