Air-Cooled Flat Six Twin Plug 3.4L Porsche 911 Engine
Workshop 5001 owner Marlon Goldberg will argue the air-cooled flat six Porsche motor is one of the best engines ever, and it’s a key element to making a 911 the great car that it is. Workshop 5001 recently restored a ’72 911 using mixed and matched parts from different eras of 911s to create a ‘what if’ car. It features an engine from a 1986 911. “For me it’s all about the motor in the car. The chassis is obviously done to the highest level, but it’s the house for this badass motor,” an air-cooled flat six twin plug 3.4L engine. Find out what went into this ‘holy grail’ of Porsches!
The Global Engine Builder
If we take a step back and look at our industry as a whole, it is international, and it very much is global. Our American cars have had an international supply chain for a long time and the global supply chain for our cars and trucks seems to be getting bigger every day.
Engine Building Down Under
Over the years, we’ve heard from a number of engine builders here in the States who do a lot of international business with Australian customers. But what about the engine builders actually in Australia? What engines are they working on and what racing series do they support? We caught up with two Australia-based engine builders to get an inside look at their shops and a taste of the industry down under.
Intellectual Property Rights Enforcement
Once you’ve obtained your IPR, then what? What can you do when you find another person or business violating your patent, trademark, or trade dress? Below, we take a closer look at the steps you can take to enforce your IPR against unauthorized use.
A Look Into Manufacturing in China
The state of manufacturing in general, and engine component production these days domestically, is forcing manufacturers overseas due to many factors. We decided to take a look behind the curtain to see how some of these components are really made.
Harmonic Balancers and Dampers
Although harmonic balancers are not musical instruments, they do control resonance inside the engine, which is music in some circles. There are three types of engine vibration that engine builders try to minimize. And each type of vibration has a different way of controlling it.
Selling Internationally
The internet has changed the way we do everything. Cultures are blending and business has transformed into a global market. Make no mistake, taking the step into international sales will require some preparation, but the tools are at your fingertips like they never have been before.
Engine Bearing Materials and Selection
One thing every engine builder and even non-engine builder types know is that metal on metal contact is not good. It’s so bad that engine builders will go to great lengths to prevent it from happening. Bearing manufacturers and coating companies also work hard to make sure that their products can withstand extreme abuse without destroying expensive components.
Shop Solutions – May 2019
There’s nothing worse than having to fit a camshaft after installing new cam bearings, because they are too tight. I dial-bore gauge check all cam bores of the “known offenders.”
Sensory Overload
The same way these races can overwhelm your senses, here at Engine Builder, we too are delivering content for all five senses! Well, maybe with the exception of taste.
Finding Good Employees
There are very few problems in business today that transcend industry quite like finding good employees. It’s an issue at any office, in any industry, all over the country and even the world. That being said, there are few industries which have struggled to find good employees the way the engine building/rebuilding industry has.
The Motorcycle Engine Market
At its peak, the market was booming with new bikes, ATVs and UTVs flying out the door almost as fast as the dealers could get them in. Nearly 1.8 million powersports units were sold in 2006, according to the Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC). In 2018, the number of new units sold was down to 661,000.
