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Usually the cams operate the valves directly or by a short rocker, as opposed to pushrod engines which have long rods to transfer the movement of the lobes on the camshaft in the engine block to the valves in the cylinder head.
Most recent internal combustion engine designs use a DOHC valvetrain, since it allows for greater efficiency. In engines with more than one cylinder bank, such as the V engine, this designation means two camshafts per bank.
When the DOHC concept was introduced, it was common for the first such engine from a manufacturer to be known as the DOHC engine; for instance, Ford's new DOHC straight-4 in the late 1980s. Ford now uses the Duratec name on all its North American 4 cylinder and V6 DOHC engines.
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