In this study, the thermal behavior characteristics of the cylinder block of a small 3-cylinder, 4-stroke gasoline engine were analyzed, using the 3-dimensional finite element method. Before numerical analyses were conducted, the performance test and the heat transfer experiment of the engine were carried out in order to prepare the input data for the computations. Engine cycle simulation was performed to obtain the heat transfer coefficient and the temperature of the gas and the mean heat transfer coefficient of coolant. Temperature fields as a result of steady-state heat transfer were obtained and compared with experimental results measured at specific points of the inner and the outer walls of the cylinder block. The thermal stress and deformation characteristics resulting from the nonuniform temperature distributions of the block were investigated. The effects of the thermal behaviors of the cylinder block on the engine operations and the unfavourable aspects of excessive thermal loading were examined on the basis of the calculated results.