Finishing Valve Seats on Today’s Multi-Valve Cylinder Heads
Use a more gentle approach when grinding valve seats. You may have asked this before when working on multi-valve cylinder heads: "What is happening to my valve seats? I’ve tried everything! A new stone, stone holder, pilot and even a new dressing diamond but I can’t achieve seat alignment." The problem lies more on technique
Solutions to Common Cylinder Honing Problems
Below are some solutions to the most common honing problems. PROBLEM: Hone is not cutting • If stones are loading, you need to apply more honing oil to properly flush stones. Manufacturers such as Goodson recommend their a filtered honing oil. • Make sure that your guide blocks are not too tight. Honing stones should
Busted Valve Lash Myth
All too often the effect of valve lash on power output is considered very much a secondary factor and a small one at that. This may be so but the ramps open the valves relatively slowly and during that period the flow, into and out of the cylinder, is little more than a nuisance leak
Build Horsepower the David Vizard Way
The principle speaker for the event will be tech author and engine guru David Vizard. He is recognized as one of the top authorities on the production of high engine output. Along with Vizard’s expertise, the seminar will also freature a presentation by Chris Osborn of Pac Springs, who will be showing high-speed video of
PERA Announces
Gary Reed from Lock-N-Stitch kicked off the "What’s New and What It Means to You" series in April with a webinar about casting repairs. Other noted speakers are to include Bill McKnight from MAHLE, Dr. Dmitri Kopeliovich from King Engine Bearings and Mark Ferner from Shell Oil. May 18 Understanding the Design and Function
Must Have Tools For Engine Building Glory
While engine builders still need a fair share of box end wrenches and screwdrivers, we have assumed you didn’t make it this far without these necessities. Instead, we will focus on the specialty tools and equipment you need to get the job done and out the door to your customer. We talked to tool suppliers
Your Shop Machines Have No Idea If They
Shop machines don’t have a clue that your tooling is dull, bent, nicked, burred, or the wrong size. It does exactly what you direct it to do, and if your tooling isn’t up to spec you’ll surely junk out a work piece in record time. Let’s start with tooling made from carbide. Carbide tooling comes
Back to Basics: How to Read a Micrometer
There are other types of micrometers, including depth micrometers and inside micrometers. As the names imply, they measure depth and the inside diameters, respectively. Often other tools (such as bore gauges) are used with micrometers to determine sizes so knowing how to read the micrometer is absolutely necessary. A micrometer is a measuring gauge operated
Three-Angle Valve Seat Cutting Tips
1) Use new carbide pilots for precise and high-quality valve seat and bowl work. • Carbide pilots help keep tooling cutting true. When cutting 3-angle seats,counterboring for seat rings or using bowl hogs to enlarge valve bowls,the resistance of the workpiece against the tool tries to deflect thepilot. Goodson Carbide Pilots resist this deflection five
Cleaning Up In The Shop
In fact, it can be very difficult to make an accurate diagnosis of what’s wrong with an engine until it’s clean. You may be able to recognize some failed parts, you can often see large cracks or obvious damage, but you’re really only assuming you know what caused a failure if you can’t see for
Spring, Sprang, Sprung: Why Valve Springs Matter So Much
Keep in mind the cam, pushrods, lifters, and rocker arms do all the work in opening the valves, but it is the spring that keeps that valve closed during the operation of the engine. Valve springs can be compressed and expanded throughout their life cycle, sometimes at more than 1,150 times per minute for most
Valve and Guide Material, Selection Update
Today’s engines are being designed with more valves per cylinder with smaller valves to reduce valve train weight and increase intake volume. Cylinder heads typically require valve guide and seat work to restore compression and oil control if you are rebuilding the heads. For the valve to seat properly and to gain the most power
Installing Valve Guide Liners
The first step for installing bronze guide liners is to assemble the parts for the boring reamer. Install the bushing, then the spring, and finally the retainer. You now have a reamer kit. Insert the reamer kit in an air/electric drill. The proper drill should not exceed 1,000 rpm under load. Next, choose the appropriate
Give Yourself A Lift
I thought it was time to supply a new photo for these articles. Yes, I have become a little older and maybe a little wiser but you can make your own decision about that. According to my wife I’m just older. So anyway the updated photo was way past due. This month I am going
Machine Maintenance: Sustaining Your Crew Includes Your Best Friend
Over the past few years, I’ve been writing about proper maintenance of the machines in your shop. This month, I plan to talk about maintaining something that’s not necessarily essential to your shop but if you have one, its value can’t be underestimated. You guessed it; this article will be about the maintenance of your
Still The Same Old Grind?
The market for crankshaft grinding has changed a great deal in recent years. With many passenger car and light truck engines now lasting upward of 200,000 miles, there’s much less demand for grinding crankshafts than there used to be. By the time the engine needs major work, the vehicle has often depreciated to the point
Creating and Using Air Efficiently
In one of his famous science lectures, Dr. William H. Cosby asked the pertinent question: “Why is there air?” Being the astute man of knowledge he is, he answered his own question: “To blow up basketballs.” Of course, Bill Cosby’s rationale for why air exists Is different than any of Engine Builder’s readers. After all,
Coretalk: Key Industry Speakers Slated For PERA’s Chicago Convention
Yastrow and Som will discuss “Current Issues in Employment-Related U.S. Immigration Law: I-9 Compliance, Visa Updates.” In addition to addressing hot topics and compliance tips, they will provide answers to your specific questions.Bob McKenna, President/CEO of Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA) and Past President of NAPA, will be speaking on “Motor Vehicle Parts Suppliers
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
Coretalk: Clements Racing Engines Receives First PBM Engine Builder Award
PBM’s Kevin Harrison made the presentation at the Speedway Club at Lowe’s Motor Speedway during the series’ 2006 Awards Banquet. Clements Racing Engines led the series with 10 victories on the season. Among the drivers visiting victory lane with Clements power under the hood were Ricky Weeks, Jack Pennington, Noel Tucker, Royce Bray, Ed Basey