The BasicsMike Ritter, via CarCraft.com: I am a new subscriber and new to the car-hobby scene. I'm looking for a referral for books or information on how engines work and the parts involved. I've looked on the Internet, but I've found nothing so far. I read your magazine from cover to cover monthly. I'm not even sure what it means when you bore and stroke an engine. I think it has to do with the cylinder size (bore) and the crank (stroke). Help! Any help or point in the right direction is appreciated.
Jeff Smith: Hey, Mike, we all have to start somewhere, right? This will sound self-serving, but one of the best ways is to read this magazine every month. At first, there will be a bunch of stuff you don't understand. But after a while, it will begin to make sense as you appreciate how all the individual components of an engine and chassis work together. The other great way to learn is to dive in there and get your hands dirty on a car. It really doesn't matter what kind of car; pick one you will enjoy working on and from which you will get some self-satisfaction by completing a task. It's the best way to learn. We'd also suggest reading any other magazines and books that will help you learn.
As for the Internet, we've run across a site called hotrodders.com that spans the entire knowledge base from beginner to the esoteric, and it's a great place to ask questions and get quick answers. Unfortunately, the responses you get will not always be accurate. Be prepared to sift through a lot of b.s. to get the right answer. At first, ask lots of questions, read everything, and keep asking. You'll notice in most forums there will be one or two guys who are always on the site and offer excellent knowledge on most subjects. They are the ones to follow.
As for your question on bore and stroke, let's introduce the basics. Let's look at a one-cylinder engine. As you guessed, it will have a bore, the diameter of the cylinder, and a stroke, which is the entire length the pistons travels from the bottom to the top. If you remember high school geometry, volume of a cylinder (displacement) is calculated by multiplying the area of the cylinder by its length. Let's assume we have a cylinder with a 4.00-inch bore (diameter) and a 3.00-inch stroke (length). Radius is defined as half the bore diameter.* Piston area = pi (3.1417) x radius x radius* Piston area = 3.1417 x 2.0 x 2.0 * Piston area = 12.567 square inches
Now we multiply piston area by the stroke, and that gives us the displacement of the cylinder* Cylinder volume = piston area x stroke * Cylinder volume = 12.567 x 3.00 * Cylinder volume = 37.70 cubic inches
Multiply that one cylinder by eight, and we have a Ford or Chevy V-8 that displaces 301.6 ci. Ford and Chevy rounded this off to 302 ci. This is referred to in later-model Mustangs as a 5.0L engine, which is the metric equivalent of 302 ci. There's a bunch to learn if you really get into the technology of cars, Mike, but don't let all this intimidate you. You'll be amazed at how quickly you can pick this stuff up.