Coretalk: AERA EXPO 2005 Set For Las Vegas Hilton In April
The EXPO will showcase leading edge technology with live, operating demonstrations of equipment, tools, supplies, parts and services. Exhibits will be open on Thursday, April 28, from 10:30 am-6 pm; Friday, April 29, from 10:30 am- 6:30 pm; and Saturday, April 30, from 10:30 am- 2:30 pm. EXPO will include a keynote address from NASCAR
Crank And Cam Polishing: Are You Smooth Enough?
Manufacturers are designing today’s engines with tighter tolerances and less room for error. They make more power, live longer, produce less noise, vibration and friction, burn less fuel and produce lower emissions. So in light of all this, it is more important than ever for engine builders to be as perfect, or near perfect, as
Putting the ‘Power’ in Powersports
Performing rebuilds and other machine services on ATVs, personal watercraft (PWC) and snowmobile engines may provide your shop with a little added boost during a down period without having to retool your entire shop. However, to make the most of the opportunity, you should know what type of market you can serve best – ATV,
The New Sport Compact Market
The most popular nameplates are imports such as Honda, Acura and Mitsubishi, but coming on fast are Nissan, Toyota, Mazda, Subaru and Volkswagen – plus domestic models such as Ford Focus, Dodge Neon and even Chevy Cavalier. Nobody is abandoning the small block Chevy or any of the other V8s that have traditionally been the
What’s Wrong With Our Industry
What’s wrong with the engine building industry today? It’s a simple question that has no simple answer. Like many other – if not every – industry facing difficult times, the factors impacting this market are varied, complex and frustratingly hard to pin down. Are the woes of the industry the fault of customers or suppliers?
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
Piston Rings and Surface Finish
Horsepower is always paramount in the minds of customers who salivatelike a Pavlovian dog when the terms "high performance"and "engine" are used in the same sentence. Unquestionably,horsepower is heady stuff, capable of not only moving a vehicleto obscene speeds, but also of propelling its owner to a positionof prominence in the eyes of performance enthusiasts
Software Solutions For The Shop: Job Tracking Programs and More
Although computers began to make their way into the automotive aftermarket in the early to mid-1970s, only recently are rebuilders beginning to realize the benefits of shop management software for their businesses. One example of how shop software improves shop productivity can be found with job tracking programs. Job tracking allows managers to see the
Tackling High Performance Work
Obviously, there are many questions to be answered before a shop enters or expands its activities into the high performance arena. There are moderately successful performance-oriented machine shops scattered from one end of the nation to the other. There are also a significantly smaller number of VERY successful shops. Typically, the difference between the former