Before the implementation of hydraulic lifters to keep the engine's valves in proper working order, regular adjustment was required to maintain the critically necessary clearance in the valvetrain.

At the end of the day, an internal combustion engine is just an air pump. Proper airflow in and out of the engine is thus ...

Last month's "How It Works" story gave you the basics of the four-stroke cycle, describing the motion of the intake and exhaust valves in relation to the piston moving up and down in the cylinder.

While many folks view diesel engines as indestructible, they do still need maintenance. Oil changes, fuel filter replacement, and cleaning or changing the air filter are all important items when it ...

Dear Tom and Ray: I drive a 1995 Ford Probe with roughly 138,000 miles on it. According to my mechanic, the rattlelike noise I hear as I drive is the result of valve tap. My mechanic indicated that it ...

Once upon a time, most car engines used solid or mechanical lifters. But unlike most fairy tales that begin that way, there was no lasting happy ending for them. Hydraulic lifters first appeared in ...