The combustion chamber, the metaphorical heart of the engine, is a finely engineered piece of sculpture. Within it, pistons accelerate from rest to a speed of 50 mph in 2.5 milliseconds. Valves are choreographed to open and close over 100 times within 1 second, their timing dictated by complex valve control mechanisms. The airflow that rushes into the combustion chamber is designed to swirl and tumble like a gymnast in precise trajectory. In gasoline engines, the spark is accurately timed to occur within a window of 20 microseconds. In modern engines, each cylinder firing is like a
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