Ford FE Stroker Build
Guardian of the Galaxie How Ford’s FE Engine Rose from the Ashes of Disaster to Become a Versatile Veteran Ford’s FE engine has had a rich history that, today, is often overlooked or at least misunderstood. Many of us who have been around awhile have heard the term FE, but not a lot of people of today’s
How to Break-In Your Piston Rings, The Right Way!
Captain Kirk in the now-classic Star Trek TV series was constantly badgering poor Scotty for “More power!” That’s what everybody wants. More power! One way to ensure the horsepower built into your engine is achieved is to seize every opportunity to seal that cylinder pressure on the push side of the pistons.
Racesaver Sprint Car Engine Part 2 – Engine Block Selection and Prep
This is the second in a series of articles about building a competitive sprint car engine that can successfully compete with crate and spec motors at a customer-friendly, business-boosting price point. GM made many different block castings. For this project the older 2 piece main seal are preferred. There is a list of legal casting
Let’s Talk Engine Oils
SN oils don’t have sufficient ZDP to coat all the engine components which are subjected to sliding friction. And, if that isn’t bad enough, a new oil specification, ILSAC (International Lubricant Specification and Approval Committee) GF-6 is on the horizon.
Getting Aboard with Inboard Marine Engines
Marine engine building is a niche market that is much smaller than the automotive market, but it can also be a very lucrative business for those with the know-how and experience.
Engine Oil Changes and Innovations
It’s always helpful at the end of each year to reflect on what’s been accomplished and where we think our industry is headed. I think we should do this for the three types of oils you Engine Builder readers typically encounter.
Shop Solutions – December 2017
It can be much easier to install and remove spark plugs, when space is tight due to header configuration by notching out one section of a spark plug socket. This will allow for a better angle, and you can still use the hex head rather than a ratchet drive.
Shop Solutions – October 2017
Some cylinder heads, like small block Mopars, have the intake manifold bolt holes at a slight angle from the manifold flange. This makes it hard to mount on our surfacing machine milling plate because, when you tighten up the mounting studs against the plate, it wants to bend the stud.
September 2017 Shop Solutions
In our shop we seem to constantly be moving cylinder heads around. First, from arrival at the door to a tear down bench, then to the jet wash, to a storage shelf, to benches to be worked on and then to benches to be assembled. To do it all efficiently, we have three 34” tall 4-wheel carts.
MLS Gasket Update 2017: Is there anything the MLS gasket can’t do?
Sometimes, the less you know the better. I’ve spent the last 50 or so years punishing all types of engines with insane compression ratios, huge doses of nitrous oxide, and virtually every type of supercharger I could get my hands on.
Solving Gasoline Direct Injection Issues: The facts and fictions of GDI
Gasoline Direct Injection or GDI has seen rapid adoption by the automotive industry over the last several years in lieu of multipoint fuel injection systems due to advantages in fuel efficiency and reduced emission levels.
Valve Lifter Basics and Beyond
Valve lifters play a key role in the valvetrain of pushrod engines. They go all the way back to the earliest days of the internal combustion engine. The earliest engines did not have pushrods or rocker arms. They were a “flathead” design with the valves in the block. The lifters (also called “tappets” because of the clattering noise they produced) rode on the cam lobes in the block and actuated the valves directly.
VP Racing Fuels New Line of Lubricants
VP Racing Fuels has brought its new line of lubricants to market. The new lubricants are being distributed via VP Regional Warehouses, VP Distributors and Performance Retailers such as Summit Racing Equipment, Motor-State Distributing and Keystone Automotive Operations, Inc.
Shop Solutions June 2017
To check lifter bores for finish, burrs or obstruction, I made tools by removing the plunger and internal parts from some lifters. You can stick the lifter on the end of your finger then slide it, with twisting motion, in and out of the lifter bore.
Regulations and Research: How PC-11 Became a CK-4/FA-4 Reality
PC-11 had its beginnings at least a decade ago due to the EPA and government regulators pushing for higher heavy-duty truck fuel economy standards. The American Engine Manufacturers Association (EMA) wrote a letter to the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the American Society for Testing of Materials (ASTM) asking for their help in developing new, more fuel efficient diesel engine oils. Everyone agreed that new heavy-duty engine oil specifications would be needed to improve fuel economy significantly. Engine manufacturers, chemical companies, and oil marketers then began the process of identifying new engine and lab tests to define the performance levels needed to create these oils. Considerable R & D has occurred since that letter.
Sealing Combustion Pressure: The Many Functions of Diesel Gaskets
To keep a diesel engine together, the most critical sealing component is the cylinder head gasket. The explosive force of the diesel’s cylinders cause engine vibration and cylinder head shift. Under high boost conditions (usually around 40 psi), the cylinder head will literally try to lift from the cylinder block.
Test Procedures Prove Race Oils Have Differences
One of the premier racing oil developers finally took the time (18 months) and spent the money (megabucks) to quantify the performance differences between various oil products.
Racing Rods – Engine Builders Have Options
Choosing a set of connecting rods is one of the critical steps in a performance engine build. The rods have to be strong enough to handle the anticipated speeds and loads, but also affordable for customers who have a limited budget. Most stock rods in late model engines can safely handle 400 to 500 horsepower.
High Performance Engine Bearings
Building a high performance engine is always an adventure. You never know how much horsepower and torque an engine will make until it’s on the dyno. And you never know how well the engine will hold up until it is put to the test on the strip, race track, street or water. The bearings that
High-Tech Tightening – Fasteners take their rightful place of importance
When you build your engines, you put measured thought into every component you use. From the intake system to the exhaust manifold, everything has its place and nothing is installed without careful consideration. But what about the fasteners? Some of the most critical components are held together with relatively low-cost fasteners including screws, nuts and
