2005 Editions Archives - Page 3 of 6 - Engine Builder Magazine
Engine Parts Coatings

Lubricity, heat management, corrosion protection and cosmetics. These are the main benefits that coatings can provide when applied to the surface of various engine parts. But there are different coating materials for different purposes, so the key to maximizing engine durability and performance with coated parts is using the right coating materials in the right

PERA Core Corner: The Latest Update On The Great Ford 4.6L Cover Up

Back in August of 2004 I provided you with information on the front covers on the 4.6L Ford SOHC V8 engines. The data here is an update to that information with an updated chart to rapidly identify the covers. If you are using the older chart it is time to discard it and use the

Fast Lane: Striving For Perfection In Motorsports Isn’t Enough

To be successful in any business, you must strive to be the best at what you do. However, to be successful in motorsports, you must actually BE the best at what you do. Continued success in the racing industry means that you must continually make your customers winners, and if you do that, then you

Valve Guide and Seat Equipment Options

For many engine builders the bread and butter business is in cylinder head work. In fact, according to our 2005 Machine Shop Market Profile (also available at www.engine-builder.com) 41 percent of gas and 54 percent of diesel engine builders’ business comes from servicing cylinder heads. And one of the most important aspects of doing this

Restoration – Yesterday’s Treasures, Tomorrow’s Trophies

There have been tremendous and significant changes in vehicle design since the first gasoline-powered vehicle hit the streets of America back in the early 1890s. Such advancements as fuel injection, radial tires, variable valve train technology, roller cams and front-wheel drive, among many others, have made cars easier to maintain, safer to drive and more

The Final Wrap: At Mid-Ohio School, The Song Remains The Same

Engine Builder reader Rich Tomolonis came up to me the other day, grinning like a schoolboy, and proceeded to vigorously shake my hand. Just when I started thinking he was excited to meet me, I listened a little closer to what he was saying. Yeah, he was excited, but it wasn’t because of me –

The Lives of Lifters, What You Need to Know

It’s like any other mechanical part in an engine. It has a simple yet specifically designed function, it’s not overly complicated and it’s definitely not the proverbial rocket science, tricked-out part. But there’s more to know about the valve lifter than you may think. First off, there are two distinct styles of lifters used in

Perfect Engine Sealing Starts With Proper Head Bolt Use

How important are the various fasteners in an engine? Consider this: the head bolts have to withstand tremendous loads to keep the cylinder head sealed tightly against the head gasket and block. In an engine with four inch cylinder bores and peak combustion pressures of around 1,100 pounds per square inch, each cylinder exerts about

Common Technologies, Uncommon Fuels, New Challenges

There is a “shade tree law” from the 1970s that states that computing capacity doubles every few years. In fact, computing capacity for the size of the computer or device has outstripped that by several orders of magnitude in the last five years. As evidence of that, we now see cell phones that were only

Machine Maintenance, Make the Most of Your Crank Grinder: Maintain It

Your crankshaft grinder probably represents one of the single biggest investments you’ve made for your shop. Most of you purchased your grinder to ensure quality, delivery and to enhance your shop’s ability to be self-sufficient. Hopefully you and your employees are taking good care of this sophisticated and expensive machine. To help you out, here

Searching For The Complete Clean

Many shops have systems that work well for one but not so well on the other. Are there effective ways to clean both types of metal with one setup? The answer to that depends, in large part, on what you consider clean. Most shops have some type of cleaning equipment, whether it is an automated

Final Wrap, Randy Dorton Celebrated At Engine Builder Finals

Danny Lawrence and Greg Gunnell from Richard Childress Racing might have won the race, but it was Randy Dorton’s memory that was celebrated in Victory Lane. During the final round of the Clevite Engine Builder Showdown, held May 24th at the NASCAR Technical Institute in Mooresville, NC, Lawrence and Gunnell beat the team of Mike