Cleaning Up In The Shop
In fact, it can be very difficult to make an accurate diagnosis of what’s wrong with an engine until it’s clean. You may be able to recognize some failed parts, you can often see large cracks or obvious damage, but you’re really only assuming you know what caused a failure if you can’t see for
A View From The Summit
Though they have no moving parts, weigh virtually nothing and rarely, if ever, are seen by the motoring public, the engine bearing may be one of the most important yet least understood parts under the hood. In this spirit, we invited participants from the leading bearing manufacturers to participate in a roundtable discussion on pre-determined
Joe Gibbs Racing Oil Raises The Bar On Technical Support
Less than 900 lubrication professionals worldwide hold this prestigious certification, and now each Joe Gibbs Driven Oil customer will have access to a trained and certified lubrication professional. After a lifetime in the racing business, Mr. Speed has completed 9 accredited lubrication classes and passed the rigorous CLS exam. The real world knowledge garnered by
Race vs. Street Oil and Lubricants: The Great Zinc Debate Continues
In racing applications, it’s not usually so serene. Engines live on the edge. Engine builders and racers are always fighting and scratching for more power, more torque, just that little something extra, even 100 rpm off the corner more than the next guy – but it comes with a price. About the only protection these
Turbocharging’s Not Just A Lot of Hot Air
With the uncertainty of fuel prices and the concern that gasoline couldagain top $4 a gallon across the nation, Americans have been shiftingtheir vehicle-buying behaviors toward more fuel-efficient vehicles. While gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles have been getting much of theattention as the next step in fuel-sipping vehicles, turbocharging —which is used by roughly half of new
Valve and Guide Material, Selection Update
Today’s engines are being designed with more valves per cylinder with smaller valves to reduce valve train weight and increase intake volume. Cylinder heads typically require valve guide and seat work to restore compression and oil control if you are rebuilding the heads. For the valve to seat properly and to gain the most power
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
What Are The Benefits Of Using API CJ-4 Motor Oil?
It has been about three years since API CJ-4 diesel engine oil was introduced. In the past when a new API category diesel engine oil was introduced, the previous category was typically discontinued. Today both API CJ-4 and the previous category API CI-4 PLUS diesel engine oils are available. However, there are many benefits to
Flat or Tapered Cams and Flat or Crowned Lifters
It never occurred to me to even ASK whether the cam I recently had re-ground for a Buick Nailhead engine was ground with flat or tapered lobes. Like a great many others, I’d forgotten that some vintage engines had flat lobe surfaces because I’d gotten so used to everything having tapered lobes. This, unfortunately, can
Quaker State Challenges Motor Oil Competitors to End the “Wear Wars”
Quaker State is calling for an end of today’s “Wear Wars” by challenging its motor oil competitors to a head-to-head motor oil comparison. Quaker State has issued a challenge to Mobil1, Valvoline and Castrol to prove that that no leading full synthetic SAE 5W-30 motor oil provides better wear protection than Quaker State Q HorsePower
Racing Oil and Additves
Engine oil has sometimes been compared to a cake mix. The base oil is like the flour and the additives are the spices. How much is used of each varies by the type of cake and its intended use. Birthday cakes don’t really work for weddings. Engine builders have also been compared to gourmet chefs,
Oil Pumps
It’s 6,000 rpm – do you know what your oil pressure is? That’s a question every engine builder should know the answer to if they’re building an engine that’s going to survive. Maintaining adequate oil pressure and volume is absolutely essential for engine durability. The problem is the output of many stock oil pumps, particularly
Cutting Tools and Abrasives
One of tricks of the trade of machining engine parts is choosing the right cutting tool or abrasive for that particular job. Different metals have different machinability characteristics. A cutting tool or abrasive that works well on one application may not work so well on another application. Years ago when most engine parts were
Choosing A Replacement Camshaft
Unless you are doing a totally stock rebuild and reusing the original camshaft, selecting a camshaft depends on what kind of engine you are building and how that engine will be used. A stock engine for a daily driver is obviously an entirely different application than an big stroker motor for a Pro Stock racer.
Today’s Oil Not the Same
A recent camshaft company Technical Bulletin said it best: “Today’s engine oil is just not the same as it used to be, thanks to the ever tightening environmental regulations.” The EPA, car manufacturers, and the American Petroleum Institute (API) have done a great job reducing emissions and extending the life of emissions control equipment. However,
Push Rods & Lifters
The pushrods and lifters work with the camshaft and rocker arms to open the engine’s valves. This basic setup has changed little since the earliest days of pushrod engines. The only major change in these components has been roller lifters replacing flat bottom lifters on late model engines. Even so, there’s still a market for
Tech Notes
Engine Builders: It is generally known by automotive technicians that motor oil is a necessity; but how many of those techs know what it actually is? Differences in formulations, even within the same brand, can be as broad as the motor oil type, or as specific as the additive package used. In order to help
Tech Notes
Engine Builders: After 75,000 miles, your customers’ engines can begin to show their age. They may consume a bit more oil or oil could leak past intake valve stem seals. Higher Mileage specialty motor oils typically contain additives that condition the rubber seals to help reduce oil consumption. They can also have high quality base
Honing Stones & Equipment
The finish on the cylinder walls is critical for proper piston ringlubrication and sealing. The bore geometry is also important, and mustbe round, cylindrical and straight for optimum sealing and minimumblowby. The equipment used to hone cylinders has changed in recent years as thedemand for better surface finishes, faster cycle times and lowerproduction costs have
Tech Notes
Engine Builders: As engine technology advances to produce more efficient engines, motor oil must continue to meet the increasing demands for lubricating these precision-made engines. Development of the next specification of gasoline-fuel (GF) motor oil began only months after the latest specification, GF-4, became available in 2004. The GF-5 motor oil specification created by the