Engine Builder Shop Solutions: November 2011
Removing Mushroomed Lifters in Vehicle A good way to remove mushroomed lifters while the engine is still in the vehicle is to use the box that the new cam came in. You will need to pull the mushroomed lifter as high as it will go in the bore and hold it there with a small
The Greatest Show(s) On Earth
Every time, it seems, one way or another, the announcer always managed to get in those lines. I always wondered which was the “Greatest Show” and which was only the “Second Greatest Show” on Earth. Well the year is rapidly coming to an end, but before it’s gone, we’ll have made our decisions about which
Importance of Manually Dressing Crankshaft Grinding Wheel
Mount the wheel dresser on the grinder table. Bring the rotating grinding wheel up close to the diamond and start the coolant flow. Never dress without coolant. Frictional heat buildup can cause the diamond to come loose or separate from its mount. Lack of lubricating properties, along with cooling, abrades the diamond needlessly. Best results
Hot Rodders of Tomorrow to Exhibit at 2011 PRI SHOW
Between August and June annually, high school students practice and prepare for the big game or the next challenge in their academic careers. High school auto-tech teams now have that same opportunity when they compete in the Hot Rodders of Tomorrow Engine Challenge. In conjunction with the PRI Show, the Hot Rodders of Tomorrow will
Powersports Engines Not Just ATVs and Snowmobiles
While consumers often distinguish the powersports market by its individual products, it is all under the same umbrella for manufacturers and dealers of this equipment. Engine builders doing work in this market will find that they can often make more working on less. The engines are small, but depending on the machine, the parts may
Pump Gas Nailhead Build Takes Innovative Engineering Skill
The nailhead has more in common with a pair of four-cylinder engines than a V8. Like a four, the nailhead is a torquey motor, making all its torque at idle and then, as the rpms go up, the torque goes down and the horsepower rises. Engine builder Guy Henson recently did a custom, high-tech build
Roster of Participating Manufacturers Set for SEMA Scholarship Engine Project
Nearly twenty SEMA-member companies have come together in support of a unique project that will benefit the SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund. Their products are being used to build a big-inch small block Ford engine that will be auctioned off on eBay in conjunction with this year’s SEMA Show. The engine – which is being constructed
Influence of Grooved Main Bearings on Performance
It’s essential to understand that bearings depend on a film of oil to keep them separated from the shaft surface. This oil film is developed by shaft rotation. As the shaft rotates it pulls oil into the loaded area of the bearing and rides up on this film much like a tire hydroplaning on wet
Vintage Engines, Modern Results
His business card provides the data on “George’s Speed Shop Precision Racing Engines,” but doesn’t provide much of a clue of who George is or what he does. You might be surprised to learn that the George in this case is better known as “Ohio George” Montgomery, a legendary NHRA national driver. But if you
Smooth Moves: Today’s Surfaces Often Demand Different Finishes
When multi-layer steel (MLS) head gaskets became commonplace a number of years ago, there was a lot of concern that aftermarket surfacing procedures might not be able to reproduce the mirror-like finish that the vehicle manufacturers said was absolutely necessary to seal MLS head gaskets. The challenge was to duplicate the factory finish using out-dated
Competing for Diesel Dollars with OEM?Dealers
About 13 years ago we – like many members of this industry – our business was struggling because our focus was only on machine work – our sales basically imploded and we needed to change. In our internal discussions, we put this dramatic change to two things: First, efficient engine design (including things like electronic
Rebuilding the Chevy 3.4L/3.5L Engine
(Download the illustrated pdf here) We’re going to take a look at two of these engines, including both versions of the latest 3.4L that was used in the Chevy Equinox (and Pontiac Torrent) and the original 3.5L that was installed in several ’04-’07 Chevy cars and crossovers. And, we’ll give you an overview of what
PRI Offers Race Engine Builders Opportunities to Increase Efficiencies, Profit in 2012
The PRI Trade Show is being held December 1-3, 2011, in the North/South Building of the Orange County Convention Center, in Orlando, Fla. It is open to the racing trade only. You must be part of a racing business or professional race team to gain admission. “The PRI Trade Show is where you go when
Understanding and Servicing 6.0L/7.3L DIT?Engine Injector Cups
They may have heard the term before but many diesel owners don’t often understand their function. Most make the assumption that it has something to do with the injectors, but they really don’t inquire to know exactly what it means. Some have never heard the term or even know that the injector cups exist. As
Racing Rotating Assemblies: Cranks, Rods and Pistons
Building a performance engine requires assembling the optimum mix of rotating components that are compatible with the block and heads, properly matched with each other, and balanced to precise tolerances. The easiest way to get the right combination of parts is to buy a complete rotating assembly from a supplier who offers such kits. Most
Rebuilding International DT466 Engine
There are not many of anything that you can call a Legend but the Navistar/International DT466 diesel engine has to fall into that category. If the 466 is not enduring I don’t know what is. The fact that you can bolt almost any part from a 466 built ’78-’93 or ’94-2004 on to one another
SEMA Announces Performance Engines and Lubrication Seminar
SEMA has announced that it will be holding a Performance Engines and Lubrication seminar in its Vehicle Technology Center (VTC) in the upper South Hall on Thursday, November 3, from 10 am – 12 pm. Advanced engine and transmission technologies such as cam phasing, variable valve timing, port deactivation, direct injection, turbo boosting, dry dual
Ed Pink-Built Engine Auction To Benefit SEMA Scholarship Fund
With the participation of SEMA-member performance parts manufacturers and legendary engine builder Ed Pink, the SEMA Scholarship Committee will have a complete dyno-tested 302 Ford engine, based on a Dart block and “Pro 1” cylinder heads, up for auction on eBay concurrent with the upcoming SEMA Show. Proceeds will benefit the SEMA Scholarship Fund. Simultaneously,
Shop Success: Good Planning Is More Fruitful Than
It’s a fair question, but it misses the point. Focusing on one secret ingredient instead of the entire recipe won’t lead to success. If I baked a cake and you asked me what was in it and the only thing I told you was sugar, you couldn’t replicate the cake. Yet, that’s the approach many
Marine Engine Market: Tugboats to Tankers
According to the American Waterways Operators (AWO) association, there are about 4,000 tug boats in operation nationally on inland and coastal waterways. Thanks to increased environmental awareness, many of those tugs are working harder than ever. Likewise, the engine rebuilders servicing this market segment are working hard as well. According to Mike Haight of Ironman