The Best of Engine Builder Shop Solutions Presented by Engine Pro
We’ve narrowed the field to the top 20 Shop Solutions, and now we need your help selecting the Top 5. All you need to do is read the submissions listed below, pick you favorite and click through to vote, it’s that simple! The best part? By voting, you get a chance to win one of
Racing Rocker Arm Technology
The rocker arms play a more important role than ever these days in high performance valvetrains. The rockers are the teeter-totters that translate the upward motion of the lifters and pushrods to the downward motion that opens the valves. It seems like a relatively simple task, but it demands the utmost from the design of
Crank It Up
Whether you think diesel crankshafts are the same as or different from their smaller gasoline counterparts, you’re right. Diesel crankshafts and rotating assemblies – like their cousins in the gas engine world – turn a linear motion from combustion into a rotating motion that can move a vehicle, supply power through a generator, pump oil
Engine Blueprinting Basics
The top professional divisions in racing today for the most part run engines that are built to comply with a very strict set of rules for each series. In NASCAR, where the engines have been roughly the same 358 cid V8 for decades, the power output has steadily increased. Engines of the same brand that
Building A Top Class 565 Engine
What does it take to put a top-notch Sportsman drag racing engine in the winner’s bracket? Obviously, parts selection, assembly expertise and a talented driver are key. Over the years, Engine Builder has been an advocate of mastering the first two – the last one is always a gamble. But in some cases for that
Variable Valve Timing Can Help Save V8s, Environment
Not that I don’t supportthe environment and being responsible in our efforts to save the planet– I do. But the passion for the thunder of a throbbing,pavement-pounding V8 is, well, similar to that of the how your heartskips a beat when you think of your first love. What if you could stillhave the power, have
Breakin-In Is Hard To Do
Before we begin discussing assembly lubes and break-in oils, I would like to emphasize that no one factor is responsible for racing success (or failure). It’s like an algebraic equation with a lot of variables, all of which must be addressed. The same is true of engine assembly and break-in. You must utilize only those
Takin
Back in the old days, the late ’90s, when the economy was strong and incomes were high, people had a lot more money to put toward their favorite hobby, which for many was a souped up car that could be driven on the street but maybe also a little on the track as well. Today,
Avoiding Flat Cam Syndrome (#6)
Along with the use of assembly lubes, break-in oils with ZDDP (Zinc Dialkyl Dithiosphate), and a lifter bore grooving tool our shop does this; on all flat tappet cam engines our shop has added one step before final assembly. With the block in a bare and clean state we’ll put in the two end cam
MAHLE Clevite Inc. Introduces 65 New Part Numbers in September
The part numbers are available for a range of light vehicle and heavy duty applications. New part numbers are now available for the following products: Engine Camshaft Bearing Sets, Connecting Rod Bearings, Engine Crankshaft Main Bearing Sets and Thrust Washer Sets, Engine Pistons, Piston Ring Sets, Piston Pins and Piston Sleeve Assemblies, Piston Skirts,
Rebuilding the Buick 3300
This engine was installed in many of the "A" bodied cars including the Buick Century, the Cutlass Ciera and the Cutlass Cruiser wagon. It was also installed in some of the "N" bodied cars including the Buick Skylark and the Olds Cutlass Calais. The engine had a smaller bore (3.70" versus 3.80") and a longer
It’s All About The Choices
When I had difficulty coming up with ideas worthy of the space between the covers of this magazine it took only a couple of phone calls from customers before the light bulb came on: I realized I needed to examine the past to address the present. After two or three calls from customers relating their
Ford 460 Industrial Engine Considerations
However you wish to refer to the Ford 460, either as a Ford LSG875 orsimply as a 385 Series Ford, it was Ford’s largest V8 until it wasreplaced in 2000 by the Model WSG1068 6.8L V10 engine. TheFord 460 industrial engine was used in a variety of applicationsincluding wood chippers and tub grinders, co-generation systems,irrigation
Performance Oil Systems
For the engine to survive, the oiling system must be capable of supplying an adequate volume of oil under a wide range of operating conditions. The oiling system must also maintain adequate pressure to keep the oil flowing to all of the places where it is needed. Critical among them are the crankshaft and camshaft
New Catalog Highlights Expanded FP Diesel Coverage of International/Navistar Commercial Engines
A new catalog from Federal-Mogul highlights the FP Diesel brand’s expanded coverage of International Harvester and Navistar commercial engines. According to Federal-Mogul, FP Diesel is a leading source of original equipment-style replacement components for commercial engines used in on- and off-highway, construction, industrial, marine and other applications. In addition to coverage of Navistar DT466E
Engine Builder Shop Solutions: July 2012
Olds V8 Distributor Gear Lubrication Problems When building an Oldsmobile V8, especially a performance engine with a high volume oil pump, it is a must to drill a small squirter hole in the rear galley plug by the distributor gear. A hole .025? to .050? in diameter will do wonders for gear lubrication and save
7 Shop Survival Tips
Ford 5.0L/302 "Cobra" Cams Problem: Ford made a limited number of the Mustang Cobras with a "super-high-output" 5.0L in ’93, ’94 and ’95. They all had a unique roller cam (p/n F3ZZ-6250-A) that can be identified by the "GT" stamped on the barrel, right behind the distributor gear (see Figure 1, at right). This cam
Power Adders: Turbos, Blowers and Nitrous
The engine can only inhale so much air because the atmospheric force that’s pushing air into the engine is only 14.7 lbs. per square inch at sea level. To make matters worse, atmospheric pressure decreases with elevation. Air density also decreases with temperature because hot air is thinner than cold air. Most stock naturally aspirated engines
New Products for Modern V8 Engines
The numbers aren’t there yet, but engine builders and suppliers are taking notice of the new V8s. What has taken so long? For one, the new engines are more expensive and more complex. Some shops do not have the capability or expertise to work on them just yet, but more and more shops do. One
Rottler to Host Open House and AERA Tech Conference in September
There will be live machine demonstrations on Rottler’s entire range as well as technical seminars in conjunction with the AERA Regional Tech & Skills Conference on Friday and Saturday. The open house and tech conference is a FREE event. It is recommended that attendees RSVP early to enter the travel raffle. First Prize is round-trip