Gessford Machine, 2004 Machine Shop of the Year
If you asked a roomful of people to make a list of the 20 most exciting cities in the world, you would probably find New York, London, Paris, Rome and Beijing on every list. While the exact order and final tally of cities might vary, it’s unlikely that Hastings, NE, would even be mentioned. But
Surfacing Equipment Options
On older cast iron engines with conventional soft-faced head gaskets, as long as the surface finish on the cylinder head and block deck is roughly 60 to 100 microinches Ra (roughness average), the head gasket should cold seal and remain leak-free for the life of the engine. But on late model bimetal (aluminum head/cast iron
Machine Maintenance
Is your shop a safe place to work? Good question, isn’t it? What do I mean when I say is your shop safe? Let’s put everything into perspective. One injury could potentially cost you everything. Lest you think I’m being overly dramatic, consider this … while working on an important job your top machinist gets
Engine Balancing
In the dark ages of the automotive industry, engine balancing was considered an art practiced exclusively by performance engine builders. Only those wizards of speed (it was widely believed) could understand the forces that caused drivetrain vibration – and more importantly, those that stopped it. Those few who could balance an engine were looked upon
New Technology:Advances in Engine Building Equipment
How has racing changed your engine building business? No, it’s not a hypothetical, industry-generic question; in this case, it’s directed at every reader of this magazine. A strange question? It may seem to be. If you race – or build motors for racers – it’s probably an easy one to answer. But if you stay
Guide and Seat Equipment
Cylinder head work has been and should continue to be a profit center for engine builders. Heads almost always require guide and seat work to restore compression and oil control. This includes drilling, reaming and replacing valve guides, removing worn, loose or damaged valve seats, cutting new seat counterbores, and machining valve seats. For performance
I’m looking for an oversize O.D. cam bearing for a Cummins L10. Is there anything available?
It has recently been announced that there are oversize outside diameter cam bearings available for 1985-2003 Cummins L10 & M11 engines. This new bearing will allow a single repair operation to many engine blocks, which will put many unserviceable engine blocks back into service. These engines have been prone to engine failure related to cam
Get Your Shop Together To Be More Efficient, Profitable
Let’s face it; the hardest part about starting each day is being ready to work when the start bell rings. The worst way to start your day is to spend time searching for where you left off the day before. The best way to be ready is to get your shop together. This means that
Researching the Rebuilding Market for Multi-Valve Cylinder Heads
Cylinder head work has provided a good income for many of our readers over the years. All engines eventually need a valve job and guide work if they accumulate enough miles. Head work may also be needed if an engine overheats and blows a head gasket, if the head develops a crack, or an OHC
Cylinder Bore Refinishing with Honing Tools
By ring friendly, we mean a finish that provides good support for the rings, retains oil and does not require a lengthy break-in period. For most engines today, a ring-friendly finish means a plateau finish. A plateau bore finish is what all types of rings eventually produce when they are fully seated, so the closer
Putting the ‘Power’ in Powersports
Performing rebuilds and other machine services on ATVs, personal watercraft (PWC) and snowmobile engines may provide your shop with a little added boost during a down period without having to retool your entire shop. However, to make the most of the opportunity, you should know what type of market you can serve best – ATV,
Surfacing Equipment For Today’s Engines
The surfacing needs of today’s engines are as complex as the engines themselves. Multi-valve aluminum cylinder heads on cast iron blocks are a tough combination to seal because of the difference in expansion rates between the two metals. If the surface finishes on the head and block are too rough, lateral shearing forces which occur
Lord(s) Of The (Piston) Rings
“He who breaks a thing to find out what it is, has left the path of wisdom.” – Gandalf, Fellowship of the Rings. This is certainly not the case with piston ring technology, although Gandalf from the Lord of The Rings never directed his comments towards engine builders or piston ring manufacturers. Piston ring manufacturers
The New Sport Compact Market
The most popular nameplates are imports such as Honda, Acura and Mitsubishi, but coming on fast are Nissan, Toyota, Mazda, Subaru and Volkswagen – plus domestic models such as Ford Focus, Dodge Neon and even Chevy Cavalier. Nobody is abandoning the small block Chevy or any of the other V8s that have traditionally been the
Valve Guide Reconditioning
A valve loses about 15 to 30 percent of its heat through the stem. On the exhaust side where there is no cooling effect from the incoming air/fuel mixture, the guides are critical, because cooling through the stem is especially important for valve longevity. Worn intake guides or ones with too much clearance can also
Align Yourself
The crankshaft main bores are the foundation of every engine block. The alignment of the main bores is important because their position establishes the centerline of the crankshaft and how the crank aligns with the cylinders, deck surfaces and camshaft. Misalignment in the main bores can cause binding and premature main bearing wear. Misalignment occurs
Dodge City’s Finest; Harry’s Machine Works
No history of the American West would be complete without extensive recollections of Dodge City, KS. Formed as a convenient railroad stop to serve the new Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe railroad, Dodge City offered something for everyone. That is, if your tastes ran to buffalo hunting, gambling or gunfighting. In its early days, Dodge
The Smooth Science of Cylinder Honing
The basics of honing cylinder blocks hasn’t changed much in recent years, but what has changed are the type of abrasives being used by many engine builders. Silicon carbide and aluminum oxide honing stones of various grits have long been used in power honing machines and portable hones to finish cylinder bores. These types
Repair Of Worn Cam Bearing Housing Bores For Detroit Diesel 11.1l And 12.7l Diesel 60 Series Engines
Engine Builders: The AERA Technical Committee offers the following information regarding the possible repair of worn cam bearing housing bores for Detroit Diesel 11.1L and 12.7L diesel 60 Series Engines. These engines use an overhead camshaft design with seven individual location precision bearing inserts. Over time, the bearing bores may become worn oversize or out-of-round,
Matt
Matthew and Daniella Schroeder know what it’s like to make something out of nothing. They have managed to turn Matt’s Motor Worx, located in Montevideo, MN, into a diverse and thriving business that started with just four bare walls. Matt learns a lot from owning and driving a late model dirt stock car, and this