Thrust Bearing Failure
Thrust bearings are used to control end play in the crankshaft. End play is important because it limits the fore and aft movement of the crankshaft in the block. If an engine is assembled with too much end play in the crank, or if the thrust bearing fails, the forward movement of the crankshaft in
Competitive Claimers
If there
Nuts About Bolts
The late Smokey Yunick, Hall of Fame race car mechanic, engine builder and car owner, once said that fastener technology used to be “cut and try.” In those days if there was ever a failure the philosophy was, “go one size bigger.” In today
The Wonder Spring
Suspense might be fine if you are Alfred Hitchcock but I really don
Final Wrap: May
In Las Vegas, a city where being lucky is more important than being good, AERA Expo attendees really stood out. Despite the best efforts of a great many people, you could say that the engine building industry has had more than its share of bad luck. Yet the mood at the recent AERA Expo 2003
Valve Seat Installation Procedures
If a valve seat is damaged, cracked, loose, receded or too badly worn to be recut or reground, it can cause a variety of problems: loss of compression, valve burning, valve failure, valvetrain wear and breakage, even head and valve damage if the seat comes loose. For that reason, replacing valve seats is often necessary
Rebuilding the Ford 5
Doug Anderson is president of Grooms Engines, Parts, Machining, Inc., located in Nashville, TN. He has authored numerous technical articles on engine rebuilding for Engine Builder magazine for more than 15 years. Anderson has also made many technical presentations on engine building at AERA and PERA conventions and seminars. The 330/5.4L Ford engine was introduced
Today’s Management Software: On The Right Track
Engine builders may know a lot about building a better engine, but many need help when it comes to managing their businesses. For some, tracking billed hours and reviewing weekly income statements are more like chores than the work they love
Incoming AERA Chairman Mike Schaefer, Southern Illinois Crankshaft
Ask Mike Schaefer, incoming chairman of the Engine Rebuilders Association (AERA) what the association means to him and he’ll have an immediate and impactful answer: "Without AERA, we wouldn’t have survived." When he opened the doors to Southern Illinois Crankshaft, Red Bud, IL, in November of 1985, and bought his first crank grinder, the salesman