Midget Engines – Perfect Power from Pint-Size Performers
Midget open-wheel racecars and the Stock (S Class) and Modified (A Class) inboard hydroplanes have provided thrills and chills for racing fans since the 1930s. And as the speed and performance of these radically-different racing machines has improved, so have the engines that power them. These engines have varied from stock four and six-cylinder automotive-type
Learning Curve – Understanding the Evolution of Cylinder Head Seat and Guide Machines
Like many of you, I’ve been watching the transition in head machines for the engine machinist industry with great interest. And you and I both are looking at how changes in equipment will impact your business. You see, I teach in an engine machinist program and when I took over the program in 1993 our
UNDERSTANDING ROD RATIOS
Performance engine builders are always looking at changes they can make that will give their engine an edge over the competition. Rod ratio is one of those factors that may make a difference. Changing the length of the rods with respect to the stroke of the crankshaft offers some advantages in certain situations, and may
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
NTPA Tractor Pulling Powerplants – Big Size, Big Horses, Big Torque
Tractor pulling in America means a lot of things to different people. Many in the general public regard the sport as nothing more than stock trucks and tractors coming in off the farm and doing their thing at the county fair. That was then, this is now. The sport has grown from those humble roots
Timing Chains, Gear Sets and Belt Drives
The short answer to which type of cam drive is best depends on the application, what your customer wants and how much they can afford to spend. A stock link style timing chain is fine for everyday driving and normal use. “Silent tooth” link chains are quiet, long-lived and adequate for stock cams and valve
Blast Off – What’s New in Blast Media and Machines
In this industry, it’s often cheaper to remanufacture or rebuild an engine than it is to make a new one. However, doing so requires cleaning worn and dirty parts. In addition, customers these days are increasingly asking for cleaner parts and engines. How are you supposed to get tough grease, oil, rust, paint, carbon build-up,
Turbochargers: Boost Your Turbo IQ
In the past decade, turbochargers have found their way onto more engines in cars and light trucks than ever before. By 2021, predictions by some experts cite turbocharged vehicles will reach up to 38 percent of all new vehicles sold in the U.S. Once thought of as only a means to increase performance on exotic
Rebuilding the Ford Triton V10 Engine
It looks as though for 2017, Ford is going to be bringing back the 6.8-liter Triton V10. There has been a lot of advertisement through the media on the matter and it seems everyone thought the V10 no longer existed. To everyone’s surprise, the V10 actually never stopped production. Many thought that when Ford quit
Head & Block RESURFACING EQUIPMENT
Regardless of what type of engine work you do in your shop (stock, performance, diesel, marine or anything that comes in the door), you need the ability to surface heads and blocks. Deck surfaces on high mileage heads and blocks are often corroded, pitted, scratched and/or out-of-flat – especially if the engine blew a head
The Street Rod Engine Market – What’s Hot and What’s Not in Selling to Hot Rodders
Street Rod/Hot Rod engines? Yeah, right! Defining this particular engine market has been likened to trying to nail Jell-O to a wall. There is an almost endless number of factors that cross engine “styles”’ usage and applications. It’s no different with hot rods. One hot rodder may want a stock unit just to keep him
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.