The engines of yesteryear were pretty simple, with tappets clackity-clacking away on cam lobes, opening valves, and making a ruckus while doing it. Mechanical lifters were adequate for valve operation ...

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 ...

There are a myriad of components that make engines tick. By which we mean "tick" in the sense of the sound, not what makes them angry. Fuel injectors make a ticking noise as they quickly squirt ...

The idea behind GM's active and dynamic fuel management systems is brilliant, but they may be asking too much of the poor ...

It is possible to run solid flat tappets on a hydraulic flat-tappet cam and even mechanical roller lifters on a hydraulic-roller cam. Putting solid lifters on a hydraulic cam will gain about 500 rpm ...

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. There are many V6 and V8 engines that use camshafts located within the engine block and pushrods to activate overhead valves. In those engines ...

In a world without limits, camshaft designers have known for decades what profiles they'd like to grind. But real-world technological limitations-in terms of design feasibility, materials science, and ...

Q: I have a 1996 Ford Ranger that sat for about a year that I would like to fix up. Everything was okay with it before it sat. Now it has a rapping noise that I think is a stuck lifter. I changed the ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. There are a myriad of components that make engines tick. By which we mean "tick" in the sense of the sound, not what makes them ...