Piston speed generally refers to the average or mean speed of the piston as it moves up and down in the cylinder bore during each crankshaft revolution. Since the piston actually comes to a complete stop at the top of the stroke (TDC) and at the bottom of the stroke (BDC), its speed and acceleration […]

Engine displacement is the most common math calculation. Displacement is the size or volumetric capacity of an engine expressed in cubic inches, cubic centimeters, or liters. Here in America we typically work in cubic inches while the rest of the world uses the metric system. I discuss appropriate conversions later in this chapter. Displacement is […]

An engine’s compression ratio is a big deal. You never see a low-compression racing engine unless it is arbitrarily limited by some class restriction. Higher compression ratios yield more power in racing engines and street engines. Everyone remembers the anemic low-compression 1970s and nobody wants to repeat them. Once the OEMs gained greater control over […]