How Two-stroke Engines Work

If you have read How Car Engines Work and How Diesel Engines Work, then you are familiar with the two types of engines found in nearly every car and truck on the road today. Both gasoline and diesel automotive engines are classified as four-stroke reciprocating internal-combustion engines.
There is a third type of engine,­ known as a two-stroke engine, that is commonly found in lower-power applications. Some of the devices that might have a two-stroke engine include:

• Lawn and garden equipment (chain saws, leaf blowers, trimmers)
• Dirt bikes
• Mopeds
• Jet skis
• Small outboard motors
• Radio-controlled model planes

In this article, you'll learn all about the two-stroke engine: how it works, why it might be used and what ­makes it different from regular car and diesel engines.