Understanding Ignition Timing: Making Maximum Power Means Knowing the Science
In a spark ignition internal combustion engine, the purpose of advancing the timing of the engine spark is to get past ignition delay. Ignition delay occurs during the time that it takes to fully ignite the mixture with a spark plug.
Building Better Cylinder Heads for Harley-Davidson’s Big Twin Engines
The Harley-Davidson cylinder head aftermarket is broad and deep with offerings from mildly modified stock castings to all-out racing billets. We see the whole range of this market on a daily basis here at GMS.
Final Wrap: History Lesson
Retired engine builder and mechanical engineer Bill Hancock sent me a curious picture the other day, one that points out how far we’ve come – and, how we may not really know what we think we do about this industry.
Valve Lifter Basics and Beyond
Valve lifters play a key role in the valvetrain of pushrod engines. They go all the way back to the earliest days of the internal combustion engine. The earliest engines did not have pushrods or rocker arms. They were a “flathead” design with the valves in the block. The lifters (also called “tappets” because of the clattering noise they produced) rode on the cam lobes in the block and actuated the valves directly.
August 2017 Shop Solutions
At times I have had a main journal that just honed faster than the rest. Here’s my solution – maybe it will work for you as well. I cut some .001˝ shim stock and place it between the stone and journal and give it a few short strokes. The shim stock will stop the honing of that one journal and let the rest catch up.
Why Building a Working Website Will Make Your Business Work Better
It’s no secret that many of you thrive in business due to excellent, word-of-mouth referrals. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. In fact, it’s one of the best ways to build trust and a pool of steady customers. However, if you aren’t seeing people come through your door via word of mouth, or you want to increase business outside those repeat customers, a working website might be exactly what you need.
Dayton, OH is a Hot Bed of Hot Shot Engine Builders
What do you almost immediately think of when the town of Dayton, OH is mentioned? Hey, that’s easy! It would have to be aviation and the home of the Wright Brothers Lifting that spindly flying machine into the air WAS certainly an accomplishment of huge proportions.
Trying to Find the Future in My Crystal Ball-Micrometer
The Machine Shop Market Profile in the June issue of Engine Builder was a bit of an eye opener for me. I was not surprised by the fact that the biggest problem we have as an industry is finding good help in the form of qualified employees.
The Lost Art of Knurling Pistons Takes Skill – And Guts
Thanks to my late friend Pete Baldoni, a former NAPA store owner many years ago, I am the proud owner of a genuine Perfect Circle Piston Nurlizing Machine (Note: Perfect Circle spelled knurl with an N). Pete gave me that PC machine years ago, after closing the machine shop part of his NAPA store.
