Engine Dress Up
Engine dress up parts are like the proverbial chicken or the egg question. Did the shiny new pieces come about to enhance a stock engine? After all, pioneer hot rodders weren’t able to go to their local car part shop and pick up chrome goodies. Or did the parts evolve with the advent of modified
Hot Topics: In-House Head Welding Repairs Increase Profitability, Productivity
Do you outsource cylinder head repairs that require welding? If so, you might be missing an opportunity to generate additional income for your shop and reduce turnaround time for customers. Here’s a look at how you can potentially increase profitability and productivity by bringing it in house. Doing these kinds of welds successfully requires
Dirty Jobs Host Mike Rowe to Give Keynote Address at The Work Truck Show 2009
In a speech that’s sureto convince everyone present that they’ve got it good no matter whattheir job description, Mike Rowe, host and producer of the DiscoveryChannel’s Dirty Jobs TV series, will give the keynote address at TheWork Truck Show 2009 and 45th Annual National Truck EquipmentAssociation (NTEA) Convention. Rowe’s presentation will take place at the
Aftermarket Icon, Ed Justice Sr., Dead at 87
Ed Justice, Sr., the last of three brothers who founded Justice Brothers, Inc. which would become a worldwide manufacturer and distributor of car care additives, lubricants and cleaners, has died. He was 87. Justice died August 30, 2008 of complications due to kidney failure in Arcadia, California, said son Ed Justice, Jr. With $2,500 profit
Manufacturer Tech Tip: Carburetor Cleaning Tips From Edelbrock
NEVER clean your EnduraShine or PermaStar parts with solvents or carburetor cleaners of any kind. Use of these cleaners will dull the luster and will remove the coating. Never use solvents or carburetor cleaners when rebuilding your EnduraShine carburetor. Do not use paper towels to wipe or clean your EnduraShine or PermaStar parts. Although Edelbrock
Manufacturer Tech Tip: How Do You Clean Your Aluminum Intake Manifold?
Edelbrock intake manifolds are manufactured from a sand cast process utilizing 808 aluminum alloy and have an as-cast wheel-a-brated finish. As-cast is defined as a raw aluminum finish without any protective coating. As-cast aluminum is porous and can absorb under-hood chemicals such as dirt, grease and fuel, resulting in discoloration, rust, or staining. All Edelbrock
Machine Maintenance: Sustaining Your Crew Includes Your Best Friend
Over the past few years, I’ve been writing about proper maintenance of the machines in your shop. This month, I plan to talk about maintaining something that’s not necessarily essential to your shop but if you have one, its value can’t be underestimated. You guessed it; this article will be about the maintenance of your
Cylinder Head Cleaning
Being an engine builder is like being a chef. As a master of culinary arts you may prepare the most exquisite meals anyone has ever tasted, but a great dining experience can be easily ruined if the vegetables are not thoroughly cleaned. For more and more engine builders, aqueous cleaning systems are the new standard
Cummins Named Automotive News 2008 PACE Award Winner for Innovation of the 6.7l Turbo Diesel Engine
Cummins Inc. has announced that it has earned a prestigious 2008 Automotive News PACE Award for innovation demonstrated by the 6.7L turbo diesel engine. The PACE Award ceremony, held on April 14 in Detroit, Mich., honors superior innovation, technological advancement and business performance among automotive suppliers. Cummins has been recognized for the 6.7L Dodge Ram
Shop Solutions: April 2008
Charging For Expert Advice Bench racers wasting your time? Our shop labor rate is $80 per hour. I sell my advice for 1/2 price! When a guy wants me to engineer a motor by selecting parts combinations and machining specs to achieve a specific level of performance, I charge him for my time. I explain
From ATVs to Karting to Everything In Between
While small engines are in many types of equipment and toys, there isn’t anything small about their potential for engine builders to make a profit. From karts to all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) to motorcycles, for many engine builders looking to add profit margins to their business or to get into a specialized area of the industry,
Diagnosing Idle Surges on Subaru Legacy Models
By Eric Seifert ALLDATA Automotive Technical Editor Steve enjoys mountain biking, and his 2001 Subaru Legacy has no problem getting him to the mountains and back. Yet it doesn’t like to commute. Steve called me after work one day to inquire about a surging problem the Legacy has had for a while. He said that
Engine Manufacturers Settle with South Coast Air District on Fleet Rule
The South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) has reached an agreement with the engine manufacturers to resolve a legal battle over district rules that require fleets of 15 vehicles or more to replace their older vehicles with ones using cleaner-burning alternative fuels. Under the agreement, the vehicle purchase rules will apply to local government
Pennzoil Unveils New
Pennzoil has embarked upon a new brand strategy that makes strong claims about the oil’s ability to help keep a vehicle’s engine clean. The company’s new brand initiative is built around the theme of “Feel the Clean” and will be supported by a new advertising campaign that made its debut with new television, print and
Blueprint For Success: Shop Layouts to Boost Efficiency
Anyone who’s in the engine rebuilding business today knows that to be profitable your shop has to be productive. Whether you’re a production engine rebuilder or a small custom engine shop, the rules are the same. If your shop can produce quality work quickly and efficiently, you’ll make more money than competitors who can’t.
Bringing A GenIII LS1 Stroker Back to Life
Performance engine builing is as old as the first Model T rebuild, but thanks to today’s new engine platforms and a plethora of aftermarket equipment, many engine builders can be intimidated by the scope of the possibilities. But, as we highlight in this article, there are basic engine practices and philosophies that work whether it
Horsepower – Building In and Bolting On
I consider myself blessed that for the last 35 years I’ve had the opportunity to hang around with some of the nation’s best engine builders and racers, and had the rare opportunity to pick their brains about engine building tips and tricks. Most of these concepts are pretty well known in the engine building community
Riding the Powersport Wave
If you just look at the number of engines being built year after year – a steady downward trend – it may seem like there is no way to survive in this industry by building production automotive engines. However, most shops that are thriving have found something that gives them an edge. You have to
Cleaning Engine Parts – In The Real World
Regardless of what kind of engine work you do, cleaning the parts is almost always the first step in any job. Parts need to be cleaned before they are machined for a variety of reasons: it helps keep your shop equipment cleaner (which means less mess and cleanup later), it uncovers the bare metal surface
Resurfacing Cylinder Heads & Blocks? Mistakes to Avoid
Cylinder heads and blocks may need to be resurfaced to restore flatness or to improve the surface finish, or milled to change the deck height for a variety of reasons. The deck surface on the head or block may need to be resurfaced if the surface isn’t smooth or flat. A head may need to