A Kubota diesel engine for rebuild
Engine Builders: If you are considering a Kubota diesel engine for rebuild, the following specifications regarding compression pressures will be helpful. For your installer customers, this information will be useful in engine diagnosis. To obtain an accurate value of cranking compression, the engine should be operated until normal operating temperature is reached. If an engine
The Percentage Of DIYer Households In The United States Has Remained Constant For The Past Six Years
According to a new market research study released by the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA), the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) segment of the automotive aftermarket is not shrinking; in fact, the percentage of DIYer households in the United States has remained constant for the past six years. This comes as no surprise to Ernie and Sandi Holder,
The Drive For Performance Import Profits
The automotive industry has seen a great number of specialty niches since the first automobile owner decided to customize his Model T. Since that time, the search for the next great profit opportunity within the aftermarket has continued. The newest niche in the specialty aftermarket is the import performance market. Although modifying these small, powerful
Proposed Rule is Improvement But Still Not Perfect
Aftermarket parts and service providers, including rebuild-ers, are being increasingly stymied by their inability to obtain vital diagnostic and repair information about the vehicles or parts they are servicing. Whether the information is totally unavailable, provided only after much searching or inquiry or available but uneconomically priced, the effect is to deny the provider the
Rebuilding The Ford 3.8L Engine
They needed an economy engine that would fit in their new cars, and they needed it fast. They had a couple of old inline sixes and a small German V6, but none of them were designed for fuel economy or the coming emissions standards, and the 250 cid engine was so tall that it wouldn’t
Coretalk: September 2001
Ford Plans to Revamp Parts Distribution Network Ford Motor Co. is working to restructure and expand its United States parts distribution network to deliver service and repair parts to its dealers faster and more efficiently. Over the next three years, Ford plans to increase the number of parts distribution centers from 10 to 21, creating
Back to Basics: Preventing Piston Problems
Burned pistons. Scuffed pistons. Cracked pistons. These are problems no customer wants to experience in an engine you’ve built. Warranty claims can kill your business, so here are some tips on how to prevent these and other common piston problems. First and foremost, if you’re custom building an engine that has already suffered some kind
It’s A Tough Market
Is this a tough market to do business in? You bet it is. Will business ever be what it once was when small block Chevy engines fit into almost every GM car, and machine shops had an abundance of both work and customers? Not likely. Will the quality of engines continue to improve, lengthening the
Making A Good Profit Margin In The Engine Building Business
As results from our recent Machine Shop Market Profile show (see page 21), making a good profit margin in the engine building business demands that you not only have your parts and labor pricing in order, but also your operating expenses fully under control. However, there are also several proposed bills working their way through
Little Engines, Big Money
For the rebuilding facility familiar with typical automotive or heavy-duty engines, the small displacement, four-cycle, air-cooled engine may seem insignificant. After all, these one-cylinder motors, which may produce just 5 hp, are found in lawn mowers, rototillers and kiddy go karts, for cryin’ out loud! Although the small four-cycle engines from Briggs & Stratton, Tecumseh,
Engine Builder Will Focus Exclusively On The Engine Builder
By the time you begin reading this page you will probably already realize that next month marks the formal introduction of a newly designed and rebadged magazine. Beginning with the June 2001 issue, Automotive Rebuilder magazine will become Engine Builder magazine. In 1964 Automotive Rebuilder began its coverage of the automotive rebuilding industry. From then
Ford 4.0L V6 Engine
The original 2.6L engine was replaced by the 2.8L, which was upgraded to the 2.9L and then finally bored and stroked to make it into the 4.0L that was used in the Rangers, Aerostars and Explorers starting in 1990. It was replaced by a SOHC engine from this same family at the end of model
Engine Cylinder Bore Surface Finishes
What’s the best type of cylinder bore finish for today’s engines? Most would say it’s a finish that allows the rings to seat quickly and completely so the engine doesn’t use oil. For many applications, that may mean a plateau finish. The surface finish must also meet the piston ring manufacturer’s specifications and have the
Rebuilding the GM / Chevy 2.2L Engine
Unfortunately, this four cylinder, pushrod motor didn’t have nearly enough horsepower, so Buick, Oldsmobile and Pontiac all opted for the 1.8L SOHC Opel engine from Brazil for most of their “J” cars, and Chevy promptly made its new engine into a 2.0L/121 cid that delivered more power in 1983. The 2.0L was upgraded in 1987
Rebuilding the New Chevy 262
This enabled GM to shorten the development process dramatically because it was able to adapt a proven design. But it also allowed it to share a lot of the existing tooling from the V8 production lines so the engines could be on the road sooner. The original 200 V6 that came out in 1978 was
Some Like It Hot: What Shop Supply Businesses Are Selling In the New Millennium
Like the rest of the automotive aftermarket, the shop supply business has seen many changes in recent years and expects to see many more in the future. The shop supply business has become more competitive, and, like many businesses associated with the automotive aftermarket, the term "flattened" keeps coming up. Could the new millennium breathe
Brake Review 1999: Vibration And Harshness Seem To Have Moved To The Head Of The Issues Line
A year ago, we described the term "application specific" as the buzzword of the aftermarket brake business. It was, and still is an important issue, brought about by the end of the "one friction material fits all" concept and awareness of how brakes perform in different vehicle designs, plus advances in testing methods. While application
Rebuilding Toyota 3.0L V6 Engine
In 1988 Toyota introduced its first V6. Most of the information that follows applies to the 3.0L version used in Toyota’s truck applications. The 3.4L is still fairly new to the aftermarket at this point. 3VZ-E – 3.0L SOHC V6 – ’88-’95 The 3VZ-E was also introduced for the 1988 model year on Toyota 4×4
Rebuilding The GM Quad 4
The Quad 4 had four valves per cylinder, tuned intake and exhaust manifolds, no distributor, no plug wires, lightweight rods and pistons to reduce shaking forces, and a crank with eight counterweights that was designed to reduce noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) and bearing wear. It didn’t have an A.I.R. pump or an EGR system,
On Market Issues: Staying In Touch With The Forces Driving Today’s Market.
The Automotive Parts Rebuilders Association(APRA) incoming chairman, Steve Fallen, knows the importance ofstaying in touch with the forces driving today’s market.What are those market forces? Fallen, 49, who is also presidentof Ennis Automotive, Inc., Ennis, TX, a supplier of rewound stators,rotors and armatures to electrical rebuilders, feels that demandfor rebuilt product is expanding. However, due