Engineering Explained on MSN

Compression ratio - explained

What is compression ratio? An explanation of compression ratio; what it means and why it is important. Why some cars need premium fuel, and the advantages of a diesel engine.
At first glance, the concept of engine compression is simple enough:It's the ratio of the volume of the combustion chamber and bore when thepiston is at bottom dead center (BDC) versus when it is at ...
Assuming a properly tuned engine, there are three factors that contribute to poor streetability: long cam duration, high compression ratios, and excessive cruise rpm. Since cam selection is largely ...
While we like to think of 2002 as being part of a high-tech age, our beloved internal combustion engine hasn't really changed much in the last 50 years. We're still using pushrods and overhead valves, ...