Image: nullplus/E+/Getty Images
About This Quiz
The air and fuel mixtures that power your car's engine are controlled by valves that open and shut. The essential camshaft rotates and instigates the valve movement. But how exactly does this crucial engine part work? See how well you can shift mental gears and take the camshaft quiz.
What are the key parts of the camshaft?
pistons
lobes
The key parts of any camshaft are the lobes. As the camshaft spins, the lobes open and close the intake and exhaust valves in time with the motion of the piston.
cylinders
Advertisement
Which of these is not a type of camshaft?
single overhead cam
pushrod
platinum overhead cam
The most common types of camshafts are the single overhead cam, the double overhead cam and the pushrod.
Advertisement
In single and double overhead cam engines, what keeps the cams rotating?
crankshaft
Cams are driven by the crankshaft via a belt or chain (called the timing belt or timing chain) in single and double overhead cam engines.
timing belt
timing chain
Advertisement
How many cams would a double overhead V engine have?
2
4
A double overhead cam engine has two cams per head, so inline engines have two cams and V engines have four.
3
Advertisement
How do pushrod engines differ from overhead engines?
Pushrod valves are located in the head.
The valves are spring loaded.
The camshaft is located inside the engine block.
Like single overhead cam and double overhead cam engines, the valves in a pushrod engine are located in the head, above the cylinder. The key difference is that the camshaft on a pushrod engine is located inside the engine block, rather than in the head.
Advertisement
Which car company uses VTEC engines?
Honda
VTEC (Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control) is an electronic and mechanical system in some Honda engines that allows the engine to have multiple camshafts.
Ford
Toyota
Advertisement
What does advanced valve timing do?
keeps valves open longer
opens and closes valves later
opens the valves sooner
Some cars use a device that can advance valve timing. This doesn't keep the valves open longer; but it does open them sooner. This is done by rotating the camshaft ahead a few degrees.
Advertisement
Why is the camshaft important to engine performance?
It regulates the amount of fuel and air that enters the engine.
It monitors the pistons.
It controls the action of the engine valves.
The motion of the camshaft controls the action of the engine valves, which then regulates the amount of the air/fuel mixture that powers the engine.
Advertisement
What part of the cylinder do cams press against to open valves?
rocker arms
The cam actuates rocker arms that press down and open the valves. Springs return the valves to their closed position.
springs
valves
Advertisement
What's the most persistent flaw in camshaft design?
corrosion
valve clogging
imperfect timing
The biggest design challenge with camshaft systems is varying the timing of each valve to maximize efficiency.
Advertisement
You Got:
/10
nullplus/E+/Getty Images
