crankcase
- noun
- /ˈkræŋkˌkeɪs/
- Specialized
- Can't even start the engine with a split crankcase.
- crankcase oil
- crankcase ventilation
- engine crankcase
Examples
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Down here there's the crankcase and crankshaft.
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He unscrews the cap and starts to fill the crankcase, careful not to spill on the new engine.
Fiction book (1997) -
So it's like this is the original crankcase that I made for the engine.
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Now, look at that crankcase.
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Looks like you cracked your crankcase.
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You've split the crankcase open.
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The crankcase cracked on that boulder, that's for sure.
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When changing oil, use a suction pump; it draws old lubricant out of the crankcase and minimizes mess.
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It's time to add a few quarts of new oil to the crankcase.
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Too much oil in the crankcase can damage seals and gaskets.
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Crankcase comes from two simple parts: crank, an old word for a 'bent' arm used to turn things, and case, meaning a 'box' or container. So a crankcase is literally the 'box' that holds the engine's crank, which explains why it means the part of an engine that houses the crankshaft.