Engine Pro Shop Solutions – September 2018
DON’T SKIP THE DETAILS Sometimes it is just the little details that add up – and cleaning is key! Taking the time to use a little ATF to wipe your new piston rings down before assembly can help keep dirt and debris out of your new engine. Multiply this by the number of parts that
Engine Pro Shop Solutions – August 2018
LIFTER BORE CHAMFERING TOOL I purchased a 1˝ chamfering cone and welded a 6˝ extension to it. This is for chamfering the top and bottom of lifter bores in blocks. This saves time and leaves a better finish than doing them with a stone and grinder. Kevin Elam Liberty Machine Liberty, MO A QUICK TIP
Engine Pro Shop Solutions – July 2018
VALVE GRINDING TIP If you use a Sioux valve grinder or any valve grinder that centers on the chamfer of the end of the stem of the valve, it is very important that the chamfer is concentric with the valve. I have found the stem chamfer on some new valves are not concentric as I
Engine Pro Shop Solutions – June 2018
MAGNETIC CLEANER I attach a large speaker magnet in my valve grinder oil tank. This draws any metal particulate matter to this area and keeps the oil clean. Gary Sloat Auto Supply of Stuart Stuart, FL REAR END SETUP MADE EASIER After I read the article about the 12-bolt rear ends in an earlier issue of
Engine Pro Shop Solutions – May 2018
PISTON CLAMP Eliminating the movement of parts when installing or removing Spirolox-type retaining rings in piston and rod assemblies will make the job easier and save time and cursing. Instead of clamping a connecting rod in a vise and then trying to steady the piston, we make a simple device to stabilize the entire piston
Engine Pro Shop Solutions – April 2018
A BIT OF KNOWLEDGE Three tips to make your drill bits last longer. 1. Choose the right bit. A black oxide-coated bit helps reduce friction and increase chip flow, but shouldn’t be used on nonferrous materials. TiN is a titanium nitride with a gold color that can run faster than uncoated bits and increase tool
Engine Pro Shop Solutions – March 2018
I use an 1/8-inch allen wrench to insert and extract the pilot while doing valve jobs on cylinder heads. I would frequently misplace this little tool between seats, so I started using a rubber band to keep it attached to the palm of my hand.
Engine Pro Shop Solutions – February 2018
ROD TO CAM CLEARANCE GAUGE Using a plastic banding strap as a feeler gauge works great to check for clearance. The straps are generally .035˝-.045˝ thick, so you might want to double them up to check for the minimal .050˝-.060˝ clearance recommended. These work great as they easily bend to any curvature you need. If
Engine Pro Shop Solutions – January 2018
I needed to mount this Desoto Hemi from a nostalgia dragster on my align bore machine. It did not line up with any mounting holes on my end plates, so I had to drill new holes – here’s the procedure to make sure it’s done right.
Shop Solutions – March 2017
If you are shot blasting an engine block but want to protect the crankshaft housing bore surfaces, you can install some used upper main bearing shells in place, then secure them to the block with a threaded rod or machine screws with a nut up in the cam housing tunnel area.
Shop Solutions – April 2017
Exhaust manifolds can be resurfaced using a surface grinder with the typical universal cylinder head fixture. First start by tapping threads in the thru holes.
Shop Solutions – December 2017
It can be much easier to install and remove spark plugs, when space is tight due to header configuration by notching out one section of a spark plug socket. This will allow for a better angle, and you can still use the hex head rather than a ratchet drive.