How Many Small Engines do you

have at home?

Do you understand how they work

and what makes them run?

This presentation is from Virginia Tech and has not been edited by
the Georgia Curriculum Office.
Small Gasoline Engines:
 Principles of
Operation

4-stroke
and
2-stroke

Zach Olinger
Spring 2002
Name some uses of small
engines.
 chainsaws  four wheelers
 lawn mowers  wood splitters
 weed eaters  garden tillers
There are many things that we
use on a regular basis that are
powered by small engines.
Small engines make our lives
easier.
 There are two types of small
gasoline engines that are
common today:
 Four- cycle engines  Two- cycle engines
The Four-Cycle Engine
The four-cycle engine operates
on a series of four “strokes” or
piston movements
The piston operates in an up and
down, or back and forth motion
within a cylinder.
Piston Cylinder
The piston is connected to a
crankshaft that converts the up
and down motion to a rotary
motion, which powers the
implement.

crankshaft:
The crankshaft extends through
the crankcase and is attached to
a flywheel at one end and a
blade, gear, transmission or
pulley at the other end.

 Crankcase
 The cylinder is capped with a
thick plate called a Head, which
seals the cylinder.

 Cylinder Head

 Head Bolts
Engine Block & Valves
 Within the block are two valves: Intake
and
Exhaust
 The Intake Valve lets the fuel mixture into
the combustion chamber.

 The Exhaust valve lets exhaust fumes out.

The valves operate by means of a
Camshaft. Which is powered by a
gear on the crankshaft
As the camshaft turns, the lobes push open
the valves with precise timing so that
intake and exhaust occur at the right
instant.
The Carburetor provides the
fuel/air mixture to the engine.
Gas from the fuel
tank enters the
carburetor, where
it is vaporized and
mixed with the
correct amount
of air.
In the engine, the mixture is
ignited, and the burning gases
provide the force to drive the
piston.
 Ignition in the combustion chamber occurs
in the form of an electrical spark from the
spark plug.
The spark at the spark plug
comes from a process known as
electrical induction.

 This begins with the flywheel.

As the flywheel magnet passes the armature
coil, a low-voltage current is induced in a
primary circuit.
When the circuit is
opened, the decaying
magnetic field sends
a high voltage charge
through a secondary
circuit to the spark
plug.
In a four-stroke engine, moving
parts are lubricated by motor oil.
In most small engines, the oil is located in
the bottom of the crankcase in the oil sump,
and is distributed throughout the engine to
vital parts by means of a oil slinger or oil
dipper depending upon the crankshaft
position.
Strokes of a Four-Cycle Engine
 It takes four strokes (piston moving within
the cylinder) to complete one cycle. These
are:
1. Intake Stroke
2. Compression Stroke
3. Power Stroke
4. Exhaust Stroke
Intake Stroke:
 The piston moves downward in the
cylinder, creating a vacuum or area of low
pressure.
 The intake valve opens allowing a mixture
of air and atomized (vaporized) fuel to flow
into the combustion chamber.
 Intake Stroke:
KEY:
A = Intake passage
B = Intake valve
C = Spark plug
D = Exhaust valve
E = Exhaust passage
F = Piston
G = Piston pin
H = Connecting rod
I = Crankshaft
J = Crankcase
K = Combustion chamber
Compression Stroke:*
 Piston moves upward in the cylinder,
compressing the air/fuel mixture into the
space between the top of the piston and the
cylinder head. This area is called the
combustion chamber.
Compression
Stroke:
KEY:
A = Intake passage
B = Intake valve
C = Spark plug
D = Exhaust valve
E = Exhaust passage
F = Piston
G = Piston pin
H = Connecting rod
I = Crankshaft
J = Crankcase
K = Combustion
chamber
Ignition
 For the engine to operate properly, ignition
of the compressed fuel/air mixture must
occur with precise timing, slightly before
the piston reaches TDC (Top Dead Center).
Power Stroke
 The burning and expanding gases drive the
piston downward.
 Both valves remain tightly closed
Power
Stroke:

KEY:
A = Intake passage
B = Intake valve
C = Spark plug
D = Exhaust valve
E = Exhaust passage
F = Piston
G = Piston pin
H = Connecting rod
I = Crankshaft
J = Crankcase
K = Combustion chamber
 Exhaust Stroke
 The piston moves upward, the exhaust
valve opens and forces the exhaust fumes
out of the cylinder.
 Exhaust
Stroke:
KEY:
A = Intake passage
B = Intake valve
C = Spark plug
D = Exhaust valve
E = Exhaust passage
F = Piston
G = Piston pin
H = Connecting rod
I = Crankshaft
J = Crankcase
K = Combustion
chamber
 At the end of the exhaust stroke, when the
piston reaches TDC, the intake valve begins
to open and the piston begins moving
downward, beginning a new cycle.
Two Cycle Engines
 Two- cycle engines are typically used in
smaller, hand-held equipment like chainsaws
and string trimmers because they can be
smaller and lighter than four-cycles.
 Also:
 Used in these types of equipment because
unlike four-cycle engines, two cycle engines
can operate on their side or even up-side down
 The two cycle engine completes its
cycle of intake, compression, power,
and exhaust with only two strokes of
the piston.
 It takes only one revolution of the
shaft to complete the 2-stroke cycle.
Two cycle engines do not have an oil sump.
Critical parts of the engine are lubricated by
oil that is mixed with the fuel.
 Two-stroke engines do not have valves like
four-strokes.
 They have an exhaust port that is opened
and closed by the moving piston, and a
Reed valve to let air/fuel mixture in.
Summary
 There are two major classifications of small
engines
– 2-cycle
– 4-cycle
 The four strokes in a four cycle engine are
• intake
• compression
• power
• exhaust
 Major parts and functions summary:
• With the piston moving down, air/fuel mixture
from the carburetor enters the combustion
chamber through the intake valve.
• An electrical charge induced from the magneto
is sent to the spark plug, and ignites the mixture.
• The burning gases drive the piston downward
while both valves are closed.
• The piston is connected to a crankshaft which
converts the up and down motion of the piston to
a rotary motion.
 The crankshaft is responsible for turning
the camshaft, which raises and lowers the
valves, the flywheel, and the lubrication
system.
 The momentum of the counterweights on
the crankshaft carry the piston back up the
cylinder, while the exhaust valve opens to
expel exhaust fumes.
 The 2-cycle engines undergo the same
events of intake, compression, power, and
exhaust, but only takes 2 piston strokes to
complete the cycle.
 Small Engine Parts
Four-Cycle

By Katie Murray, UGA Agriculture Education

1. Crankcase Edited by Georgia Agriculture Education Curriculum Office
Revised May 2007
May 2006
 2. Cylinder Block
Engine Block

1. Crankcase
Crankcase Cover
Cylinder Block
1. Cylinder Bore

Head gasket
goes here

2. Valves 3. Cooling Fins

 Spark Plug

Cooling Fins-Cooling fins keep heat away from the cylinder block by
increasing the surface area of the cylinder block and contacting
the already existing cooler air for cooling efficiency.
 Crankshaft Throw-measurement from
the center of the crankshaft
Crankshaft-converts the linear to the center of the
motion of the piston into crankpin journal.
rotary motion. Determines the stroke of
an engine. Throw = ½
stroke.

Counterweights-balances the forces of the

Crankgear-interlocks with
reciprocating piston and reduces the load on
the cam gear to turn the
crankshaft bearing journals.
crankshaft
 Crankshaft
Crankpin Journal-attaches the
connecting rod to the crankshaft

PTO Journal Magneto Journal

Bearing Journal
 Piston
Rings

Skirt
Piston Head

Piston Pin Bore

 Piston Rings
1. Compression Ring-seals the
combustion chamber from any
leakage during the combustion
process.

2. Wiper Ring- used to further

seal the combustion chamber and
to wipe the cylinder wall clean
of excess oil.

3. Oil Ring-Wipes excess oil

from the cylinder wall during
piston movement. Openings in
the ring returns the excess oil to
the engine block.
Ring Grooves
Ring Lands
 Connecting Rod-
Piston Pin
transfers motion
from the piston to
the crankshaft and
functions as a
lever arm

Piston Piston pin Crankpin Journal Rod Cap

Bearing Surface Bearing Surface
 Valve Tappets

Valve Tappets-Rides on the camshaft and pushes the

bottom of the valve stem to open the valve
 Cam Shaft- includes cam gear and
cam lobes; driven by the crankgear

1. Cam
Gear-
portion of
the
camshaft
that
interlocks
with the
2. Cam Lobes- egg-shaped protrusion on
crankgear.
the camshaft that moves a tappet to open
a valve; controls the lift and duration of
Timing Mark the opening and closing of the valves
 Valve
Valve Retainer
Spring

Valve
Stem
Valve Head

Exhaust Valve- allows exhaust Intake Valve- allows the air-fuel

valves to flow out of the cylinder mixture to flow into the cylinder
 Flywheel

Flywheel Nut
Magneto
Spark Plug Wire

Armature

Magneto
Air Filter
 Carburetor

Carburetor- provides the proper mixture of air

and fuel to the intake valve
Intake Manifold
Muffler

Muffler Guard
 Breather Assembly

Breather Cover
 Shields

Cylinder Shield
Dipstick
Starter Housing
Gas Tank
Blower Housing Cover