At the time of our build a new 6.1L was around $1,000 from Mopar. This is definitely reasonably priced but we really planned to stick to a budget and did not know what we would be up against. One thing that really threw a wrench into things was – just...
Nathan Sheets, marketing manager for Lingenfelter Performance Engineering, explains that the company today offers engine building, engine and chassis tuning components and installation for vehicle owners; component product development; services to manufacturers, aftermarket and original equipment suppliers; prototype and preparation of product development vehicles; late product life-cycle performance improvements; durability...
In our industry, specialty niche markets can also be the key to steadily growing your business. Motorsports is a very broad market but when you drill down into the various categories of racing, there are many smaller markets that make up the sport. Drag racing and circle track markets may...
Experts say that the situation isn’t getting any easier for flathead lovers because many parts and pieces, such as flywheels and sump covers, are not manufactured anymore. There are, however, some replacement parts on the market that are manufactured in China such as sheet metal and valves. Burris now makes...
Likethe Small Block Chevy, the Rocket 88 Olds, the Ford Flathead and the ChryslerHemi, the Buick Nailhead engine is one of those that has the immortal smell ofhistory all over it. Yet,unlike its more familiar brothers, cousins and even competitors, the Nailheadhas an aura of mystery about it as...
Last month, we introduced you to the UMP Modified racing engine being built by the engine experts at Earnhardt Childress Racing in Welcome, NC. The engine – a 600 hp, 411 cid plant built for UMP Dirtcar Modifed competition – will be awarded to the winner of the Sunnen Rev...
Most people associate diesel engines with truck and tractor pulling events, not traditional motorsports. There are no diesel-powered NASCAR races or Indy cars. But diesels are making inroads in other types of racing. Diesel-powered race cars and trucks are setting land speed records at Bonneville, winning endurance races at LeMans,...
November 2010 Chrysler 3.3/3.8L The 3.3L/3.8L 60 degree V6 engines were designed to provide good torque over a broad range, reasonable fuel economy and long life. Their reputation over the years as versatile performers has been well-deserved, and they’re still doing a good job after nearly two years....
Most of the time, amateur racers are customers at the nationally known Kammer & Kammer Mopar High Performance Shop in Dayton, OH. Kammer says his business consists of about 65 percent racing and 35 percent street performance, and the most important thing he provides is a good relationship between himself...
Worn guides will draw oil down the valve stem and will coat or coke on the port side of the valve. This will hinder air flow and cause engine performance to be compromised. Too much oil getting down that valve stem and may cause mechanical failure due to the increased...
Yes, believe it or not, I am attempting to show a parallel between the famous Twelve-Step programs – plans designed to help one admit the size and scope of addictive or dysfunctional problems and reinforce the need to ask for help for success – and a plan we can create...
“The popularity of the post-war engines being rebuilt is not much different than the pre-war models,” says Packard Industries’ Bob Rovegno. “GM rules the roost, with Cadillac, Oldsmobile, Buick leading the way, and surprisingly, Lincoln-based 383s, 410s, 430s, 462s are next and the old Mopar or Ford flathead V8s are...
One of the most sought-after status symbols in America is a pickup truck with a Cummins, Duramax or Powerstroke engine. The expectation continues that diesel automotive engines will soon find their way in larger numbers to our shores. A rebounding economy should help get trucks moving again and recapture some...
Diesel performance is nothing new. What is new is the level of interest in diesels for all kinds of racing; everything from traditional truck and tractor pulling to drag racing, even sports car and endurance racing. Diesel engines are a different type of animal when compared to gasoline engines. While...
Selecting connecting rods and rod bearings for an engine is a lot more complicated when you are modifying the engine from stock specifications. OEMs spend a lot of time and money developing the components that go into a stock engine, and cost is usually a factor in what components are...
Of course, Hollywood is always making predictions about the future thatdon’t come true. Where are the colonies on the Moon??Cures for allmajor diseases? And what about those flying cars we’ve been promised? This being real life, bold predictions can be fun to anticipate, butit’s the little changes that often have...
What is the purpose of stroking a motor? The answer is simple: toobtain more cubic inches. And in today’s economic times, it’s alwaysbest to achieve “more” with less – as in less money. The key word tomany stroker enthusiasts today is “budget”. However, the word “budget” has a way of...
Though they have no moving parts, weigh virtually nothingand rarely, if ever, are seen by the motoring public, the enginebearing may be one of the most important yet least understood partsunder the hood. Inthis spirit, we invited participants from the leading bearingmanufacturers to participate in a roundtable discussion onpre-determined topics....
Look back at the events in your life an examine how timing has played a part in the outcome. When you showed up at party and met the girl who would eventually become your wife? When you stayed late at work and missed the 18-car pile up on the interstate?...
It was really no surprise, since GM had single-handedly alienated the American buying public against the diesel engine beginning back in the late ’70s and early ’80s with the 5.7L V8 and 4.3L V6 diesel engines that were, let’s just say, “less than stellar.” While there’s no point now in...
