Glossary
Engine Assembler Terms & Vocabulary
15 essential engine assembler terms with plain-English definitions: the vocabulary you’ll hear in training and on day one.
Key engine assembler vocabulary
These 15 terms come up constantly in engine assembler training, on the job and in interviews. Knowing them helps you follow instructions, document accurately and sound prepared.
- Bearing
- Supports rotating parts.
- Build sheet
- Assembly instructions.
- Clearance
- Gap between parts.
- Crankshaft
- Converts piston motion.
- Dial indicator
- Measures movement.
- Gasket
- Seal between parts.
- Lockout/tagout
- Energy isolation before servicing.
- Micrometer
- Precision measuring tool.
- Piston
- Moves in cylinder.
- Plastigage
- Measures bearing clearance.
- PPE
- Personal protective equipment.
- Run-in test
- First engine run.
- SOP
- Standard operating procedure.
- Torque sequence
- Order of tightening.
- Torque spec
- Required tightness.
Practice these terms
Test yourself with the free Engine Assembler practice test: it includes vocabulary questions built from this list. For a complete course, see Engine Assembler training.
Browse terms from every career in our career glossary.