Cleaning aluminum creates special challenges for engine builders because of its corrosiveness and soft metal properties. There are several effective ways to clean this non-ferrous metal but there is no magic solution. You will more than likely have to combine several processes to get the kind of clean that you...
During our research of the General Motors Gen III engine family we continued to run up against a stumbling block of exterior identification between the 4.8L and 5.3L engines. It seemed that no matter who we spoke with, be it core suppliers, wrecking yards, engineers or rebuilders, when asked how...
A valve loses about 15 to 30 percent of its heat through the stem. On the exhaust side where there is no cooling effect from the incoming air/fuel mixture, the guides are critical, because cooling through the stem is especially important for valve longevity. Worn intake guides or ones with...
In the September 2003 installment of "PERA Core Corner," I provided both information and a chart to help with Ford casting and part numbering identification. I mentioned that the center portion of every Ford part number includes an identifier number, which indicates what that component part is. I also stated...
When discussing high performance engine work, most shop owners instinctively think about racecars. It might be circle track racing, drag racing, tractor pulling, boat racing or many other forms of "off-street" motorsports. It
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Karting, like car racing, offers potential opportunities to engine builders willing to make the commitment to a growing sport. If you
What’s wrong with the engine building industry today? It’s a simple question that has no simple answer. Like many other – if not every – industry facing difficult times, the factors impacting this market are varied, complex and frustratingly hard to pin down. Are the woes of the industry the...
When you think of fast food, you think of McDonald
The planned demise of all LA Chrysler engine configurations was already in the wind for some time when the Power Tech 4.7L SOHC engine was introduced in the Jeep Grand Cherokee in 1999. Not only was it the first clean sheet design V8 for Chrysler in 41 years, but it...
Most of you have probably seen those TV commercials for metal detectors and the subtle suggestions that they could help you find a fortune in buried treasure. Maybe
For a state that offers only five months
The crankshaft main bores are the foundation of every engine block. The alignment of the main bores is important because their position establishes the centerline of the crankshaft and how the crank aligns with the cylinders, deck surfaces and camshaft. Misalignment in the main bores can cause binding and premature...
Along with new-style aluminum cylinder heads came a few inherent characteristics
Aqueous cleaning equipment has gained a solid foothold in today
Attempting to make sense of what does not make sense, and explaining or defining the impossible was the theme of a show long before Tom Cruise made Mission: Impossible famous. In the original, the same team kept pulling off impossible missions put before them, hence the title. Well, we are...
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At a recent technical presentation by a respected representative of a piston ring supplier, things got a little out of hand when it was suggested that half of all independent aftermarket machine shops may be either out of date and ill-equipped or misinformed as far as cylinder finish is concerned....
Though piston rings haven
