Remembering Vic Edelbrock Jr.
Vic Edelbrock Jr., 80, passed away Friday, June 9, 2017, at his home in Rolling Hills, California, due to complications from a cold. He built Edelbrock Corp. into a multi-million-dollar enterprise with its own foundry, development labs, ad department and assembly lines, employing 700 people in three shifts. Edelbrock Jr. was at the helm until 2010
The Profit Potential in Performance Diesel Automatic Transmissions
When your diesel customer comes into your shop wanting to upgrade the performance of his pickup’s engine, are you missing the opportunity to sell him an upgrade for his automatic transmission as well? It should be a fairly easy sale when you remind him of the increased horsepower and torque he will have from the engine, and in order to take full advantage, his automatic transmission will also need an upgrade.
Mr. Gasket Header Gaskets
Holley/MSD has announced the release of a complete line of Mr. Gasket header gaskets for everything from daily drivers to all-out race cars and everything in between.
Immovable Objects & Irresistible Force
Today’s tractor pulling might hardly be recognizable to farmers of yesteryear, but the premise is the same. Who can do the most work with the biggest tractor in the shortest amount of time. But really, can what these guys do with the monster machines they create really be called work?
High Performance Engine Bearings
Building a high performance engine is always an adventure. You never know how much horsepower and torque an engine will make until it’s on the dyno. And you never know how well the engine will hold up until it is put to the test on the strip, race track, street or water. The bearings that
Going Faster in 1954
I have a large library in my office consisting of Hot Rod How-to books and annuals from the 1940s, ‘50s and ‘60s. During one of my recent review sessions I found a chapter introducing nitromethane and its use for drag racing. Keep in mind this is 1954 technology… The article began by explaining that hot rodders
Exhaust(ing) Your Options
Here in the pages of Engine Builder magazine we have countless articles about choosing the right set of pistons, putting in the perfect crankshaft, selecting the best connecting rods and the list goes on and on for identifying what parts and products go into your engines. However, there is one item we seldom cover –
Pro Touring – Engine Update
Pro Touring is the niche of niches in the performance world today. And why not, as it’s pretty much anything goes with these truly unique machines. The fundamental theory behind them is to take a car that is not historically significant and update the handling and performance with today’s seemingly endless supply of modernized parts
To The Victor Go The Spoils – Victory Engines
Ray Banyas was given two weeks to decide if he wanted to buy Myles Engineering and go from long-time employee to owner of the Cleveland-based engine shop. The alternative? The business would shut down after being open 70 years. “A friend of mine said, ‘You might as well try it. You’ll kick yourself if you
GM DURAMAX V8 Diesel – The Next Small Block Chevy for the Diesel Hot Rodder?
If you look back into automotive history, hot rodding and performance upgrades for power are rooted in such V8 classics as the flathead Ford and small block Chevy. But when you look on the diesel side of history, most big torque power plants utilized the inline 6-cylinder configuration since near-perfect piston to rod angles create
Big Power, Big Products – Search for increased longevity and durability in diesels continues
Modern diesel engine platforms offer a great source of power potential regardless of the manufacturer. I suppose that is why the mid-size diesel truck has become so popular among the younger generation. Take an engine that already makes power and find ways to make more. Turbocharged diesel engines have a huge amount of power gains
I Object! – Be Sure Your Sources Are Reliable
Like Perry Mason, I don’t trust hearsay information. When I am not sure of something, I consult a book, website or ask someone who is an expert about the information I seek. Having been in an automotive and racing career for 50 years, I have a huge collection of Chilton and Motor Manuals, from 1935
Wet & Dry Sump Oiling Systems – Choosing the Right System for the Right Job
If you are building a customer’s “dream engine” what type of oiling system should you use? The answer to that question will depend on the application (street, drag, circle track, road race, off-road or marine), engine RPM and how much your customer is willing to invest in a lubrication system. Your choices may also be
AFTERMARKET DIESEL INNOVATIONS – Evolutionary, Revolutionary or Illegal?
Diesel technology has come a long way, evolving from smelly, dirty, slow, workhorse engines to clean-burning, high-torque, high-horsepower engines that can give many gasoline engines a run for the money on a drag strip or race track. Diesels aren’t just for towing or pulling anymore, they’re finding a niche in all kinds of performance applications
Building A Ford 460 Stroker
Any automotive enthusiast would agree that the quest for more power is the true addiction. From simple bolt-ons to hardcore internals such as different bore and stroke combinations tend to fuel our burning desire. Every enthusiast seems to have a passion for a particular brand of manufacturer. Take for instance the Flathead Ford V8 engine.
UNDERSTANDING ROD RATIOS
Performance engine builders are always looking at changes they can make that will give their engine an edge over the competition. Rod ratio is one of those factors that may make a difference. Changing the length of the rods with respect to the stroke of the crankshaft offers some advantages in certain situations, and may
Pro Stock Quandary
One of my first writing heroes was Robert Benchley and his first book I read was when I was a freshman at LaSalle Peru (IL) High School in 1954. While researching materials to use as an exordium for an English assignment, the humor literature section caught my eye. I found Robert Benchley’s 1936 collection of
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
The Lost Art and Business of Head Porting
If I had my current shop rate paid to me in a lump sum for every hour I spent porting and flowing heads and intakes in the ’70s and ’80s, I could build a new race car. In ’76 when I started running Pro Stock, my wife Linda got me a SuperFlow 110 for Christmas
The Street Rod Engine Market – What’s Hot and What’s Not in Selling to Hot Rodders
Street Rod/Hot Rod engines? Yeah, right! Defining this particular engine market has been likened to trying to nail Jell-O to a wall. There is an almost endless number of factors that cross engine “styles”’ usage and applications. It’s no different with hot rods. One hot rodder may want a stock unit just to keep him