Surface Conditioning Disc Caution
When cleaning engine gasket sealing surfaces, and/or cleaning engine components which are to be reused; surface conditioning discs (typically constructed of woven fiber or molded bristles) which contain abrasives, such as a high amount of Aluminum Oxide, are NOT recommended. The use of such surface condtioning disks dislodges Aluminum Oxide (from the disc) and metal
New Metals-New Challenges
Cast iron is like an old familiar friend to most of our readers because it’s been around forever. Vehicle manufacturers like cast iron because it’s cheap compared to most other metals, it is strong and durable, and it can be easily cast and machined to make engine blocks, cylinder heads, crankshafts, connecting rods and other
Honing Stones & Equipment
The finish on the cylinder walls is critical for proper piston ringlubrication and sealing. The bore geometry is also important, and mustbe round, cylindrical and straight for optimum sealing and minimumblowby. The equipment used to hone cylinders has changed in recent years as thedemand for better surface finishes, faster cycle times and lowerproduction costs have
Drag Racing Crankshafts
With photos and words by Steve TempleAs any experienced engine builder already knows, a drag race engine is made up of hundreds of precision parts bolted together to form an assembly that spins at a furious rate in order to propel its vehicle to victory. Meeting this challenge requires that all those parts going into
Blasting Equipment & Media
In today’s society, finding “the next big thing” seems to be all the rage. We no longer want to do things the same way and seem to keep asking “what’s the latest and greatest?” High technology and computerization have made many tedious everyday tasks a breeze, from communication to entertaining to operating your business. But
Over the Peaks and Into the Valleys – Hones, Diamonds and Bores
“Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to find the recipe for perfect bores…your instructions are to produce bores that are perfectly straight and round. This message will self-destruct after five minutes. Good luck.” Although it’s not “Mission: Impossible,” good bore geometry is critical in order to achieve proper ring sealing. Bore distortion
Head and Block Resurfacing
Resurfacing cylinder heads and engine blocks is an essential aspect of engine building today, whether the work is being done by a production engine rebuilder, a high performance specialist or small custom shop. Bimetal engines, multi-layer steel (MLS) head gaskets and tighter assembly tolerances make accurate surfacing more critical than ever before. The key to
PERA’s Core Corner, Fighting Truth Decay About Cavitation Damage
It’s amazing how something that may be damaging or corrosive in one circumstance can be of great value in another, like using extremely dangerous explosives to put out an oil well fire. This month we are going to talk about a similar action yet on a much smaller scale, microscopic actually, and it’s called “cavitation.”
High Performance Piston Rings and Cylinder Finishes
Today’s performance ring sets are thinner, lighter and more conformable than ever before. Thinner, low-tension rings reduce friction for more usable horsepower. Less weight reduces ring groove pound out. Narrower rings also allow tighter tolerances and less blowby. All very good things when you’re building a performance engine. But they also require rounder, straighter cylinder
Machine Maintenance, Make the Most of Your Crank Grinder: Maintain It
Your crankshaft grinder probably represents one of the single biggest investments you’ve made for your shop. Most of you purchased your grinder to ensure quality, delivery and to enhance your shop’s ability to be self-sufficient. Hopefully you and your employees are taking good care of this sophisticated and expensive machine. To help you out, here
Shop Line
Have you heard of any solutions for coolant loss and an oil leak on a 1.6L Honda Civic? The AERA Technical Committee offers the following information regarding a cylinder head gasket leak on 1988-’95 1.6L Honda Civic engines. This information does not apply to the VTEC engines. You may have received complaints that oil is
Engine Boring and Honing Equipment
Cylinder boring and honing is the heart of most engine builders’ operations. The equipment you use will have a lasting effect on the quality of the product your shop sends out the door on a day-by-day basis. While equipment varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, so too do your needs for a specific type of machine.
Coretalk: AERA EXPO 2005 Set For Las Vegas Hilton In April
The EXPO will showcase leading edge technology with live, operating demonstrations of equipment, tools, supplies, parts and services. Exhibits will be open on Thursday, April 28, from 10:30 am-6 pm; Friday, April 29, from 10:30 am- 6:30 pm; and Saturday, April 30, from 10:30 am- 2:30 pm. EXPO will include a keynote address from NASCAR
Surfacing Equipment Options
On older cast iron engines with conventional soft-faced head gaskets, as long as the surface finish on the cylinder head and block deck is roughly 60 to 100 microinches Ra (roughness average), the head gasket should cold seal and remain leak-free for the life of the engine. But on late model bimetal (aluminum head/cast iron
Blast Cleaning Technology
The future, they promised us, would be full of amazing things. We would be commuting in flying cars, we would be using robots to do most of our manual chores and space travel would be fairly routine. First, the future was 1984 – then it was 2001. Now, in 2005 we do have highly exotic
Cylinder Bore Refinishing with Honing Tools
By ring friendly, we mean a finish that provides good support for the rings, retains oil and does not require a lengthy break-in period. For most engines today, a ring-friendly finish means a plateau finish. A plateau bore finish is what all types of rings eventually produce when they are fully seated, so the closer
Surfacing Equipment For Today’s Engines
The surfacing needs of today’s engines are as complex as the engines themselves. Multi-valve aluminum cylinder heads on cast iron blocks are a tough combination to seal because of the difference in expansion rates between the two metals. If the surface finishes on the head and block are too rough, lateral shearing forces which occur
The Smooth Science of Cylinder Honing
The basics of honing cylinder blocks hasn’t changed much in recent years, but what has changed are the type of abrasives being used by many engine builders. Silicon carbide and aluminum oxide honing stones of various grits have long been used in power honing machines and portable hones to finish cylinder bores. These types
The lower intake manifolds on some Ford vehicle models are not fitting correctly after machining
Engine Builders: Some AERA members have reported that the lower intake manifolds on some Ford vehicle models are not fitting correctly after machining. To reduce the likelihood of coolant contamination of engine oil, a revised, thicker intake gasket is now available for the 3.8L and 4.2L Ford car and truck engines. These models have VIN