Cylinder Block Assembly: Description and Operation

Crankcase

The proven closed-deck design is used for the crankcase, which is made of a hypereutectic aluminum alloy. In this construction, the housing and coolant ducts form a closed system around the cylinders. This creates a very rigid engine assembly, minimizes cylinder distortion, and results in low oil consumption as well as a reduction in the amount of combustion gases that pass by the piston rings into the crankcase (blow-by gases). The lightweight, rigid engines therefore achieve a low fuel consumption and a long service life.

A fully aluminum bedplate is used in order to reduce weight. The forged crankshaft has five bearings and has a very rigid design in order to reduce the vibrations produced in the engine.

The cylinder head and camshaft housing components are integrated in a single-piece aluminum cylinder head in the V8 engines. At the same time, the arrangement of the inlet port and injector was optimally designed for direct fuel injection. The coolant jacket ensures that the cooling system has sufficient reserves even in the cylinder head, which is subject to substantial thermal loads. The one-piece design also made it possible to achieve a low weight.