Valve Seats & Guides
Performing valve jobs is one of the most crucial areas of the engine building business. According to our most recent Machine Shop Market Profile, cylinder heads for gas engines account for nearly 16 percent of an engine builder’s production time – and it’s easy to see why.
Pumps, Pans & Screens
A stock pump may be just fine for some mild performance, and it may even produce enough pressure for a wilder application, but the limitations are mostly from the housings themselves, which can vibrate and crack at high rpm or under heavy loads.
Endurance Racing = Engine Punishment
Ten years ago, building an offshore powerboat engine was considered the most demanding job ever; Hands down. The combination of weight and size and the boat bouncing over waves causing the props to lunge in and out of the ocean, made for one tough customer. Until now.
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.
A Look Into Manufacturing in China
The state of manufacturing in general, and engine component production these days domestically, is forcing manufacturers overseas due to many factors. We decided to take a look behind the curtain to see how some of these components are really made.
Finding Good Employees
There are very few problems in business today that transcend industry quite like finding good employees. It’s an issue at any office, in any industry, all over the country and even the world. That being said, there are few industries which have struggled to find good employees the way the engine building/rebuilding industry has.
Fuel Injector Selection & Service
These days just about everything is computer controlled, and we mean EVERYTHING. But the only kind of electronics we’re interested in for this article is one of the oldest computer-controlled engine parts around – the humble fuel injector.
Value-Added Services
How many times have you had a customer come in for an engine build who asked if you do engine installations? Those dollars are leaving your shop and going elsewhere.
Micrometer Madness
I was told a few times that “tenths are for camping” when I was “chasing tenths” in my early machining career.
Photo Foie Gras
In today’s day and age of high-tech smart phones and their many capabilities – specifically how good the cameras on them are – there is no reason you shouldn’t be taking advantage of having them in your engine shop.
Valley Performance and Machine Service’s 376 cid Mopar Engine
Building engines for customers is what pays the bills, but it’s not very often that engine builders get to go head-to-head for bragging rights outside of the racetrack.
Antique Tractor Pulling
Just as how car racing first began, when the first two tractors were sold, the new owners must have decided to have a contest to see which tractor could outpull the other.
