The Constant of Change
Although "change" is a frightening word to many people, reasons Yamato Engine Specialists’ Asiff Dhanani, there’s simply no point in questioning it. Of all the "sure things" in business, the only certainty is that situations definitely change. Dhanani, incoming president of PERA explains that the change in this industry is not new. Things have been
Pinning Down The Cold Repair Process
Cracks in cylinder heads and blocks present various challenges to rebuilders. When a crack is found a rebuilder must decide what the best method of repair will be. Many machine shops don
2003 Machine Shop Market Profile
2003 Machine Shop Market Profile
Thrust Bearing Failure
Thrust bearings are used to control end play in the crankshaft. End play is important because it limits the fore and aft movement of the crankshaft in the block. If an engine is assembled with too much end play in the crank, or if the thrust bearing fails, the forward movement of the crankshaft in
Industry Events
April 18-27: New York Auto Show, New York, NY; 800-282-3336 or www.autoshowny.com. April 23-25: PERA Spring Marketing/Technical Seminars, Las Vegas, NV; 847-439-0491 or www.pera.org. April 24-26: AERA International Rebuilders Expo 2003, Las Vegas, NV; 847-541-6550 or www.aera.org. April 25-27: 2003 SEMA International Auto Salon, Los Angeles, CA; 909-396-0289 or www.sema.org. May 2-4: Carlisle Custom Compact
Incoming AERA Chairman Mike Schaefer, Southern Illinois Crankshaft
Ask Mike Schaefer, incoming chairman of the Engine Rebuilders Association (AERA) what the association means to him and he’ll have an immediate and impactful answer: "Without AERA, we wouldn’t have survived." When he opened the doors to Southern Illinois Crankshaft, Red Bud, IL, in November of 1985, and bought his first crank grinder, the salesman
What
A. The AERA Technical Committee offers the following information regarding revised rocker arms and shafts for 1989-
What should I tell my installers about GM coolant fill procedures with my rebuilts?
A.If you rebuild model year 2003 GM 4.8L, 5.3L or 6.0L VIN V, T and U truck engines, your customers may be unaware of new GM coolant fill procedures. The following is good information to duplicate and include with a rebuilt engine. Following this procedure will ensure that the engine coolant system has been filled
Washington Way
Occasionally the rebuilding industry needs to sit back and review what has occurred over the past few years to get some perspective on events that loom on the horizon. This is especially true in the legislative and regulatory arena where past successes or failures often foreshadow future events. The beginning of a new year and
Are there really two different GM cranks carrying the same casting number?
A. According to the AERA Technical Committee, the answer, regarding crankshafts for the GM 2.2L VIN 4 engines built from 1996-
Era Of Aluminum: Late-Model OHC Head Rebuilds
Over the last few years, manufacturers have abandoned cast iron heads in passenger cars and light trucks. Cast iron is heavy and the more radical, lighter, aluminum overhead cam (OHC) designs are the challenges and opportunities facing today
V-Process Aluminum
By using a new aluminum casting on the air intake manifold of our Roush Performance Products
Is it normal for a customer to lose up to a quart of oil every 2,000 miles?
Q. Is it normal for a customer to lose up to a quart of oil every 2,000 miles? A. Surprisingly, if your customer is driving a 1999-2002 GM truck with the 4.8L V8 (also known as the Vortec 4800), the answer is "yes." General Motors says oil consumption of this magnitude under normal operating conditions
IRS Addresses Phantom Incomes And Ghost Core Values
Sometimes patience and perseverance pays off. Over eight years ago my client, the Automotive Parts Rebuilders Association (APRA), learned that the Internal Revenue Service had issued new internal guidelines directing how rebuilders must value their core inventories for tax purposes. Of particular concern to the industry was the way IRS wanted a rebuilder to value
Fields of Green
The secret to making money these days, in many cases, is to go where the aging baby boomers go. And today, boomers are spending big money on "recapturing the rapture" of the cars of their youth. Whether you
What
Q. What
Conferences And Seminars Offer Many Potential Rewards
Getting away from the day-to-day grind and going to a seminar or conference with fellow shop owners and machinists has rewards that far outweigh the expense, and often may even present new business opportunities. At the Engine Rebuilders Association Tech Expo (AERA) I attended this past April in Indianapolis, a presentation given by John DeBates,
CERs
What if we had the power to predict the future? We would no longer react to situations, but instead, anticipate them. By knowing what lay ahead, bumps in the road and the roller coaster we call life would be relatively flat. Don