New Products for Modern V8 Engines
The numbers aren’t there yet, but engine builders and suppliers are taking notice of the new V8s. What has taken so long? For one, the new engines are more expensive and more complex. Some shops do not have the capability or expertise to work on them just yet, but more and more shops do. One
Head Gaskets 101: Part 1
In 1991, Ford introduced the 4.6L OHC V-8, commonly referred to as the Modular Ford V-8. It had, for its time, a revolutionary new head gasket design called MLS. Prior to that, most head gaskets were steel core designs with some sort of gasket paper attached to the core, so this was a big change
Engine Options Abound In The Street Rod Market
The National Street Rod Association (NSRA) provides the best definition of what street rods are all about. “By definition a street rod is an automobile of 1948 or earlier manufacture which has undergone some type of modernization to include any of the following; engine, transmission, interior refinements, and any other modifications the builder desires. In
Cam Drives and Timing Components
Cam timing plays a huge role in an engine’s power curve. Advancing cam timing shifts the power curve more toward the lower rpm range, while retarding it moves the power curve higher up the rpm scale. If an engine is being built for a particular application (stock, street/strip, drag race, circle track, you-name-it), how the
Smooth Moves: Today’s Surfaces Often Demand Different Finishes
When multi-layer steel (MLS) head gaskets became commonplace a number of years ago, there was a lot of concern that aftermarket surfacing procedures might not be able to reproduce the mirror-like finish that the vehicle manufacturers said was absolutely necessary to seal MLS head gaskets. The challenge was to duplicate the factory finish using out-dated
Engine Builder Shop Solutions: October 2011
GM LS Engine Building Tips The GM “LS” engine format (GEN III and IV) is a replacement for the Chevy small block. For performance purposes it is no problem to obtain 500+ horsepower from just about any version of this engine. The following are some tips and suggestions we have found to make working on
Boring and Honing Tips and Tricks
One of the goals of boring and honing cylinders is to size the bores to a specific dimension. If an engine is being remanufactured to meet specific criteria, that usually means boring and honing to achieve a standard oversize (.010?, .020? or .030?). The oversize will depend on the thickness of the casting, how much
OHC Cylinder Head Rebuilding and Equipment
Originally featured mainly in European racing machinery from Fiat, Peugeot and Alfa Romeo in the early part of last century, by the 1960s companies like Fiat and Jaguar had introduced OHC production engines. It was advanced technology for the time, but today OHC is the norm for even the least expensive production engine. OHC cylinder
The Lifter/Cam Relationship
They are lifters, and they are critical to proper engine operation. “On the outside they look the same, but the inside is where the big difference is,” says Scott Reynolds of Scorpion Performance. “The mechanical or solid lifter is just what it sounds like: solid with no internal movement. These lifters are designed to be
Intake Manifold Gaskets
Back in the days when most engines had cast iron blocks, heads and manifolds, the intake manifold could be easily sealed with simple and relatively inexpensive die cut fiber faced metal gaskets (solid or perforated core). Sealer was usually required to ensure a leak-free installation. But in the late 1980s and early 1990s, fuel
What’s New with Oil Pumps, Pickups and Pans
The two greatest concerns from a lubrication standpoint are dry starts and loss of oil pressure while the engine is running. Dry starts are more of a worry in engines that have front-mounted oil pumps with relatively long pickup tubes, which includes such popular engines as the GM 3800 V6, Chrysler 3.5L V6, etc. as
Ford Modular Engine Toast of 20th AETC
Because many engine builders have scratched their heads trying to figure out how to build powerful AND durable Modular engines, Ford fans were waiting in anticipation like kids in a candy store for the 20th annual Conference, ever since the topic was announced at last year’s AETC. AETC prides itself on its access to speakers
Ward
Wards Autohas announced its 10 best engines of 2010, and the underlying theme this year was fuel economy. Focusing on fuel efficiency, Ward’spicked engines that allowed customers to downsize without sacrificing engine power. Following the less-is-more theory, six of the ten enginesselected were turbocharged or supercharged, and two were hybrids. Alsoincluded was a four-cylinder engine
Manifold Makeover – Increasing Engine Power
An intake manifold is more than the plumbing that connects thecarburetor or throttle body to the ports in the cylinder head. It is anintegral part of the induction system that has to match the airflowcharacteristics of the cylinder head and camshaft, as well as thedisplacement and rpm range of the engine. A well-designed manifold that
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
Engine Builder Shop Solutions: July 2009
The Modular Block ‘Main Event’ When performing main bearing housing bore work on an LS1, LS2, Ford 4.6L or other modular blocks the following procedures should be followed. First do all of your cap indexing, with cutting or aftermarket cap installation, then put the final torque on the mains. Next, install both cylinder heads and
Oil Pump Technology
Oil pressure is something every engine builder worries about. Low oil pressure or a loss of pressure can cause expensive warranty problems and catastrophic engine failures, neither of which is good for your business. Though the “bigger is better” mentality persists, most engines only need about 10 psi of oil pressure for every 1,000 rpm
Federal-Mogul Expands Fel-Pro Gaskets Line
Federal-Mogul’sFel-Pro gaskets product line has been expanded to increase the brand’scoverage of late-model domestic and foreign-nameplate vehicles. TheFel-Pro brand’s focus on providing 100 percent sealing coverage forpopular late-model and older applications helps engine rebuilders andrepair shops capture and service larger shares of the automotive andlight-truck sealing markets. The expanded Fel-Pro product line – which now
Time for Chains: Stock and Performance Timing Sets
Timing chains and gears are engine parts that are usually replaced when an engine is rebuilt. Over time, gear teeth wear and chains stretch. This can cause noise, retarded valve timing (and ignition timing if the engine also has a cam-driven distributor), and a noticeable loss of performance and fuel economy. A new timing chain,
Piston Options and Opportunities
The sport compact market, it was thought, was going to breathe new life into the performance engine market, and for many years, the rapid growth of the market seemed to indicate that there was no limit to how big those little engines could get. Then something happened: to quote Engine Builder columnist and performance expert