Awards are given to a few categories of engines such as International Engine of the Year, Best Performance Engine, Best New Engine, Green Engine, and according to Capacity Classes. Among them are the engine awards most anticipated by motoring companies as it will make a difference in either pushing sales or pushing them away from the business.

This year we see the emergence of BMW engines being the winner for multiple categories including the International Engine of the Year 2008. With the BMW 3 liter Twin Turbo used in the 135, 335, and the X6, it sets it’s points just barely over Volkswagen’s TSI. With BMW’s new high-precision direct injection system, it helps the engine to drink less fuel while producing a good amount of power to the wheels. Rather using a single large turbocharger, the design of two smaller turbocharger is the key to balance out the boosts throughout the rev range, eliminating lag while acceleration.

Another engine being awarded the Best New Engine of the year is the BMW 2 liter Diesel Twin Turbo used in the 123D. This 4 cylinder engine is claimed by BMW by far the most powerful of all, thanks to the balancing act of power increase, weight reduction, and lower emissions. The 2 liter diesel twin turbo kept its fellow 4 liter V8 used in M3 off the Best New Engine category. It simply is because of the innovative technology used to create a lightweight engine block, while maintaining the build of a solid and rigid block, making it a more powerful engine than petrol of the same capacity.

Another award appeared to be new this year is the Green Engine of the Year award. Replacing previous Best Fuel Economy award, this year’s Green Engine Award is again the Toyota 1.5 liter Hybrid Synergy Drive used in the Toyota Prius. Judges still fond over the concept of the Hybrid Synergy Drive that combines petrol and electric used to propel a car. With a low power output of just 76bhp the Prius uses another 67bhp produced by another electric motor, thus conserving fuel and keeping the CO2 emission level low.

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According to one boat enthusiast, David Pascoe, you should regularly inspect your boat. Depending on the size of your boat, this inspection shouldn’t take longer than thirty minutes or so. By inspecting your boat on a regular basis, you can save yourself hundreds (even thousands) of dollars in repairs down the line. According to Pascoe, many boat owners don’t really know or understand too much about boat engine maintenance. Most boat owners place too much emphasis on changing the oil, not realizing that the majority of boat engine damage is the result of failure to maintain the cooling system. Contrary to popular belief, a boat engine cooling system is different from a car. Unlike cars, boats use the water that they are floating on to cool the engine. Therefore, if you’re riding around in polluted water, more than likely, your engine is getting the worst of it. For this reason, Pascoe recommends having good filters (aka: sea strainers). This is not a place to be frugal; find out what type of water your boat usually sits in. If your boat is usually docked or riding through salt water, it will ruin your engine over time which is why you need to make sure that your water pumps are inspected regularly.

If you have a closed cooling system on your boat (aka: fresh water cooling), you need to be wary of crud building up. The build up will act like an insulator, gradually slowing down the cooling system on the boat. When you are pouring coolant into your engine, make sure that you aren’t pouring too much. As we all know, too much of anything is usually a bad thing. And actually, having too much coolant will cause unwanted crud to build up. Also, make sure you read the manual for instructions on how to properly pour in the coolant (because there is a specific process for doing it).

Changing the oil in a boat is slightly different than changing the oil in your car. Unlike a car, which requires you to change the oil every ‘X’ number of miles, the oil in a boat (if its diesel) needs to be changed at least every 100 hours. This is because carbon builds up in the oil, which will transfer to the piston ring grooves and eventually cause the rings to stick, which is NOT a good thing. For gas engines, oil change is not as dependent on the number of hours but, rather, should take place before the oil blackens. You see, as oil accumulates engine by-products, it will get darker, becoming more acidic in the process, which can cause internal damage to your engine. This is why you want to change it before it becomes black. The frequency with which you would change the oil in a gas boat will depend on a number of things, such as geographic location.

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For twenty years, Harleys got their look from the Shovelhead engine, the engine that many people even today automatically associate with the bike.

The End of the Panhead

In the mid 1960s, Harley Davidson motorcycles used the Panhead engine, so called because of the shape of the rocker covers. As the bikes got heavier they required engines with more power than the Panhead could deliver. In 1966, Harley introduced the next evolution of this engine design.

This new engine, like its predecessor, got its name from the shape of the rocker covers. The covers were shaped like coal shovels and these shovelhead parts inspired the Shovelhead engine’s name.

The Shovelhead had more powerful cylinders and pistons and was meant to provide stronger acceleration to meet the demands of bikers of the day.

The engine had its drawbacks. It was more powerful but also heavier so didn’t give as much power as had been hoped. That weight also affected the bike’s steering and could cause it to weave at top speeds.

Some of these shortcomings were because it had not originally been designed as a motorcycle engine. It was supposed to be used in an outboard motor but engineers discovered that it didn’t work well in humid environments, which is rather a significant drawback for a marine engine.

The Shovelhead Era

Although the Shovelhead was not perfect, it still provided a lot of power for the new generation of bikes.

Harley continued to improve the engine throughout its life. In the 1970s there were a number of changes made to the design of Shovelhead parts that resolved many consumer complaints about its performance.

However, the engine never became what bikers wanted it to be. Some of the reasons for this were government regulations that came out of the energy crisis of the 1970s. Harley was limited as to how much power they could give the engine.

One real improvement in Shovelhead parts was the FLH Electra-Glide Package, also known as the Police Option. Although this option made the bike harder for the amateur to maneuver, a skilled rider could get more power and speed.

The End of the Shovelhead

Despite Harley’s efforts, this engine struggled to keep pace with the innovations that were sweeping the industry. Shovelhead parts such as oil management systems were considered archaic when compared to other engines and the machine fell out of favor.

Harley stopped producing the engine in 1984, although manufacturers still make custom engines in the same style. The Shovelhead was replaced by the Evolution engine that Harleys still use today.

Author is a freelance copywriter. For more information on Shovelhead Parts, visit http://www.jirehcycles.com

The basic function of a carburetor is to ensure the right mix of air and gasoline into the engine. The carburetor comprises of a tube with an adjustable plate called the throttle placed across it. This throttle controls the amount of air that flows through the tube. The carburetor tube narrows down at a place called the venture, where a vacuum is created.

There is a hole in this narrowing called the jet that allows the fuel to be drawn in because of the vacuum. There are several parts in a carburetor that allow for smooth functioning. The parts are the pilot, pilot airscrew, throttle valve, jet needle, needle jet, air jet, and main jet. Other important parts are the choke, accelerator pump, float chamber, and barrels that help to create the ideal mixture of gas and air in the engine.

Carburetors have improved over the years in terms of efficiency and effectiveness. Their emissions standards have are much better and adhere to environmental standards. This is also another reason for the increased use of carburetors in smaller machinery.

There are many kinds of small engine carburetors. The complexity of the modern machines demand greater sophistication in the carburetor design. Float-type and suction-type are the two main categories of carburetors and there are two kinds of float-type carburetors including one-piece and two-piece. Suction-type carburetors have a built-in fuel pump.

The major manufacturers of carburetors are Amal Ltd., Autolite, Carter, Holley, Pierburg, Rochester, Solex, Stromberg, SU, Walbro and Tillotson (small engines), Briggs and Stratton, Villiers, Weber and Zenith. Rebuilt or remanufactured carburetors can also be used in small engines.

Carburetors provides detailed information about carburetors, carburetor parts, carburetor tuning, and more. Carburetors is affiliated with Car Transport.