Evolving Crankshaft Designs and Applications
In the early days, a crank didn’t have to be very sophisticated or strong because most engines were an inline design, and the loads and speeds were relatively low. Fast forward to today. The evolution in engine technology, power and performance has led to a whole new generation of performance crankshafts that are a mechanical
Engine Builder Shop Solutions: February 2011
Making the Most of Every Job Quote Often times when my people are quoting a job, I will ask if the customer wanted gaskets, to which the reply is typically, “uh, I don’t know.” That’s just a lost sale every time the phone hangs up if you ask me – it’s only selling part of
Performance Seminar To Put Power In Your Hands
This seminar, sponsored by the University of Northwestern Ohio and supported by Engine Builder magazine will teach you to find additional output from high performance and competition engines by dealing with the concepts involved in a way unique to David Vizard. In a word, says the presenter, it’s about combinations. So what qualifies David Vizard
Michigan Racer Wins $20,000 Engine At US 131 Motorsports Park
Dave Lorentz says winning the 565 cid Big Block Chevy motor in the Engine Pro-Dart Machinery-Performance Engineering Engine Giveaway will make it possible for him to move from his 1970 Nova into a dragster. This is the third year that Engine Pro, Dart Machinery and Performance Engineering have teamed up with other engine parts
BluePrint Engines Introduces New Line of Extreme HP Engines
This new line of affordable world-class engines is specially designed for car enthusiasts and drivers looking to step up in power and performance, says company president Shawn Sterling. The new BluePrint ProSeries line is the industry’s first full line of extreme horsepower engines, ranging from 540 hp to 815 hp. The new line includes two
Dynos and Test Stands: Profit Center or Business Black Hole?
Dynamometers allow an engine builder to test, tune and tweak his engines before giving customers the opportunity to do something foolish with them. In a recent poll on Engine Builder’s website, we asked our readers how important a dyno is to their business. According to our (admittedly unscientific) results, 44 percent of Engine Builder readers
Bolt-on Horsepower: Choosing An Induction System
The induction system feeds the engine air and fuel. So to increase the torque and horsepower output of an engine, the induction system has to provide more air and fuel. That usually means adding an aftermarket performance intake manifold with taller, larger and/or longer runners to increase air flow into the cylinder head ports, bolting
2010 Performance Machining & Engine Parts Guide
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Pre-War Engines: Vintage Technology, Modern Products
How have the changes in the market and the changes in vehicles affected shops specializing in vintage engines as well as those shops thinking about adding vintage to their list of services? The automotive enthusiast and collector market is a funny creature. While the actual mechanical evolution may sometimes run in opposite directions, the eras
Kalamazoo racer wins $20,000 engine at US 131 Motorsports Park
Justin Wanamaker’s name was the last one left as names of the other 19 top ten racers in point standings in both the Top ET and Modified classes were pulled from the hat on September 12, 2009 at the Fifth Annual IHRA Funny Car Nationals. Runners up received free racing fuel. Wanamaker’s new engine
SSSSSnake Bit!
In 1974, America watched 93 cars get destroyed in a 34-minute car chase. “Gone In 60 Seconds,” an independent film written, produced and directed by and starring Toby Halicki was an otherwise forgettable ’70s movie. The plot revolved around Mandrian Pace (Halicki) and his car thief cronies and 48 cars that they needed to steal
Five Ways To Break The Nose of a Crankshaft
Scat Crankshafts has determined that 99 percent of the time it is the parts that are being used in conjunction with the crank and the additional machining done to the parts that are being used with the crank that are mostly responsible for crank breakage, NOT the crank. 1. IMPROPER MACHINED CRANK GEARS • Champher
Oil Pump Technology
Oil pressure is something every engine builder worries about. Low oil pressure or a loss of pressure can cause expensive warranty problems and catastrophic engine failures, neither of which is good for your business. Though the “bigger is better” mentality persists, most engines only need about 10 psi of oil pressure for every 1,000 rpm
Survival Motorsports Shop Profile
When he first started Survival Motorsports, Barry Rabotnick hoped tosell parts, primarily for Ford FE motors. “My goal was to become thesingle-point supplier for the FE Ford enthusiast.” TheFE, says Rabotnick, offers significant advantages to the right user.“The builds I’m doing on the FE might not be the same as people aredoing with another engine
Time for Chains: Stock and Performance Timing Sets
Timing chains and gears are engine parts that are usually replaced when an engine is rebuilt. Over time, gear teeth wear and chains stretch. This can cause noise, retarded valve timing (and ignition timing if the engine also has a cam-driven distributor), and a noticeable loss of performance and fuel economy. A new timing chain,
Growing Your Grassroots Engine Business
Webster’s Dictionary defines "grassroots" in several ways, including two that are particularly appropriate for this month’s article on racing engines. These two definitions are: 1) "Ordinary citizens, especially as contrasted with the leadership or elite." 2) "The origin or basis of something." The first definition could easily be interpreted as the local racers compared to
The Shermanator 347: A 530HP Gas Stroker You Can Build
A while ago Engine Builder ran a story on the popularity and basic dos and don’ts of stroker engines ( March 2007 Engine Builder). It received such great response that we are following up with a “real world” stroker engine buildup. In this case, it is an engine combination that is so popular that it
Grow Your Shop By Getting Away From It
He appreciates the fact his employees feel the same way and, frankly, he feels this industry would be a whole lot better off if more shop owners followed his lead. Okay, so the guy is obviously crazy or from out of this world, right? Take time off from the shop when it’s a struggle to
Washington Way: Counterfeit Parts Seem Cheap But Have Very High Cost
Counterfeit motor vehicle parts have a substantial negative impact on vehicle parts suppliers in the United States. Counterfeit parts are ones which bear a registered trademark but were not produced by or under license from the registered trademark owner. Therefore, use of the mark violates the trademark owner’s rights. Not only do counterfeit parts divert
Crankshafts:Stock and Performance
The crankshaft is the working arm of the engine. All the force generated by combustion and the downward motion of the pistons is focused on the crank throws. The leverage effect of the force exerted on the crank journals twists the shaft and converts the up-and-down reciprocating motion of the pistons into rotational motion of