Pick-a-Part: Selecting Valvetrain Components for a Performance Build
Selecting the right components to make a race-worthy valvetrain is crucial 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. As we all know, weakness in any
Choosing the ‘Right’ Oil
Every engine builder knows the importance of using not only high-quality motor oil in an engine, but also an oil that has the right additive package and viscosity for the application. This is especially important in performance applications where extremes of heat and pressure can push many ordinary motor oils to the brink. Motor oil
Rebuilding Liberty: Engine Notes on Jeep’s 2.4L I4 Engine
In 2002, the Jeep Liberty was the first Jeep to use the two new Chrysler-developed Power-Tech engines – the 2.4L straight-4, (which was eliminated in 2006), and the 210 hp 3.7L V6. The 2.4L I4 PowerTech is a Neon engine variant based on the Chrysler engine that was designed originally for the Dodge and Plymouth
Scorpion Endurance Series Shaft Mount Rocker Arms
Take your rocker arms to the top level with more horsepower and reliability with race proven performance from Scorpion Racing. Give your small block Chevy the rock-solid valve control of shaft mount rocker arms. Made in the USA for the most demanding endurance racing applications, Scorpion’s Endurance Series Shaft Mount Rocker Arms smoothly transfer camshaft
Tracking Down the Coyote
Today, restoration projects seem to be at an all-time high. You would have to admit that there is a love for true American iron. True American iron is also becoming rather hard to come by. As Americans, we were always proud of our cars and trucks. The vehicles manufactured by the BIG 3 (Ford, GM,
Voodoo Aluminum Roller Rocker Arms
The product of extensive testing, these CAD designed and FEA optimized rockers were engineered specifically for high-performance street engines. Constructed from extruded aircraft quality aluminum and CNC machined to precise tolerances, the superfinished surface increases durability and sheds oil. They are lightweight yet strong enough to handle aggressive spring pressures and higher lift cams while
The Inner Workings of Variable Valve Timing
Variable Valve Timing (VVT) is a way to advance/retard valve timing, and change duration, overlap and even lift in some applications while the engine is running. VVT is computer-controlled and typically uses oil pressure to change the position of a phaser mechanism on the end of the camshaft to advance or retard cam timing. VVT
Building Blocks: The Foundation of Any Engine Build
Every engine project starts with the block because the block is the foundation for everything else that follows. The block determines bore and stroke, camshaft and lifter location, oil pump location and oil galley configuration, what kind of main bearing caps can be used to support the crankshaft, and what kind of cylinder heads, oil
‘Fine Tuning’ Your Work: Customer Service After the Build
Customer satisfaction is every bit as important as the quality of your work if you expect to be a successful engine builder. You see, even when you build your customer the perfect engine, your customer must be happy with how their engine performs or your business and reputation will suffer. Far too many good engine
Manifold Matchmaker – Tips for Selecting the Right Manifold for Your Engine Build
Every engine needs some type of intake manifold to route air into the engine’s cylinders. With carbureted engines, the intake manifold has a wet plenum and runners because the manifold has to flow air and atomized fuel at the same time. Consequently, the manifold runners can’t turn or twist too sharply otherwise the heavier fuel
Holley Announces Gen 3 Ultra Dominator
The original Dominator took carburetion to another level in 1969 when it was developed for NASCAR racing. It has been refined over the years, and is now receiving its biggest change ever. Holley is proud to introduce the Gen 3 Ultra Dominator featuring an all new main body, all new calibrations, high capacity fuel bowls,
Engine Run Stand Tips
Engine test stands have evolved through development and engineering to help support engine shops, dyno testing facilities and technical trade schools, as well as manufactures. When the topic of dyno testing is tossed around, many think of exhausting every ounce of horsepower and torque. Others focus on profits and cost per hour. This is where a well-engineered engine run stand
Dyno-Might: Utilizing a Dynamometer to ‘Boost’ Engine Builds
Some would say that one of the criteria for being a “real” performance engine builder is having your own engine dyno. A dynamometer is not just a tool for measuring horsepower and torque (though some people think that’s all a dyno is used for). It’s a quality control tool that allows you to make sure
Hydrocarbon Heartburn? — Effects of Sulfur Reduction in Motor Oils
Let’s face it, things change. Not only have the prices of gasoline, diesel and motor oils changed in the last decade or so, the chemical makeup of these products have all changed, too. The reduction of sulfur in diesel fuel, gasoline and motor oil has had measurable effects on fuel injectors and other vital engine
Time in a Bottle — Reasons Behind Changing Engine Oils
When I was just a young pup in the 1960s working on lubes for Shell Research and Development, passenger car motor oils (PCMO) were much simpler and easier to understand. There were only three performance levels: motor light (ML), motor moderate (MM), and motor severe (MS). Auto manufacturers and lube oil marketers worked closely with
Handling Stress Fractures
Salvaging Cracked or Flawed Engine Parts through Detection and Repairs Cracks are often blamed as the cause of a head failure. In many instances, the cracks are not the cause of the failure, but a symptom of another underlying problem such as overheating, detonation or incorrect installation (wrong torque on head bolts, dirty bolt threads,
Scratching the Surface: Coatings and Treatments for Engine Components
When it comes to preserving performance parts, it’s the ‘Icing on the Cake’ Various kinds of coatings and surface treatments can be applied to engine parts like icing on the cake to improve durability, enhance scuff resistance and lubrication, control heat, boost thermal efficiency and reduce friction. No single coating or surface treatment can
Fuel Feature: Eliminating Poor Throttle Response
Impact of Today’s Gasoline on Carbureted Engines The pump gasoline sold at gas stations around the country has changed quite a bit over the last several decades. The first major change was the removal of lead from the gasoline. The next major change was to reformulate the gasoline to reduce both the evaporative and exhaust
Shop Solutions: October 2013 Issue
Balloons Belong at Birthday Parties Not in Transmissions I rebuilt a 454 GM engine that went into a motorhome application. It ran well, and no problems immediately appeared. But later on, it was towed in with a main bearing failure in the thrust area. I gave the customer another engine, and a month later it
Maintaining Your Balance: Engine Building Tips to Reduce NVH and Increase Life
A high revving racing engine obviously needs a good balance to minimize these destructive forces, but balancing can be just as beneficial to low revving engines, too. Nobody would argue with the fact that engine balancing is right up there with “blueprinting” an engine. The goal is to equalize the reciprocating and rotating forces inside
