Choosing the Right Camshaft for a Performance Engine
A camshaft is nothing more than a cast iron or steel shaft with a series of lobes strategically placed along its length. Each lobe opens and closes a valve by moving a lifter, pushrod and rocker arm, or in the case of an overhead cam engine by moving a cam follower or direct valve action. However, choosing the right camshaft is not only the cornerstone of building a performance engine, but also its centerpiece.
JE Pistons Expands SRP and SRP Professional Product Line
SRP Pistons has expanded both its SRP and SRP Professional product offering, adding over 260 part numbers to the collective 2015 lineup. The product extension encapsulates the Small Block Chevrolet and Small Block Ford for the traditional SRP line and GM LS Series, Small Block Chevy, Small Block Ford and Ford Modular engines for the SRP Professional Piston product line.
JE Pistons Expands Ford Modular Product Offerings
JE Pistons, a leader in high-performance forged and billet racing pistons, has redesigned and expanded its product offering for the Ford Modular 4.6L and 5.4L engines along with releasing new part numbers for the Ford Modular Coyote 5.0L. These new JE Pistons utilize a dedicated 2618 alloy Forged Side Relief (FSR) forging that was specifically designed for high horsepower modular engines.
Speed-Pro Crowns Performance Engine Builder of the Year
Tom Nickerson, owner of NVR Racing, in Butler, WI, was named the 2014 Performance Engine Builder of the Year, sponsored by Speed-Pro POWERFORGED Pistons and Engine Builder magazine. Nickerson was presented the award by Engine Builder magazine publisher Doug Kaufman at a press conference Friday at the Performance Racing Industry Show (PRI) in Indianapolis.
Wiseco Diesel Pistons
Wiseco, a high-performance piston maker established in 1941, is launching a new range of diesel pistons for Dodge Cummins, GM Duramax and Ford Power Stroke engines.
The Demands on Diesel Pistons and Sleeves
The pistons are some of the hardest working components inside a diesel engine. Diesel engines are high compression, high heat engines that demand a lot from their pistons. Compression ratios are typically in the 16:1 to 20:1 range, which improves thermal efficiency and fuel economy, but also creates more pressure. Cylinder pressures in many production
Lingenfelter Performance Package Series for 2014 Corvette Stingray
Lingenfelter Performance Engineering (LPE) has released its expertly tuned performance package series for the new, 2014 Corvette Stingray, with power starting at 550 horsepower and reaching as high as 750 horsepower with forced induction. The seventh-generation Corvette’s new 6.2-liter “LT1” engine features technologies that include direct injection, variable valve timing and cylinder deactivation. With calibration
UEM Pistons Launches New Website
United Engine and Machines’s (UEM) new website makes piston selection fast, simple and economical. As the largest piston manufacturer in North America, UEM is proud to announce the launch of its new website. UEM produces cast and forged pistons in variety of forged and cast aluminum alloys that meet and exceed the requirements of today’s high
Building Performance Cummins Engines
The clouds of black smoke along with the whistling of the turbo bring out a new wave of spectators. It’s all about the rumble and feel from the massive foot pounds of torque, not the horsepower. Who would have ever thought that a diesel engine would gain respect in the world of performance? Now, it’s
Turbochargers: Small Engine Performance – Turbo Technology
Turbochargers are making a comeback, big time! Auto makers are under pressure from the government to boost their Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) numbers to over 40 mpg by 2021. One of the ways they are going to accomplish this is to downsize engines and add turbochargers to boost performance so smaller engines can still
Utilizing a Modified U-Groove Design for High Performance Bearings
By Dr. Dmitri Kopeliovich, Director of Research & Development, King Engine Bearings As performance engine builders know, the loads acting on engine bearings are generated by the pressure of the fuel-air mixture combusting in the cylinders. This pressure, or combustion force, drives the piston down during the engine power stroke. However, combustion force is not the
2014 Performance Engine Builder of the Year Contest
Nominations for the 2014 Performance Engine Builder of the Year Award, sponsored by Speed-Pro POWERFORGED Pistons and Engine Builder magazine are now being accepted. Applications for the award can be found at the official award website, topperformanceshop.com, along with complete rules and prize descriptions. We’ll announce the winner at a special presentation during the 2014 AETC in Indianapolis,
Choosing Camshafts – Picking Performance
Choosing the “right” camshaft is not only the cornerstone of building a performance engine, but also its centerpiece. Choosing a cam can give anyone a headache – especially if they choose the wrong cam for a given application. There’s a lot of science involved in cam selection, so keep reading and we’ll help you
Performance Diesel: The New Hot Rods
With all of the bolt-on diesel components that are available on the market these days, why would you get into offering performance engine rebuilds for the diesel market? I’m sure you are asking yourself this question every time you get a call from someone with a diesel engine asking how they can get more power. But believe
Destroking or Decompressing Pistons
The clearance inside the combustion chamber is reduced when the engine block surface or cylinder head surface has been resurfaced. The reduced combustion chamber clearance may allow the valves to come in contact with the head of the piston, resulting in an engine failure. The using of destroked pistons eliminates this possibility. Also in engines
Gaining Performance from Ignition Timing
The cool thing about ignition timing is you can usually get a considerable performance increase for little or no money. But, some time and effort will be required. Let’s start with a simple explanation of why we need spark advance and how much of it we want. First – When you hook up the timing
Matching Pistons And Rings
Whether you are rebuilding a high-mileage engine or building a fresh engine from scratch, matching the pistons and rings to each other and the application is essential for a successful outcome. Rings are a wear component that are usually replaced during a rebuild. The pistons may be reused if they are not damaged, cracked or
Performance Piston Rings
When you’re building a performance engine, what kind of piston rings should you use? Rings run the gamut from cast iron to ductile iron to steel, with various dimensions, edge profiles and wear coatings. There are a lot of choices available and a lot of questions to answer. Some piston sets come with rings while
JE Pistons Relocates Manufacturing To Ohio
JE Pistons has announced that it is relocating its advanced manufacturing center to Mentor, Ohio.? "After successfully meeting our goal of launching Midwest piston production in the second quarter of 2012, our team continued to evaluatethe major needs of our customers," said Bob Hange, president of Performance Motorsports Inc. (PMi), the parent company of JE
Thermal Considerations for High Performance Engines
Temperature affects the size of all the materials. However, the effect is certainly not the same for all materials. Almost all materials expand as they are warmed and contract as they are cooled. There is one noteable exception – when water changes to ice. Returning to the subject at hand, we find that for all