Teledyne TSIO-360-RB, Maintenance Manual

Page: 161 / 206

20-3
20-2 CYLINDERS, PISTONS AND VALVE DRIVE TRAIN
The cylinders, pistons and valve train are the portion of the engine that develop power. The
cylinder combustion chamber provides a controlled area for burning fuel/air mixture and
converting that heat energy into mechanical energy. Aviation fuel and air is drawn into a
cylinder during the intake stroke, compressed by the piston during the compression stroke
and then ignited by a high intensity spark from the spark plug. As the mixture is ignited, the
expanding gases force the piston to move inward toward the crankshaft.
This inward motion acting on the connecting rod and crankshaft throw is converted into
rotary motion by the crankshaft. As the crankshaft throw rotates past half of one revolution,
the connecting rod and piston start moving outward on the exhaust stroke toward the
cylinder head. During this movement, the exhaust valve begins to open allowing the
burned mixture (exhaust) to escape. Momentum from the crankshaft forces the piston
toward the cylinder head in preparation of the next intake stroke event.
Proper mechanical timing between the crankshaft and camshaft allows the intake and
exhaust valves to open and close in synchronization with piston position in all six cylinders.
Proper magneto internal timing and magneto to engine mechanical timing allow precise
spark plug ignition at 20°
±
1° before top dead center during the piston's compression
stroke.
VALVES
PUSHROD
ROCKER ARM
HYDRAULIC
TAPPET
CAMSHAFT
CYLINDER HEAD
AND BARREL
CRANKSHAFT
CONNECTING
ROD
PISTONS
AND RINGS
OIL SUMP
FIGURE 20-2. CYLINDER PISTON AND VALVE TRAIN