PERA’s Core Corner
(Chrysler 3.3/3.8, That Is) Before the beginning of many sporting events there is a coin toss. After the referee gives instructions to each team he will throw a coin upward and the designated player has to "call it in the air." Once that coin leaves the referee
Valve Seat Installation Procedures
If a valve seat is damaged, cracked, loose, receded or too badly worn to be recut or reground, it can cause a variety of problems: loss of compression, valve burning, valve failure, valvetrain wear and breakage, even head and valve damage if the seat comes loose. For that reason, replacing valve seats is often necessary
Pinless intake valve yokes for Mack E-Tech diesel engines.
Engine Builders: The AERA Technical Committee offers the following information concerning pinless intake valve yokes for Mack E-Tech diesel engines. Beginning March 2, 2000 (engine s/n 0D0120), pinless valve yokes p/n 891gc328 were phased into production of all E-Tech engines. The pinless yokes are used for the inlet valves only. This change went into effect
Improving engine balance on 1992-2001 GM 6.5L VIN 7, F, P, S and Y diesel truck engines
Engine Builders: The AERA Technical Committee offers the following information on improving engine balance on 1992-2001 GM 6.5L VIN 7, F, P, S and Y diesel truck engines. This information should be considered any time this engine is remanufactured. While some owners of these engines have accepted the original driveability condition as normal, others have
The Drive For Performance Import Profits
The automotive industry has seen a great number of specialty niches since the first automobile owner decided to customize his Model T. Since that time, the search for the next great profit opportunity within the aftermarket has continued. The newest niche in the specialty aftermarket is the import performance market. Although modifying these small, powerful
Coretalk: September 2001
Ford Plans to Revamp Parts Distribution Network Ford Motor Co. is working to restructure and expand its United States parts distribution network to deliver service and repair parts to its dealers faster and more efficiently. Over the next three years, Ford plans to increase the number of parts distribution centers from 10 to 21, creating
Court Square Capital Owns 90% Of Delco Remy
Court Square Capital, a unit of Citigroup, announced that it has completed its buy of approximately $247 million in Delco Remy International shares that it had not previously owned. With the completion of this offer, Court Square Capital now owns about 90 percent of Delco Remy common stock. DRI Acquisition LLC, a subsidiary of Court
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 Obd Ii Shop: Will Machine Shops Be Able To Pass Added Technology Costs On To Their Customers?
These days, OEMs push the envelope in terms of precision engine building techniques. Will machine shops be able to pass added technology costs on to their customers? After a recent tour of the DaimlerChrysler Kenosha, WI, engine plant, I came away with a lot more questions than answers about the future of engine rebuilding, especially
Rebuilding Hot Rod Honda Engines
Traditionally, hot rodding has been as American as apple pie, baseball, hot dogs and Chevrolet. Certainly, imported vehicles have been "hopped up," but serious hot rodding has always been dominated by enthusiasts who believe that engines have eight cylinders, pushrods and 16 valves. For the past 40 years, machine shops catering to devotees of high
Valve Stem Seals
Valve stem seals play a critical role in controlling valve lubrication as well as oil consumption. If the seals do not fit properly or are not installed correctly, the guides may be either starved for lubrication or flooded with oil. Either way, the engine is going to have problems – and you’re going to have
“Heading” In The Right Direction: Heads Are A Hot Commodity These Days
Heads are a hot commodity these days, but itdepends on the application. Some heads like those for Chevy 350and Chrysler 2.2L/2.5L engines are always in demand, but pricesare low because of the glut of cores that are available for theseengines. Even so, anybody who’s selling heads these days has tohave them. The hot heads are
Steering A Course Through The Rack Wars: Today’s Market For Remanufactured Rack-And-Pinion
Is today’s market for remanufactured rack-and-pinionsteering units meandering through the doldrums of a mature aftermarket,or is it heading in a new direction that may soon create new opportunitiesfor rebuilders? Some say the worst is behind them. They sayrack prices have bottomed out, competition has leveled off, anda growing number of retailers have come to realize
Updating The Asian Import Engine Market: The Learning Curve For Part Identification
"The learning curve for part identificationis awesome" says Bob Gibson as he describes the difficultiesof imported engine core identification. As vice president forsales and marketing at Engine Masters, Inc., a Dallas, TX, productionengine rebuilder, Gibson knows that the demand for import enginerebuilding is growing, and that he’ll do what it takes to be apart of
Mopar Engine Platforms – 318, 360
Chrysler Corp. hasn’t built a rear wheel drive, V8-powered car (with the exception of the Viper) since the turn of the decade. And the cars that harbored V8s beneath their hoods during the late 1980s were about as appealing to performance enthusiasts as the front-wheel driven vehicles that replaced them. In spite of that fact,
The Nitty Gritty On Small Parts Cleaning: Many Ways To Clean Small Engine Parts
Tom Nichols, CEO and president of AutomotiveMachine & Supply, Inc., Fort Worth, TX, said availabilityis most often the key to why his shop cleans and reuses smallparts. Nichols said each day his shop cleans and reuses many smallparts, including valve locks, shims, springs, retainers, rockerarm assemblies, cam bore caps, nuts, bolts, etc. "Becausewe only
Valvetrains: Better Materials & Design
Pushrods would seem to be an endangered species these days, atleast as far as most new engine designs are concerned. The onlybrand new engines built in recent years with a pushrod valvetrainhave been Chrysler’s 8.0L V10 for the Viper and Dodge Ram, andGeneral Motors new "LS1" 5.7L small block V8. All therest have either been
Niche Market Opportunities
In today’s highly competitive market, it makes sense to constantlybe on the lookout for new opportunities. Information on the marketsdescribed in this article may provide some new business prospectsfor those shops not already involved with them. However, rebuildersshould constantly be prospecting for other niche markets for theirexisting products or services. There are potentially many products
Electrical Market The Market For Rebuilt Starters And Alternators Has Been Painfully Soft
So far this year, the market for rebuilt startersand alternators has been painfully soft for many rebuilders. Ina business that depends heavily on the weather to stimulate sales,a mild winter and a relatively cool spring and early summer havedone little to spur demand. For most rebuilders, sales have beenflat. In some areas of the country,
Making A Big Splash In The Marine Market
The average individual that would have owned a performance car in the 1960s, and the baby boomers that did, in many cases no longer have a modern affordable toy they can tweak to their own satisfaction. Serious performance today is often available to only a few with large checking accounts or extra good credit, and