Manufacturer of specialized in various engine camshafts

The difference and characteristics of OHV engine and OHC engine

by:Yisheng      2021-06-23

Let me first tell you what OHV and OHC are. Some people may not know. OHV is bottom camshaft, OHC is overhead camshaft. The American design is basically OHV, in Japan or Europe. The common one is OHC design. Let me tell you about the characteristics of OHC engine below.


In understanding the difference between OHC and OHV, let’s start with a simple Technically understand and understand their respective structures and characteristics:

 OHV bottom camshaft engines with this design are generally large displacement, low speed, pursuit of high torque output, because the bottom mount The camshaft is driven by the crankshaft, and then the Engine Camshaft For Mercedes Benz and the valve rocker arm are connected by a metal rod. The Engine Camshaft For Mercedes Benz pushes up the connecting rod, and the connecting rod pushes the rocker arm to realize the opening and closing of the engine valve. The rod is under pressure so much that it breaks. However, this design with the ejector rod also has its advantages, such as simple structure, high reliability, bottom of the engine's center of gravity, and low cost. Because the engine speed is low and the emphasis is on torque performance, the bottom camshaft design is sufficient to meet this demand.

 OHC (Overhead Camshaft), after development, is now divided into SOHC (Single Overhead Camshaft) and DOHC (Double Overhead Camshaft). Single overhead camshaft is to rely on a camshaft to control the opening and closing of the intake and exhaust valves. Generally speaking, the single-top is designed to match the two-valve engine. Since the two-valve engine has lower intake and exhaust efficiency than the multi-valve engine, the arrangement of the valve angle is limited. The double overhead camshaft can optimize these problems, because a camshaft only controls a set of valves (intake valve or exhaust valve), so the rocker arm of the valve is omitted, which simplifies the camshaft to the valve Transmission mechanism. In general, the dual overhead camshaft is more suitable for the power performance of the engine at high speed due to the few transmission parts and high intake and exhaust efficiency. For Japanese and European manufacturers pursuing high power, the camshaft overhead design is certainly the most suitable.




 Since the two designs have different biases, the former pursues high torque and the latter pursues high power. We know that the car's fast speed and strong traction depend on torque, and the realization of speed depends on power. There is also a simple formula: power u003d speed X torque. The easiest way to increase the power of the engine when it is naturally aspirated is to increase the speed. The higher the speed, the higher the power will be.

Why do only Americans love bottom camshafts?

 In Germany, where the automobile industry is developed, many highways are not speed limited, and speeds of more than 200 kilometers are common Therefore, high power is naturally their favorite. But the Americans are different. They are looking for road cruising performance, and the engine does not need to be very high speed. This has a lot to do with the national conditions of the United States. The United States is rich in land and resources, and most of them are plains. The roads are straight and straight. After World War II, Americans have been keen on luxury cars with unique styles, spaciousness and emphasizing comfort. This type of car is usually The weight is large, the suspension is soft, the comfort of driving in a straight line is very good, and the US oil price is very low, the large displacement engine is very popular with the public. Therefore, the popularity of engines with 6.0 and 7.0 is very high. Speaking of this, one more point must be added, we often talk about engine power per liter, and use this to determine the operating efficiency of the engine. But have you ever heard the term power density? To put it simply, the concept is to release the same power. The smaller the size of the engine, the higher the power density. The bottom camshaft engine benefits from its low rotation and high torque, and does not need to arrange complicated multi-valve, double camshafts, and high-strength cylinder head covers like overhead camshafts.

 The OHV bottom-mounted camshaft used in American cars is aimed at American highways. According to our own situation, if we want to expand into a wider overseas market, we need to develop more Suitable engine type.

I have said so much about the characteristics of OHV engines and the difference between OHC and OHV, everyone should have understood. I hope this article is helpful and rewarding for everyone.



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