Performance Drag Racing Heads
A quarter-mile strip of asphalt is not a great distance. But drag racing isn’t about distance. It’s about time. The car that reaches the finish line first wins the race. But the car that wins isn’t always the fastest car or the quickest car. It’s usually the car that runs with the most consistent elapsed
Tech Notes
Engine Builders: After 75,000 miles, your customers’ engines can begin to show their age. They may consume a bit more oil or oil could leak past intake valve stem seals. Higher Mileage specialty motor oils typically contain additives that condition the rubber seals to help reduce oil consumption. They can also have high quality base
Custom Rod and Bike Market Reality:Is There a Place in for Custom Engines?
Have you ever dreamed of starring In your own reality television show? Is the human drama and bickering in your shop great enough to hold America’s attention week after week? Well, you may not impress the Nielsen families, but you could guest star as a custom rod or bike engine builder in your own local
Coretalk: National Crankshaft Co. Becomes Newest EPWI Branch Warehouse
NCC joins other EPWI warehouses located in Denver, Phoenix, Albuquerque, Dallas, Oakland, Oklahoma City, Houston, San Antonio, Portland (OR), Tacoma and Anchorage. “EPWI is making enhancements to the programs and product lines currently offered, as well as adding many new product lines” according to Paul Van Woensel, president of EPWI. “NCC’s customer support programs are
Timing Chain Selection: And a look at ‘new’ and ‘how to’
The simple timing chain: it has a distinct function, yet constantly changing designs, materials, procedures and refinements make for a part that seems to evolve by the month. With such changes going on, how do we know what chain and gears are the best to use on a particular engine? When the automobile was invented,
Racing Oils Can Offer Extra Power & Protection For Your Performance Engine
Building high performance engines doesn’t come cheap. The components you use cost more, the time you take to build each motor is longer, and paying attention to detail is the name of the game. High performance engines have a very small margin for error when it comes to tolerances and extreme loads, therefore the demand
Coretalk: L&B Industries Relocates Manufacturing Operations To Egge Machine Company
“Incorporating L&B’s operations into our business richly enhances our ability to provide quality products and services for our customers,” said Egge’s president, Robert Egge. “L&B and Egge Machine – What a nostalgic combination!” explained Egge’s CEO, Ernie Silvers, “We are extremely pleased to have the opportunity to continue the tradition of quality pump rebuilding that
Pistons and Pins: What’s New
Asking piston manufacturers “what’s new” reveals a number of trends that are reshaping the piston business today. One is that there’s no longer a time lag of three or four years for aftermarket piston suppliers to tool up for the latest piston applications. Production engine remanufacturers (PERs) and custom engine rebuilders (CERs) are asking for
Dynos in the Classroom
At many colleges and universities, study time is quiet time. Silent students engrossed in books and notes crowd cubicles and corridors in an attempt to gain whatever advantage they can for the next exam. At the University of Northwestern Ohio (UNO), the best learning experiences are often accompanied by the sweet sound of horsepower. As
Coretalk: Seeking Industry Growth, PERA Names Boland New Executive Director
“We will help grow this industry,” said Ray Fink, PERA President, “and that means nos more business as usual. The time for change is now.” Boland brings an extensive background in successful association restructuring and will be responsible for all business management functions of PERA in order to meet the needs of the association’s members.
Balancing Equipment: a weighty matter
Everybody knows what balance is, right? You maintain your own balance by centering your body mass over your feet. If you lean too far forward or backward, or too far to the left or right, you’ll lose your balance and fall unless you grab hold of something or reposition your feet. Moving your center of
Pushrods & Lifters
Pushrod engines have been dubbed as antiquated technology by some, but for many engine builders these engines are far from suffering the fate of the horse and buggy. In fact, with both GM and Chrysler keeping the pushrod engine alive in their current product lineups with the Gen IV, Hemi and others, pushrods and lifters
Coretalk: Consolidated Mfg. Cuts Staff, Shifts Focus Away From Remanufacturing
During a plantwide meeting in late February, company officials told 100 workers their jobs were eliminated. The company retained 20 employees for 30 to 60 days to handle the transition, said Greg Gordon, company president. Consolidated will retain 18 employees. The company, founded in 1940 and one of the nation’s first Ford Motor Co. engine
Head and Block Resurfacing
Resurfacing cylinder heads and engine blocks is an essential aspect of engine building today, whether the work is being done by a production engine rebuilder, a high performance specialist or small custom shop. Bimetal engines, multi-layer steel (MLS) head gaskets and tighter assembly tolerances make accurate surfacing more critical than ever before. The key to
Fast Lane, Is Diversification Your Key To Performance Profits?
In past “Fast Lane” columns I have talked about how important it is for a shop to start slowly when entering the high performance and motorsports field. Starting slowly would mean starting with just one type of engine, or racing “class” or organization, so that you can become very good at what you do. To
Cutting Edge Tooling – Superabrasives in the Shop
The need for faster production speeds and higher quality surface finishes has made superabrasives almost mandatory for most resurfacing, honing and grinding operations. What makes these materials so indispensable for engine building today? Their superior hardness is a major factor because it provides outstanding tool life that far exceeds conventional abrasives. A set of metal
Performance Cam Revolution – Valvetrain Advances Give More Power to the People
When selecting a performance camshaft, everything in the engine must be considered because change one thing and something else is affected. One cam supplier said that advances seem to happen daily, so it is important to stay abreast of the latest trends. The basic function of the camshaft is to open and close the valves
Performance Cylinder Sleeves
In the performance segment of the automotive aftermarket, young enthusiasts often think only the latest is great enough for their vehicle. Thanks to the prevalence of computerized engine management systems, some might believe that high-tech guarantees high horsepower. Yesterday’s technology? No way will it find success on the street or strip. However, engine builders know
Tech Notes
Engine Builders: The AERA Technical Committee offers the following information regarding a revised cylinder head gasket for Cummins ISB/ISBe 5.9L diesel engines. This information applies only to engines used for marine applications. This service bulletin topic introduces a redesigned cylinder head gasket to accommodate the cylinder pressure requirements of the QSB 425 marine engine. The
Ward’s Auto World Names 12th Annual ‘Top 10 Best Engines’
Ward’s Auto World Names Twelfth Annual ‘Top 10 Best Engines’ The winners of “Ward’s 10 Best Engines” awards for 2006 demonstrate U.S. auto consumers still can have it all: many of the winning engines highlight sophisticated new technology that generates exhilarating performance – but also improves fuel economy. The 2006 list marks the 12th year