Stroker Tips from the Pros
Engine Builder’s Stroker Motor Resource Guide has become an annual feature. Last year this publication ran an introductory story about increasing your business with the growing demand for stroker engines. It was focused on popular O.E. and aftermarket-based engine combinations, and covered the basic dos and don’ts of building a stroker motor. We are fully
Stroker Tips from the Pros
Engine Builder’s Stroker Motor Resource Guide has become an annualfeature. Last year this publication ran an introductory story aboutincreasing your business with the growing demand for stroker engines.It was focused on popular O.E. and aftermarket-based enginecombinations, and covered the basic dos and don’ts of building astroker motor. We are fully aware that the “bread and
Rebuilding the 3.8L Buick Engine
The Buick 3.8L has evolved from its humble beginnings as a cheap, easy to build, economy motor in 1962 into one of the best pushrod motors in the world. It started in life as a Buick V8 that had two cylinders “missing,” because that allowed GM to machine it on the same line as their
Carburetor Tuning For Performance and Restorations
The modern “square” design of Holley carburetors was popularly introduced during the late 1950s. Because this style of Holley carburetor featured a simple, modular design with interchangeable parts and a great degree of adjustability, it immediately found favor with performance enthusiasts. We’ll use the Holley 4150-series carburetors to illustrate how to select, assemble, adjust and
The Evolution of Aftermarket Product Lines: Where We Are Today and How We Got Here
(Part one of a five-part series to run on AftermarketNews.com) In today’s high-tech business world, the rate of evolutionary change continues to accelerate. As the aftermarket evolves, so do the product lines you carry in your stores or warehouses. The old saying, “History repeats itself and those who don’t understand it are bound to repeat
The Evolution of Aftermarket Product Lines: Where We Are Today and How We Got Here
(Part one of a five-part series to run on AftermarketNews.com) In today’s high-tech business world, the rate of evolutionary change continues to accelerate. As the aftermarket evolves, so do the product lines you carry in your stores or warehouses. The old saying, “History repeats itself and those who don’t understand it are bound to repeat
Horsepower – Building In and Bolting On
I consider myself blessed that for the last 35 years I’ve had the opportunity to hang around with some of the nation’s best engine builders and racers, and had the rare opportunity to pick their brains about engine building tips and tricks. Most of these concepts are pretty well known in the engine building community
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
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
Cleaning Engine Parts – In The Real World
Regardless of what kind of engine work you do, cleaning the parts is almost always the first step in any job. Parts need to be cleaned before they are machined for a variety of reasons: it helps keep your shop equipment cleaner (which means less mess and cleanup later), it uncovers the bare metal surface
Rocker Arm- Form & Function
For all the changes in the performance engine over the years, one constant remains – no matter what series they’re running, no matter what the payout, no matter if it’s just a couple of guys trying to outdo each other stoplight to stoplight, racers will often spend money they don’t have in search of the
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
Performance Connecting Rods
The connecting rods are a vital link between the pistons and crankshaft. They connect the reciprocal motion of the pistons to the rotational motion of the crank. The weight of the rods is important because it affects the reciprocating forces inside the engine. Lighter is usually better because less weight means faster throttle response and
Stroker Engine Kits
For more than 50 years the old saying “There’s no substitute for cubic inches” has been the credo of nearly every racer and hot rodder. Whoever created this unwritten universal law could never have imagined to what extremes today’s speed enthusiasts would take it. Now, unless you have a 420cid-plus small-block or a 550cid-plus big-block
Pumped Up For Peformance Oiling Systems
Most OE engines use a wet sump system, which can be modified for performance applications to improve oil control and increase horsepower. A dry sump system, on the other hand, has been specifically designed for performance applications and is mainly used at the higher levels of racing where oil control is critical for producing maximum
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
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
Engine Parts ETs Drop From Inspiration to Installation
It’s a simple process for those down in the trenches. An engine builder will make a phone call or click on a computer and within days, the latest parts show up at his shop, ready to be installed. But the traditional Stork method of delivery notwithstanding, exactly where do new engine parts actually come from?
Coretalk: Jasper Engines Unveils ‘Authentic Custom Drivetrains’ Program
Alex Ernst, Jasper Authentic Group Leader, says the division expects to produce approximately 1,300 engines in 2007. He says the number of drivetrain components that fit the profile of a Jasper Authentic built product will increase as the company begins to establish itself as “one of the premier custom remanufacturers in this market. With traditional
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