Our mechanic takes us through the cylinder head and valve train and continues his explanation of how engines really work. The Mechanic is the kind of chap who eat, sleeps and breathes engineering.

Last month's "How It Works" story gave you the basics of the four-stroke cycle, describing the motion of the intake and exhaust valves in relation to the piston moving up and down in the cylinder.

With the short block assembled for our 383 supercharged project motor, it's time to shift our attention once again; this time to the heads and valvetrain. Like the rotating assembly, when it came to ...

A small gap with big importance in the performance and health of an engine - here's everything you need to know.

Secondly, adopting a digital valve train introduces a deluge of new variables that engineers can play with. There might be all sorts of benefits available, but getting to them requires an incredible ...

It’s true, nothing lasts forever and all good things tend to have a cycle. In this instance, we’re talking about the lifespan of your cylinder head’s valvetrain. Obviously a lot of this is contingent ...

Scientists have developed an innovative, electrohydraulically actuated valve train for internal combustion engines, that enables completely free adjustment of stroke and timing, while at the same time ...

The typical four-stroke engine is made up of hundreds of parts. These parts are all designed and engineered to work together to make a prescribed amount of power, torque, engine longevity, and other ...

At its most basic level, an engine is an air pump. Internal combustion engines breathe fresh air and expel wasted exhaust gases to make power. Something has to tell those intake and exhaust valves ...

Vehicle engine designers are beset by conflicting demands. On the one hand, they must reduce costs as intense international competition is driving the need to cut product prices so that companies can ...