When discussing engine specifications and performance, we often mention displacement, layout, valvetrain, and amount of cylinders. Even when we get more technical with things like: ignition timing, cam profile, dynamic compression ratios, and such, we often overlook one key aspect of our beloved internal combustion engine: Lubrication.
A crankshaft needs to spin, resting on bearings, it receives oil that coats the journal surfaces and ensures minimal friction, and the same applies to connecting rods, camshafts, and pistons.
All moving parts of an engine must not make metal to metal contact, but rather be coated in oil, so that friction doesn’t heat them excessively.
Lubricants have many purposes, from providing frictionless rotation, to cooling the internals of an engine. Watch below and learn how every engine needs and uses oil.
Here’s a vintage movie from 1937 explaining the secrets of Engine Lubrication: