Building a Champion
We recently added three new members to the Engine Builders of the Year Hall of Fame during a reception prior to the 2017 Performance Racing Industry Trade Show in Indianapolis.
Buying Behavior – Who Buys What and How
With more vehicles on the road, more engine configurations under hoods and more parts on the shelves, the process of getting engine parts from manufacturer to end user has never been more complicated.
Ultrasonic Cleaning Technology
Ultrasonic cleaning is one of the ways engine builders can choose to clean parts, but what is it and how does it work? Is it the too-good-to-be-true stuff of science fiction or is it the best technique ever for cleaning the dirtiest of engine components? The truth, as they say, lies somewhere in the middle.
Valvetrain Components
One of the areas that greatly benefits from keeping everything in its proper position is the valvetrain, so let’s look at what can be done to help ensure that.
Ford 6.7L/7.3L Diesel Power Stroke
A new infographic tracks the horsepower and torque of Ford Super Duty Power Stroke diesel engines over four generations, showing a dramatic increase in power levels since 1999.
Valve Lifter Basics and Beyond
Valve lifters play a key role in the valvetrain of pushrod engines. They go all the way back to the earliest days of the internal combustion engine. The earliest engines did not have pushrods or rocker arms. They were a “flathead” design with the valves in the block. The lifters (also called “tappets” because of the clattering noise they produced) rode on the cam lobes in the block and actuated the valves directly.
Trying to Find the Future in My Crystal Ball-Micrometer
The Machine Shop Market Profile in the June issue of Engine Builder was a bit of an eye opener for me. I was not surprised by the fact that the biggest problem we have as an industry is finding good help in the form of qualified employees.
COMP Cams GM Sportsman Tool Steel Camshafts
Custom GM Sportsman Tool Steel Camshafts from COMP Cams feature core technology widely used in NASCAR, NHRA and other professional race engines for its high strength and profile flexibility. Special ST4 grade tool steel is available only from COMP Cams and 30 percent stronger than SAE 5150 or SAE 8620 options.
Under Pressure: The Importance of Getting the Right Amount of Spring Pressure
If we were to sum up the role that the valve spring plays in regard to its function as part of the overall valve train with one word, that word would be control. Considering that it is the predominant part responsible for keeping all of the valve train components in constant contact with the camshaft lobe, it’s easy to see how important getting the correct amount of spring pressure can be.
Salary and Benefits: Readers tell us who works for them, how long they’ve been there and what they get paid.
There are certain things, many of us are taught at a very young age, that a gentleman or lady does not discuss in polite company.
Bragging Rights
My grandmother used to tell me, “It ain’t bragging if you can back it up.” In the competitive world of performance engine building, our readers prove every day how much they’re not bragging.
Edelbrock HEMI Gen III RPM Heads
The Edelbrock Performer RPM is a bolt-on performance upgrade for 2003-Present Gen III HEMI 6.1L, 6.2L and 6.4L engines. It’s designed to fit with the stock intake manifold, exhaust manifold, valve cover, rockers, spark plugs and accessories, as well as Hellcat components.
Aluminum SBC Cylinder Heads
A lot has changed in the performance cylinder head market since my last head story in EB in 2010. First of all, 600hp is the new 500hp, and if a power adder is involved, you’d better be packing 800hp to have any bragging rights at all.
Camshaft Selection
“What camshaft should I use?” How many times have you been asked or heard that question uttered? Why is it so difficult to choose the “correct” camshaft for an engine build? What separates one camshaft design from the other? After all, isn’t it true that a camshaft opens and closes valves? Simple, right? Well let’s
Quest for Perfection – We Chronicle One Man’s Mission To Build the Ultimate Dyno Cell
As a young land and marine drag racer in the 1970s, Don London always looked for the best way he could to build extreme race engines for himself and his friends. As a 30-year veteran of the contracting business, he’s still doing everything he can to ensure that the engines he builds are the best
Camshaft Class is Back in Session
A theory prevails in which a cam lobe that opens to maximum lift and closes instantaneously is quintessential for maximum power and torque operation. Two problems exist with this premise. First, it’s highly impractical due to current technology. Second, this theory discounts a fundamental dilemma that air has momentum, and this must be utilized to achieve
Cylinder Head Design & Selection
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.
REBUILDING THE 5.7L HEMI
Back in the early ’90s, when Chrysler realized that it would need a new truck motor to replace its 318/360 Magnum engines to meet the coming emissions standards, the company considered two pushrod engines along with one SOHC design and concluded that a pushrod motor with a pair of Hemi heads that really breathed would
Numbers Don’t Tell The Whole Story
We ask a lot of questions. Yes, I can admit it – we’re a nosy bunch here at Engine Builder. Sometimes, our requests may come across as discourteous, intrusive or even downright rude. Because sometimes we ask hard questions, things that even I would probably hesitate to answer. Let me first say this: I apologize
A Job Well Done
If Timm Jurincie stopped accepting engine work today at his Avondale, AZ shop, Tuf-Enuf Auto & Marine Performance, he would still have enough work to last until September. Tuf-Enuf, which focuses on performance marine engines and street strip motors, is a sought-after engine shop in the Avondale and Phoenix area despite not advertising. “We don’t