When the pistons reach their respective bottoms, fresh air flows in from ports at the bottom, while exhaust is rejected through ports at the top. That fresh air is squeezed into a small pocket in the ...

You've heard that pistons have rings, but have you ever wondered why there are three? Here's how piston rings work together ...

In a conventional application, there are three rings per piston. The top ring is called the compression ring. Its purpose is to seal the combustion gas pressure, transfer heat from the piston to the ...

Pistons are an engine-building element we like to brag about, but you won't catch many of us boasting about having cast pistons. Cast pistons are for wimps. Many of us like to talk up hypereutectic ...

Most pickup trucks sold today have internal combustion engines. Passenger vehicles are powered by two main types of engines: compression, aka diesel, and spark ignition, aka gasoline. Besides the type ...

There's no need to sugarcoat what bad piston rings can do to your engine. Those rather thin cast-iron or steel rings may look small and irrelevant to untrained eyes, but they play a vital part in ...

Science isn’t fun if we don’t try to break or bend its limits, but sometimes this rebellion doesn’t work. For instance, we don’t make triangular wheels, perforated windshields, or lead pistons for ...

Have you ever wondered why you need to add oil to your chainsaw’s fuel supply? Or why some dirt bikes have a higher pitched exhaust note than others? We’ve all been burdened with yard work or been ...