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Engine Structure and Function (Gasoline and Diesel)

Automobile Maintenance · 自動車整備分野 · Written by Tokutei Pass based on the official study texts; not copied verbatim.

Basic Four-Stroke Cycle and Differences Between Gasoline and Diesel Engines

A four-stroke engine, the mainstream automotive engine, completes one operating cycle in four strokes: Intake, Compression, Combustion (Power/Expansion), and Exhaust. While the piston makes two reciprocating trips (four strokes) between Top Dead Center (TDC) and Bottom Dead Center (BDC), the crankshaft rotates twice (720°) and the camshaft rotates once (360°).

During the intake stroke, the intake valve opens and the piston descends. During the compression stroke, both valves close and the piston rises; in the combustion (expansion) stroke, high-pressure combustion gas pushes the piston down to generate power. In the exhaust stroke, the exhaust valve opens and the rising piston pushes out the burned gas.

In contrast, a two-stroke engine completes one cycle every two strokes of the piston and every single revolution (360°) of the crankshaft. The volume swept by the piston from TDC to BDC is called displacement (stroke volume), and the space remaining above the piston at TDC is called combustion chamber volume.

A gasoline engine draws in an air-fuel mixture (or injects fuel directly into the cylinder), compresses it, and ignites it with an electric spark from a spark plug. In contrast, a diesel engine draws in air only, compresses it to high pressure and temperature, and injects diesel fuel (light oil) at high pressure so that it self-ignites.

Therefore, a diesel engine has no spark plugs, and its compression ratio (about 15 to 22) is much higher than that of a gasoline engine (about 9 to 11). Furthermore, a gasoline engine controls output mainly by regulating intake air volume with a throttle valve, whereas a diesel engine adjusts output primarily via fuel injection quantity.

Basic Four-Stroke Cycle and Differences Between Gasoline and Diesel Engines

Key points


  • A 4-stroke engine completes 1 cycle in 4 strokes (Intake → Compression → Combustion → Exhaust), with 2 crankshaft revolutions (720°) and 1 camshaft revolution (360°)

  • Gasoline engines ignite an air-fuel mixture with a spark plug, whereas diesel engines compress air only and inject diesel fuel for self-ignition

  • Compression ratio = (Combustion chamber volume + Single-cylinder displacement) ÷ Combustion chamber volume; Total displacement = Single-cylinder displacement × Number of cylinders

  • Example: In a 4-stroke engine, when the crankshaft makes 10 revolutions (or 2,000 rpm), the camshaft makes half that at 5 revolutions (1,000 rpm), with 5 combustion strokes per cylinder

  • Example: For a 4-cylinder engine with 450 cm³ single-cylinder displacement and 50 cm³ combustion chamber volume, total displacement = 450 × 4 = 1,800 cm³ (1.8 L), and compression ratio = (50 + 450) ÷ 50 = 10
WordMeaning
Top Dead Center (TDC) and Bottom Dead Center (BDC)
Crankshaft
Camshaft
Self-ignition (compression ignition)
Compression ratio

Main Engine Body Components (Cylinder, Piston, and Crank Mechanism)

The engine body consists of the cylinder head at the top, the cylinder block in the middle, and the oil pan at the bottom.

A cylinder head gasket is clamped between the mating surfaces of the cylinder head and cylinder block to prevent leakage of combustion gas, coolant, and engine oil.

The piston directly receives combustion gas pressure and reciprocates inside the cylinder; to account for thermal expansion, its skirt diameter is made slightly larger than the head, and its cross-section is machined into an oval shape shorter along the piston-pin axis. The piston and connecting rod are linked by the piston pin.

Piston rings are fitted into the outer grooves of the piston. The upper compression rings seal the combustion chamber and transfer heat from the piston to the cylinder wall, while the lower oil ring scrapes excess oil off the cylinder wall to maintain a proper oil film.

The connecting rod and crankshaft convert the reciprocating motion of the piston into rotational motion. The flywheel mounted at the rear end of the crankshaft uses rotational inertia to smooth out speed fluctuations and maintain smooth rotation.

Main Engine Body Components (Cylinder, Piston, and Crank Mechanism)

Key points


  • The connecting rod and crankshaft convert the reciprocating motion of the piston into rotational motion

  • Compression rings maintain gas tightness and dissipate piston heat, while oil rings scrape off excess oil to form an appropriate oil film

  • The flywheel uses rotational inertia to reduce engine speed fluctuations, and its outer ring gear meshes with the starter pinion
WordMeaning
Cylinder head
Piston ring
Connecting rod
Flywheel

Valve Mechanism and Valve Clearance

The valve mechanism transmits crankshaft rotation to the camshaft via a timing chain or timing belt to open and close the intake and exhaust valves at the proper timing. Because the camshaft sprocket or pulley has twice the teeth of the crankshaft sprocket, the camshaft rotates at 1/2 the speed of the crankshaft.

Placing the camshaft above the cylinder head is called OHC (Overhead Camshaft), and using two separate camshafts for intake and exhaust valves is called DOHC (Double Overhead Camshaft). Valves are pushed open by the cam lobes and closed by the tension of the valve springs.

Near Top Dead Center between the end of the exhaust stroke and the beginning of the intake stroke, there is a period when both the intake and exhaust valves are open simultaneously, called valve overlap. This utilizes exhaust gas inertia to improve fresh air intake efficiency.

Because valves lengthen due to thermal expansion when the engine warms up, a small gap called valve clearance is provided between the valve stem end and the rocker arm (or lifter) so that the valves still close completely when hot. Excessive clearance causes tappet noise, while insufficient clearance prevents complete valve closure when warm, causing compression leakage.

Key points


  • Valves are pushed open by the camshaft cams and closed by the force of the valve springs

  • Valve overlap is the period near TDC between the end of the exhaust stroke and the start of the intake stroke when both intake and exhaust valves are open simultaneously

  • Valve clearance prevents incomplete valve closure caused by thermal expansion; the hotter exhaust valve side is generally given a larger clearance than the intake side
WordMeaning
Valve mechanism (valve train)
Valve spring
Valve overlap
Valve clearance

Abnormal Combustion (Knocking, Pre-ignition, and Diesel Knock)

In normal gasoline engine combustion, the flame ignited by the spark plug propagates progressively across the combustion chamber. However, if ignition timing is too advanced or compression pressure and temperature are too high, the unburned end-gas spontaneous ignites before the flame front arrives, causing severe pressure oscillations and a metallic pinging noise called knocking (detonation).

Furthermore, when carbon deposits or an overheated spark plug electrode act as a heat source and ignite the air-fuel mixture before the spark plug fires, the phenomenon is called pre-ignition.

The anti-knock quality of gasoline is expressed by the octane number; a higher octane number makes knocking less likely to occur.

In a diesel engine, injected diesel fuel does not burn immediately; it takes a brief ignition delay period to vaporize and mix with hot air before self-igniting. If this ignition delay period is too long, a large amount of fuel accumulated during the delay burns explosively all at once, producing severe metallic noise and vibration called diesel knock.

Contrary to gasoline knocking, diesel knock occurs more easily when the engine is cold (immediately after starting or at light load) or when compression pressure is low. The ease of self-ignition of diesel fuel is indicated by the cetane number; a higher cetane number shortens ignition delay and suppresses diesel knock.

Key points


  • Gasoline knocking (detonation) is spontaneous ignition of the unburned end-gas, and gasoline with a higher octane number is more resistant to knocking

  • Pre-ignition occurs when overheated plug electrodes or glowing carbon deposits ignite the mixture before the electric spark fires

  • Diesel knock is caused by explosive combustion of fuel accumulated during the ignition delay period; it occurs easily when cold and is reduced by higher-cetane diesel fuel
WordMeaning
Knocking (detonation)
Pre-ignition
Octane number
Diesel knock
Cetane number

Lubrication System and Cooling System Structure and Function

The lubrication system draws engine oil from the oil pan through an oil strainer, pumps it under pressure with an oil pump (trochoid or gear type), filters it through an oil filter, and supplies it to moving parts.

The oil pump has a pressure relief valve to prevent excessive oil pressure, and the oil filter incorporates a bypass valve that opens if the filter element becomes clogged, sending unfiltered oil directly to the engine to prevent seizure.

The cooling system circulates coolant (LLC) through the water jackets around the cylinders using a water pump and dissipates heat through the radiator.

A wax-pellet thermostat is installed between the engine and radiator: when the engine is cold, it stays closed to block flow to the radiator and speed up warm-up; when coolant temperature rises, it opens to let coolant flow to the radiator.

The radiator cap contains two valves. The pressure valve pressurizes the cooling system above atmospheric pressure, raising the boiling point of the coolant above 100°C (to about 110 to 120°C) to prevent boiling.

The vacuum valve opens when the coolant cools down after engine shutdown and creates negative pressure inside the radiator, drawing coolant back from the reservoir tank to prevent the radiator and hoses from collapsing.

Lubrication System and Cooling System Structure and Function

Key points


  • The oil filter bypass valve opens when the filter element is clogged, allowing oil to flow directly to engine parts to prevent engine seizure

  • The thermostat closes when cold to accelerate warm-up and opens when warm to route coolant to the radiator (stuck closed causes overheating; stuck open causes overcooling)

  • The radiator cap pressure valve pressurizes the system to raise the boiling point above 100°C, while the vacuum valve prevents hose collapse under negative pressure after cooling
WordMeaning
Oil filter
Pressure relief valve
Thermostat
Radiator cap

Fuel Systems (Gasoline and Diesel) and Intake, Exhaust, and Supercharging

In an electronically controlled gasoline fuel injection (EFI) system, fuel pumped from the fuel tank is filtered and held at a constant pressure differential by a pressure regulator. The ECU then controls fuel injection quantity by varying the opening duration (pulse width) of the electromagnetic injectors.

In a diesel common-rail fuel injection system, a supply pump pressurizes diesel fuel to ultra-high pressure and stores it in a common rail (accumulator), from which electronically controlled injectors spray it as a fine mist.

Diesel fuel filters also include a water separator (sedimenter), and glow plugs are installed in the combustion chambers to preheat the air and assist cold starting.

In the intake and exhaust systems, the air cleaner removes dust from intake air, while the muffler steps down the temperature and pressure of high-pressure exhaust gas to reduce exhaust noise.

A turbocharger uses exhaust gas energy to spin a turbine wheel at high speed, driving a coaxial compressor wheel that compresses intake air into the cylinders. The compressed air, which becomes hot, is cooled by an intercooler to increase air density and improve charging efficiency.

Key points


  • Gasoline EFI injectors regulate fuel injection quantity by varying the valve opening duration (energizing time) while maintaining constant fuel pressure

  • Diesel engine glow plugs heat the combustion chamber during cold starting to assist self-ignition of the diesel fuel

  • A turbocharger uses exhaust gas energy to drive a turbine and compress intake air, while an intercooler cools the compressed, heated intake air
WordMeaning
Injector
Common rail
Glow plug
Turbocharger
Intercooler

Exhaust Emission Control Systems (Three-Way Catalyst, EGR, PCV, DPF)

The main harmful pollutants in automotive exhaust gas are carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and particulate matter (PM, such as soot in diesel vehicles). A three-way catalyst on a gasoline vehicle simultaneously oxidizes CO and HC into CO2 and H2O and reduces NOx into N2.

A three-way catalyst can purify all three pollutants simultaneously at peak efficiency only when the air-fuel mass ratio is maintained near the stoichiometric (theoretical) air-fuel ratio of about 14.7 : 1. Therefore, an O2 sensor or air-fuel ratio sensor in the exhaust pipe detects oxygen concentration so the ECU can perform feedback control of injection quantity.

An EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) system routes a portion of inert exhaust gas back into the intake system to lower peak combustion temperature, thereby suppressing NOx formation. On diesel vehicles, a DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter) traps PM (soot) and burns it off at high temperature (regeneration).

Unburned blow-by gas (rich in HC) leaking past the piston rings into the crankcase is routed back into the intake manifold via a PCV valve to be burned. Evaporative fuel vapor (HC) from the fuel tank is adsorbed by activated carbon in a charcoal canister and purged into the intake manifold during driving.

Key points


  • A three-way catalyst purifies CO, HC (oxidation) and NOx (reduction) simultaneously with highest efficiency near the theoretical air-fuel ratio (about 14.7 : 1)

  • EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) recirculates part of the exhaust gas into the intake to lower combustion temperature and reduce NOx emissions

  • The PCV system returns crankcase blow-by gas to the intake, while the charcoal canister adsorbs fuel tank evaporative gas (HC) on activated carbon for combustion
WordMeaning
Three-way catalyst
Theoretical (stoichiometric) air-fuel ratio (14.7 : 1)
Blow-by gas
Charcoal canister

Frequently Tested Points and Memory Tips

In True/False written exam questions, the rotation ratio between the crankshaft and camshaft is often reversed. Memorize as a set: 1 four-stroke cycle (4 strokes) = 2 crankshaft revolutions (720°) = 1 camshaft revolution (360°), so you can immediately spot a trap stating 1 crankshaft turn equals 2 camshaft turns as False.

When comparing gasoline and diesel engines: Gasoline = air-fuel mixture intake, spark plug ignition, octane number, lower compression ratio (9 to 11); Diesel = air-only intake, high-pressure fuel injection self-ignition, cetane number, higher compression ratio (15 to 22), prone to diesel knock when cold.

In cooling and lubrication systems, distinguish each valve clearly: Thermostat = closed when cold (for rapid warm-up), open when warm. Radiator cap = pressure valve raises boiling point above 100°C; vacuum valve prevents hose collapse under negative pressure when cooled.

For emission control systems, keep the four pairs distinct: Three-way catalyst = theoretical air-fuel ratio 14.7 for CO, HC, and NOx; EGR = lowers combustion temperature to reduce NOx; PCV = crankcase blow-by gas; Charcoal canister = fuel tank evaporative gas.

Key points


  • 4-stroke cycle: 2 crankshaft revolutions (720°) per 1 camshaft revolution (360°); watch out for reversed-ratio trap questions

  • Gasoline = spark ignition, octane number, compression ratio 9 to 11 / Diesel = air-only intake, self-ignition, cetane number, compression ratio 15 to 22, cold knock

  • Thermostat closes when cold to speed up warm-up / Radiator cap pressure valve raises the coolant boiling point above 100°C

  • The oil filter bypass valve opens when the element is clogged to supply oil directly and prevent engine seizure

  • Three-way catalyst = ratio 14.7 / EGR = lowers combustion temp to cut NOx / PCV = blow-by gas / Canister = fuel evaporative gas
WordMeaning
Engine warm-up
Boiling point
Bypass valve

Gasoline & Diesel Engines: Structure & Function

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