A Closer Look at BBC Bracket Racing Cylinder Heads
However, it proved to be just the opposite – sportsman racers loved it and it allowed local drag racing to thrive and grow. Back in its infancy, I covered weekly bracket racing in Southern California at the now defunct Irwindale and Orange County International Raceways. The action was hot and heavy with full fields of
Shop Profile: Let’s Go Racing
Corey Schlegelmilch of Donrich Machine &Driveline shop hasn’t finished remodeling thespace he took over five years ago. He says he needs more than this3,000 square feet to move in all of his equipment and do the kind of A– Z job he’d really like to do on his engines. Below is the article as it
Street Performance Valvetrains
Street performance requires everyday driveability and reliability. A good street performance engine should have a broad torque curve, plenty of low end power and a reasonable amount of intake vacuum at idle, especially if the engine is backed with an automatic transmission. A street engine also has to be capable of lasting tens of thousands
Building a Late Model Hemi Stroker
What is the purpose of stroking a motor? The answer is simple: to obtain more cubic inches. And in today’s economic times, it’s always best to achieve “more” with less – as in less money. The key word to many stroker enthusiasts today is “budget”. However, the word “budget” has a way of being interpreted
Selling Vintage Speed Can Help Business Until Business Gets Better
Due to these hard times, fewer customers are looking for your services, and they’re looking to spend as little money as possible. A small shop can survive on low-margin jobs for only so long before the overhead simply eats you alive. One alternative plan is to add a line of vintage performance engines that command
Today’s Niche Market Engine Opportunities
As we reported in our 2009 Machine Shop Market Profile, the total number of engines built is down, however, savvy engine builders know that finding the right niche markets can make the difference between success and failure of their business. With OEMs making engines that last well into the 200,000-mile range it’s no wonder rebuilders
Performance Rocker Arm & Shaft Systems – Time-Tested Technology Provides Proven Performance
The SB Chevy ball and stud stamped steel rocker arms were a revolutionary departure from the shaft mounted rocker arm systems of that era because they allowed it to outrev its competitors. More revs means more airflow and more power. It wasn’t until 1962 that Ford finally dumped their old Y-block 312 rocker shaft engine
James D
James D’Amore Jr. was brought up in the automotive industry. He started sweeping floors in his father’s auto repair business back in 1973 at the age of 12. He would pedal his bike to the shop nine miles after school every day. On the weekends he and his father went to Englishtown Raceway Park, NJ’s
Grassroots Road Racing: Will They Line Up For Your Engine Expertise?
Are there any opportunities in grassroots road racing? The answer depends on what is being raced. For the most part, track day cars and spec classes are going to offer only a few opportunities for engine builders, but there is a bright side in that you may get to do work for these racers after
Engine Builder Shop Solutions: January 2009
Top 10 Machine Shop Business Tips Engine Pro recently held a series of 8 focus-group meetings in the Midwest. Each meeting consisted of 8 to 10 machine shop owners and a moderator. Three questions were asked during the meeting. “What’s working? What’s not working? What do you need most to help you ‘make it’ for
Machine Maintenance: Be Straight With Your Jobs By Being Level With Your Machines
Before we get into the meat of this article, let me say thanks to all the fine folks who sent pictures of their shop pets in machine shops around the world. There are some good-looking shop pets out there. Let Me Level With You! Are we on the level? Are you half a bubble off?
Understanding Valve Design and Alloys
To the naked eye, a valve is a valve is a valve. Sure, there may be two, three, four or more of them in the cylinder head, but unless you have x-ray eyes, one alloy looks pretty much the same as another. The importance of coatings to today’s valves should not be overlooked, of course.
Connecting Rods: So Many Choices
Choosing a set of connecting rods for a performance engine is not as simple as it sounds. The rods you ultimately choose to use in an engine will depend on a number of factors, each of which can be critical to the life of the motor and the success of your customer. Your decision will
Diesel Performance: Just Blowing Smoke or a Real Profit Opportunity?
Traditionally, diesel engines are known for their long life, fuel economy, and efficiency in getting large loads from place to place. Diesel engines equal gasoline engines in horsepower per cubic inch, they have double the torque of gasoline engines, and they can achieve up to 40 percent better fuel economy, making them ideal for use
The Inside Angle on Valve Seats: What you need to know to go with the flow
No one knows airflow better than the legendary Joe Mondello, who rose to fame back in the 1960s for his race-winning cylinder head work. “Back in those days, we didn’t have flow benches to test our work. Our test bench was the drag strip. If a modification worked and made the car run faster, that’s
Still The Same Old Grind?
The market for crankshaft grinding has changed a great deal in recent years. With many passenger car and light truck engines now lasting upward of 200,000 miles, there’s much less demand for grinding crankshafts than there used to be. By the time the engine needs major work, the vehicle has often depreciated to the point
Get Ready For The Perfect Storm
Prior to $5 per gallon gas many of us wouldn’t have given the sport compact market a second thought. After 13 years of meteoric growth, the high performance sport compact market stalled, nosed over, and settled into a holding pattern. The Fast & Furious crowd just lost interest. The huge sport compact enthusiast books suffered
Crankshaft Selection Dictated by Design
We like to think that inside a modern engine, for all the violent explosions and metal-straining power, a whole world of harmony can be found. Parts work together to produce the most power possible, races are won and trophies are captured. Of course, this “cooperation” is a little deceptive. While there are dozens of parts
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
Executive Interview with Michael Tate, General Manager, MAHLE Clevite Inc.
From aftermarketNews.com In September, Michael Tate joined MAHLE Clevite as general manager. He brings 26 years of aftermarket experience to MAHLE Clevite, most recently with SPX Service Solutions. In addition to SPX, Tate held a variety of sales management positions with such companies as Parker Automotive, Dorman Products and Phillips & Temro Industries. As GM