Engine Builder Shop Solutions: May 2013
Using Multi-Layer Steel (MLS) Head Gaskets As the name implies, MLS gaskets are constructed from 2 to 5 layers (depending upon the application) of heat treated stainless steel. Each layer is separated by a thin layer of a nitrile rubber coating. They have also been embossed in key areas to aid the sealing process, and to
Labor Costing Study: Rebuilding The Chrysler Hemi 5.7L and 6.1L
Originally tagged the “Double Rocker Shaft V8,” it soon became “the Hemi.” It made a lot more power than the rest of the car engines that were available at that time, so some people say Chrysler started the “horsepower wars” with the Hemi. • With its good ports and bigger valves that opened away from
Do You Have What It Takes?
2013 Performance Engine Builder Contest Now Taking Applications When the gun fires, the Christmas Tree flashes down or the green flag flies, you don’t start the race hoping for mediocrity – you expect to win. As much as we try to remain humble, let’s admit that the real goal of our business is to be
Learning From Broken Parts
In 1973, I was a sportsman drag racer. My car was the two-ton orange ’57 Mercury named, “The Big Animal.” The transplant engine was a pure stock Ford 427 FE 8V low riser I called “Old Reliable,” shifted by a top loader four-speed with a Hurst Competition Plus shifter. In August of that year, I
What’s on the Dyno?
While automotive trends come and go, true collectors develop a personal taste that grows more interesting and eclectic as time passes. Sometimes it comes down to owning things truly unique and one-of-a-kind. This GMC inline-6 is all of that and more. The 302 cid inliner is one of the most sought after inline-6 engines, and
Assembly Oils, Greases and Lubes
In the October 2012 issue of Engine Builder, I wrote about engine assembly lubes and why you should consider using them. When I was asked to write another article to help engine builders better understand and select engine assembly lubes for their operation, at first I didn’t understand the assignment. I thought I had
Parts Making With Your CNC
Computer Numeric Controlled (CNC) machining allows engine builders to achieve almost unbelievable levels of accuracy and consistency. The programmability of a digital computer not only automates the operation of the equipment but also provides a level of repeatability that can’t be matched by manual equipment. That’s why CNC has been the backbone of virtually all
Pursuing The Small Engine Market
Small engines are everywhere. They power lawn mowers, garden tillers, portable generators, all kinds of pumps, go-carts, ATVs, snowmobiles, motorcycles, forklifts, even refrigerated trailers on reefer trucks. Most of these engines are single-cylinder four-stroke air-cooled motors that range in power from 5 to 15 hp or more. Some have vertical crankshafts and some have horizontal
How a Legend Got His Start
Last March, when Ed “Isky” Iskenderian picked up the Robert E. Petersen Lifetime Achievement Award at the annual Hot Rod & Restoration Show in Indianapolis, he talked about the automobile engine business in the early years. The Iskenderians were Armenians who fled Turkey and came to America around 1910, settling in Northern California’s wine country.