How do these things work?

[Bryan Davies]

Hey folks,

It's a New Year resolution of mine to actually gain some kind of undersdtanding of how engines, and in particular mine, work. I understand the basics, ie put in gas, turn the key, go... well a little beyond that but I am seeking to take all of the information that I am seeing in the forums, walk out to my car, and go, 'oh yeah, there's my xxxx.' I am thinking that probably a run down in the basics of engines, and then later turbo applications is the way that I want to approach this, but am unsure...

Should I look into a class at BCIT or Kwantlen? Find a good site on the net (not VFAQ, I already read that and it was... boring lol) and read up on the basics from there? Any info or directions that anybody could point me would be greatly appreciated. Knowing there is no substitution for the experience that you all have gained from under the hood yourselves and the experience that I could gain under there, I need a starting point, and true to DSM style, FREE = GOLD, $$$ = NOT FREE.

Sites, courses, anything I'm not thinking of...?

Thanks, Bryan

[Jovan Ceklaj]

Good on you for wanting to learn more.  It all really depends on how in depth you want to go.  You can take some mechanics courses at BCIT to learn how to build engines.  Or you could take it a step further and learn how to design your own engine at UBC in the graduate program in internal combustion engines if you already have a mechanical engineering degree :wink: .

A book I strongly recommend to others is "Internal Combustion Fundamentals" by John Heywood.  Doesn't read like a novel at all, in fact I ended up spending several hours reading and rereading a couple pages to understand it but you get the whole picture on how all types of engines work.

For a more basic understanding, you could always just look up on howstuffworks.com or a little more advanced is at mototuneUSA.  The mototune guy is a bit of a tool but he has most of his info right.  Really crappy website and he acts like he invented all these theories himself but he gives a pretty good idea of most fundamentals.  http://mototuneusa.com/thanx.htm

[Bryan Davies]

Ahh yes also I work more than full time so this has to be either a one day a week learning thing, or at my own pace... Thanks

[Martin Raska]

http://www.howstuffworks.com/ and searching for gasoline engines, fuel injection, ignition, etc is a good place to start as well.

Working on your engine is another good way.  I'm not sure how much or if you do anything now, but starting with oil changes, all other fluids, other routine maintenance is a good way to learn and you start piecing things together.  If you haven't done something before, say a timing belt job, read up lots, and just go through it slowly, step by step taking note of everything, you'll get it.  There is plenty of knowledge about these cars out there, you shouldn't have any problems getting information or help.

[John Hartman]

someone got a link to that engine screensaver??

that really gives you a good idea of where the parts go and what happens.

use the howstuffworks thing first to get some basics but its good.

Also see if you can get ahold of a mechanics textbook.  Stockel and Stockel is the standart text and has been for several years.

[Jeremy Clarke]

Engine primer
http://members.shaw.ca/dsm.1000q/Engineprimer/

Turbocharger theory and history
http://www.turbomustangs.com/turbotech/main.htm

[Robin Toor]

someone got a link to that engine screensaver??

that really gives you a good idea of where the parts go and what happens.

use the howstuffworks thing first to get some basics but its good.

Also see if you can get ahold of a mechanics textbook.  Stockel and Stockel is the standart text and has been for several years.

http://flyingeagle.hopto.org/engine_screensaver.exe

Not sure if the link still works though.