Understanding the Evolution of Cylinder Head Seat and Guide Machines
Do you remember the many generations of three-angle seat cutters and what we used to get by with? Grinding seats is still needed, but just 10 years ago we were grinding 80 percent of the seats. Though we still grind when necessary, today we cut 90 percent of the seats in the heads.
Cylinder Head Design, Selection for Engine Builds
Choosing the “right” cylinder heads for an engine build can make all the difference in an engine that delivers and one that falls short of its potential. Horsepower, torque and throttle response all depend on how well the cylinder heads, camshaft and induction system work together. Choose the right combination and you’ll build a winner.
Shop Solutions – April 2016
To make the glass in our glass-beading machine last longer, we cover the inside with duct tape, leaving a small open port to view the work. When this gets cloudy, we remove another small piece of the tape. Our glass lasts much longer now before it needs replacing.
How to Find and Fix Cracks
Cracks are bad news because they never heal themselves. Once a crack starts, it always gets worse. Checking critical engine parts and castings is time well spent if it heads off a major problem that might result in a major engine issue or a warranty claim.
The Daily Grind
Today, seats are made of a wide variety of materials, different combinations of various alloys, powdered metals and other super hard materials. This seat material is designed to prolong the ability of the valve seat to seal against the pounding of the valve head during engine operation. The variety of materials also means new and different abrasives are required for proper machining.
There’s No Simple Formula to Choosing the Perfect Camshaft
The camshaft design affects valve timing, compression and the engine’s ability to breathe. From pistons to manifolds, valve grind, piston pin offset, rod length, etc. Once the camshaft has been tabbed correctly for the application, the rest of the build can focus off that selection.
Innovative Products of America Professional Diesel Injector-Seat Cleaning Kit
Innovative Products of America’s (IPA) Professional Diesel Injector-Seat Cleaning Kit features three distinct types of brushes; Helix Brushes with a specially-engineered tip for deep seat cleaning, Two-Stage brushes for seat and inner seat-hole cleaning, and Bore Brushes for all bore and tube wall cleaning.
Shop Solutions December 2015
Despite what you may believe, there is a way to recondition the so-called “cracked” rods, or powdered metal connecting rods. I use a media made of coal slag that can be found at most home improvement stores.
Radius Cut Valve Job
This video covers cleaning up the head inside and out, preparation and setting up a radius cutter, cutting all 16 valve seats and valve grinding.
Riding Into a New Engine Market
It’s no secret that there are engine-building opportunities that lie outside of the automotive industry. One such example is with motorcycle and powersports engines. This is a well-established market with numerous OEMs and styles of vehicles with many similarities to the automotive side, yet not many shops choose to explore this market. But if opportunity knocks and you answer the call, you could very well come out on top.
QualCast, LLC Heavy-Duty, Agricultural and Industrial Catalog
QualCast has updated and extracted all Heavy-Duty, Agricultural and Industrial applications from its master catalog to create the first valve train specific Heavy-Duty catalog in the aftermarket. A total of 34 engine manufacturers, 394 engine lines and 1871 part numbers are included in the catalog.
Edelbrock E-CNC Cylinder Heads for Chevy LS3 Engines
Edelbrock has expanded its line of E-CNC cylinder heads to include an application for the Chevrolet LS3 engine. Edelbrock E-CNC LS3 cylinder heads feature altered valve angles and locations, spark plug location and valve sizes along with all-new, high-flow ports and chambers.
DBB Acquisition LLC Acquires Dura-Bond Bearing Company
DBB Acquisition LLC has announced that it has completed the acquisition of Dura-Bond Bearing Company, a division of privately held Melling Engine Parts. Dura-Bond is a manufacturer of Cam Bearings, Bushings, Valve Seats and Hardware for engine and transmission rebuilding since 1947. The Company is based in Carson City, Nevada. Terms of the transaction were
CNG and Propane Engine Builds
Building engines for a living means building whatever a customer wants. With a growing market for alternative fuels you might find yourself building an engine for a customer who wants his engine to run on compressed natural gas (CNG), liquefied natural gas (LNG) or propane (liquefied petroleum gas or LP).
Shop Solutions April 2015
Hydraulic valve lifters are probably the most precision-machined part inside any engine. It does not take much to cause one to operate incorrectly. Here are some tips for fixing this problem, as well as some other helpful solutions to commonly seen shop scenarios.
More Power Inside – Muscle Cars
There are many aspects of the famous and desired muscle car engines of the 1960s and ‘70s. They have become the holy grail of factory performance engines, but they are getting more and more scarce as the years go by. For car owners, the engines have evolved in recent years into three different configurations. Read on to learn more.
Engine Block and Head Repair
A cracked cylinder head or engine block may or may not be bad news depending on the size and location of the crack(s), the value of the casting and what it will take to fix the crack(s) versus what it would cost you to replace the casting. Read what your options are in this Larry Carley feature.
Candidates Announced for 2015 SEMA Board Election
Voting will take place online between May 13–June 9 at 11:59 p.m. (PDT), and is open to current SEMA-member companies. Votes must be cast by each company’s primary contact. Details with ballots and links will be sent to the member company’s designated primary contact in May.
Choosing the Right Camshaft for a Performance Engine
A camshaft is nothing more than a cast iron or steel shaft with a series of lobes strategically placed along its length. Each lobe opens and closes a valve by moving a lifter, pushrod and rocker arm, or in the case of an overhead cam engine by moving a cam follower or direct valve action. However, choosing the right camshaft is not only the cornerstone of building a performance engine, but also its centerpiece.
Edelbrock Victor Jr. CNC Cylinder Heads for HEMI Engines
Edelbrock’s new Victor Jr. CNC cylinder heads are designed for high output 650+ hp Chrysler 426-572 HEMI engines. They feature fully CNC machined 170cc combustion chambers and seats CNC blended into cast ports for optimal performance. They also feature a 245cc intake runner volume and a revised exhaust valve angle to accommodate larger intake valves.
