Dyno Decisions Depend on Business Model
If you need a dyno only three or four times a year, you’re probably better off renting dyno time from another facility. If you build race engines for a living, an engine dyno is an essential part of how you do your job and ultimately the value you provide to your customer. So what are
The Business Case For Buying a CNC Machine
Like a good chef, a good machinist does a lot by feel and experience. These things can’t be learned in a few hours or even days – it takes years. When it comes to CNC machines, sometimes the sum equals more than its parts – but many times the parts generate more than its sum.
Engine Builder Shop Solutions: October 2010
GM Castech Cylinder Heads I’m sure most of you know by now about GM’s 4.8L and 5.3L Vortec Gen III and Gen IV V8 engines with Castech cylinder head castings. GM has sent a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) for Castech specific cylinder heads that are prone to cracking. GM’s TSB #06-06-01-019B covers 4.8L and 5.3L
Dynos and Test Stands: Profit Center or Business Black Hole?
Dynamometers allow an engine builder to test, tune and tweak his engines before giving customers the opportunity to do something foolish with them. In a recent poll on Engine Builder’s website, we asked our readers how important a dyno is to their business. According to our (admittedly unscientific) results, 44 percent of Engine Builder readers
Looking for Business?Profit Tips? Diesels Get You Smoking At
Interest in diesel motorsports is growing at a fever pace, and “lighting up” may well refer to the actions of hundreds of diesel pickup owners at dragstrips all across the country. I had the opportunity to be a guest of the National Association of Diesel Motorsports at the NADM?Diesel East Coast Nationals at Numidia Dragway
Respect Between Shops and Stores Strengthens Both
I have been lucky enough to make sales calls on hundreds of machine shops over the past 30-plus years. Some are still here today and sadly, some are not. In that time I have met a few machine shop owners who were hard working and quite successful. They put in their years, formed an exit
Question: What
Someone recently lamented to me that things aren’t really that good in the engine rebuilding business these days. Is this news to you? Of course it isn’t! We all know that there are many pressures on the industry that affect our jobs everyday. Statistics show that people are keeping their cars longer. This was traditionally
Finding Your Break Even Point
Why should you care what your business’ break-even point is? Whatpurpose does it serve to know what it is? More specifically, how do youdetermine which of your business costs are fixed and which arevariable? What costs affect your break-even point the most? How oftenshould this information be calculated? How do you use this informationto better
Take The War Out Of Warranty Claims
While it may have been an uncomfortable topic for some, I feel I succeeded with the previous column. Of course there are always those who dispute the need for personal responsibility. Since we live in a world full of handouts and government programs, why be responsible for yourself? I have a good friend who describes
Five Plans To Turn A Profit From Sales of Performance Parts
It seems that lately everyone wants to build high performance engines and sell high performance parts. But it has not always been that way. In the 1950s and ’60s, high performance engine builders were racers first and to feed their need for speed they built their own high performance parts. Many started small businesses producing
Scratching The Niche
If you have been a reader of this magazine for any length of time, you’ll know that one thing is certain: this isn’t the same industry it was even just a few years ago. Not so long ago, a car or truck that was more than six years old would have been considered a junker,
The Ups And Downs Of Valves
It’s always good to take a fresh look at some of the many engine components we work with. Rather than being lulled into complacency, the idea is to see what’s new, what trends are in play and to get a current reading from others on the inside. In other words, it’s good to keep it
Size Matters: Industrial Diesel Engine Builds
When it comes to the various rebuilding markets, almost nothing is as specialized as industrial diesel engines. While many experts say this market is growing at the moment, it can take a supersized commitment to compete in this niche segment because of remanufacturing competition from the OE manufacturers themselves. You’ll need to supersize your tooling
Mid-Range Diesel & Gas Industrial Engines
Engine builders involved in the industrial market say parts generally don’t cross over even though they may resemble their automotive counterparts. And shops that specialize in this market typically don’t build automotive engines. But don’t discount the opportunities these engines present, even if you don’t consider yourself an industrial expert. The builds are about the
PERA President Mark Fellanto
On the surface, you might suppose that Mark Fellanto, incoming president of the Production Engine Remanufacturers Association (PERA) is a pretty simple fellow. You can set your watch by his daily routine. Even he admits that if someone was looking to do him in, he wouldn’t be hard to track down. Fellanto rarely veers from
Performance Notes: Stud Vs. Shaft Rockers: Why You Should Make the Switch
When the Chevrolet small-block V8 was introduced in 1955, one of its most highly touted features was its lightweight, high-revving ball and stud stamped steel rocker design. Around 1962, several of my buddies proved that claim to be true, time and again, when they twisted their Duntov-cammed 283s to 7,200 rpm. In fact, this same
Machine Maintenance, The Art – And Business – Of Relationship Maintenance
Over the past few years, I’ve written quite a few articles on how to maintain your shop machinery, but now it’s time to talk about how to maintain something even more important: your relationships with your customers. Let’s face it…without customers we are out of business. You’ve probably heard the old saying, “all machine shops
Coretalk: Ultimate Golden Mechanic To Win $25,000, Year’s Worth Of Fuel From BP
BP is looking for an ideal candidate who has premium auto repair skills, a charismatic personality, is active in his or her community and is environmentally conscious. Independent auto technicians over the age of 21 are eligible to enter the contest. BP will select the three best mechanics who will receive an all-expenses paid three-day/two-night
Performance Notes, How To Compete With The Crate Motor Business
If you are a regular reader of the performance automotive consumer magazines you may have spotted a trend – many of the feature cars and tech articles are focused on crate motors. To an engine builder specializing in custom high performance engines, and for engine builders looking to get into the performance arena, this could
University of NW OH Hosts Engine Builders During Technology Conference
More than 250 engine builders learned about the most recent developments in engine building and toured the University’s soon-to-be completed High Performance Technology Building. Seminar topics included: Cylinder Head Welding; Proper Piston Ring Filing; OHC Cylinder Head Disassembly; CNC Machining; Dynamometer Technology; Performance Engine Technology; Crack Detection; Honing for Performance; Cylinder Head Performance. “This was