LO 8-5 Identify and describe the configuration and construction of common cylinder block cylinder arrangements

1. Cylinder Block Configurations

Cylinder Block Configurations

Cylinder blocks can be categorized not only by the cylinder arrangement, construction material, or method of crankcase reinforcement but also by how the cylinders are formed within the block. The cylinders themselves may be integral to the block casting or replaceable liners supported by the block structure. Several configurations for manufacturing cylinder blocks exist to accommodate different engine applications, production costs, rebuild costs, and expected vehicle life cycles. For example, some diesel engines are installed in a chassis or piece of equipment with a relatively short life cycle or operated very few hours over the machine’s life cycle. A delivery truck, operating in an urban environment, or a compact loader will typically use an inexpensive cylinder block generally not intended for rebuilding after 10,000–15,000 hours of operation. Diesels with premium features enabling them to be quickly rebuilt are installed in applications where the vehicle or machine has a high initial purchase cost or long chassis life. Mine trucks, HD off-road equipment, HD farm machines, or on-highway tractors are examples of engines requiring quickly rebuildable cylinder blocks that enable the engine to be returned to service with original specifications. Today, on-highway trucks in this category can easily travel more than 1 million miles (>1,609,344 kilometres [km]) or 30,000 hours of engine operation before requiring an overhaul, when properly maintained. Off-road equipment engines, running at constant speeds, can often operate even longer, to well over 50,000 hours, before rebuilding is necessary. Achieving these operating limits is a function not only of maintenance but also of cylinder block design outlined in the next sections. Common cylinder block construction types include parent bore, wet sleeve, and dry sleeve.