Description And Operation: Engine: Description: Camshafts

Courtesy of JAGUAR LAND ROVER NORTH AMERICA, LLC

Each cylinder head is equipped with 2 camshafts, inlet and exhaust. The lobes on the camshafts act on the valve tappets to open and close the valves.

The camshafts run on machined bearing journals in the cylinder heads and camshaft caps. The camshaft caps are marked with 'IN' and 'EX' to denote inlet and exhaust. The caps at the front of the engine are marked 'AB'. Before removal, each camshaft cap must be marked with its position to ensure correct re-assembly. Each camshaft cap is secured with 2 M6 bolts.

Each camshaft is equipped with a Variable Camshaft Timing (VCT) actuator. Each actuator contains a sprocket which drives the camshaft via a timing chain driven from the crankshaft. The VCT actuator can change the timing of the camshaft, increasing engine efficiency and performance.