summer 2006 newsletter   could pushrods return to Europe?    When considering a new engine layout to meet the needs of tomorrow would you consider a technology that saved 35mm in engine height, substantially reduced the complexity of machining and assembly operations, and reduced the bill of materials by around 10%? Whilst in Europe we long ago eschewed ‘old technology’ pushrods in favour of DOHC 4V technology, engineers in the US have continued to develop these systems to a very high level; they certainly do not regard this type of valvetrain as old technology. Engines such as the 7litre 505bhp LS7 Corvette engine (with a maximum speed of 7000 rpm) have shown what is possible if the latest high-volume valvetrain component technology is combined with dynamic simulation. The resulting lift profiles give away far less to stiffer DOHC valvetrains, than used to be the case. Our application methods and dynamic simulation toolsets were updated some time ago, to reflect the improvements achieved in pushrod state-of-the-art.     During a recent IP supported production programme, we applied these capabilities to meet the particular requirements of a highly boosted application with pushrod valvetrain. These have more complex dynamics and more critical loading due to the substantial forces imposed by cylinder pressure during the exhaust valve opening event. We are currently using this experience to investigate the potential for this type of valvetrain applied to a latest technology GDI downsized engine. The study includes a review of cylinder de-activation and VCP options for single camshaft application.