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.

Late-model engines have spoiled us. The LS-series engines are so well engineered that many car crafters consider them indestructible, which isn't exactly the case. But there is something to be said ...

One way to improve diesel engine performance and to reduce emissions is improving power density and combustion cycle efficiency. It can be done by increasing combustion pressure and engine speed ...