Engine Builder Tech Center
Winning With Your Own Engines

As a tech official at RT 66 Drag Strip in Joliet, Ill., since 2004, I have had the opportunity to see hundreds of bracket racing engine combinations. As a bracket racer myself early in my drag racing career I’ve been able to build my own. I’ve had unique opportunities to learn how to build winners that can translate into dollars off the track as well.

Timing Components

For metal parts to rotate, move, lift, bend, sway and – hopefully – not touch multiple times per second, every minute of every hour the engine is running takes more than just good enough – it takes precision that Swiss railroad conductors would envy. While everything in the engine has to precisely fit and accuracy is key, nowhere is precision more critical than in the timing.

Engine Block and Head Repair

A cracked cylinder head or engine block may or may not be bad news depending on the size and location of the crack(s), the value of the casting and what it will take to fix the crack(s) versus what it would cost you to replace the casting. Read what your options are in this Larry Carley feature.

Wisconsin Winners

NVR is a race-oriented engine shop that builds mostly circle track and drag vehicle engines. With more than 40 years in the industry, Tom Nickerson works with his wife Cindy handling mostly Chevrolet builds, as well as other nameplate engines. NVR was named the 2014 Performance Engine Builder of the Year and we took a look at its operation.

Turning Over Industrial Engine Business

Engine builders today are diversifying their businesses in order to maintain a healthy, steady stream of business and cash flow. One such area of opportunity lies within the industrial engine market. Industrial engines are a broad category that essentially covers any off road engine. Read how your shop can get in on the action.

Who Do You Want To Work For?

Most of us that are shop owners get up, go to work, deal with customers and employees, answer the telephone, schedule jobs, order parts, and by the time we get that done in a day, it is past time to go home. But have you ever stopped to consider how a customer sees your shop? Why did he choose your shop over the one down the street?

Cadillac Next-Gen V6 Engine Led By 3.0L Twin Turbo

Cadillac has announced a new generation of V6 engines, led by an exclusive Twin Turbo V6 that will be one of the industry’s most advanced six-cylinder gasoline engines. It leverages the latest technology to balance efficiency, performance and refinement in the upcoming, top-of-the-range CT6 luxury performance sedan.

VW’s New 2.0L Diesel Will Bring New Engine Tech to U.S. – Eventually

As a rejuvenation of the current VW 2.0L diesel found in the non-U.S. Passat, the new engine adds several salient new features and upgrades. Variable valve timing is a new feature, and so is a special start-stop system, which shuts off the engine in the event the car’s speed falls below 7 mph.

Piston and Sleeve Finishing and Break-In Tips

When finishing diesel cylinder bores or sleeves, a two or three step process that results in a plateau finish is usually best to reduce ring break-in and seating time. The type of honing stones, feed and pressure used to finish the cylinders will vary depending on what kind of finish you want to achieve.

Shop Solutions March 2015

Here’s a simple time saver for assembling high performance V8/V6 engines. When intake gasket port alignment is critical, use masking tape to hold the gasket in place on the head. You can then flip the gasket up to apply your sealer.

Cavitation Erosion in Diesel Cylinders

Cavitation erosion is often found in diesel engines on the exterior walls of wet cylinder liners. The amount of erosion and decay will vary from engine to engine and may also vary from cylinder to cylinder.

Understanding Ring Gaps

Ring gaps are often a confusing and misunderstood part of a re-ring job. There are minimum and maximum ring gap specifications which must be observed for the best performance of a new ring set. Manufacturers rigidly adhere to these tolerances and ring gaps are inspected in gauges accurate to .0001”. Here are some tips.