The meeting, a combination of technical sessions and hands-on demonstrations, presentations and a facility tour, will begin on Thursday, March 22 at a special reception in the hotel’s Pinnacle Room. NHRA Top Fuel drag racer Hillary Will is scheduled as the reception’s special guest.
The technical program will begin on Friday morning following breakfast hosted by PERA. The program will include the following presentations:
“Stroker Motors.” Jeff Charles from Eagle Specialty Products will highlight the opportunities and pitfalls of building stroker motors.
“Air Costs Money,” a presentation on the costs of compressed air, by Roy Stuhlman and Paul Smith of Kaeser Compressor.
“Chrysler’s NGC (Next Generation Computers).” PERA’s Roy Berndt will provide details that could well prove to be worth the cost of the trip, unless you already know thai 2003 Dodge pickups may come with or without NGC.
“Valve Springs,” presented by Thomas Griffin of Comp Cams. He will share his knowledge of valve springs including the differences between the straight “old-style” and the new “beehive” springs.
Following lunch, the afternoon sessions will be held at Grooms Engines for some hands-on demonstrations and presentations including a discussion on the multitude of Ford 4.6L and 5.4L front covers; a new automatic four-lobe cam polisher demonstration by QPAC’s Ken Barton; a demonstration by Audie Technology of a computerized machine used to reverse engineer roller cams and a glimpse at Groom’s computer program to sort and identify roller cams. In addition Kaeser Compressor representatives will be available to answer any questions about compressed air that went unanswered following the morning session.
The Spring Tech Meetings will conclude Friday night at the Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville.
For more information or to register, contact Nancy Boland, PERA’s Executive Vice President at 417-998-5057; Fax 417-998-5056, or email [email protected].
German Engine Rebuilders Tour Reman Facilities On Stateside Study Trip
The Engine Rebuilders of Germany, (VMI), recently visited the US on a study trip sponsored in part by Mahle. The organization, whose official name is Verband der Motoreninstandset-zungsbetriebe e. V. (VMI), toured several engine building and remanufacturing facilities on the East Coast to participate in discussions of interest to both German and U.S. rebuilders and remanufacturers. Key topics of interest included:
Technical information databases, Prosis & Engine Data Source;
Machining techniques;
Marketing of remanufactured engines in the U.S.;
The relationships with OE and the engine rebuilding industry in the U.S.; and
The effect of computer controls on the engine rebuilding business.
The tour began at Recon Automotive Remanufacturers in Philadelphia. Bill Sterback, Recon’s vice president of manufacturing, conducted the tour. In addition, Recon allowed the group the use of its board room for a presentation by the Engine Builder Association’s (AERA) John Goodman.
The group also visited: Motive Parts, Port Washington, NY (hosted by Peter Burrows); Marcovicci-Wentz Engin-eering, Ronkonkoma, NY (hosted by Peter Marcovicci and Ted Wenz); Promar Precision Engines, Paterson, NJ (hosted by Mark Fellanto, who is also the current President of PERA).
“The hospitality and openness of all of these individuals was incredible,” said Ray Falkenrath of Mahle. “All of these people gave their valuable time and opened their businesses to these visitors from Germany.”
Engine Pro Announces 2007 ‘Featured Vendors’ List Of Manufacturers
Engine Pro, a national network of affiliated engine parts warehouse distributors specializing in the supply of internal engine parts, engine kits and related components to qualified machine shops, engine rebuilders and jobber customers, has announced its list of manufacturers meeting the “Featured Vendor” classification.
“We have two classes of vendors: ‘Featured’ and ‘Approved,'” says Engine Pro spokesman Steve Rich. “‘Featured’ status is pretty tough for a manufacturer to earn as it requires that their products be stocked and supported as the primary line in the category by 90 percent of our members and the vendor must receive a 90 percent support vote. The members discuss many factors when considering a vendor for this coveted status, including market conditions, fill rates, programs, policies, etc.”
For 2007 Engine Pro Featured vendors and product categories are: Clevite Engine Parts – engine bearings; Dura-Bond Bearings – cam bearings; Pioneer Engine Parts – miscellaneous engine parts; Melling Engine Parts – oil pumps; Comp Cams – performance camshafts; and JE Pistons – performance pistons.
“We also award ‘Approved’ status to over 50 top-notch vendors in 23 different categories,” Rich explained.
“We’re proud to be selected by Engine Pro once again for their engine part and bearing needs,” said Bill McKnight, director of brand development for Clevite Engine Parts. “In today’s rapidly changing business world, it’s really something to be named a preferred supplier for 18 years in a row.”
AERA To Host Series Of Regional Conferences In Lieu Of 2007 Trade Show
AERA, the Engine Builders Association, has announced plans to develop a series of regional technical programs and seminars in 2007. These seminars will be held in place of a national AERA trade show.
“With a national trade show becoming harder and harder for our member and potential member shops to attend, AERA is making a commitment to bring our technical programs and seminars closer to members through an AERA Tech-Day or Skill-Day held in different regions of the country,” explained AERA marketing consultant Jim Rickoff.
Rickoff says AERA is currently seeking partners from its associate member roster who wish to participate in these regional conferences. “Ideally, this partner would have a facility to hold a one- to one-and-a-half day seminar/skill training and have a history of gathering members, and potential members to their facility. Manufacturers, warehouse distributors, distribution facilities, schools and other businesses in strategic locations that would be easily accessible are highly desirable.”
In addition to the regional conferences, AERA is planning to expand its E-85 Power Shootout at the 2007 PRI Show. More information on that program will be available soon, Rickoff says.
For more information or to pursue this program with AERA, contact Rickoff at [email protected] or visit www.aera.org.
Early Bird Discounts Available To Pre-registered 2007 GAAS Participants
Participants who register for “Surviving in a Changing Aftermarket,” the theme for the 2007 Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium (GAAS), before Friday, March 23, 2007 will receive $200 off regular registration rates.
GAAS will be held May 8-9 at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare, Chicago, IL. GAAS is a “must-attend event” for anyone conducting business with the automotive aftermarket. Speakers will include Bob Lutz, vice chairman of product development for General Motors and Nancy Fein, vice president of customer services for Lexus, the luxury division of Toyota.
Registration forms are available at www.globalsymposium.org.
PERA Restructures Membership Criteria To Accept Smaller Shops
In order to better adapt to a changing business environment, the Production Engine Remanufacturers Association (PERA) has restructured its membership criteria for 2007, making membership available to engine builders that are building 25 engines per month or averaging one per day.
“‘Business as usual’ no longer exists at any level, be it equipment manufacturers, parts manufacturers or the professional engine rebuilders,” says PERA President Mark Fellanto of Promar Precision Engine Rebuilders in Paterson, NJ. “As an association, we are moving forward and making the changes necessary to benefit the entire engine builder/remanufacturer sector of the automotive aftermarket industry.”
Engine building professionals producing one per day are fighting the same battles of engine proliferation that plague their colleagues building 50 or more, says Fellanto. With proliferation issues becoming vehicle platform specific, information services offer the strongest potential for future growth of the entire engine building industry, he explains. “And there is no better resource for product identification outside of the OE than the PER sector. The old days of casting numbers being an identifier are over. The exchange of information and digital photography over the Internet has become the norm in this association and we need to embrace all those fighting this battle. Together we are a force to be reckoned with.”
Annual dues for PERA membership will be based on an applicant’s annual sales volume, as outlined in the above chart. A $250 application fee, which was charged to new members in the past, has been eliminated.
Members of PERA have access to EngineDataSource.com (EDS), a comprehensive source for engine casting and parts identification available. “The full embrace of AAIA standards – both Legacy and ACES – have catapulted EngineDataSource.com into the forefront of that information highway,” Fellanto explains.
“One of EDS’s true benefits to the industry is not only providing casting identification via numbers and images but with the program’s mapping capability,” said Roy Berndt, EDS research director. “The driving force of EDS by Illumaware and its EvoKat mapping tool has made the infusion of data a virtual ease. EDS allows any and all aftermarket parts manufacturers to import their data seamlessly, with the issue of inaccuracy being eliminated.”
PERA has also made monumental efforts in reaching out to the education sector of the industry by providing extremely reduced costs for all of PERA’s services and technical programs. “These are the up and coming technicians of the industry and if we do not provide them with the best resource available we jeopardize our industry’s future,” Fellanto says. “In addition, the relationship we have forged with Mitchell to provide the most current engine specification information puts us years ahead of anything out there for the rebuilders.”
