BorgWarner Presents Trophy To Indianapolis 500 Winner Tony Kanaan
Following the 97th running of the Indianapolis 500, BorgWarnerPresident and CEO James Verrier presented Tony Kanaan with the Borg-Warner Trophy in Victory Lane. Tony Kanaan ‘s sterling silver imagewill be the 100th added to the prestigious and historic trophy, joiningevery winner of the "Greatest Race in History." "The Borg-Warner Trophy symbolizes a long tradition
Learning From Broken Parts
In 1973, I was a sportsman drag racer. My car was the two-ton orange ’57 Mercury named, “The Big Animal.” The transplant engine was a pure stock Ford 427 FE 8V low riser I called “Old Reliable,” shifted by a top loader four-speed with a Hurst Competition Plus shifter. In August of that year, I
Phaser-Style Variable Valve Timing System Controls and Operation
By Matt Dixon, assistant professor, Southern Illinois University Vehicles with variable valve timing (VVT) have become commonplace over the last decade. Even more commonplace are engines that use a phaser to manipulate camshaft position and, hence, valve timing. (See Figure 1.) The phaser style of VVT is the focus of this article. Figure 2: The
Ready for a Diesel Resurgence?
Diesel engine building will soon see an increase in numbers – very soon! Why do I say that? In an effort to eliminate smoking engines and reduce emissions, the EPA came down hard on tuner manufacturers just a few months ago, issuing warning/cease notices on diesel particulate filters (DPF) and EGR delete tunes/kits.
Valve Seats & Guides
Most engine builders worth their salt know that with the components and technology available today, it’s not that difficult of a task to make horsepower. With the availability of so many performance parts – whether it’s from the OEM or the aftermarket – engine builders can pull from vast resources to achieve a balance between
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
Engine Builder Shop Solutions: March 2013
Safe Valve Spring Break-In Most engine builders are well aware of the fact that high performance valve springs should be compressed to coil bind through several cycles before being installed. The problem with this procedure is that it can be time consuming, costly and even dangerous. It is time consuming if each spring is compressed
Bearing Clearances
Is it better to build an engine with tighter bearing clearances and run it on low viscosity synthetic motor oil, or is it better to build an engine with more traditional or even looser bearing clearances and use heavier viscosity oil? Tight bearing clearances and relatively thin synthetic multi-viscosity motor oils work well in many
Rebuilding Chrysler’s ‘Revived’ Engine Family
Casting numbers, VIN codes, components and processes to rebuild/remanufacture these engines are compiled for Chrysler’s newly revised engine family including 4 cylinders, V6s and V8s Chrysler made some major changes in their engine line-up starting in ’07. They replaced their four cylinder engines in everything but the PT Cruiser in ’07, updated the 4.7L V8
The Raptor Takes Flight
In an age when kids would rather hot rod their computers than their cars, it’s kind of amazing that old fashioned hot rodding still exists – even thrives in today’s society. While computers certainly have their place, the younger generation is still looking for entertainment and thrills – whether captured in HD?or in real life.
World’s Smallest V8 Engine
Gary Conley’s 30-year quest to manufacture a true production V8 engine in quarter-scale almost went up in smoke twice, once in 2001 when a foundry fire claimed all his critical molds, and later when oil smoke proved a stubborn problem during run-offs of the engine. Conley overcame the first setback with years of sheer determination.
Top Reasons and Causes for Camshaft Failure
Of all the damaged cams that Crane Cams has checked over the years, it says more than 99.99 percent have been manufactured correctly. Some people have the misconception that it is common for a cast iron flat tappet cam to occasionally have a soft lobe. Crane says they have yet to see a cast iron
Custom Crankshafts and Connecting Rods
As an engine builder, you get to decide what parts go into the engines you build. If you’re rebuilding a stock engine to stock specifications, you’re probably going to use a reconditioned stock crankshaft and connecting rods to keep costs down. There’s no reason to upgrade these parts because they should be adequate for the
Restoration Engine Market Update
The resto market can be a good source of extra business or a solid specialization option You might joke that the restoration engine marketplace is a “dependable” business niche. Trying to get a handle on its size, shape and character depends on with whom you talk and what they consider a vintage car to be.
Buying Parts In A Storm
Business signs are still unclear as we daily set forth on an uncertain journey. Business can be complex. And if you are the boss, your world becomes even more complex. We are each responsible for what we do or don’t do and we can only really control ourselves and our own actions. You know things
Cylinder Sleeve Installation Procedures for 2002-2006 GM Ecotec Engines
This information is an update to previously published information on cylinder sleeve replacement for 2002-2006 GM Ecotec 2.0L, 2.2L and 2.4L 4-cylinder engines. A Cylinder Sleeve Removal/Installation tool (p/n EN45680-850) is required for this procedure. Tools are available from Kent Moore. Do not chill or heat the cylinder bore sleeve or the cylinder block when
Engine Builder Shop Solutions: February 2013
5 Tips For a Manual Milling Machine Editor’s Note: A manual milling machine is typically at the heart of every machine shop. In the following, Jim Kovach gives some useful tips on how to get the most from your mill. 1. Always use a high-quality machinist’s square on the mill. You will be surprised how
Federal-Mogul Launches Product Technology Partnership With John Force Racing
Federal-Mogul Corp.and John Force Racing Inc. (JFR) have announced a technology partnership for the development and testing of next-generation performance spark plugs on nitromethane-fueled drag racing engines and other demanding applications. "Even the most sophisticated computer-based simulations and other advanced engineering tools can’t begin to match the operating environment of a nearly 8,000-horsepower Top
Beseth, Corey Win $1,000 in Engine Pro’s ‘Top 5 of the Past 5’ Contest
Engine Builder and Engine Pro recently teamed up to offer the "Top 5 of the Past 5" awards to commemorate the last 5 years of Shop Solutions. We awarded both the Shop Solution authors and our readers who helped us choose the winners with cash prizes. Jeff "Beezer" Beseth of Beezer Built Inc., Newton Square,
Today
Although extremely important, the job of cleaning engine parts leaves nothing to the imagination. You’re idly standing with a spray gun in your hand or beside a washer tank or cabinet. It’s a basic, time-consuming procedure, but that grime, oil and baked-on sludge won’t come off by itself. This necessary evil is the difference