2012 Machine Shop Market Profile – Part 1
Because of the years of continuous data we’ve collected, we believe the information in this study is the most reliable data available for tracking trends in the production of engines, cylinder heads and crankshafts, as well as specific business data. While it isn’t always a rosy one, the picture that develops from our survey gives
Diesel Engines: Dino Fuel or Bio Fuel?
Though they lately seem to be going the other way, with rising fuel prices, consumers are constantly looking for inventive ways to cut fuel costs and consumption. That’s the American spirit: we love to look for ways to beat the system. There is nothing wrong with this attitude, because this is where inventive minds
Diesel Connecting Rod Reconditioning
As a result, connecting rodreconditioning is a critical part of all diesel overhauls. Uponteardown, the old connecting rods are inspected, magnafluxed, checkedfor alignment, parting surfaces re-machined, and new rod bushingsinstalled and pin-fit. At the same time, the rod bolts are measured forstretch. This is all normal, day in, day out activity at any heavy duty
Cummins Injector Leak Diagnosis Can Be Tricky
Certainly, there’s some common repairs needed on specific engines that are easy to do but doesn’t mean that it makes everything else easy to diagnose. Owners often think that because diesel engines are now electronic the technician should be able to hook up a scan tool and immediately see what is going on. The good
Cylinder Bores-Machining To Sleeving
The function of a cylinder bore is fairly simple yet quite demanding. The bore is nothing more than a cylindrical void which contains the engine’s air/fuel mixture as it undergoes compression and combustion. The walls of the cylinder have to be strong enough and rigid enough to withstand high combustion pressures and temperatures
Champion Oil and Diesel Motorsports Announce 2012 Drag Racing Schedule
Diesel Motorsports has announced the following seven race schedule for the 2012 season: May 5, 2012 – Bungart Motorsport’s Sled Pulling Tune-up /Sled Pulling /Dyno Missouri State Fairgrounds, Sedalia, MO June 23, 2012 – Pure Diesel Power’s Thunder in Muncie /Drags /Pulls Gaston Lion’s Club, Muncie, IN July 20 -21, 2012 – 1-800Autoparts East Coast
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
Diesel Engine Oils: Today and Tomorrow
Why are diesel engine oils different than any other engine oils? The Lubrizol Corporation, the world’s largest oil chemistry supplier, just created an excellent website (www.hddeo.com) that explains diesel engine oil composition very well. Diesel fuel combustion (or incomplete combustion) is accompanied by the production of soot (unburned carbon). Prior to exhaust emissions legislation this
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
High Performance Diesel Market Includes?Growing Number of Parts
In many cases, the diesel engine is taking over the hot rod world. Instead of a small block or big block Chevy in the classic cruiser, people are looking at the Duramax diesel. The same goes for the Ford engines being replaced by the Powerstroke and the Dodge being substituted with the Cummins. The desire
Cultivating Diesel Success Using Unconventional Approaches
While most of Osborne’s customers never even come through the Liverpool, NY shop’s door, their continued patronage has pushed Syracuse Crank to record sales figures over the past few years, he says. “We were at 31 percent growth last year over the year before, and the year before last we were 26 percent higher. Our
Getting Into The Niche: Engine Builders Corner Their Markets
In our industry, specialty niche markets can also be the key to steadily growing your business. Motorsports is a very broad market but when you drill down into the various categories of racing, there are many smaller markets that make up the sport. Drag racing and circle track markets may be among the most recognized
Engine Rebuilding Technical Guide 2010
November 2010 Chrysler 3.3/3.8L The 3.3L/3.8L 60 degree V6 engines were designed to provide good torque over a broad range, reasonable fuel economy and long life. Their reputation over the years as versatile performers has been well-deserved, and they’re still doing a good job after nearly two years. Contributing Editor Doug Anderson explains
Can Diesel Performance Help Boost Your Business?
Most people associate diesel engines with truck and tractor pulling events, not traditional motorsports. There are no diesel-powered NASCAR races or Indy cars. But diesels are making inroads in other types of racing. Diesel-powered race cars and trucks are setting land speed records at Bonneville, winning endurance races at LeMans, and running over 200 mph
Diesel Performance: Camshafts, Lifters and Valvetrain
Diesel performance is nothing new. What is new is the level of interest in diesels for all kinds of racing; everything from traditional truck and tractor pulling to drag racing, even sports car and endurance racing. Diesel engines are a different type of animal when compared to gasoline engines. While both use the same four-stroke
Rebuilding The 6.6L Duramax Diesel
It was really no surprise, since GM had single-handedly alienated the American buying public against the diesel engine beginning back in the late ’70s and early ’80s with the 5.7L V8 and 4.3L V6 diesel engines that were, let’s just say, “less than stellar.” While there’s no point now in rehashing mistakes of the past,
Selecting Valve Seats for Gas and Diesel Engines
Hard working diesel engines, performance engines, and engines that run on dry fuels such as propane or natural gas produce a lot of heat in the combustion chamber and often require valve seats that are harder and more heat-resistant. Stellite, chromium, cobalt, tungsten and nickel alloy valve seats are commonly used for such high heat
Diesel Turbocharging 101
The turbo was used on road tractors for years but I guess it was never really appreciated until it was introduced on mid-size trucks in the late ’80s. Up until that point, most of us knew only diesel engines without the use of a turbo. I recall the diesel engines used in small cars and
eBay Motors To Discuss Retail Internet Trends at Upcoming Big R Show
Rhodes will speak on Monday morning, November 1st, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The title of his presentation is “Retail Internet Trends in Automotive Parts in 2010.” He will explain the latest trends in the automotive industry online for 2010 and will also discuss who is buying parts online, and the things you need
Diesel Engine Seminars Highlight 2010 BIG R Show
The Automotive Parts Remanufacturers Association (APRA) and their co-sponsor for the event, ENGINE BUILDER magazine, are proud to offer a technical track for the diesel engine market. “Today’s engine builders continue to look for ways to expand and improve their businesses,” says Dave Wooldridge, publisher of ENGINE BUILDER magazine. “The technical seminars we are hosting