Overhead camshaft engine

OHC cylinder head (for a 1987 Honda D15A3 engine)

An overhead camshaft (OHC) engine is a piston engine in which the camshaft is located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber.[1][2] This contrasts with earlier overhead valve engines (OHV), where the camshaft is located below the combustion chamber in the engine block.[3]

Single overhead camshaft (SOHC) engines have one camshaft per bank of cylinders. Dual overhead camshaft (DOHC, also known as "twin-cam"[4]) engines have two camshafts per bank. The first production car to use a DOHC engine was built in 1910. Use of DOHC engines slowly increased from the 1940s, leading to many automobiles by the early 2000s using DOHC engines.

  1. ^ Hillier, V.A.W. (2012) [First published 1966]. "2". Fundamentals of Motor Vehicle Technology (Academic text-book). Vol. Book 1. In association with: (IMI) (6th ed.). Nelson Thornes Ltd. ISBN 9781408515181.
  2. ^ Stoakes, Graham; Sykes, Eric; Whittaker, Catherine (2011). "3". Principles of Light Vehicle maintenance & repair. Heinmann Work-Based Learning. Babcock International Group and Graham Stoakes. pp. 208–209. ISBN 9780435048167.
  3. ^ "OHV, OHC, SOHC and DOHC (twin cam) engine - Automotive illustrated glossary". www.samarins.com. Retrieved 2018-09-20.
  4. ^ Harley-Davidson Twin Cam engine, Fiat Twin Cam engine, Alfa Romeo Twin Cam engine, Quad 4 engine, Lotus-Ford Twin Cam