Understanding Valve Design and Alloys
To the naked eye, a valve is a valve is a valve. Sure, there may be two, three, four or more of them in the cylinder head, but unless you have x-ray eyes, one alloy looks pretty much the same as another. The importance of coatings to today’s valves should not be overlooked, of course.
Head and Block Surfacing Equipment Update
How smooth is smooth enough? You used to be able to tell by dragging your fingernail across the surface of a cylinder head or engine block. And besides, it didn’t really matter because the composite head gasket would fill any gaps that your equipment or technique left behind. But with MLS gaskets the requirements have
2008 Machine Shop Market Profile – Part II
Back in 2001, as you’re likely to remember, Automotive Rebuilder took the radical step of changing our identity to Engine Builder, the magazine you’re reading now. The decision to do so was not made lightly, but was the result of careful realization that we couldn’t be all things to everyone in the entire rebuilding industry.
Machine Shop Market Profile – Part 1
When life starts handing out lemons, say the feel-good self-help gurus, the smart money is on the person who not only makes lemonade but figures out a way to sell it for a profit. While the readers of Engine Builder might be hard-pressed to find time to manage a lemonade stand, the analogy still applies:
CSI: Engine Bearings: When Good Bearings Go Bad
Engine bearings have the dual function of reducing friction between a rotating part of the engine (the crankshaft) and the stationary part (the main caps and engine block) and supporting the crank. Because of the stresses caused by the explosions inside the internal combustion engine, the bearing material must be extremely strong, so a durable
Labor Costing Study: Ford 2.0L ZETEC Engine
If a name works, why not stick with it? That’s pretty much the attitude that Ford has taken with regard to its popular inline four-cylinder engine named Zetec. The Zetec name can be used to describe many different multi-valve DOHC engines, based on three distinctly different designs. It was used in several Ford, Mercury and
Mid-Range Diesels: Going the Distance
While it may seem that we’re constantly asking you, the reader, to give us detailed information about your business, the truth is, details are what make this business interesting. In that respect, following the February issue of Engine Builder, a cross-section of readers were asked for their opinions on a number of topics, ranging from
CNC Machining: Making Dollars and Sense
"For the first time, we saw people who weren’t overwhelmed by the concept of CNC machines,” Matt Meyer said about the recent PRI trade show. “This was the first year that most people really seemed to know what they were looking at and understood that CNC machines are a viable part of the automotive machine
Loving Your Job, Losing Your Shirt?
As editor of Engine Builder, I ask a lot of you, the reader. I ask that you read every word of every article, that you buy your parts and equipment from our advertisers and that you complete every survey form and questionnaire immediately, be willing and able to talk to me about any subject whenever
Creating and Using Air Efficiently
In one of his famous science lectures, Dr. William H. Cosby asked the pertinent question: “Why is there air?” Being the astute man of knowledge he is, he answered his own question: “To blow up basketballs.” Of course, Bill Cosby’s rationale for why air exists Is different than any of Engine Builder’s readers. After all,