Most of the articles I’ve written about valves have looked at the design of, or materials in, conventional poppet valves as applied to many four-stroke engines. So I thought it would be good to take a brief diversion from this and look at something completely different.
Two-stroke engines have been used widely for grand prix motorcycle racing (although this era is soon to come to an end), motocross, snowmobiles, jet skis and so on, and are currently enjoying something of a resurgence for Read more…
Getting valve springs to live in a World of Outlaws sprint car engine - one that is 408-410 cu in and makes 850 hp (with more than 700 lb-ft torque at 6300 rpm) - is one of engine building’s black arts. At Shaver Specialties Racing Engines (SSRE) in Torrance, California, the challenge is to overcome the “voodoo of valve spring breakage,” according to Dennis Hardesty, right-hand man to owner Ron Shaver.
In the previous article on this subject, I looked at a reversing differential for a bike-engined car where the engine is mounted longitudinally. Many bike-engined cars are configured with the engine mounted transversely, as it is in the motorcycle from which it is taken. This arrangement is commonly seen in Formula Student, for example.
In a previous article, I discussed some of the merits of using magnesium alloys in race engines. This isn’t an original train of thought; the use of magnesium was widespread in different forms of motor racing more than 50 years ago, and the car and motorcycle manufacturers embrace it willingly in an effort to reduce engine and vehicle mass. Indeed, it has been common to use magnesium covers - cam covers, for example - on production motorcycles for decades now. 
As anyone who has ever built and tested prototype engines will vouch, apart from not getting the thing to fire and run, the next nightmare is the steady drip, drip, drip of a fluid on the dyno test bed’s undertray.
Mention the word ‘Napier’ to many people and the chances are you will be met with a quizzical stare. To some, mainly engineers and scientists with an interest in history, they will talk of John Napier, the 16th century scholar and inventor of logarithms. To others, Napier is associated with rather large, industrial-type turbochargers or the classic range of multi-cylinder piston aero engines that were around just before the jet engine took over, such as the iconic Napier W12 Lion or the incredibly complex H 24 Sabre, both now considered 
In previous articles about pushrods, several designs have been discussed and explained. And although in these articles the developments, manufacturing and control processes are said to have matured over the years, there are still many race series worldwide where top-end pushrods are not used.
One series where engines see tumultuous life is the World of Outlaws winged sprint car campaign in the US, with 60 contests coast to coast that keep competitors far away from their engine builders - sometimes for a month or more.
What is the difference between a gear tooth in a gearbox and that in an oil pump? In case you were expecting some form of witty answer I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint you. For although at first glance the two might appear to be the same, in reality the tasks they are being asked to undertake are very different.
At the time of writing there is much speculation about the new engine regulations in Formula One. Originally scheduled for 2013, the fact that discussions with the various interested parties are still ongoing must surely indicate that some form of accord has yet to be struck.
