Shop Solutions Archives - Page 8 of 17 - Engine Builder Magazine
Shop Solutions January 2017

You want to seal that flange with an OE MLS gasket? Good luck! The same conditions now exist in exhaust flange technology as when the first MLS head gaskets were being replaced under repair conditions.

Give Us Your Secrets, We’ll Give You Cash

Each month, the Engine Pro selection committee chooses the most creative ideas to be included in this Engine Builder magazine column – and if your Solution is selected for publication, you’ll receive a prepaid $100 Visa gift card from Engine Pro.

November 2016 Shop Solutions

GREASY HANDS LOSE GRIP When my hands are a little greasy, I have a hard time turning and gripping the twist knob to send my centering fingers out on my Kwik Way Boring Bar to contact the cylinders firmly. My fix was to cut a 2- inch long piece of a used bicycle inner tube

October 2016 Shop Solutions

BIG D HEAD HANDLE Diesel cylinder heads are heavy and can be dangerous to move around. I use a rocker arm shaft and bolts from a Detroit to make a handle for carrying Detroit heads around the shop. It helps keep my fingers in working condition and keeps the head in good shape as well.

Shop Solutions September 2016

I make my own large threaded repair bushing from tapered pipe thread oil galley plugs, with an internal hex. The material of these plugs is hard enough to tap clean threads into, and very similar to your cast iron block or head.

Shop Solutions August 2016

The old adage, “Time is money” has never been more true than it is today. With the high costs of labor, doing a job quickly and efficiently can be the difference in making money or losing it.

Shop Solutions July 2016

Sometimes machine shops are called on to solve more than engine issues. Toyota rear axles are difficult to disassemble and usually require replacing the reluctor gear when replacing the bearings. I made a jig to drive the axle out of the housing using my press.

Shop Solutions June 2016

We live in a time where aluminum blocks with cast-in sleeves are common and we still need to remember to account for how different metals behave. We build several dozen Gen III and Gen IV GM LS type motors per year. We finish our cylinders .001” tighter on the aluminum block engines to compensate for the additional growth when the block gets up to operating temperature.

Shop Solutions May 2016

One of the most difficult heads to pressure test is the BMW DOHC 6 cylinder. It is nearly impossible to plug the water outlet on the side of the head, until now. A “T handle drain plug” from a boat is the perfect size, and easy to install and remove.

Shop Solutions – April 2016

To make the glass in our glass-beading machine last longer, we cover the inside with duct tape, leaving a small open port to view the work. When this gets cloudy, we remove another small piece of the tape. Our glass lasts much longer now before it needs replacing.

Shop Solutions January 2016

Sometimes the front of Oldsmobile blocks get warn and chewed up by the camshaft flange. This is often caused by additional load from a high pressure or high volume oil pump, which makes the distributor work harder and pulls the cam back towards the block.

Shop Solutions June 2015

I recycle the thick plastic trays used to store and ship 1-liter soda bottles. They work really well for keeping piston and rod assemblies in order and protected from damage as you move them about the shop.