Do All Car Engines Have Pushrods?
Pushrods are a type of valve train that is used in some internal combustion engines. They are used to transfer the motion of the camshaft to the valves, which open and close to allow air and fuel into the cylinders and exhaust gases out of the cylinders.
Pushrods are not used in all car engines. Some engines use a different type of valve train called an overhead camshaft (OHC). In an OHC engine, the camshaft is located in the cylinder head, and it directly actuates the valves. This eliminates the need for pushrods.
Advantages of Pushrods
- Pushrods are relatively inexpensive to manufacture.
- Pushrods are simple to design and maintain.
- Pushrods can be used in engines with a wide variety of cylinder configurations.
Disadvantages of Pushrods
- Pushrods can add weight to an engine.
- Pushrods can create friction, which can reduce engine efficiency.
- Pushrods can be noisy.
Conclusion
Pushrods are a type of valve train that is used in some car engines. They are relatively inexpensive to manufacture and simple to design and maintain. However, pushrods can add weight to an engine, create friction, and be noisy. OHC engines do not use pushrods, and they offer several advantages over pushrod engines.
Additional Information
If you are interested in learning more about car engines, here are some additional resources:
- Car and Driver: Engine Basics
- Popular Mechanics: How Car Engines Work
- WikiHow: Understand Car Engines