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Automotive Engine Layouts Guide

The engine is a crucial component of motor vehicles, responsible for propulsion and requiring efficiency in fuel consumption and emissions. Various engine configurations exist, including north-south, east-west, front, mid, and rear engine placements, each offering different advantages for vehicle performance. Manufacturers continually innovate engine designs to enhance power output, size, fuel economy, and reduce exhaust emissions.

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50 views3 pages

Automotive Engine Layouts Guide

The engine is a crucial component of motor vehicles, responsible for propulsion and requiring efficiency in fuel consumption and emissions. Various engine configurations exist, including north-south, east-west, front, mid, and rear engine placements, each offering different advantages for vehicle performance. Manufacturers continually innovate engine designs to enhance power output, size, fuel economy, and reduce exhaust emissions.

Uploaded by

joana.caralinda
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

The engine

The engine is probably the most important part of a motor vehicle


with the exception of control systems such as steering and brakes.
You are going nowhere without the engine operating. The engine's
main function is to propel the vehicle. Whether a car, boat, motor
bike, backhoe or a truck, it still needs to be moved. The engine must
also be fuel efficient for the power that it produces, and emissions
and pollutants must be kept to a minimum.

Manufacturers are constantly designing different configurations of


engine design that improve power output, size, fuel economy and
exhaust emissions and it seems that every week a new engine arrives
on the market with a new innovation.

Engine locations
Again, manufacturers have devised every possible combination of
engine location. Listed below are some common examples.

North-south
If the front or rear of the engine is pointing towards the front of the
vehicle, it is known as being north-south. This is the most common
layout, and is also known as longitudinal.

Figure 8: Engine in front of wheels

Automotive Engines 9
©TAFE NSW Construction & Transport Division First Edition 2001
East-west

This is where the front of the engine is pointing towards the side of
the vehicle. This is a common layout for front-wheel drive vehicles.
It is also known as transverse.

Figure 2: Engine as for front-wheel drive

Front engine

This is where the engine is placed with some of the engine hanging
over the front axle of the vehicle.

Figure 3: Engine in front

10 Automotive Engines
First Edition 2001 ©TAFE NSW Construction & Transport Division
Mid-engine

This is where the engine is mounted between the front and rear axles.
This design is used on many sports cars to even out the centre of
gravity. Motor bikes all use a mid-engine layout.

Figure 4: Engine midway

Rear engine

This is where some of the engine hangs over the rear axle. This can
be useful in placing the weight over the driving wheels to give good
traction, but may cause handling problems if too much weight is
towards the rear.

Figure 5: Engine in rear

Find CDX Module 3, Disk 1. Select 'Engine and Transmission


configurations' and view to the first summary.

Automotive Engines 11
©TAFE NSW Construction & Transport Division First Edition 2001

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