Coronavirus and the Engine Building Industry
We hope the industry as a whole is taking the necessary precautions to remain safe and healthy during these unprecedented times. While we are sure that is the case, many engine and machine shops have been deemed ‘essential’ and remain open. Here is how other engine-related companies have been handling the Coronavirus pandemic. Champion Brands
Engine Building Down Under
Over the years, we’ve heard from a number of engine builders here in the States who do a lot of international business with Australian customers. But what about the engine builders actually in Australia? What engines are they working on and what racing series do they support? We caught up with two Australia-based engine builders to get an inside look at their shops and a taste of the industry down under.
Engine Building Competition Promotes STEM Education Among H.S. Students
Modern vehicles are powered by sophisticated digital systems – requiring knowledge in each of the STEM areas. Students interested in auto technology are able to combine a strong foundation of STEM education with technology-based, hands-on opportunities.
In Engine Building, Predictions Don’t Always Meet Reality
Here we go again. The fax machine will kill the mail system… TV will kill the radio… Movie rentals and streaming videos will kill the movie theaters… The above three statements were cited many times over the years, but strangely, none have them have even been remotely close to coming true. Every year the U.S.
Engine Building Bloopers
I learned early when doing an engine for a customer, especially a partial job, with the end user finishing construction, the importance of knowing that person’s capabilities – or better put – incapabilities. Over my many years I have witnessed some amazing engine bloopers.
Taking Over the World of Engine Building
What you should know if your business is going international Not many businesses are satisfied with simply maintaining a local clientele. Just as customers typically want bigger and bigger engines, engine shops are looking to grow their business reach outside their town, city or state. In some cases, engine shops reach an international clientele, making
Taking Over the World of Engine Building
Not many businesses are satisfied with simply maintaining a local clientele. Just as customers typically want bigger and bigger engines, engine shops are looking to grow their business reach outside their town, city or state. In some cases, engine shops reach an international clientele, making their engines and services available to the world. While there’s
Yes, the Engine Building Industry Still Needs Welders
When it comes to the engine building field, and the automotive industry in particular, much of the welding is performed by automated robots. However, that certainly doesn’t mean there’s no place for welders in this area. Consider the fact that many specialized production and repair jobs need the human hand of a skilled welder. Laser
In the Agricultural Market, Engine Building is a Growing Business
Unlike other markets in this industry, agricultural engine work doesn’t rest. Customers getting engine work done can’t afford to be down for long. In this market, time truly is money. We spoke with Jay Foley, owner of Foley Engines, in Worchester, MA, about the benefits of the agricultural engine market.
Brighton, MI High School Engine Building Program Includes Dyno Instruction
Stop me if you’ve heard this story before: a couple of guys get ahold of a tired late model Chevy 350 V8 and decide to rebuild it into something with a bit more teeth. With the help of a more experienced engine builder they spend about a year working on the block and heads and
Marine Performance Engine Building
This is the first installment of a three-part series on marine performance engine building. This series will look at this market from three different perspectives, the “meat and potatoes” refresh, turning big power into bigger power and then culminating with a look at the mega power that pushes 50-foot offshore endurance racers to over 200MPH.
Maintaining Your Balance: Engine Building Tips to Reduce NVH and Increase Life
A high revving racing engine obviously needs a good balance to minimize these destructive forces, but balancing can be just as beneficial to low revving engines, too. Nobody would argue with the fact that engine balancing is right up there with “blueprinting” an engine. The goal is to equalize the reciprocating and rotating forces inside
Future of Engine Building: Industry Forecast
The more things change, the more they stay the same As we entered into the new millennium, the industry had an optimistic, yet cautious outlook as to what the future held for the production engine remanufacturers and custom engine rebuilders. When we asked various industry insiders this month to look into their crystal spheres, past
Future of Engine Building: Converting the Masses
Rebuilding Diesel Engines to Run on Natural Gas Engine builders often get requests to convert a stock engine into a performance powerplant. Or to take a modest diesel tractor engine rated at 2,200 horsepower and transform it into a smoke-bellowing pulling machine at 6,000 horsepower. However, in our third installment on the future of engine
Future of Engine Building: The Road Ahead for Machining
The future always seemed so far away for some reason. You had cartoons featuring flying cars and movies about aliens and galaxies far, far away.
Career Building: Developing Engine Building Experiences in School Starts with Instructors
For some older technicians and mechanics, servicing vehicles and tearing down engines was something learned on the job. For others, automotive skills were developed through an automotive program at a high school or technical college. According to an employment forecast from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), between 2010 and 2020, the nation’s workforce will
Engine Building Measuring Tools
The French created a measurement system in 1790 called the metric system. While the U.S. has never managed to switch over to it completely, as we were supposed to in the latter half of the 20th century, most automotive techs are familiar with it today because of the fasteners and components on late model vehicles.
Engine Building Legend Bill ‘Grumpy’ Jenkins Dies at 81
Jenkins attended Cornell University where he studied mechanical engineering, and he used his training and skills to build engines. He was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2008 for his engine building expertise in the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Pro Stock division. His innovations included drag racing’s first kickout oil pans,
Must Have Tools For Engine Building Glory
While engine builders still need a fair share of box end wrenches and screwdrivers, we have assumed you didn’t make it this far without these necessities. Instead, we will focus on the specialty tools and equipment you need to get the job done and out the door to your customer. We talked to tool suppliers
Marine Engine Building, Is It For You?
Engine builders who do passenger car and light truck engines, diesel engines and performance engines, are often looking for new market niches where they can expand their business and add new customers. For some, marine engine building may seem like a tempting niche. The marine engine market is relatively healthy, though highly competitive. Some rebuilders