Respect Between Shops and Stores Strengthens Both
I have been lucky enough to make sales calls on hundreds of machine shops over the past 30-plus years. Some are still here today and sadly, some are not. In that time I have met a few machine shop owners who were hard working and quite successful. They put in their years, formed an exit
Race vs. Street Oil and Lubricants: The Great Zinc Debate Continues
In racing applications, it’s not usually so serene. Engines live on the edge. Engine builders and racers are always fighting and scratching for more power, more torque, just that little something extra, even 100 rpm off the corner more than the next guy – but it comes with a price. About the only protection these
A Closer Look at BBC Bracket Racing Cylinder Heads
However, it proved to be just the opposite – sportsman racers loved it and it allowed local drag racing to thrive and grow. Back in its infancy, I covered weekly bracket racing in Southern California at the now defunct Irwindale and Orange County International Raceways. The action was hot and heavy with full fields of
Bolt-on Horsepower: Choosing An Induction System
The induction system feeds the engine air and fuel. So to increase the torque and horsepower output of an engine, the induction system has to provide more air and fuel. That usually means adding an aftermarket performance intake manifold with taller, larger and/or longer runners to increase air flow into the cylinder head ports, bolting
When Does One-Thousandth Of An Inch Equal A Mile?
Now this statement has both good and bad advice in it. Good, because we all know high quality tools cost money, and bad because, as engine builders, who are you going to borrow tools from? The guy next door? Probably not. You need to have your own tools and tooling to control your quality in
Chrysler 3.3L/3.8L Labor Costing Study
First introduced as a family back in 1990, these engines have been upgraded and improved to provide good torque for the necessary applications, reasonable fuel economy and a reputation for durability and appropriate performance. Both have iron blocks and aluminum heads and since 2001 have been used nearly exclusively in Chrysler’s FWD?lineup, powering the Dodge
Asian Engine Market: Not Lost in Translation
Of course, import interest is nothing new. It has been growing since the fuel crisis of the ’70s, but in 2009, Asian car companies surpassed domestic manufacturers in the percentage of all cars and light trucks sold in the U.S. for the first time ever. While it seems the majority of the performance aftermarket bleeds
A Chip Off The Old Block: Aftermarket Blocks Are More Versatile Than Ever
It’s the same economic principle many body shops use on their rodding customers. You can expend good time, money and effort trying to resurrect an old hulk towards the customer’s ultimate goals or you can cut to the chase by starting with an accurate reproduction. In engine building, the same holds true but with a
High Tech Cleaning Options
Yet while machining tolerances and performance expectations have changed dramatically over the past few decades, when it comes to getting parts clean, many of those high-tech shops struggle with the same technology they used 30 years ago. The simple fact is, times have changed for parts cleaning, and so have the methods. Engine builders have
Street Performance Valvetrains
Street performance requires everyday driveability and reliability. A good street performance engine should have a broad torque curve, plenty of low end power and a reasonable amount of intake vacuum at idle, especially if the engine is backed with an automatic transmission. A street engine also has to be capable of lasting tens of thousands
Understanding Port Swirl In Diesel Engines
What is port swirl? Actually this is a little contradictive. The port doesn’t actually swirl, it is the design of the port that causes air to swirl! Swirl is what is taking place when the intake charge exits the intake valve and enters the combustion chamber. As the air enters the combustion chamber and the
2010 Performance Machining & Engine Parts Guide
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