Inside an Engine

Timing Chain
The timing chain or belt joins the spinning crankshaft with the camshaft in the cylinder head and brings the bottom and top ends together. The camshaft spins at half the speed of the crankshaft and controls when and for how long the intake and exhaust valves open and close.

Piston Travel
The pistons travel up and down in the cylinder bores to draw in the fuel air mixture and compress it up into the cylinder head. A spark from the spark plug lights the mixture aflame and the piston travels back down into the bore. This is how the internal combustion engine makes power.

Power to the Wheels
Since the pistons are connected to the spinning crankshaft by connecting rods, the energy from the explosion is transferred through the transmission and down onto the ground through the wheels.