Shop Solutions September 2015
Several types of Honda heads have a rocker panel with a set of three rockers together. These rockers have pins that can easily fall out and be lost once the rocker panel is removed from the cylinder head. Before removing the panel, use a small wire to hold the three rockers together.
Bischoff Racing Engines
Bischoff’s is the largest engine-building facility we have visited. Bischoff started the organization two decades ago with the main emphasis at the time on rebuilding stock engines. Over the years, the attention to performance kept increasing.
Carburetor and EFI Conversions
Carburetors have long served the performance aftermarket and racing industry well. Although they disappeared from new vehicles back in the late 1980s to meet emission requirements, it was only a couple of years ago that NASCAR finally abandoned carburetors in favor of fuel injection.
Motor Oil Issues
One of the challenges of building engines for a living is making sure that every engine you build has good oil pressure and suffers no lubrication-related issues once it goes out the door. Good oil pressure requires main and rod bearing clearances that are within your target specs for the application, a good oil pump and the “right” motor oil.
Lake Headers
Have you heard the one about the hot rodder who walks into the engine shop and asks for exhaust headers for a 1928 Hudson he wants to race on the dry lakes? Matt Legare of Gear Drive in Minneapolis, will tell you, “no joke!” He actually built a set of Lake headers for an 87-year-old Hudson that was powered by a Ford 351 Windsor V8.
Brief Stoker Kit Installation Guide
Sydney Speed Supplies demonstrates a brief stroker kit installation of a Chevy 350 stroker kit.
Stroker Mania
Years ago, it was a big hassle and expense to stroke an engine. But one reason stroking is so popular today, is the convenient availability of the parts – usually sold in kit form to acquire those extra cubes. Many different strokes are offered from many different suppliers.
Camshaft Selection and Design
Choosing the right cam from all of the possibilities that are out there can make a significant difference in how well an engine performs. It’s all about balance and correctly matching the cam with the cylinder heads, compression ratio, intake and exhaust systems, and RPM range where you want the engine to produce the most torque and horsepower.
Shop Solutions July 2015
I made a quick and accurate piston ring aligner for checking end gaps out of a .030 over, 454 Chevy flat top piston. Just chuck the piston in a lathe and turn the ring lands down to a little under 4.000˝. The bottom of the oil ring land is about .950˝ from the top of the piston, and will align the ring in the block.
Southern Illinois Students Compete in COMP Cams Engine Builder Duels
Some of the nation’s best engine builders participate in the popular COMP Cams Engine Builder Duel. During the Du Quoin Street Machine Nationals, some future performance leaders proved that they are already very good at their craft.
Machine Shop Market Profile
As we move through our 51st year of covering this industry, the staff of Engine Builder recognizes that old adage – the more things change, the more they stay the same. What’s changed about this industry is, well, pretty much everything. What’s stayed the same is the dedication and hardwork of the professionals who keep engines running and customers happy.
When Oil and Water Mix – The Marine Engine Market
For those unfamiliar with marine engines, there is a common misconception that these are highly unique devices. This simply isn’t the case. If you can rebuild an automobile engine, you can rebuild a marine engine. If you can build a solid, reliable drag or circle track engine, you can build, or rebuild, a marine performance engine. The key to success is understanding the subtle differences and being able to recognize the pitfalls.
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?
Vanishing V8s: Downsizing Engines
The V8 isn’t dead yet, but storm clouds are brewing on the horizon. Concerns over global warming, CO2 emissions and dependence on foreign oil led the EPA to mandate new Corporate Average Fuel Economy rules. To achieve 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025, automakers may abandon the V8 altogether or restricting it to a handful of limited production applications.
Choosing the Right Oil Pump
Choosing a replacement oil pump for an engine you are building or modifying is a process that requires some thought. Original equipment oil pumps are usually adequate for most stock applications – but some are not, especially if an engine is being modified.
Allison Power
In December, we discussed the use of Allison engines – originally designed for use in WWII fighter planes – in watercraft applications. Now, we’ll pick up the story of these versatile powerplants finding success on dry land.
PRW SFI-Rated Steel-Elastomer Racing Dampers
PRW ha s announced its new line of SFI-Rated dampers available for AMC/Jeep, Chevy, Ford, Honda/Acura, Mopar, Oldsmobile, Nissan, and Pontiac applications. Unless otherwise identified, this series of steel-elastomer racing dampers is OEM compatible.
Shop Solutions June 2015
In our shop we do a variety of cylinder heads for late-model diesel trucks. On jobs like 6.0L Fords, 5.9L Cummins or 6.6L Duramax diesels our customers often install ARP studs as an improved fastener. ARP highly suggests that the studs be re-torqued after the engine is run for the first time.
Schumann’s Sales & Service Ultimate Series Oil Pump
Schumann’s Ultimate Series Oil Pumps work with both small block and big block Chevys. The oil pumps have a cylindrical body shape, five gear volumes, an aeration bumper valve, and two and three ball valve oil modulated volume/PSI control.
Edelbrock Power Package Top End Kits
Edelbrock’s Top End Kits have been a huge hit due to their all-in-one-box convenience and “no guesswork” performance appeal. With just about everything you need to top off your Chevy, Chrysler or Ford, these Top End Kits are performance-proven.
