When your market is in a state of change, how do you respond effectively?
Ever notice how negativity becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy? People focus on how tough things are, and sure enough, things usually get a lot tougher. On the other hand, ever notice how those shop owners who are looking toward the future of their businesses always are better able to jump over the present day hurdles that
Threaded Fasteners Torque-to-Yield and Torque-to-Angle
All the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have fastener labs with lots of sophisticated equipment and well-educated people working on fastening issues. They even have their own professional association – The Bolting Technology Council – which holds meetings and seminars about fasteners. I’m not a fastener engineer, and I’m not going to make you into one.
Engine Cylinder Bore Surface Finishes
What’s the best type of cylinder bore finish for today’s engines? Most would say it’s a finish that allows the rings to seat quickly and completely so the engine doesn’t use oil. For many applications, that may mean a plateau finish. The surface finish must also meet the piston ring manufacturer’s specifications and have the
The Future Of OEMs In The Reman Aftermarket
Some original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and the independent automotive remanufacturing industry have maintained a symbiotic relationship since the introduction of the first automobiles; other OEMs are still lagging behind when it comes to getting involved in reman automotive aftermarket sales. However, today the future of the relationship between the two is critical not only to
Rebuilding the GM / Chevy 2.2L Engine
Unfortunately, this four cylinder, pushrod motor didn’t have nearly enough horsepower, so Buick, Oldsmobile and Pontiac all opted for the 1.8L SOHC Opel engine from Brazil for most of their “J” cars, and Chevy promptly made its new engine into a 2.0L/121 cid that delivered more power in 1983. The 2.0L was upgraded in 1987
Toyota 3SGTE Engine
First of all, one needs to realize that Toyota, like GM, Ford, etc., has engine “families”. However, rather than calling them names such as “big block” or “small block,” Toyota assigns them a letter code. The engine family code is the first letter (not the first numeral). The codes are as follows: A-series: 1.5L, 1.6L
Rebuilding the New Chevy 262
This enabled GM to shorten the development process dramatically because it was able to adapt a proven design. But it also allowed it to share a lot of the existing tooling from the V8 production lines so the engines could be on the road sooner. The original 200 V6 that came out in 1978 was
Rebuilding the Chevrolet LT1 Engine
Compared to the 1991 Chevy 350 L98 with TPI, the LT1 made 20 percent more horsepower, got better fuel mileage, and had a much broader torque band with 90 percent of its peak torque available from just over 1,000 rpm all the way up to nearly 6,000 rpm. GM Powertrain accomplished all of this by
Rebuilding the Chrysler V6 Engine Family
Much of the information used to write this article was provided by Bruce Chapman, president, and the employees of Ontario Reman, Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada. Ontario Reman is an authorized Chrysler engine rebuilder selling remanufactured engines and small parts to Canadian Chrysler dealers. We thank them! Chrysler introduced a whole new family of 60 degree V6
Core Cleaning: A Closer Look at the Issues and Regulations That Are Driving Today’s Market
On the list of hot button issues in the engine rebuilding business, the disposal of waste usually takes a backseat to supplier consolidations, market share position, profitability and other topics. On the other hand, the amount of time, effort and money that rebuilders spend, all of it non-productive, in meeting regulatory requirements can be significant.
Chrysler Shop Solutions
Chrysler/ Mitsubishi 2.6L/3.0L Some of the late 2.6L engines and all of the 3.0L Mitsubishi engines have a very small "auto-lash-adjuster" installed in the tip of the rocker. All too often, air gets trapped in the lower chamber of the lifter and prevents oil from filling the lifter. When this happens, the lifter holds the
Cleaning Aluminum
"Ten years ago, when there wasn’t that much aluminum, people were scared," said Mike Wigert, sales manager of spraywasher manufacturer LS Industries. "They didn’t know how to regulate their ovens, they didn’t know which chemicals to use, and they were tarnishing their aluminum parts, and probably ended up hand cleaning a lot of them," he
Rebuilding the Chevrolet LT1 Engine
Although it shared many common dimensions, looked much the same and even had a few common parts, it was totally redesigned to provide more power with lower emissions and better fuel economy. Compared to the 1991 Chevy 350 L98 with TPI, the LT1 made 20% more horsepower, got better fuel mileage, and had a
Message From Incoming PERA President Jim Ormsby
Sometimes we need to exceed even our own expectations. That’s the message from Jim Ormsby, incoming Production Engine Remanufacturers Assoc-iation (PERA) president and current general manager of Franklin Power Products, a production engine remanufacturer (PER) located in Franklin, IN. They’re words that all PERA members should take to heart if they wish to re-energize shrinking
Machine Shop Market Profile
In Part I of our annual profile of the custom engine rebuilder/machine shop market (see June, 1999 issue, page 54) we provided details on the average number of engines, cylinder heads and crankshafts produced monthly by the typical machine shop during production year 1998. Also included in Part I
1999 Machine Shop Of The Year Award Winner: Metric Automotive Engineering Ltd
Each year, the staff at Automotive Rebuilder magazine recognizes one machine shop that displays business practices that go above and beyond the norm. This year, along with input from the Engine Rebuilders Association (AERA), we have selected Metric Automotive Engineering (Pty) Ltd., from Germiston South, Republic of South Africa. Metric was chosen from numerous entries
1999 Machine Shop Labor Costing Study
There are probably few topics of more interest to machine shops and custom engine rebuilders than charges for specific shop labor operations. In January, Automotive Rebuilder surveyed 2,400 machine shop members of the Engine Rebuilders Association (AERA) throughout the U.S., asking for labor charges for 22 basic labor operations performed on two popular engines currently
Around The Block: Taking The Mystery Out Of Engine Hot Spots And Head Gasket Failures
Internal combustion engines produce power when a burning mixture of air and fuel expands. These engines also become more efficient as combustion temperature increases, but to develop maximum power, the energy lost as heat should be kept as low as possible. If engine parts were made out of materials which did not expand, corrode or
Niche Market Opportunities
Opportunity is where you find it. Rebuilding passenger car and light truck engines and doing the machine work that
Rebuilding The GM Quad 4
The Quad 4 had four valves per cylinder, tuned intake and exhaust manifolds, no distributor, no plug wires, lightweight rods and pistons to reduce shaking forces, and a crank with eight counterweights that was designed to reduce noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) and bearing wear. It didn’t have an A.I.R. pump or an EGR system,