The internal combustion engine is probably one of the most "taken for granted" miracles of modern times.  When a car is traveling at 60 mph (1 mile per minute), the engine is turning about 2,500 rpm, depending on the drive train gear ratio.  (RPM = Revolutions Per Minute)
 
This equals 2,500 revolutions per minute, or 41.66 revolutions per second.
 
Each spark plug fires 1,250 times each minute, or 20.8 times per second.
 
Spark plugs in a V-8 engine fires 10,000 times per minute.
 
Each valve opens and closes 1,250 times per minute.
 
In one minute, the valves of a V-8 have cycled 20,000 times.
 
If a piston travels up and down 4 inches per revolution, it will travel 20,000 feet in one mile or 3.78 miles.
 
In a V-8, the total piston travel is 64 inches per revolution or 160,000 feet in one mile or 30.3 miles.
 

After 10,000 Miles:
 
The engine has made 25,000,000 revolutions.
 
Each spark plug has fired 12,500,000 times.
 
Each valve has cycled 12,500,000 times.
 
In old point type ignition systems, the points have fired 100,000,000 times.
 
Each piston has traveled 20,000,000 feet (3,787 miles) and together the pistons traveled 160,000,000 feet (30,303 miles.)
 
Each valve has traveled about 1/4 mile.
 
Think of it.  Each time a piston goes up, when it reaches the top of its travel, it has to stop and go down.  It doesn't want to stop; it wants to keep on going and likewise when it goes down.  There is tremendous stress and inertia's that go on inside the engine.
 
Basic Rules for Oil Pumps
 
The pump should produce 10 lbs of pressure for each 1,000 engine rpm.
 
There is only .001" to .0015" clearance between the relief valve and the pump housing.
 
There is only .003" clearance between the gears and the pump housing.
 
Most pumps will pump one gallon of oil every 16-20 seconds.
 
Oil pumps don't suck, they pump.  When the engine is turning, there is a vacuum created at the gears.  This allows the atmospheric pressure (14.7 psi) to push the oil from the pan up the pickup tube.
 
Oil pumps don't make pressure, they create flow.  The clearances in the engine restrict the flow which creates the pressure.
 
More Facts
 
80% of torque is resistance of the bolt thread and bolt head.  The remaining 20% is crush on the gasket.  (Always thoroughly clean bolts and holes.)
 
One point of compression (8.0-9.0) ratio = 4 times the gas pressure in combustion.
 
During detonation, there is 16,000 psi applied to the top of a piston.