Shopline
How much cam end play is acceptable when working on a Nissan Quest cylinder head? The AERA Technical Committee explains that the following information regarding camshaft end play for 1996-2004 Nissan 3.3L engines (Pathfinders and Quests) should be referenced whenever camshaft or cylinder head service is performed. Install the camshaft and locate plate in the
Machine Maintenance: Don’t Neglect Your Shop’s Other Machines
Over the past couple of years we’ve discussed the various maintenance requirements for your big machines – surface grinders, crank grinders, cleaning machines, etc. Now we’re going to take a look at five other devices that play an important part in building the best possible engines for your customers – the air compressor, hydraulic press,
Shop Financials: Fail To Anticipate Change And You’ll Struggle – Or Worse
The automotive industry and business in general today is changing faster than at any time in recent memory. Failure to understand and react to industry changes may cause a business to fail, or at minimum, no longer allow them to effectively compete in their market area. Successful owners are all about change and they initiate
Head Gaskets – Sealing the Engine
Sealing an internal combustion engine has never been easy. In the last 100 years gasket manufacturers have tried many things, including paper, leather and even beef tallow, to try and seal the joint between the head and block. Today, engine leaks are not what they used to be but can still be quite a headache
Aqueous Cleaning Systems Offer Economical, Ecological Benefits
As concern for the environment and worker safety has increased over the years, attention paid to the cleaning processes used in engine rebuilding facilities has sharpened as well. No matter what size the shop, engine components are dirty and need to be cleaned. There are numerous ways to clean parts, of course, and no method
Cylinder Head Crack Repairs
It seems as if many cylinder heads are doomed to crack from the very start because of their lightweight construction and design. Aluminum overhead cam (OHC) heads, in particular, are often found to be warped as well as cracked. But so too are many pushrod cast iron heads. One of the causes of cracking in
Heavy Duty Diesel Rebuilding Opportunities
It’s certainly no secret that the engine rebuilding industry has been hurt by better quality, longer-lasting automobile engines. The same thing – but taken to an even greater extreme – can be said about the heavy duty diesel engine market. “The quality of today’s engines – both automotive and diesel – is so much better
Introducing Mark Spaulding, PERA President
Some of the most recognized names in the engine remanufacturing industry have sat atop the Production Engine Remanufacturers Association (PERA) Executive Committee over the past 59 years. Many of these men have had lifetimes of experience and brought storied family histories in the industry to their terms as president of PERA. Mark Spaulding jokes that
Today’s Machining Centers Offer More Bang for the Buck
More bang for the buck. That’s what many machine shop owners say they’re looking for when considering a major equipment purchase. Because today’s machine shops are fewer in number and often smaller, it’s important for them to have as much capability as possible in every piece of equipment to maximize the return on investment, utilization
Rebuilding the Ford 3.0L
This engine came out of the Cleveland Engine Plant #2 (CEP2), originally opened in 1955 to manufacture the 361 cid truck engine. By 1985, this facility was down to 400 employees and on the verge of closing. Then in 1988, plant renovation was begun (with the 3.0L Duratec engine family on the drawing board) at
Building Your Business With Performance Engine Kits
As hard as it is to believe now, the concept of an “engine kit” hasn’t always been well understood. Thirty years ago or so, an engine builder who said he was buying an engine kit probably meant that he was headed to the hobby store to buy the “Visible V-8 Engine” plastic model for his
PERA’s Core Corner: Getting A Leg Up On The Ford Duratec Cover-Up
No matter how much the engine remanufacturing and building industry changes, one thing will always remain the same. Identifying what type of engine on which you’re working will be an important – and challenging – part of the process. Today the front cover has become such an integral part of application identification that it has