What's the Difference Between 2-Stroke and 4-Stroke Engines?

You probably have some knowledge of how internal combustion engines work. They involve pistons, Cams, explosions, etc. but do you know what the differences between 2-stroke and 4-stroke engines are?

The history of automotive and engine design has been marked by the existence of two main types of gasoline powered combustion engines: the 2-cycle and 4-cycle engine.

The name of each of these engine types suggests exactly how they operate. In order for any engine to complete combustion and thus drive their respective vehicles or machines, there needs to be combustion of the gas-air mixture and expulsion through the exhaust ports. The main differences in these two engine types is just how they approach this process.

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[sultanrespati]

you can tell the 4 stroke is really complicated when the complexity is not illustrated

[kylechapman]

Fast forward to 1:15 to see a random shot of a mechanic checking a tie rod end on a Honda Civic …..

[xperimental]

in reality, 2-stroke produces more power. I have both 2 and 4-stroke bikes. Booth feels different. 2 stroke power feels direct and increasing in each rpm, the 4 stroke feels delayed even though produces more torque at lower end

[DekarNL]

2 stroke engines usually also lose power way more quickly. In kart racing it's not uncommon to use multiple 2 strokes in one race season. Whereas a 4 stroke will last multiple seasons. But that sound of a 2 stroke is unbeatable.

[sf_]

4 stroke on paper is a better engine overall but nothing will beat the fun factor of a 2 smoker’s power band

[engineeringsolutions]

Very Excellent sir 👍👍👍
#sandeshlaghave

[worldchecks]

Ever heard of Ship?
Massive ships have 2-stroke Engine, because of the high power they produce.

[louelyndelacuestabacus]

I like this video, i can easily understand more

[jeppthatsme]

The two stroke engine, If the fuel intake happens at the same time as the combustion, would it make the engine have a bigger prone to igniting the fuel intake and the gas tank?

[FEMA_Region__Slave]

It takes <10 min of research to discover that 2 strokes were once all the rage in combustible engines. From Snow Mobiles, to Motorcycles, to Automobiles, 2-cycles were getting it done, and in record time! In the last year of motocross racing, the fastest 25 lap times were entered by 2-strokes. Also, manufacturers were pouring resources into making their 2-strokes increasingly more fuel efficient with each new model, as well as reducing exhaust pollution more and more efficiently over time.

*THE MAIN POINT THIS:*

A.) the ONE & ONLY reason that 2 strokes are not widely used in all applications within North America to this very day, is SOLELY because the US Govn’t made it ILLEGAL for manufacturers to produce them for transportation applications. It has NOTHING to do with what the consumer wanted, or based on performance.

B.) If the US Govn’t wouldn’t have overstepped their perceived authority, deciding to artificially manipulate what is supposed to be a free market, and had they allowed manufacturers to continue finding efficiencies in their designs, by today there is no telling how incredibly fuel efficient and *CLEAN* the modern 2-stroke would be by today. It’s one of the real engineering tragedies of the 20th Century.

[bremruatfelabs]

Still got this 21 years old Yamaha's RX 135

[nugget]

You showed the legendary Mustang from the late 60s and early 70s when you were saying that there were cars made with 2 stroke engines...

[amadumuckelamara]

Heavy duty are in the same class please

[trapgeek]

What's up with the dislikes?
😤😤😤

[DeathKnight]

only issue i have is the claim 4 stroke is more powerful than 2 stroke, that is not the case 2 stoke produces more power due to the rapid combustion cycles, everytime that piston comes up its compressing and combustion happens, 4 stroke takes twice as long to have the combustion cycle occur given both are running at the same rpm. my 200cc 2 stroke will take my friends 400cc built 4 stroke from the dig all the way to the 200ccs max speed after that the 400s gearing and top end takes over, both are fast 2 strokes just get to the top end faster but are limited due to gearing, and the efficiency of the combustion cycles

[srg]

For anyone about to rant, two strokes can produce more torque, as a result of combustion frequency, but, that does not make it more efficient, it wastes a lot of fuel doing so. So to anyone wanting to compare modern efi 2t race bike engines to this efficiency equation, keep in mind that they use pistons instead of gas... You'll do the top end on one of those in say, 15 hours of runtime, compared to 1500 hours on a 4t. But they are fun though...

[minnesotajack]

Uhhh… I thought the 2nd rotation of the 4 stroke cam shaft came from the power stroke of the opposing piston…
….and not two rotations from one power stroke, as the video says

Anyone?

[santerisuuri]

Jumallauta "small watercraft nad gardening equipment" how about the greatest invention of all time the suzuki pv and other great mopeds??

[FEMA_Region__Slave]

2:05 actually, the widespread use of the four stroke has *everything to do with governments sticking their collective nose in private industry* to quite literally force the two-stroke out of market for street legal applications, instead of allowing ‘Supply & Demand’ i.e. Capitalism” to play out in a free market. (Ya know, like how we are all made to believe from Birth that the USA is a ‘Capitalist’ country m, when this just one more example of how that is one of the biggest myths in the world.)

[nikolayneymyshev]

Due to first seconds, thought the explanation of strokes gonna go a bit another way.