Fast Lane: Regional Race Tracks
By the time you read this, most racetracks will have begun their summer schedules. Sure, NASCAR has been running since February, and I’m sure many warm-weather tracks have been operating most of the year, but the majority of tracks are just beginning their seasons.If you haven’t done so already, now is the time to make
Mitch’s World: Serving Up A Well-Balanced Engine
One of the most colorful threads woven through the fabric of my early life growing up in Brooklyn was going for Chinese food on special weekends with the family. No matter how ordinary a second look at the same restaurant with adult eyes might seem today, as a child these exotic destinations were always a
Performance Connecting Rods
The connecting rods are a vital link between the pistons and crankshaft. They connect the reciprocal motion of the pistons to the rotational motion of the crank. The weight of the rods is important because it affects the reciprocating forces inside the engine. Lighter is usually better because less weight means faster throttle response and
From Block Work to Manufacturing – CNC Machines Wear Many Hats
From a shop owner’s perspective, a good employee is one who’s never late, is extremely productive and never asks for a raise. Enter the perfect employee: the multi-purpose computer numeric controlled (CNC) machine center can do the work of several employees and never complain about it. There is no doubt that today’s machine shops must
Size Matters: Industrial Diesel Engine Builds
When it comes to the various rebuilding markets, almost nothing is as specialized as industrial diesel engines. While many experts say this market is growing at the moment, it can take a supersized commitment to compete in this niche segment because of remanufacturing competition from the OE manufacturers themselves. You’ll need to supersize your tooling
Drag Racing Crankshafts
With photos and words by Steve TempleAs any experienced engine builder already knows, a drag race engine is made up of hundreds of precision parts bolted together to form an assembly that spins at a furious rate in order to propel its vehicle to victory. Meeting this challenge requires that all those parts going into
Machine Maintenance
We all know this is a tough business. Competition is more aggressive than ever and comes from all directions. Engines last longer than ever, it’s tougher to make a buck, you’ve got to work like a dog to make ends meet. So why in the world would anyone EVER want to be an engine builder?Well,
Pumped Up For Peformance Oiling Systems
Most OE engines use a wet sump system, which can be modified for performance applications to improve oil control and increase horsepower. A dry sump system, on the other hand, has been specifically designed for performance applications and is mainly used at the higher levels of racing where oil control is critical for producing maximum
Core Corner: Finding Your Direction With The Northstar
I’ll be honest, it’s had me baffled. Even I’ve struggled to understand why I would put much research effort into the casting proliferation of this engine. My perception was, "Who in his right mind would spend the money to put a reman engine into a car that is so old?" Yet, jump up onto AutoTrader.com
Old Iron, Good Carbs And Bad Carbs
Recently I’ve been inside a few carbs. I found myself first forgetting that things have changed and then developing a real nostalgia for the old days when this was a lot less difficult. If you still have any small thought that slapping a quick kit into an old carb will be the end of it,
Stroker Engine Kits
For more than 50 years the old saying “There’s no substitute for cubic inches” has been the credo of nearly every racer and hot rodder. Whoever created this unwritten universal law could never have imagined to what extremes today’s speed enthusiasts would take it. Now, unless you have a 420cid-plus small-block or a 550cid-plus big-block
Dynamometers and Dyno Operating Systems
The data collected while an engine is running on a dyno can be analyzed to maximize the power gains from various modifications (changes in the fuel mixture, ignition timing, valve timing, compression, the induction system, exhaust system, etc.). Performance engine builders use dynos to measure horsepower and torque so they can optimize engine performance. By