Race Engine Pistons and Rings
Cubic inches is the name of the game today. The performance piston market is being driven by bigger bore blocks and stroker crankshafts. A few years ago, a 540 cubic inch motor was a monster motor. Nowadays, some professional drag racers are running engines as large as 850 cubic inches, and 600-plus cubic inch big
Today’s Oil Not the Same
A recent camshaft company Technical Bulletin said it best: “Today’s engine oil is just not the same as it used to be, thanks to the ever tightening environmental regulations.” The EPA, car manufacturers, and the American Petroleum Institute (API) have done a great job reducing emissions and extending the life of emissions control equipment. However,
Performance Oils and Additives: Got Zinc?
How do you choose the right oil for your racing or performance engine application? While you don’t have to be a chemist to know there are differences in oil formulations, these variations can be as broad as the type of oil, or as specific as the additive package that is used. Your father’s motor oil
Pennzoil Unveils New
Pennzoil has embarked upon a new brand strategy that makes strong claims about the oil’s ability to help keep a vehicle’s engine clean. The company’s new brand initiative is built around the theme of “Feel the Clean” and will be supported by a new advertising campaign that made its debut with new television, print and
BMW
BMW’s Mini engine plant is located in Warwickshire, the British Midlands, which is part of BMW’s UK ‘manufacturing triangle’. The Warwickshire assembly line recently achieved a significant milestone, it built its one-millionth engine since production first started at the plant seven years ago. The continued growth of the Mini’s popularity has enabled BMW to add
AETC Brings Great Minds Together for the Eighteenth Year
The Advanced Engineering Technology Conference (AETC) has long been known for bringing great minds together to listen to some of the performance industry’s most noteworthy speakers discuss cutting edge engineering technology. Over the years there have been many fascinating speakers who have divulged some of their secrets, and this year continued with the tradition. This
USAC Names New President, Senior VP of Racing Operations
The Board of Directors of the United States Auto Club (USAC) has appointed Kevin Miller as CEO and president of USAC, and Jason Smith senior vice-president of racing operations. “USAC is excited to start a new era with Kevin and Jason on board,” said Johnny Capels, USAC Chairman. “Kevin brings a proven track record of
Growing Your Grassroots Engine Business
Webster’s Dictionary defines "grassroots" in several ways, including two that are particularly appropriate for this month’s article on racing engines. These two definitions are: 1) "Ordinary citizens, especially as contrasted with the leadership or elite." 2) "The origin or basis of something." The first definition could easily be interpreted as the local racers compared to
The Shermanator 347: A 530HP Gas Stroker You Can Build
A while ago Engine Builder ran a story on the popularity and basic dos and don’ts of stroker engines ( March 2007 Engine Builder). It received such great response that we are following up with a “real world” stroker engine buildup. In this case, it is an engine combination that is so popular that it
Tech Notes
Engine Builders: It is generally known by automotive technicians that motor oil is a necessity; but how many of those techs know what it actually is? Differences in formulations, even within the same brand, can be as broad as the motor oil type, or as specific as the additive package used. In order to help
Building Hot Rods & Muscle Car Engines
Sometimes the best opportunities are cleverly hidden in plain view. As one example, when Chris Lafferty of Lafferty Engine Creations was asked why he opted to expand beyond race engines into the hot rod and muscle car arenas, he snorted, “Just look outside.” His North Carolina facility sits squarely in the middle of both NASCAR
AETC Review
The 17th Annual Advanced Engine Technology Conference (AETC) was held for the second year in a row at the Orlando Convention Center, Dec. 11-13, just days before the opening of PRI. While the weather wasn’t frightful, there wasn’t quite as much Florida sunshine as the previous year either, but the talk around each morning’s breakfast
Understanding High Performance Valvetrain Technology
Parts are getting lighter, stronger and capable of producing more horsepower than ever before. One of the driving forces behind these advances has been the proliferation of aftermarket cylinder heads that require unique valvetrain components. In addition, new computer-aided design, modeling and manufacturing techniques are making it easier and faster for valvetrain component suppliers to
Aluminum Cleaning & Machining
Steel may still be the big dog when it comes to the content of the world’s motor vehicles, but aluminum usage in cars and trucks continues to increase. Fueled by the desire to save weight, time and energy, aluminum is gaining ground with manufacturers of parts and components. How does the use of aluminum in
Briggs & Stratton Race Engines
Briggs & Stratton may not sound much like a racing pedigree to anyone not involved in karting, but to those in the know, it’s a name that carries great power and respect. Most engine builders are probably familiar with Briggs & Stratton engines, but not in racing applications – your lawnmower or other garden equipment
Tech Notes
Engine Builders: Pennzoil® reengineered its Pennzoil Platinum™ full synthetic motor oil and introduced adaptive molecules that are designed to survive the searing heat, intense pressures and shearing forces of today’s precision-made engine parts. The unique adaptive molecules in Pennzoil Platinum™ are engineered to manage the constant mechanical stresses inside an engine. They constantly change shape
Fast Lane: Boosting Your Business With A Web Presence – Part II
In part one of this series (“A Web Site Can Add To Your Business Bottom Line,” August 2006 Engine Builder, page 38) we talked about the need for every business to have a Web site, regardless of what type of business you are in. Sadly, in the recent Machine Shop Market Profile in this very
Data Acquisition Systems and Engine Controllers
Motorsports in general and Formula One in particular is the leading edge (or bleeding edge, depending on how you look at it) of development of these electronic systems. With carburetors looking more and more like dinosaurs compared to modern electronically controlled engine management systems, engine builders – especially those building performance engines – must become
Tech Notes
Engine Builders: Synthetic oils have been available for almost 30 years and a number of inaccurate myths have developed during this time. Some areas of misunderstanding are clarified below, including manufacturer requirements for using synthetics, how to switch from conventional to synthetic oil and the effects of synthetics on an engine. Myth 1: Synthetic oils
Crack Detection
Take a look in the mirror. Smiling back at you, you’ll notice that row of pearly whites. They probably look pretty good. Maybe a bit stained from coffee or smoking, but overall, they seem to be pretty solid, right? If you’re like many people, the fear sets in as soon as you sit down in