Why are engines with OHV valve trains sometimes called push rod engines? a pushrod is part of the ohv valve t?

Question

So why do they call them pushrod engines? and what is the diffirence between a regular engine (i guess you would call it a flathead) and an overhead valve engine?

Thank you

Answer 1

a pushrod engine is where the cam is not above the cylinder head and uses metal rods to push the valves up and down using rockers. a SOHC is... funnily enough. above the cylinder head and the cam is in direct contact with the valves.

p.s and OHV is a pushrod

Answer 2

In a pushrod engine, the camshaft is located in the center of the lifter valley between the two banks of cylinders. This arrangement allows for one cam to operate all the valves. It can be a much less expensive option for the manufacturer vs. having one or more cams in each cylinder head.

Answer 3

Flatheads had the valve heads pointed toward, and very close to, the camshaft in the center of the engine block, and the combustion chamber extended off to the side to accommodate the valve faces, which were in the cylinder block. This made for very large combustion chambers, and therefore low compression.

Moving the valves up above the cylinders made for a more compact combustion chamber, allowing higher compression. In order to actuate the valves in this arrangement, pushrods and rocker arms became necessary to connect to the camshaft. Finally,with the advent of overhead camshafts, pushrods are no longer needed again.

So the main advantage to OHV engines was the combination of tighter combustion chambers resulting in higher compression, while still using one single camshaft, a short timing chain arrangement, and an overall simpler motor compared to overhead cams, but better performance than flatheads, due to the increase in compression.

OHV motors became common after World War II, although some were made earlier, mostly on expensive cars. OHC motors also have been around a long time, although they only became common much more recently. The flathead was produced by Ford until 1953.

Answer 4

a flat head engine has its valves on the cylinder block- they are on the deck of the engine, not in the cylinder head above the piston. OHV engines have the valves above the pistons. Mostly any engine built since the 40s are OHV engines. A push rod engine is an engine that uses pushrods but are still OHV, and OH cam engines (OHC) will have the camshaft in the cylinder head, and are still an OHV engine.......