Camshafts 101 – Car Talk Podcast


es inlet and outlet valves within the engine in combination with the crankshaft to allow your engine to breathe. It is basically. You’ll be a more responsible vehicle owner if you are aware of the camshaft.

Camshafts are cams with lobes that are egg-shaped that control the valves on the engine. The nose sits at the high point of the cam pressuring the valve open. It is also known as the base circle. Once the valve is placed on the base circle it’s shut. The area between the base and the nose are ramps. The steeper the ramp more steep, the speedier the mechanism will open and close the valves.

The rate at which the cam opens the valve is referred to as “lift”. When the valve’s lifter is placed at the top of the cam, the measurement is taken to see how big the opening of this valve. A lift of 500 indicates that the amount is five-thousandths which is one-half of an inch. Duration is yet another word to be aware of. The term “duration” refers to the time it takes to fully shut and open.

More details are available in the video below.

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