Internal combustion engine including an exhaust gas recirculation system and/or a water-cooled charge air cooler

An internal combustion engine having a crankcase and a cylinder head, the internal combustion engine comprising:

• at least one cylinder block;
• at least one cooler;
• at least one smooth flange surface for accommodating the at least one cooler;
• at least one coolant inlet to the cooler;
• at least one coolant outlet from the cooler;
• at least one exhaust gas inlet to the cooler;
• at least one integrated exhaust gas feed-through from the cooler;
• and
• at least one internal cooling section, the coolant inlet and the coolant outlet both being on a first side of the internal cooling section such that coolant from the coolant inlet flows in the cooler in a first direction along the internal cooling section and then flows in the cooler in a second direction opposite the first direction along the internal cooling section and out the coolant outlet.