🔍 Key Concepts
• Four-stroke diesel cycle (intake, compression, power, exhaust) and what happens in each stroke
• What the camshaft physically looks like and how its lobes interact with other parts
• Difference between valves and fuel injectors in how and when they operate
💭 Think About
• In a four-stroke engine, which components must open and close at very specific crankshaft angles, and what mechanical part usually controls that timing?
• Which engine parts are typically operated by cams and followers (tappets, pushrods, rocker arms), and which parts might be driven in a different way?
• During one full four-stroke cycle, which items need repeated, timed actuation every cycle, and which might be actuated in another manner (e.g., by a pump or different drive)?
✅ Before You Answer
• Be clear on the primary purpose of a camshaft: does it directly meter fuel, air, or just open/close something?
• Think about whether both intake and exhaust valves use the same operating system on a typical marine four-stroke diesel
• Consider how fuel injection timing and pressure are usually produced in a diesel: is it by the camshaft directly, or by another component that may or may not be cam-driven?