Turbocharged LD9 Oldsmobile Quad 4 Engine
‘Only the truly unstable are welcome’ reads a sign in Harold Norry’s engine shop. The sign represents the unique engine work his customers bring him like this turbocharged LD9 Oldsmobile Quad 4 engine for a sport compact drag racing application.
Valve Lifter Basics and Beyond
Valve lifters play a key role in the valvetrain of pushrod engines. They go all the way back to the earliest days of the internal combustion engine. The earliest engines did not have pushrods or rocker arms. They were a “flathead” design with the valves in the block. The lifters (also called “tappets” because of the clattering noise they produced) rode on the cam lobes in the block and actuated the valves directly.
Modern Stroker Kits
Folks have been stroking engines as long as hot rodding has been around. Swapping Merc cranks in Ford Flatheads was a surefire recipe for a fast car. And as you can see from this as well as past Engine Builder Stroker Resource Guides, there is a kit for virtually any engine worth modifying.
Test Procedures Prove Race Oils Have Differences
One of the premier racing oil developers finally took the time (18 months) and spent the money (megabucks) to quantify the performance differences between various oil products.
High Performance Engine Oils
Boy, has life ever gotten complicated! Back in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s when Jim Kirby, Mike Kausch, and I were racing fueler Chevy funny cars, there were only about six American racing oils on the market. Three were produced by major oil companies (Pennzoil, Quaker State and Valvoline), and three were produced by
Timing Chains, Gear Sets and Belt Drives
The short answer to which type of cam drive is best depends on the application, what your customer wants and how much they can afford to spend. A stock link style timing chain is fine for everyday driving and normal use. “Silent tooth” link chains are quiet, long-lived and adequate for stock cams and valve
Form, Fit & Function – Valvetrain Components Must Work in Harmony
The upper valvetrain is one of the most critical components in an engine build, so it’s essential you choose the right parts for the application and install them correctly. Here are some suggestions for getting things right: DON’T USE “STANDARD” LENGTH PUSHRODS Many variables can affect the length of the pushrods that are required to
Preventing Connecting Rod Failures
Connecting rods are some of the hardest working parts inside an engine. Fortunately, rod failures from severe overloading don’t happen that often. However, they can occur in racing or extreme street performance applications. So here’s what you need to know.
Shop Solutions August 2016
The old adage, “Time is money” has never been more true than it is today. With the high costs of labor, doing a job quickly and efficiently can be the difference in making money or losing it.
High Performance Engine Oils
Now we have break-in oils, high-performance oils, hot rod oils, and turbo oils in addition to traditional racing oils, each developed to be very application specific. So how in the world is the average guy supposed to understand all this new complexity?
Performance V6 and Four Bangers
Any engine builder worth his or her torque wrench keeps their eyes open. They’re looking for anything and everything to make work easier, better and, of course, more profitable. When it comes to the number of cylinders in the motors they build, are they looking at performance-dedicated six and four cylinder engines as a viable source of income?
Upgrading Valve and Seat Equipment
If high quality head work is a cornerstone of your business, you should review your current situation to see if an equipment upgrade could improve not only the quality but also the quantity of your work.
Greetings From Bonneville
This year an opportunity came to go to a gathering of speed freaks drawn together from around the world. An event that I’ve now learned is on most “Motorhead’s” bucket lists, and was put forth as the background for a great movie that hit limited screens in 2005 and is recorded on DVD in many of our video libraries. The movie was “The World’s Fastest Indian,” and the event is simply called “Bonneville.”
Reflecting on ‘Speedy’ Bill Smith’s Impact on the Performance Industry
I met “Speedy” Bill Smith while on a magazine assignment for a former hot rodder magazine back in April of 1999. The magazine editor called early one Monday morning… “I know you only write technical articles for the magazine but we need somebody to go interview “Speedy” Bill Smith in Lincoln, Nebraska. You are the
Pick-a-Part: Selecting Valvetrain Components for a Performance Build
Selecting the right components to make a race-worthy valvetrain is crucial to assembling an engine that will last – and win. The pushrods, rockers and valve springs must be able to handle all of the stresses of the camshaft rotating with high spring pressures and with huge lift. As we all know, weakness in any
Future Alternative Fuels Could be a Gas
Alternative fuels such as E85 and biodiesel that were once considered fringe fuels are now mainstream. You can burn any mixture of gasoline and E85 in any vehicle that is Flex Fuel capable. As for biodiesel, blends ranging from B05 (5% biodiesel) to B100 (100% biodiesel) are being used in all kinds of diesel applications.
December Issue Shop Solutions for Engine Builders
Piston Ring Gapping Tip Some of you may know this ring end gapping tip, but I have never seen it anywhere. Not even in ring package instructions. This has to do with checking the flimsy oil rail gaps. Most conventional size bores are not much of a problem. The rails on those sizes usually have a lot
Scratching the Surface: Coatings and Treatments for Engine Components
When it comes to preserving performance parts, it’s the ‘Icing on the Cake’ Various kinds of coatings and surface treatments can be applied to engine parts like icing on the cake to improve durability, enhance scuff resistance and lubrication, control heat, boost thermal efficiency and reduce friction. No single coating or surface treatment can
Gems From ’49 Bell Catalog
Long before the Internet, there was a man with a vision – and a catalog When Roy Richter wrote, “Here it is”on the inside cover of his 1949 Bell Auto Parts Catalog, he probably didn’t realize what he started. He said it was, “the most comprehensive and up-to-date catalog of racing equipment.” Bell Auto Parts
Valvetrain
Selecting the right components to make a rock-solid valvetrain is key to assembling an engine that will last – and win. The pushrods, rockers and valve springs must be able to handle all of the stresses of the camshaft rotating with high spring pressures and with huge lift. Weakness in any part of the system