The Constant of Change
Although "change" is a frightening word to many people, reasons Yamato Engine Specialists’ Asiff Dhanani, there’s simply no point in questioning it. Of all the "sure things" in business, the only certainty is that situations definitely change. Dhanani, incoming president of PERA explains that the change in this industry is not new. Things have been
Increased crankshaft journal dimensions for 1995-2002 Kia 1.8L VIN 5 engines.
Engine Builders: The AERA Technical Committee offers the following information on increased crankshaft journal dimensions for 1995-2002 Kia 1.8L VIN 5 engines. The main journal diameter for the crankshaft of this engine was increased beginning with the 1998 model year. Mazda manufactured these engines prior to 1998 while Kia manufactured all subsequent engines. Use caution
Pinning Down The Cold Repair Process
Cracks in cylinder heads and blocks present various challenges to rebuilders. When a crack is found a rebuilder must decide what the best method of repair will be. Many machine shops don
Cylinder head bolt replacement for 1997-2003 Ford 6.8L VIN S engines.
Engine Builders: The AERA Technical Committee offers the following information regarding cylinder head bolt replacement for 1997-2003 Ford 6.8L VIN S engines. This engine requires new replacement cylinder head bolts any time the head is installed. Follow the procedure listed below after all components have been thoroughly cleaned and prepped. Ensure that all surfaces of
Thrust Bearing Failure
Thrust bearings are used to control end play in the crankshaft. End play is important because it limits the fore and aft movement of the crankshaft in the block. If an engine is assembled with too much end play in the crank, or if the thrust bearing fails, the forward movement of the crankshaft in
Flow Boxes
Over the years, I have had occasion to port cylinder heads when I had no prior experience with that particular casting. The results have not always been as good as I would have liked them to be, but with only one head or one pair of heads available to work with, the development opportunities were
Valve lifter failure is experienced on Mack MIDR 06.02.12 or MIDR 06.02.26 diesel engines valve lifter failure is experienced on Mack MIDR 06.02.12 or MIDR 06.02.26 diesel engine valve lifter failure is experienced on Mack MIDR 06.02.12 or MIDR 06.02.26 d
If a lifter failed in a 2001 Mack truck, how concerned should I be about the rest of the components? If valve lifter failure is experienced on Mack MIDR 06.02.12 or MIDR 06.02.26 diesel engines with original style lifters, the AERA Technical Committee recommends that all 12 lifters and pushrods be replaced with improved components.
Rebuilding the Ford 5
Doug Anderson is president of Grooms Engines, Parts, Machining, Inc., located in Nashville, TN. He has authored numerous technical articles on engine rebuilding for Engine Builder magazine for more than 15 years. Anderson has also made many technical presentations on engine building at AERA and PERA conventions and seminars. The 330/5.4L Ford engine was introduced
Incoming AERA Chairman Mike Schaefer, Southern Illinois Crankshaft
Ask Mike Schaefer, incoming chairman of the Engine Rebuilders Association (AERA) what the association means to him and he’ll have an immediate and impactful answer: "Without AERA, we wouldn’t have survived." When he opened the doors to Southern Illinois Crankshaft, Red Bud, IL, in November of 1985, and bought his first crank grinder, the salesman
Dodge City’s Finest; Harry’s Machine Works
No history of the American West would be complete without extensive recollections of Dodge City, KS. Formed as a convenient railroad stop to serve the new Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe railroad, Dodge City offered something for everyone. That is, if your tastes ran to buffalo hunting, gambling or gunfighting. In its early days, Dodge
Cylinder head stress plate for Caterpillar 3126 diesel engines.
Engine Builders: The AERA Technical Committee offers the following information regarding a revised cylinder head stress plate for Caterpillar 3126 diesel engines. Previously AERA published Technical Bulletin 1561 concerning a stress plate for this engine. The previously made plates covered a single cylinder and required multiple relocations of the plate to bore/hone all six cylinders.
Welding: Why weld aluminum?
As we are all aware, many of the components of the engines our industry remanufactures utilize this "mystery" metal. It first started with manifolds, then cylinder heads, timing covers, oil pans, lower main bearing girdles and finally blocks and all accessory mounting brackets. Don
The Future Of Boring Is Exciting
Boring out cylinders to accept oversized pistons or sleeves has long been a common practice in the engine rebuilding business. Boring allows worn blocks to be salvaged, and stock cylinder bores to be enlarged for more displacement. More recently, boring is also being used to install special cylinder liners with hard surface treatments in high
The Smooth Science of Cylinder Honing
The basics of honing cylinder blocks hasn’t changed much in recent years, but what has changed are the type of abrasives being used by many engine builders. Silicon carbide and aluminum oxide honing stones of various grits have long been used in power honing machines and portable hones to finish cylinder bores. These types
PERA’S Core Corner
This month we are going to look at some issues that have certainly been identified in previous issues of Engine Builder. However, based upon the number of recent inquiries at PERA headquarters we thought it might be a good time to bring them to everyone’s attention again as a helpful reminder. First, is the 2.9L
The lower intake manifolds on some Ford vehicle models are not fitting correctly after machining
Engine Builders: Some AERA members have reported that the lower intake manifolds on some Ford vehicle models are not fitting correctly after machining. To reduce the likelihood of coolant contamination of engine oil, a revised, thicker intake gasket is now available for the 3.8L and 4.2L Ford car and truck engines. These models have VIN
Conferences And Seminars Offer Many Potential Rewards
Getting away from the day-to-day grind and going to a seminar or conference with fellow shop owners and machinists has rewards that far outweigh the expense, and often may even present new business opportunities. At the Engine Rebuilders Association Tech Expo (AERA) I attended this past April in Indianapolis, a presentation given by John DeBates,
PERA Core Corner
The very popular Chevrolet FWD/RWD, 2.2L/134CID, OHV four-cylinder engine is a solid steed in the GM stable. But even after more than 10 years, it still manages to raise questions surrounding the Gen II engine casting configurations, in particular the cylinder head. Since its birth in 1990, when the old Chevy 2.0L engine was upgraded
Surfacing Equipment Can Increase Horsepower
If your shop is in the business of selling performance, especially to street and/or moderately budget-constrained clientele, then some of the best free advertising you can get is by word of mouth from satisfied customers. Often this can be no further away than taking advantage of a few simple machining operations and explaining to your
Eliminate head gasket failures on Cat diesels
Q. To eliminate head gasket failures on Cat diesels, how should the heads be torqued? A. Pressurizing the cooling system with the oil pan removed can differentiate between a water pump leak and a cylinder head gasket leak before removing the head. If a head gasket is the source of the problem this revised cylinder