Inside Flat Tappet Camshaft and?Lifter Technology
Roller cams have a couple of advantages over traditional flat tappet camshafts: they reduce friction, and they can be ground with more aggressive cam lobe profiles to make more power. You can also swap roller cams without having to replace the lifters. But the roller cam’s main disadvantage compared to flat tappet cams is its
Engine Builder Shop Solutions: August 2011
Securing Cam Gears Years ago it came to my attention that the replacement aluminum cam gear used on 4- and 6-cylinder GM inline engines has a tendency to walk off the camshaft. I wanted an easy way to resolve the problem, and here is what I came up with. I grind a notch about 5/16?
VP Racing Fuels, Superflow Technologies Announce Strategic Partnership
SuperFlow Technologies Group has announced a multi-year agreement with VP Racing Fuels whereby SuperFlow factory technicians will test all new engine dynamometers prior to shipment exclusively with VP’s C12 racing fuel. “The partnership with VP is very exciting because although we sell very different products, our goal is the same – to produce repeatable products
Tips for Hotter Street & Strip Performance
Long’s HO Enterprises Performance Auto (www.hoenterprisesclassics.com) in Birnamwood, WI, sells hot rod parts, but his once traditional view on performance is changing as he sees his sons working on late-model imported cars with port fuel injection and “coffee can” exhausts. “Yeah, I think it’s all electronics now, but at least they’re car guys” Long points
Quarter Mile Foundation To Raffle Mondello ‘Vintage Rat’ Engine for PROJECT 1320
“Mary and I discussed the Project 1320 Raffle Engine and with Joe’s crew at the Mondello Technical Center,” said Hrudka. “Everyone at the Technical Center is fully committed to completing the engine well in advance of the drawing. Mary told me, ‘Joe would want this engine finished. It will be a wonderful tribute and a
Playing In The Mud Can Bring Profits To Your Shop
Despite the recession, motorsports continues to grow. This coming December, the International Motorsports Industry Show and the Performance Racing Industry trade shows expect to welcome a combined 2,000 exhibitors and more than 65,000 attendees to see performance products in Indianapolis and Orlando. These shows are a virtual who’s who of the racing industry as you
Holley Names Ricky Best Technical Sales Representative
Best will handle sales and support for all of Holley’s brands, but will be specialize in Holley EFI, Holley carburetors, and Earls plumbing. Best is a "hands on" sales representative who can offer a high level of technical expertise to engine builders, tuners, race teams, and specialty car builders. He will be attending many race
Sprint Car Engines: The Current State-of-the-Art
Sprint Cars are just about the fastest machines in racing, often running two or three seconds faster per lap than late model stock cars. There’s no time to just tool around in this form of racing, no pit stops, and it’s over before you know it. Everything is to the limit with engines pushing between
Must Have Tools For Engine Building Glory
While engine builders still need a fair share of box end wrenches and screwdrivers, we have assumed you didn’t make it this far without these necessities. Instead, we will focus on the specialty tools and equipment you need to get the job done and out the door to your customer. We talked to tool suppliers
Flat Tappet Camshaft Break-in Procedure
Note: New lifters must be installed with your new camshaft prior to Installation: • Check the compatibility of the camshaft with the remainder of the valve train components (valve springs, rockers, etc.) • On race type, high spring load applications, use lighter load springs or remove the inner spring (dual spring application) just for break-in.
Dyno Decisions Depend on Business Model
If you need a dyno only three or four times a year, you’re probably better off renting dyno time from another facility. If you build race engines for a living, an engine dyno is an essential part of how you do your job and ultimately the value you provide to your customer. So what are
Sportsman Drag Racing Engine Rules
Dragracing – lining up next to the other guy and seeing who’s got the beststuff – remains an incredibly popular sport, for both spectators andparticipants. Although multi-lap circle track and road racingcompetition may have received the lion’s share of media attention overthe past several years, mashing the throttle and driving to the finishline is good
Engine Builder Shop Solutions: January 2011
Keeping Gaskets In Their Place Can’t get a hard to reach gasket to stay in place even using various types of sealers? Try this trick that worked for me. Simply tie the gasket in place with sewing thread through available bolt holes/studs and/or any area that can be used for a temporary tie off. Once the gasket has
Cultivating Diesel Success Using Unconventional Approaches
While most of Osborne’s customers never even come through the Liverpool, NY shop’s door, their continued patronage has pushed Syracuse Crank to record sales figures over the past few years, he says. “We were at 31 percent growth last year over the year before, and the year before last we were 26 percent higher. Our
Classic Muscle: Kammer & Kammer Make Mopar Magic
Most of the time, amateur racers are customers at the nationally known Kammer & Kammer Mopar High Performance Shop in Dayton, OH. Kammer says his business consists of about 65 percent racing and 35 percent street performance, and the most important thing he provides is a good relationship between himself and his customer. “When I
Karting Engine Market and Technology
Experts say that the situation isn’t getting any easier for flathead lovers because many parts and pieces, such as flywheels and sump covers, are not manufactured anymore. There are, however, some replacement parts on the market that are manufactured in China such as sheet metal and valves. Burris now makes most of the pistons for
Ohio Technical College Announces The Edelbrock Academy
Ohio Technical College (OTC), a leading automotive training school, recently announced a new partnership with Edelbrock, LLC to create the Edelbrock Academy, a program designed to give students a solid foundation in the building and tuning of American muscle cars and performance vehicles. The Edelbrock Academy at Ohio Technical College will provide students with
Post-War Engines: The Greatest Generation?
“The popularity of the post-war engines being rebuilt is not much different than the pre-war models,” says Packard Industries’ Bob Rovegno. “GM rules the roost, with Cadillac, Oldsmobile, Buick leading the way, and surprisingly, Lincoln-based 383s, 410s, 430s, 462s are next and the old Mopar or Ford flathead V8s are up there in the top
Dynos and Test Stands: Profit Center or Business Black Hole?
Dynamometers allow an engine builder to test, tune and tweak his engines before giving customers the opportunity to do something foolish with them. In a recent poll on Engine Builder’s website, we asked our readers how important a dyno is to their business. According to our (admittedly unscientific) results, 44 percent of Engine Builder readers
Not every shop is closing and, in fact, there are even new, state-of-the-art shops opening, as evidenced by GJM’s grand opening last month. Earlier this year, Gregg Jacobson and Mark Garrett launched a new machine shop in Southern California about 40 minutes outside of L.A., in the San Fernando Valley. Both Jacobson and Garrett saw