Industrial Engine Rebuild Opportunities
Rebuilding industrial engines is a growing business for many engine builders and shows no signs of slowing down.
Rockets, Vikings and Your Old Man
From 1916 through 1922, the only Oldsmobile V8 was a 246.7 cid L-head of Model 47 with a 233.7 cid V8 that made 60 hp. This was the only engine offered in 1923, when the Model 47 continued alone.
Our Future is in the Past
As a member of the Baby Boomer generation, like many of you reading this magazine, I often worry about the next generation coming along. What will happen to all of the vast knowledge we have acquired during our lifetime and will that knowledge get passed on to the next generation?
The Valve Refacer
Let’s talk about the valve refacer. I mean you all have one. Some of you have two. My question today, is what is the program in your shop to maintain that piece of equipment?
Shop Solutions June 2017
To check lifter bores for finish, burrs or obstruction, I made tools by removing the plunger and internal parts from some lifters. You can stick the lifter on the end of your finger then slide it, with twisting motion, in and out of the lifter bore.
Finding Equipment Financing
For many of you in the engine rebuilding industry, having access to the proper machines and equipment is the missing piece to creating the best engines possible for your customers.
Shop Solutions – February 2017
Cylinder head and block flatness and surface finish are critical to proper head gasket sealing. The following general specifications cover both gasoline and diesel engines.
Regulations and Research: How PC-11 Became a CK-4/FA-4 Reality
PC-11 had its beginnings at least a decade ago due to the EPA and government regulators pushing for higher heavy-duty truck fuel economy standards. The American Engine Manufacturers Association (EMA) wrote a letter to the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the American Society for Testing of Materials (ASTM) asking for their help in developing new, more fuel efficient diesel engine oils. Everyone agreed that new heavy-duty engine oil specifications would be needed to improve fuel economy significantly. Engine manufacturers, chemical companies, and oil marketers then began the process of identifying new engine and lab tests to define the performance levels needed to create these oils. Considerable R & D has occurred since that letter.
Titanium and Other Engine Friends
Titanium or Ti, is an element that has been around a while. An English clergyman interested in metals named Rev. William Gregor is credited with the discovery of it in 1781. The name titanium comes from the sons of the Earth Goddess in Greek mythology, also known as the Titans.
How It’s Made
My wife gets mad at me but I will regularly turn off “The Notebook” to watch an episode of “How It’s Made.”
If you’re not familiar with either of them, “The Notebook” is a sad movie that seems to have something to do with Jim Rockford (from “The Rockford Files”) and a painter. Apparently there’s also some time travel involved – I’m not really sure. It’s on TV in my house at least five times a week, thanks to the insatiable appetites for emotion of my wife and two daughters.
First Impressions: What Did I See When I Came To Visit?
They say you never get a second chance to make a first impression. I think most dads can relate to the idea of a first impression if you’ve ever had to meet a daughter’s new boyfriend. Moms can relate as well, but their expectations may be different. We can all remember when we were that boyfriend or bringing home that boyfriend and the impressions we made, which were not always that good. This may have had an impact on your relationship, and your happiness.
The Profit Potential in Performance Diesel Automatic Transmissions
When your diesel customer comes into your shop wanting to upgrade the performance of his pickup’s engine, are you missing the opportunity to sell him an upgrade for his automatic transmission as well? It should be a fairly easy sale when you remind him of the increased horsepower and torque he will have from the engine, and in order to take full advantage, his automatic transmission will also need an upgrade.
