Probably a blatantly obvious answer to this but just wondering, why with todays advances in technology as regards to manfacture does the modern engine still have a seperate head and block? Surely there must be a way of making it out of one piece, assembling the valves etc. then bringing the crank and pistons up. Surely it would be miles stronger with no head gasket to ever worry about. Is it due to heat that it has to be seperate??

 

it has to be separate and uses a gasket for safety, strength and manufacturing.
how would you cut valve seats etc?
would cost way more to make if it was in one piece and fixing one area would be the whole engine out and strip for a small problem, instead of a gasket and a small strip down.

 

As said, its a maintenance thing. There have been engines done with a one piece head and block iirc, but theyre rare.

 

I can see from a mass production point of view its not viable, but from a performance point of view??

 

They do do this in drag racing engines (specifically for the top fuel bikes), but it is not only hugely expensive to machine, but also in the event of a failure, the whole thing is invariably scrap .

 

I think Mike's hit the nail on the head...

The advantage of seperate components in the event of a failure is huge if your talking serious performance engines.

 

Because people would rather have to replace a head gasket, than an engine

 

There have been engineering engine devlopments with a whole block.

The lotus omnivore 2 stroke engine is one which can alter the compression ratio for all conditions leading to 10% better economy over the lates fuel injected spray guided engines since it can illustrate HCCI operating conditions.

Its all new technology but will take a few years to implement into todays society.

Just do a search in google about it.

 

They do, the first patent was issued on may 28 1946, and shortly thereafter engines produced by D. Willgoos.
tabetha