The cylinder head is the top part of the engine that has the main job of letting air and fuel into the cylinder and letting the burned fuel out to the exhaust pipes.
The components of the cylinder head include the valves, rocker arms, and in overhead cam (OHC/DOHC/SOHC) engines, the lifters, camshafts and all ancillary parts. The tappet is just a part of the lifter.
With your extended question to doomobk, the answer is, if you overheated the engine and are worried you warped the head, the only way to find out is to take it to a shop and have them measure it. If it's warped, then they either have to resurface the head (and install a new head gasket), or if it's too badly out of shape, they have to replace the head.
The tappet cover is also known as the cam cover or valve cover.
The cylinder head is the big cast iron piece that bolts to the top of the engine, covering the holes the cylinder goes in. On most engines made since the 1950s, the valves are in the cylinder head. Most modern engines except Chevy & Dodge V8s have the camshafts in the heads too. Inline 4 and 6 engines have one head. V6s, V8s, V10s, and V12s have two.
Tappet covers? Another name for valve covers, maybe? (I've also heard valve covers called rocker covers and, on OHC engines, cam covers.)
NO. The cylinder head is where the intake and exhaust valves are as well as the camshafts in some engines. The block supports the crankshaft, connecting rods, pistons and camshaft.
The tappet (valve cover) keeps the pressurized oil from flying off the top of the cylinder head.
Great answer doomobk, especially in regards to tapit (or tappet) covers which can be found on the side of the block or share the same function as the valve cover and be found on top of the cylinder head, depending upon engine design.
The block is where the bore hole(s) which is where the piston(s) are. If its a flat head or L head it also contains the valves.
The head is the cover over the bore hole(s). If its a overhead valve engine it also contains the valves and at least part of the valve train. If its an overhead cam engine it contains the entire valve train.
The tapit cover on an inline engine or valley cover on a V engine is the cover over the area where the tapits or lifters are. The tapit / lifter is the part that rides on the camshaft and then usually operates the valve via a pushrod.
Is the cylinder head composed of the bore ie the "holes" where the pistons fit in ?
