Cylinders
The cylinders are the combustion chambers within the engine that contain pistons and valves. There are eight cylinders within the engine, each having one piston that moves up and down inside the cylinder. Cylinders are arranged in a “V” pattern, known as a V8, and are situated above the crankshaft. All eight cylinders will fire in a designated sequence with no two cylinders firing at the same time. Cylinder Heads
The cylinder heads are removable aluminum sections bolted to the engine block, which sit directly above the cylinders. Hendrick engines have two cylinder heads, each covering four cylinders. Besides covering the cylinders, the cylinder heads contain the intake and exhaust ports, spark plugs, the valve train, and passages for the flow of oil and water. BOSCH Brand Spark Plugs
The spark plug produces a spark, which ignites the air and fuel mixture and causes combustion to occur. There is at least one spark plug per cylinder and the timing of the spark must be accurate in order for combustion to occur and develop maximum power. Distributor
The distributor is responsible for channeling electricity from the ignition coil to each of the engine’s spark plugs. Ignition Coil
The ignition coil amplifies and transforms power from the car’s battery into high voltage electricity used to fire the engine’s spark plugs. Valves
Each cylinder has two valves, one to intake a fuel and air mixture and one to remove exhaust. A cylinder’s valves are closed during combustion and compression. Camshaft
The camshaft is a rotating steel shaft, on which lie a series of eccentrics or “cams” responsible for opening and closing the valves in sync with the crankshaft. The cam profile of a NASCAR engine allows more air to enter the cylinder because it opens valves earlier and for a longer duration than in basic cam profile. Piston
A cylindrical piece of aluminum that moves up and down inside each of the engine’s cylinders. The piston compresses the air-fuel mixture during it’s upward motion and then moves back down the combustion chamber when the mixture explodes, this downward motion is what drives the crank shaft. Connecting Rod
The connecting rod connects each piston to the crankshaft. Crank Shaft
The crankshaft is responsible for the up and down movement of the pistons. It is counterweighted for balance and momentum, and is ultimately responsible for channeling the energy created during combustion to the transmission, driveshaft and rear-end housing. The crankshaft and camshaft are connected with a timing belt and gear set, the speed of the crank shaft is double of that of the camshaft. Sump/Oil Pan
Hendrick engines use what is know as a “dry sump” meaning that the main oil tank, which holds 18 quarts of oil, is located away from the engine near the rear of the car. There is, however, an intermediary oil pan that surrounds the crankshaft. Alternator
The alternator is responsible for keeping the battery charged and converting the battery’s 12-volt DC current into 14.5-volt DC current. The crankshaft turns the fan, or serpentine belts, which then turn the alternator, and allow it to produce power. Bell Housing
The bell housing is a metal shield located between the engine and the transmission that contains the flywheel and the clutch. The main function of the bell housing is to facilitate space for the functioning of the clutch. Headers/Exhaust
The headers, or exhaust pipes, facilitate the removal of post combustion gases from the cylinders. Carburetor
The purpose of the carburetor is to mix the proper ratio of air and gasoline. It is a series of air and fuel jets through which the gas and air is mixed to form a combustible mixture that then travels through the intake manifold into the cylinders. The carburetor changes the fuel-and-air mixture according to the engine’s operating condition. Intake Manifold
The intake manifold is a set of pipes that direct the air and gasoline mixture from the carburetor into each cylinder.