overhead camshaft

American  

noun

1. a camshaft in an automotive engine that is located in the cylinder head over the engine block rather than in the block. OHC

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overhead camshaft British  

noun

1. a type of camshaft situated above the cylinder head in an internal-combustion engine. It is usually driven by a chain or a toothed belt from the crankshaft and the cams bear directly onto the valve stems or rocker arms

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Etymology

Origin of overhead camshaft

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

For this year, Ford had a brand-new, strictly racing engine with an aluminum block, double overhead camshaft, and a fuel injection system that cranked up close to 420 h.p.

From Time Magazine Archive

The overhead camshaft Boulevard is still another form of aviation motor which has been favorably received.

From Flying Machines: construction and operation; a practical book which shows, in illustrations, working plans and text, how to build and navigate the modern airship by Chanute, Octave