Can anyone recommend anything, particularly motorcycle engines but anything really. It occurs to be that I have only scraps of information and mechanics has always interested me……there’s only so much you can learn from Discovery Channel

Heinz Heizler, Advanced vehicle technology, is a good start and well written.

What Loco said +1

This is a modern classic about an old engine.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tuning-Engine-Definitive-Performance-Economy/dp/1859606202

He did one on the small block Chevy too.

turbochargers, by hugh macinnes
anything by david vizard
haynes ford cvh, by peter wallage

you might find this article interesting http://www.sandsmuseum.com/cars/elise/thecar/engine/kingk.html

The “Industry” standard are these little badgers (currently sitting on my bookshelf – you can borrow if you want, but i want assurances :twisted:.

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fuels-and-engines-j-c-guibert/1111372565

The “AA book of the car” was a classic, published back in the 70s. Its hardback with a silver cover, well worth hunting down.

Honest suggestion – wikipedia. Bags of info on there, and you may find the hyperlink format useful.

Fundamentals of motor vehicle technology – V.A.W Hillier

Best set of books going – the Bible for any budding Vehicle Techs.

On the more Academic side, Heywood; IC engine fundamentals

Hienz Heizler also did and Advanced Engine Technology book which was awesome! May be a little heavy going but got me through my HNC and HND in good order.

Light and Heavy Vehicle Technology by MJ Nunney was also very useful when I was at college (BTEC national certificate) and I (personally) found it a lot more useful than the Hillier book.

More than a few options available…

These give you an understanding, but give you a lot of info on tuning, as that is what they are used for.. Taught me a lot!

I found Dave Vizzard – Tuning A-Series Engine, taught me a lot! Also made my mini go a lot faster!

Currently reading Des Hammill – Power Tune Ford SOHC Engines

+1 for Vizzard the wizard. Tuning BL’s a-series engine is a great source of info.

http://www.enginemuseum.org/

Worth a visit if you’re interested in industrial engines, if you want any info on modern gas engines pm me, email in profile

If you’re into aircooled motors, this is a good read as well as good at explaining stuff

The definitive text:
An introduction to internal combustion engines by Richard Stone.

A fairly (very) heavy read unless you are already a mech engineer, but the text with all the maths in.

but this is about the theory of engines, not how to take them apart/fix them.

Two Stroke Performance Tuning, Graham Bell.
Oldie but a goodie.

The “AA book of the car” was a classic, published back in the 70s. Its hardback with a silver cover, well worth hunting down.

I lost days to that book as a kid!

If you want to know how to design and develop your very own engine then get a copy of this…

http://estore.ricardo.com/product.asp?P_ID=164

For a non-engineer (not meant to sound condescending, and if you are One I apologise!), the Heisler book would be great – I found it great at uni but its written describing the technology behind engines rather than the deepest physics and thermo.

For more in depth, the Stone book someone mentioned is good, although my personal go to was (and still is) Heywood. It’s quite amusing (in a geeky way…) that you’ll get engineers who like one or the other – usually in the same way as either Sharp or Casio calculators…..

I’ve not seen the new Ricardo one in person yet, but Sir Harry’s ‘Te High Speed Internal Combustion Engine” is a fascinating read – a textbook written like prose, well worth a read.

+1 for Vizzard the wizard. Tuning BL’s a-series engine is a great source of info.

Sat on the shelf beside me along with How to Modify Your Mini. I learnt most of what I know about engines from those two and the Leyland Mini Workshop Manual AKD 4935 back in the day.

+1 Viz the Wiz – but you(us) mini-ite all forget the Wiz was a xflow and pinto deva too! (and yes I have the lot)

+1 Two Stroke Performance Tuning, Graham Bell. Pretty much prefect.

Honest suggestion – wikipedia.

Possibly – but it isn’t written in English…which is often an issue. Not only does the US use different words to describe things, they have some unique measurements that are neither metric or imperial.

Anything David Vizard or Dave Walker.