Cutting Edge Tooling – Superabrasives in the Shop
The need for faster production speeds and higher quality surface finishes has made superabrasives almost mandatory for most resurfacing, honing and grinding operations. What makes these materials so indispensable for engine building today? Their superior hardness is a major factor because it provides outstanding tool life that far exceeds conventional abrasives. A set of metal
Machine Maintenance: Get Your Head Together – And Apart!
The C-frame style of valve spring compressor has become the preferred tool for disassembly and re-assembly of the standard applications like Chevy and Ford. These compressors work with air and a special jaw presses on the retainer, allowing you to remove the keepers quickly and safely. There are also manual versions of the C-frame compressor
Fast Lane, Is Diversification Your Key To Performance Profits?
In past “Fast Lane” columns I have talked about how important it is for a shop to start slowly when entering the high performance and motorsports field. Starting slowly would mean starting with just one type of engine, or racing “class” or organization, so that you can become very good at what you do. To
Performance Notes, Inspiration Leads To Innovation For Resurfacing Tool
All too often we start with a good rebuildable engine core only to find the camshaft thrust surface has taken a beating at some time in its previous life. This is not a new problem for engine builders. Machinists have come up with a number of solutions to these problems throughout the years. Some of
Shop Financials: When It Comes To Marketing, Does More Mean MORE?
Hopefully, my last “Shop Financials” column left you with the idea of maintaining “balanced” growth in your company. This column will focus on one of the 7 key areas I mentioned including marketing your company, products and services. It’s important to start with the basics. The first question to ask yourself is: Are we successful
Engine Bearings and Crankshafts, What makes them [not] tick?
The relationship between the crankshaft and main bearings is an integral one. Any metal-to-metal contact can have catastrophic results, and if the carnage was the result of improper finish or fitment, you’ll likely get to work on your relationship skills again. There are many analogies to explain how its parts relate to the engine as
High Performance Piston Rings and Cylinder Finishes
Today’s performance ring sets are thinner, lighter and more conformable than ever before. Thinner, low-tension rings reduce friction for more usable horsepower. Less weight reduces ring groove pound out. Narrower rings also allow tighter tolerances and less blowby. All very good things when you’re building a performance engine. But they also require rounder, straighter cylinder
PERA’s Core Corner, Fighting Truth Decay About Cavitation Damage
It’s amazing how something that may be damaging or corrosive in one circumstance can be of great value in another, like using extremely dangerous explosives to put out an oil well fire. This month we are going to talk about a similar action yet on a much smaller scale, microscopic actually, and it’s called “cavitation.”