Cashing In On The Cafe Racer, Vintage Bike Revival
The Rockers who rode on the racy-looking machines sculpted after grand prix motorcycles gained the nickname “cafe racers” because they were often seen parked outside a coffee shop and were considered wannabe racers. The name was originally intended to be an insult but later turned out to be a proud moniker. A right of passage
How to Properly Care for Your Carbide Cutting Tools
There are three things to remember when using carbide cutting tools: 1. Avoid making intermittent cuts 2. Do not turn tool in reverse of normal rotation 3. Avoid cutting out valve seats with counterbore seat cutters When in use, always keep carbide tools stored separately, cased in wood or plastic. If they happen to bump
Cylinder Block Prep Tips
First, you want to look for cracks on the water jacket area and in the lifter valley area. If the block has ever been frozen, this is where cracks will show up. Next, look for cracks around the main webs, these are hard to spot when the block is greasy, but we are just looking
Keeping Valve Jobs Profitable
Okay, so head work accounts for a large percentage of your business. But is it as profitable as it should be or could be? Do you have a good handle on cylinder head related costs (parts, labor and cleaning)? Are the employees who are doing the head work competent and productive? Is your valve guide
Trend Performance Seeking New Facility in North Carolina
Originally a plan was devised to open an office in the Asheville area, but when Chuck Jones, former general manager of the PPP Center, recently joined the company, more ambitious plans took hold. “I’ve always admired Chuck’s work ethic,” says Trend’s engineering director, Andy Anderson. “He works hard, he bites the bullet, and he still
Extending Valve Life
Most manufacturers of valvesoperate tech phone lines, and all have received that caller who opens the conversation by saying, "Your valve ruined my engine; when are you going to pay to fix it?"As much as the rebuilder or vehicle owner might like to lay blame it on the manufacturer for providing a bad product, it
Giving Away Profits To Stay Busy Makes No Business Sense
Why am I writing about your wallet? To be perfectly honest, it’s because I want you to stay in business. If you’re not in business, Engine Builder magazine isn’t in business. If you’re not in business, Goodson Tools & Supplies isn’t in business. If you’re not in business, Dave Monyhan is not employed, and that
Power Adders: Turbos, Blowers and Nitrous
The engine can only inhale so much air because the atmospheric force that’s pushing air into the engine is only 14.7 lbs. per square inch at sea level. To make matters worse, atmospheric pressure decreases with elevation. Air density also decreases with temperature because hot air is thinner than cold air. Most stock naturally aspirated engines
New Products for Modern V8 Engines
The numbers aren’t there yet, but engine builders and suppliers are taking notice of the new V8s. What has taken so long? For one, the new engines are more expensive and more complex. Some shops do not have the capability or expertise to work on them just yet, but more and more shops do. One
Cleaning Engine Parts: Can You? Should You?
Here’s the kicker – those shops who feel that proper cleaning is too difficult, too time consuming or too expensive are actually leaving money on table when it comes to their engine parts. “At one point in my career, cleaning seemed like it was really difficult,” says Dave Arce of Arce Enterprises, El Cajon, CA.
The Nitty Gritty of Abrasive Safety
Conventional abrasives have kind of taken a back seat to PCD and CBN cutters in the automotive world in the last few years. Since most engines being rebuilt these days are made from multi-alloy components they are more easily machined with PCD or CBN. But PCD and CBN can’t do everything, so abrasives are still
3-angle Seat Cutting Tips
Goodson Tools and Supplies for Engine Rebuilders suggests using Carbide Pilots for precise and high-quality valve seat and bowl work. 1. Carbide pilots offer the following advantages: Carbide Pilots help keep tooling cutting true. When cutting 3-angle seats, counterboring for seat rings or using Bowl Hogs to enlarge valve bowls, the resistance of the workpiece
Late Model Performance Cylinder Heads
As the economy continues to come out of its slump, cylinder head manufacturers are seeing a growing demand for new cylinder heads that can deliver race-winning performance. Whether the heads are upgraded aftermarket heads for traditional small block/big block Chevy and Ford applications, or hot heads for the latest generation of Chevy LS and
Engine Options Abound In The Street Rod Market
The National Street Rod Association (NSRA) provides the best definition of what street rods are all about. “By definition a street rod is an automobile of 1948 or earlier manufacture which has undergone some type of modernization to include any of the following; engine, transmission, interior refinements, and any other modifications the builder desires. In
Valve Seat Installation Tips
On passenger car and light truck engines with aluminum heads, valve seatsare usually factory installed with about .002? to .003? of interferencefit. Some say powder metal seats require a little more interferencefit than cast iron alloys, while cobalt alloy seats require a littleless because of their higher coefficient of thermal expansion. Keep in mind
Benefits of Water/Methanol Injection
Some companies such as Snow Performance and AEM are now offering easy to install water/methanol injections systems that are available for naturally aspirated or forced induction gasoline and diesel applications. These systems inject a roughly 50/50 mixture of methanol and water into the engine using a high-pressure pump. This mixture allows for more ignition timing,
Valve Seat Selection, Finishing & Materials
Over time, erosion and corrosion can eat away at the metal resulting in compression leaks, elevated valve temperatures and sometimes valve failure. If a valve seat insert doesn’t have the correct amount of interference fit in the cylinder head, it’s possible the seat may loosen up and fall out damaging the valve, head and piston.
Making Dollars and Sense Cleaning Blocks, Heads
Unless you’re starting with all new parts, cleaning is as important to your engine build as disassembly, inspection, machining and reassembly. Without taking the cylinder heads and engine blocks down to bare metal, you can’t properly inspect the castings for cracks, wear and other defects. For something so important, proper cleaning technique is often misunderstood, overlooked
Designing and Building a World-Record Beating Porsche V8
We would build for the Blown Gas Modified Sports (BGMS) class where the record is currently 231.5 mph. Another record we were after was the Porsche marquee record for the 928 of 205.6 mph. Our math told us that – because we knew our final drive ratio, tire diameters and engine redline; and if our
Cracked Cylinder Head Repair
It seems as if many cylinder heads are doomed to crack from the very start because of their lightweight construction and design. Aluminum overhead cam (OHC) heads, in particular, are often found to be warped as well as cracked. But so too are many pushrod cast iron heads. Cracks are often blamed as the cause