Engine bearings have the dual function of reducing friction between a rotating part of the engine (the crankshaft) and the stationary part (the main caps and engine block) and supporting the crank. Because of the stresses caused by the explosions inside the internal combustion engine, the bearing material must be...
Not all that long ago, an entire generation learned about high performance and hot rods from Jan & Dean and The Beach Boys. Their lyrics romanticized surfing, cars and the California lifestyle. I knew kids who quoted those lyrics as they described either the car they were driving, or the...
Being an engine builder is like being a chef. As a master of culinary arts you may prepare the most exquisite meals anyone has ever tasted, but a great dining experience can be easily ruined if the vegetables are not thoroughly cleaned. For more and more engine builders, aqueous cleaning...
If a name works, why not stick with it? That’s pretty much the attitude that Ford has taken with regard to its popular inline four-cylinder engine named Zetec. The Zetec name can be used to describe many different multi-valve DOHC engines, based on three distinctly different designs. It was used...
It seems that lately everyone wants to build high performance engines and sell high performance parts. But it has not always been that way. In the 1950s and ’60s, high performance engine builders were racers first and to feed their need for speed they built their own high performance parts....
One of tricks of the trade of machining engine parts is choosing the right cutting tool or abrasive for that particular job. Different metals have different machinability characteristics. A cutting tool or abrasive that works well on one application may not work so well on another application. Years ago...
I recently turned an age where you no longer want to talk about your age. An age where back pain and creaky bones start to set in, but everyone keeps telling you that you’re not that old. I remember when I was a kid and we got our first microwave...
