VW’s New 2.0 Liter Diesel Four Sets A New Benchmark For Performance And Technology
The magic number for engines in today’s day and age seems to be 2.0. Whether its Jaguar Land Rover’s newest line of four cylinder “Ingenium” gasoline and diesel engines, or the 400 horsepower Volvo four we detailed a couple of months back, the prevailing mantra of the industry seems to be ‘smaller, yet more powerful.’
Modified Ford Model Bs
It was known as the Model B engine and was produced for only four years beginning in 1932. Sporting only four cylinders, it was basically an upgrade of the earlier Model A powerplant. The “B” engine sported an impressive 200 cubic inches of displacement. Its compression ratio was a super-low 4.9-1. The paltry 50 horses it produced came at about 2,200 RPMs. The engine certainly didn’t appear likely to be a candidate for upgrading, but that wouldn’t be the case.
Greetings From Bonneville
This year an opportunity came to go to a gathering of speed freaks drawn together from around the world. An event that I’ve now learned is on most “Motorhead’s” bucket lists, and was put forth as the background for a great movie that hit limited screens in 2005 and is recorded on DVD in many of our video libraries. The movie was “The World’s Fastest Indian,” and the event is simply called “Bonneville.”
Engine Builder Magazine Celebrates 50 Years
In October 1964, Babcox Publications printed and mailed Volume 1, Issue 1 of Automotive Rebuilder, starting a 50-year history of serving the automotive parts rebuilding industry. No one can say the trip has been easy. We’ve had a lot of history, some of which has been up and down. We’re moving a lot faster today than when we first started, and we’ve left some long trails in this industry. Last month, we reminisced on 50 years of the automotive aftermarket industry.
Mercedes Formula 1 Turbocharger Technology
After a long stay in the naturally aspirated arena, Formula 1 has returned to turbocharged power, and the units used on the 1.6 liter six cylinder engine are among the most advanced in the world. Despite the fact that this year’s formula only employs one turbo, rather than the conventional two for six cylinder engines, the difference is made up in innovation. Formula 1 has concocted their own novel way to combat turbo lag, using their Energy Recovery System.
November 2014 Shop Solutions
One of the main problems with blocks that need to be align-bored is the lack of squish between the main cap and the block. What I am referring to is the interference fit between the cap and main register that holds the cap in alignment, and is the reason a light tap is needed to seat the cap. If the caps do not fit tight, the crank will not be held as solidly as it was intended, and also results in inconsistent bearing clearances.
Parts Happen
We chose to expand on the idea of taking the engine under the hood of your customer’s car, and modifying it rather than searching out a more desirable muscle car engine. Now, with the money you’d save by not having to purchase another expensive desirable core motor, invest that money into a stroker crankshaft and a set of matching pistons to build a bigger cubic inch engine that would have more power than the old factory muscle car engine and greater dependability from the new upgraded parts.
When to Upgrade a Performance Head Gasket
A rule of thumb for performance engine building is that if you are doubling an engine’s power output, or are going much over 550 to 600 hp, you should upgrade to some type of aftermarket performance gaskets. Upgrades usually require no additional modifications. You just swap a performance MLS gasket for the stock head gasket.
Internal Affairs – Diesel Crankshafts and Rods
Despite having similar appearances, a diesel crankshaft has some primary differences from its gasoline counterparts. A gasoline engine uses a spark to ignite the fuel. A diesel engine, operating at a much higher compression ratio, uses the heat produced by compression to ignite the fuel. Diesel engines typically have a longer stroke than the bore diameter, so to handle this load, diesel crankshafts are much larger physically.
Honoring Horsepower History in Horse Country
Nestled next to King’s Florence Speedway in Walton, a half-mile, clay, oval track carved into the top of a hill, sits the Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame – a 2,500-sq. ft. building that seems to be bursting at the seams with racing late model history and memorabilia. Everything from helmets, clothing and trophies of racing legends to parts and complete vehicles themselves, pack this pole building.
Engine Break-In Oil and Assembly Lube Needs
Engine building is a process that should go well when everything is done correctly. A lot of things can go wrong during those first few minutes following the initial start-up of a freshly built engine. The engine has to build oil pressure quickly so all of the critical wear surfaces will receive lubrication.
The Ford ‘FE’ – Rebuilding An American Iron Icon
Ford produced the FE series engines for almost 20 years and in this time period, this series of engine gained quite a following. After researching the FE, I was intrigued about its internal workings. I had always heard about and seen some of the more popular FE engines such as the 390, 427 and 428 but never had a chance to dive into one – until now.
