The Other Machines in Your Shop
In the last couple of years we have discussed the various maintenance requirements for your big machines – surface grinders, crank grinders, cleaning machines, etc. Let’s not forget those other devices that play a pretty important part in your continued effort to build the best engines you and your employees can offer to your valued customers.
Machining Aluminum Engine Blocks
Aluminum engine blocks have been around for many years for both stock and performance applications. Aluminum has a number of advantages over cast iron, the most obvious one being weight.
Valves and Valve Seats – There’s More than Meets the Eye
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.
Learning Curve – Understanding the Evolution of Cylinder Head Seat and Guide Machines
Like many of you, I’ve been watching the transition in head machines for the engine machinist industry with great interest. And you and I both are looking at how changes in equipment will impact your business. You see, I teach in an engine machinist program and when I took over the program in 1993 our
New, Used or Rebuilt? – Where will you find the best next machine for your shop?
Most of you have only known me as the “Goodson Guy” for the last 21 years. But did you know I was also the Sales Manager for Winona Van Norman? Did you know I also worked the Southern California territory as an equipment rep for 5 years? During my time in the streets of Southern
Valves & Seats
When it comes to engine components working together, there are few areas that share the same level of relationship as the valves and valve seats. The factors that affect this duo’s ability to reside in harmony inside an internal combustion engine encompass everything from material compatibility to thermal conductivity. In regard to the actual physical
Sunnen SH-4000 Honing Machine
Sunnen’s SH-4000 honing machine delivers the tolerances that top builders require for high-performance engine parts. Its bore concentricity and parallelism minimize friction, limit wear, and improve engine response across the rev range.
Understanding the Evolution of Cylinder Head Seat and Guide Machines
Do you remember the many generations of three-angle seat cutters and what we used to get by with? Grinding seats is still needed, but just 10 years ago we were grinding 80 percent of the seats. Though we still grind when necessary, today we cut 90 percent of the seats in the heads.
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.
Fastener Intricacies
At first blush, using fasteners properly seems like a straightforward task: tighten them to spec and all is well. But in reality, there are many nuances in the selection and application of fasteners that can make the difference between a well-built engine and a candidate for self-destruction.
Shop Solutions December 2015
Despite what you may believe, there is a way to recondition the so-called “cracked” rods, or powdered metal connecting rods. I use a media made of coal slag that can be found at most home improvement stores.
United Engine & Machine 2016 Catalog
United Engine & Machine’s (UEM) new 2016 catalog includes complete technical and application data on their three main automotive brands: Icon, KB Hypereutectic, and Silv-O-Lite. Fold out tabs make accessing the specific brand you need information on fast and easy.
Shop Solutions October 2015
Managing your scrap is an everyday chore. We all know aluminum pistons are worth more than aluminum mill waste, but by removing pins and rings they’re worth even more.
Full-Line Piston Catalog
New 2015 catalog from UEM includes complete technical and application data on their three main automotive brands: Icon, KB Hypereutectic, and Silv-O-Lite.
Chevy LS Family of Engines
This new engine family had the same bore spacing as the original small block, but that’s the only thing that stayed the same. The Gen III engine was smaller and lighter, it made more horsepower and torque per cubic inch, created fewer emissions and got better fuel mileage than the Chevy 350 it replaced. It was designed to be built in multiple displacements from day one so it could be used in a wide variety of cars and trucks later on.
Lining Up Sleeve and Liner Work
Whether their purpose is going to be repairing an OE application or to go all out in the restructuring of the engine block, liners and sleeves have to be able to perform a number of tasks. Here are some tips to help you with their installation:
Upgrading Valve and Seat Equipment
If high quality head work is a cornerstone of your business, you should review your current situation to see if an equipment upgrade could improve not only the quality but also the quantity of your work.
Must Have Shop Tools & Measuring Equipment
You can’t do quality work in an automotive machine shop if you don’t have the right tools and measuring equipment. “Must have” tools and equipment include those that are necessary for engine disassembly, for inspecting and measuring engine components, and for engine assembly.
K1 Crankshafts and Connecting Rods for GM LS Engines
Forged from 4340, the tough, shock and impact resistant alloy steel, K1 Technologies has introduced a new range of high-performance crankshafts and H-beam connecting rods for racing and high performance LS engines.
UEM Pistons Launches New Website
United Engine and Machines’s (UEM) new website makes piston selection fast, simple and economical. As the largest piston manufacturer in North America, UEM is proud to announce the launch of its new website. UEM produces cast and forged pistons in variety of forged and cast aluminum alloys that meet and exceed the requirements of today’s high
