HPBG: Racing Piston Technology
Munro had a problem with melting his cast pistons so he kept trying to develop his own out of melted down GM pistons. Today’s piston makers use a little more modern techniques, but the principle is the same: try, test and improve. On the outside, pistons tend to look the same. They are round slugs
HPBG: Don
In that discussion we hashed over the disparity in coefficients of expansion between cast iron and aluminum (that caused a revolution in head gaskets around the time of the Cadillac 4.1L). We discussed surface conditions and how that affects gaskets and scrub. We discussed gasket coatings and how they remain plastic while not scrubbing and
Egge Machine Company Presented Motoring Legacy Award
Egge Machine Company was honored as the recipient of the 2012 Motoring Legacy Award presented by the Classic Car Club of America (CCCA). The honor recognizes Egge Machine’s outstanding achievements and high level of commitment to ensuring the continued drivability of classic cars. Based on club member ballots, the CCCA bestows The Motoring Legacy Award
Subaru WRX Engine Mods & Dyno Testing
Balancing ultimate performance within legal parameters and practicality is what Z Sport (www.zsport.com) is all about. I spent several hours being shown their clean and well-equipped shop in Everett, WA. Manager Charles Damewood and Owner Gary Watts both were very helpful in explaining what it is that Z Sport does, and how their shop makes
Powersports Engines Not Just ATVs and Snowmobiles
While consumers often distinguish the powersports market by its individual products, it is all under the same umbrella for manufacturers and dealers of this equipment. Engine builders doing work in this market will find that they can often make more working on less. The engines are small, but depending on the machine, the parts may
Engine Builder Shop Solutions: September 2011
Editors note: The first two Shop Solutions are responses to Larry Carley’s article “Cleaning Heads and Blocks” in the July 2011 issue of Engine Builder. Cleaning Vintage Mercedes Parts I enjoyed the July 2011 article “Cleaning Heads and Blocks” and wish to include a tech tip about the use of caustic cleaning on vintage Mercedes
Inside Flat Tappet Camshaft and?Lifter Technology
Roller cams have a couple of advantages over traditional flat tappet camshafts: they reduce friction, and they can be ground with more aggressive cam lobe profiles to make more power. You can also swap roller cams without having to replace the lifters. But the roller cam’s main disadvantage compared to flat tappet cams is its
Performance Lifters, Pushrods and Valve Springs
Low friction roller lifters replaced flat tappet lifters many years ago in stock production engines, but there are still plenty of hot flat tappet cams bumping the valves open in vintage muscle cars, street rods and race cars. Even NASCAR is still using flat tappet cams to actuate the valves. The advantage of flat tappet
Sportsman Drag Racing Engine Rules
Dragracing – lining up next to the other guy and seeing who’s got the beststuff – remains an incredibly popular sport, for both spectators andparticipants. Although multi-lap circle track and road racingcompetition may have received the lion’s share of media attention overthe past several years, mashing the throttle and driving to the finishline is good
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
Nailing Down The Buick Nailhead
Likethe Small Block Chevy, the Rocket 88 Olds, the Ford Flathead and the ChryslerHemi, the Buick Nailhead engine is one of those that has the immortal smell ofhistory all over it. Yet,unlike its more familiar brothers, cousins and even competitors, the Nailheadhas an aura of mystery about it as well. TheNailhead had a
Post-War Engines: The Greatest Generation?
“The popularity of the post-war engines being rebuilt is not much different than the pre-war models,” says Packard Industries’ Bob Rovegno. “GM rules the roost, with Cadillac, Oldsmobile, Buick leading the way, and surprisingly, Lincoln-based 383s, 410s, 430s, 462s are next and the old Mopar or Ford flathead V8s are up there in the top
Isuzu Crank Identification Knowledge Pays Off In Real World Situation
Back in January of 2007 I did an article about the differences ofthe 1992-2004 3.2L Isuzu components and in particular the differentcrankshafts.I also remarked that the 3.5L crankshaft is identical in appearance anddimensions and that only the stroke is what made it different. One part of that article worth discussing again is the method ofidentifying
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
A Chip Off The Old Block: Aftermarket Blocks Are More Versatile Than Ever
It’s the same economic principle many body shops use on their rodding customers. You can expend good time, money and effort trying to resurrect an old hulk towards the customer’s ultimate goals or you can cut to the chase by starting with an accurate reproduction. In engine building, the same holds true but with a
Street Performance Valvetrains
Street performance requires everyday driveability and reliability. A good street performance engine should have a broad torque curve, plenty of low end power and a reasonable amount of intake vacuum at idle, especially if the engine is backed with an automatic transmission. A street engine also has to be capable of lasting tens of thousands
What’s New with Oil Pumps, Pickups and Pans
The two greatest concerns from a lubrication standpoint are dry starts and loss of oil pressure while the engine is running. Dry starts are more of a worry in engines that have front-mounted oil pumps with relatively long pickup tubes, which includes such popular engines as the GM 3800 V6, Chrysler 3.5L V6, etc. as
Engine Builder Shop Solutions: February 2010
Cummins 5.9L, M251 Pump Installation Tip There is the new instruction sheet for the M251 Cummins pump (Cummins 5.9L 1989-2007), M350 & M351 Cummins pumps (Cummins 5.9L 1986-1998). The pump looks simple enough to install, however, don’t be in a hurry. If the proper procedure is not followed the gears may bind causing engine damage.
Getting it Right
Mark Dodge, owner of Midwest Cylinder Head, can pinch a penny thin enough to see through (and maybe that keeps his businesses alive and well in poor economic times), so you can bet his choice was thoroughly researched and thought out. I wanted to see what this unit was all about and so arranged to
Today’s Niche Market Engine Opportunities
As we reported in our 2009 Machine Shop Market Profile, the total number of engines built is down, however, savvy engine builders know that finding the right niche markets can make the difference between success and failure of their business. With OEMs making engines that last well into the 200,000-mile range it’s no wonder rebuilders