SOHC Vs DOHC: What’s The Difference?

If you’ve ever been in the process of buying a new vehicle or even just casually browsing spec sheets, you’d probably come across terms like SOHC and DOHC. Now, they might’ve mentioned that they relate to the camshaft, but what is the camshaft? And how does a SOHC or DOHC differ your driving experience? This article will help clear all that out!

Also Read: Two-Wheelers Engine Cooling Technology: Air, Oil, and Liquid Cooled

What is a Camshaft and its purpose?

The camshaft is a rotating rod that moves against a piece of machinery, turning rotational motion to reciprocal motion. It is responsible for opening the valves. That means the camshaft is accountable for how much fuel goes into the engine for combustion and how much fuel from that combustion is released as energy. Each camshaft has two valves, one responsible for intake and one responsible for exhaust.

SOHC and DOHC

Now that we know what a camshaft is and what role it plays, let’s find out about the SOHC and DOHC: –

• SOHC means Single Overhaul Camshaft, and DOHC means Dual Overhaul Camshaft.

• In SOHC, there is a single camshaft installed in the cylinder head of the engine, where one valve is responsible for intake, and the other valve is responsible for exhaust.

• In DOHC, there are dual camshafts in the engine, meaning two intake valves and two exhaust valves owing to 4-valve. Most engines nowadays run on DOHC.

Also Read: Types of Engine Oil and Their Benefits

SOHC Vs DOHC: Which is better?