How Engine Parts Work

Many small parts work together to make an internal combustion engine work. It would be impossible to explain every little part in detail in a small article. But there are a few major parts to each engine that do most of the work.

Engine Basics

The basic way an engine operates isn't really difficult to understand. The crankshaft is located at the bottom portion of the engine. One end of the crankshaft is connected to the timing gear while the other end is connected to the flywheel. The front end of the crankshaft also helps rotate the drive pulley. This pulley is connected to a belt that operates the alternator, power steering, water pump and engine fan.

Pistons are connected to the crankshaft by piston rods and are located inside a cylinder. One piston is located inside each cylinder. The number of cylinders varies by each engine. Fuel and air enter each cylinder when the piston moves down. A small explosion occurs when the piston moves back up because the fuel and air is compressed and ignited by a small spark from a spark plug. This drives the piston down the cylinder again to start the process all over again. Thousand of these small explosions happen when you're driving down the road.

All of these parts fit inside an engine block. Engine blocks also vary in size and are mostly made of steel. The design of the block also varies depending upon the amount of cylinders inside.