The problems with modern engine designs:
Since the piston and rods connect to the same shaft which rotates and provides the inertia to continue the rods rotation which is initially forced by the starter solenoid which provides the electrical power to get these parts moving in the first place as the compression of fuel + air is delayed as the moving parts must already be moving in order for this to take place, this produces several problems. The inability for the system to move itself thus requiring the initial energy or motion to be produced by an electrical device makes the system extremely damaging to itself in these starting moments therefore reducing its overall integrity each time it is required to be started. This is counterintuitive as the integrity of the whole system must be compromised in order for the system to begins its process.
Another problem is that when the system of moving parts is moving on its own so to speak this momentum is not isolated to each component that essentially drives the engine individually but rather is consolidated to one part that harnesses the energy produced from several components that produce the energy to move that part which is transferred to another component that essentially uses this work for a practical means that is useful, in this case the crankshaft which spins the car's axles in which whose motion is utilized by virtue of the friction between a tire and rough surface to move a heavy piece of metal we call a car. This creates the problem of too many varying conditions for which the components of the vehicle must be designed in order to adapt to as well as multiple points of system failure because the number of repetitive or the same parts increases.
Eg. Since all piston rods are connected to the same shaft or rod which harnesses the energy produced through combustion to spin the crankshaft, as the frequency of explosions increases to produce the energy needed to move the piston, the speed of the piston increases thus requiring a different timing for each spark to be produced for the next stroke to be timed so that fuel, air, and spark can ignite at the right moment along the pistons rotational cycle to produce the maximum amount of work for the same movement within the cycle essentially making the cycle as effortless as possible which helps it to continue cycling.
On the one hand this is an advantage as the energy that one piston produces being harnessed in one place which is connected to other pistons, supports each others to be more effortless. But at the same time the connection of several pistons together into one system or of which energies are harvested or consolidated into one part requires a much more complicated system to function as well as the repetition of several parts needed for added systemic variable in the form of an additional number of the core systems for which produces the energy. This produces more opportunities for total system failure. This is largely inefficient, because as the complexity of a system increases which is inversely related to its efficiency, the costs to produce more output at the expense of design integrity outweigh the gains over the long term. The efficiency of any mechanical system is inversely related to its complexity and Simple does the trick. The efficiency of the system is at the base root or heart of its integrity. The more efficiently a system functions thus inherently reducing complexity to a minimum, the more integrity a system holds with regards to its overall function and optimization of the achievement of its goals sustainably over time.
In Summary:
The more complex a mechanical system gets the more inefficient, the less integrity the system holds to do its job correctly, predictably, and consistently over time, and the more points of total system failure or severe system compromisation are introduced.
To put it in perspective:
The need to sacrifice the total integrity and efficiency of a system in order to start its cyclical process in order to do its job is very inefficient and counterintuitive to common sense design from a very basic standpoint and way of seeing the role and purpose of engineering. This compromises its overall lifespan and integrity as it must literally destroy itself a little bit before it can begin to produce any work. This is counter intuitive to energy generation and the goal of maximizing the amount of work a mechanical system can produce at the lowest cost when that cost is most relevant when pertaining to its lifespan regarding most importantly, fundamental system degradation, costs to replace original materials and parts, and the unquantifiable opportunity cost created as a result of not building the most optimal system possible or at the very minimum one closer to sound common sense principles in its design and implementation that should be used in designing the architecture of anything useful in reality. When you look at mechanical systems from the perspective of principals and sticking to them to produce the very best results, it becomes easy to identify the weak points in any mechanical system with regards to achieving its objective practically rather than pleasing the consuming Eye of the mind hardwired to want things fast and cheap upfront.
