Heavy Duty Diesel Rebuilding Opportunities
It’s certainly no secret that the engine rebuilding industry has been hurt by better quality, longer-lasting automobile engines. The same thing – but taken to an even greater extreme – can be said about the heavy duty diesel engine market. “The quality of today’s engines – both automotive and diesel – is so much better
Cylinder Head Crack Repairs
It seems as if many cylinder heads are doomed to crack from the very start because of their lightweight construction and design. Aluminum overhead cam (OHC) heads, in particular, are often found to be warped as well as cracked. But so too are many pushrod cast iron heads. One of the causes of cracking in
Coretalk: Cummins, Scania Joint Venture To Produce Next-Generation Fuel Systems
Cummins-Scania XPI Manufacturing LLP is a 50/50 joint venture, which builds on Cummins-Scania partnerships in fuel systems development and manufacturing that date to January 1992. The two companies currently produce the HPI fuel system, which eventually will be replaced by the XPI (Xtra-High Pressure Injection) system. The XPI common rail fuel system is expected to
Rebuilding the Ford 3.0L
This engine came out of the Cleveland Engine Plant #2 (CEP2), originally opened in 1955 to manufacture the 361 cid truck engine. By 1985, this facility was down to 400 employees and on the verge of closing. Then in 1988, plant renovation was begun (with the 3.0L Duratec engine family on the drawing board) at
Tech Notes
Engine Builders: The AERA Technical Committee offers the following information regarding camshaft identification for 2001-2003 Hyundai 3.0 and 3.5L engines. Previously published service manual information has been called misleading, resulting in incorrect assembly. Each of these engines use four unique camshafts that look the same. Each camshaft for the 3.0L and 3.5L engine is etched
Common Technologies, Uncommon Fuels, New Challenges
There is a “shade tree law” from the 1970s that states that computing capacity doubles every few years. In fact, computing capacity for the size of the computer or device has outstripped that by several orders of magnitude in the last five years. As evidence of that, we now see cell phones that were only
Coretalk: Recon Automotive Founder Armand J. Mancini Dies
He leaves behind his wife of 42 years, Carole, and three sons and a daughter – Armand, Vincent, Daniel and Carrie Mancini Young. He is also survived by three brothers, a sister and six grandchildren. Mancini was an icon of the automotive remanufacturing industry, having founded Recon in 1973 and building it into one of
Technotes
Engine Builders: The AERA Technical Committee reports information regarding cracked valve spring retainers on 1999-2002 Audi/Volkswagen 1.8L turbo AEB and ATC engines. This information is an update to a previously published bulletin as some information has changed. It had been reported that exhaust valve retainers have cracked while in service allowing valve keys to unlock
Performance Pistons
Piston manufacturers are introducing new performance pistons for all of these applications as well as refining existing piston designs to reduce weight, and improve strength, durability and ring sealing. Piston design and manufacturing used to be a relatively low-tech process. Now, with the aid of finite element analysis and other computer modeling techniques, many aftermarket
Tech Notes
Engine Builders: AERA members have reported an oil cooler leak on 2001-2004 GM 6.6L VIN 1 and 2 diesel engines. This engine is the Duramax™ used in many pickup models as well as some Topkick series vehicles. Minor imperfections in the engine block’s machine surface at the oil cooler interface may allow engine oil seepage
All About The Alloys – Valve Seat Selection For High Performance Applications
We can’t make any sweeping generalizations about what kind of seats work best in a performance engine application because “performance” covers a lot of territory, everything from hot street engines with stainless steel valves to top fuel drag racing and NASCAR engines with titanium valves. Seat requirements vary depending on the application, what kind of
Shop Management Software
Reality TV puts ordinary people into difficult, often dangerous situations with the sole purpose of providing entertainment to millions of people. Except for the “entertainment” and “millions of people” part of the equation, that also sounds like just another business day. How often do you as a machine shop owner or engine rebuilder feel that
Shop Line
We’ve had complaints of recurring oil leaks on some Navistar 7.3L diesel engines. Can you offer any solutions? There have been reports of engine oil leaks on 1994-2003 Navistar 7.3L diesel engines. These leaks most often occur shortly after cylinder head service has been completed. To reduce the likelihood of reccurring leaks, a new end
PERA’s Core Corner: Learn To Read The Bumps On GM Gen III Heads
Back a couple of hundred years ago, some brilliant thinkers believed that the bumps on your head could be used to diagnose your health or predict personality traits. Using the psuedo-science “Phrenology,” advocates would feel your scalp and tell you if you were a genius or a criminal (please, no amateur diagnoses based on the
Gessford Machine, 2004 Machine Shop of the Year
If you asked a roomful of people to make a list of the 20 most exciting cities in the world, you would probably find New York, London, Paris, Rome and Beijing on every list. While the exact order and final tally of cities might vary, it’s unlikely that Hastings, NE, would even be mentioned. But
Shop Line: How do I properly install and time the camshafts on an Isuzu 3.2L V6?
How do I properly install and time the camshafts on an Isuzu 3.2L V6? The AERA Technical Committee offers the following information on camshaft installation and timing procedure for Isuzu 1998-2000 3.2 and 3.5L DOHC V6 engines. There are a number of steps you must follow to install and set the timing of these camshafts
Tech Notes
Engine Builders: The AERA Technical Committee offers the following information regarding harmonic damper loosening, key shear and crankshaft damage on 1992-2002 GM 6.5L diesel engines. This condition has been reported on engines that have been in service a long time as well as engines shortly after re-installation of the harmonic damper. In some instances, over
PERA’s Core Corner: Solving The Riddle Of The V10 Chrysler Cylinder Head
In this month’s Core Corner, we ask the question: “When is something you know not what you think you know?” Sounds like a mystery, doesn’t it? For example, when is a car not a car? When it turns into a parking lot! I know, I know – don’t quit my day job. But that really
Shop Line
I have found differing torque values published for the 1.8L Toyota engine. What are the correct torque values? The AERA Technical Committee offers the following information regarding main bearing bolt torque specifications for 1998-2003 Toyota 1.8L 1ZZFE and 2ZZEGE engines. There has been some confusion as to the correct torque value for these engines. Some
Installing a cam timing gear on a 1.8L Toyota
I’ve been having trouble installing a cam timing gear on a 1.8L Toyota. Any advice? The AERA Technical Committee offers the following information regarding the camshaft timing gear installation for 1998-2003 Toyota 1.8L 1ZZFE engines. Some difficulty has been expressed while installing this gear as the gear rotates within its hub. A new camshaft timing