Classic Packard Engines
That Packard name. It conjures up thoughts of the rich, the famous, long limos along with the brand’s perfectly molded fenders and hoods. You get the idea! That was the theme that the Packard company strived for, but for period motorheads and engine builders, those skillfully-built engines that fit in all types of racing machines were of more interest.
Engine Bearings – Main and Rod
The bearings that support the crankshaft play a critical role in handling the power the engine produces as well as engine durability. Because of this, bearing selection, fit and installation can make or break your engine build.
SEMA Show Expands Education Program with Friday Sessions
The 2016 SEMA Show will feature education sessions on Friday, a first since the inception of the Show’s Education Days program. The additional sessions on Friday will provide attendees with the opportunity to accomplish more during the Show, create a schedule with more flexibility and participate in a desired session.
A Hell of a Good Year
The folks at Dougans Racing Engines won a lot in 2015. A banner year, according to Ray Field, owner of Dougans. It was this success coupled with the shop’s rich history that helped Dougans’ nomination get selected as the 2015 Performance Engine Builder of the Year, sponsored by Speed-Pro POWERFORGED Pistons and Engine Builder magazine.
Valves and Seats
The valves and seats in an internal combustion engine play a central role in engine breathing, compression, performance and longevity. It doesn’t matter if an engine has two, three, four or even five valves per cylinder or if the engine is gas or diesel because the valves all do the same thing: they open and close to allow air into the cylinders and exhaust to exit the cylinders.
Understanding How to Tune Carburetors
An engine only runs as well as it is tuned. You can build a killer motor using all the best parts and machine and assemble everything with the utmost care, but if it’s a carbureted engine and the carburetor isn’t set up or tuned right your killer engine may never live up to its full potential.
Old Cars Never Die – Not If I Can Help It
I have not worked on everyday, common engines for years. Everyone who comes into my shop is a hobby-level special car enthusiast. I build all types of performance American brand engines. A huge part of my business has become building and rebuilding engines for classic cars, which it turns out, there is an adequate market for engine builders.
A Peek at the Small Bore Diesel Market
If I’ve learned one thing above all else since writing for this industry, it’s that there are always new opportunities. The trouble sometimes is just finding where those opportunities lie. One of these opportunities recently brought to my attention can be found in the small bore diesel market.
Marketing in the Age of Social Media
The ability to create a brand is no longer under the control of a product or service provider, nor the ad agencies. In today’s world, brands are now created by one entity more than any other, and that entity is social media.
Speed-Pro’s 2015 Performance Engine Builder of the Year is…
Ray Field, owner of Dougans Racing Engines, in Riverside, CA, was named the 2015 Performance Engine Builder of the Year, sponsored by Speed-Pro POWERFORGED Pistons and Engine Builder magazine. Field was presented the fourth annual award by Engine Builder magazine editor Doug Kaufman at a press conference Friday at the Performance Racing Industry Show.
The Racing Industry Gears Up for Indianapolis
Featuring roughly 1,200 exhibitors, the PRI Show highlights the latest advances in racing components, shop-machining equipment and engineering solutions, as well as special exhibits and seminars. There’s a lot to see, but it’s more than just the cool new parts, gadgets and equipment that make the trip to Indy worthwhile.
Oiling Systems for Grassroots Racing
Priority one when choosing an oiling system for any type of racing (grassroots or professional) is to establish what the rules allow and prohibit. Somebody has to read the rule book. Whether that’s you or your customer it doesn’t matter. The oiling system has to fit within the framework of the rule book. Period.
The Little Details Add to Your Bottom Line
A restoration shop owner we know sends his engines out to professional rebuilders. There are two engines sitting in his shop right now – a six and an eight. Both were rebuilt by different shops. One of those shops will be getting all of his engine work in the future. The reason isn’t the quality of work or even the price; it is the attention one shop paid to details.
Staying Power: Boosting Employee Retention Rates
The cold, hard facts make it abundantly clear: Companies, including automotive shops, need to change how they treat employees, not only if they want high retention rates, but simply if they want to succeed.
Seasonal Marketing – Plan Now for Fall’s Slowdown
Summer is the shop owner’s best friend. People have their cars out and racing season is in full swing. Car count is high and things are looking good. But there’s a hammer waiting to drop. The end of summer means the fall slowdown. Here’s what you can do to fight it.
Motor Oil Issues
One of the challenges of building engines for a living is making sure that every engine you build has good oil pressure and suffers no lubrication-related issues once it goes out the door. Good oil pressure requires main and rod bearing clearances that are within your target specs for the application, a good oil pump and the “right” motor oil.
Riding Into a New Engine Market
It’s no secret that there are engine-building opportunities that lie outside of the automotive industry. One such example is with motorcycle and powersports engines. This is a well-established market with numerous OEMs and styles of vehicles with many similarities to the automotive side, yet not many shops choose to explore this market. But if opportunity knocks and you answer the call, you could very well come out on top.
A Shop Owner’s Guide To Advertising In 2015
Many shop owners get into trouble by throwing their money at just about every advertising opportunity that comes along. Their intentions are good, but more often than not they end up wasting a lot of money, and bringing in the wrong customers. So putting first things first, as every successful business owner will do, you need to identify your ideal customer, then create a plan that targets that individual.
Lake Headers
Have you heard the one about the hot rodder who walks into the engine shop and asks for exhaust headers for a 1928 Hudson he wants to race on the dry lakes? Matt Legare of Gear Drive in Minneapolis, will tell you, “no joke!” He actually built a set of Lake headers for an 87-year-old Hudson that was powered by a Ford 351 Windsor V8.
Camshaft Selection and Design
Choosing the right cam from all of the possibilities that are out there can make a significant difference in how well an engine performs. It’s all about balance and correctly matching the cam with the cylinder heads, compression ratio, intake and exhaust systems, and RPM range where you want the engine to produce the most torque and horsepower.
