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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.

August 2017 Shop Solutions

At times I have had a main journal that just honed faster than the rest. Here’s my solution – maybe it will work for you as well. I cut some .001˝ shim stock and place it between the stone and journal and give it a few short strokes. The shim stock will stop the honing of that one journal and let the rest catch up.

Engine Builder Shop Solutions – July 2017

Anyone with a Sunnen diamond hone head can gain more clearance on the bottom of the cylinder to main web area by taking off the factory spring setup and replacing it with the spring from a small block Chevy front cover seal.

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.

Shop Solutions – February 2017

Cylinder head and block flatness and surface finish are critical to proper head gasket sealing. The following general specifications cover both gasoline and diesel engines.

Shop Solutions – May 2017 Edition

I call this my “Easy Riser” for Harley cylinders. It is a 2.5L GM block that I have bored to two different sizes to accommodate different cylinder bottom sizes. I use bolts installed into head bolt locations to prevent rotation of the cylinders. I only hone cylinders on this, boring is still done on parallels. This is way easier than horizontal honing on a Sunnen rod hone with a cylinder hone adapter.

Shop Solutions January 2017

You want to seal that flange with an OE MLS gasket? Good luck! The same conditions now exist in exhaust flange technology as when the first MLS head gaskets were being replaced under repair conditions.

Shop Solutions – The Power of Knowledge

Engine Builder and Engine Pro present Shop Solutions in each issue of Engine Builder magazine and on enginebuildermag.com. The feature is intended to provide machine shop owners and engine technicians the opportunity to share their knowledge to benefit the entire industry and their own shops. If your Shop Solution is published you will be awarded a

November 2016 Shop Solutions

GREASY HANDS LOSE GRIP When my hands are a little greasy, I have a hard time turning and gripping the twist knob to send my centering fingers out on my Kwik Way Boring Bar to contact the cylinders firmly. My fix was to cut a 2- inch long piece of a used bicycle inner tube

October 2016 Shop Solutions

BIG D HEAD HANDLE Diesel cylinder heads are heavy and can be dangerous to move around. I use a rocker arm shaft and bolts from a Detroit to make a handle for carrying Detroit heads around the shop. It helps keep my fingers in working condition and keeps the head in good shape as well.

Shop Solutions September 2016

I make my own large threaded repair bushing from tapered pipe thread oil galley plugs, with an internal hex. The material of these plugs is hard enough to tap clean threads into, and very similar to your cast iron block or head.

Global Shop Solutions Launches Websites PLUS to Serve Manufacturers

In order to compete effectively, manufacturing companies must have websites that are smart, clean and drive people to engage with their business. Global Shop Solutions, a global provider of fully-integrated ERP software for manufacturers, is helping its customers look their best with the release of high-performance Websites PLUS for manufacturers.

Shop Solutions August 2016

The old adage, “Time is money” has never been more true than it is today. With the high costs of labor, doing a job quickly and efficiently can be the difference in making money or losing it.

Shop Solutions July 2016

Sometimes machine shops are called on to solve more than engine issues. Toyota rear axles are difficult to disassemble and usually require replacing the reluctor gear when replacing the bearings. I made a jig to drive the axle out of the housing using my press.

Shop Solutions June 2016

We live in a time where aluminum blocks with cast-in sleeves are common and we still need to remember to account for how different metals behave. We build several dozen Gen III and Gen IV GM LS type motors per year. We finish our cylinders .001” tighter on the aluminum block engines to compensate for the additional growth when the block gets up to operating temperature.

Shop Solutions May 2016

One of the most difficult heads to pressure test is the BMW DOHC 6 cylinder. It is nearly impossible to plug the water outlet on the side of the head, until now. A “T handle drain plug” from a boat is the perfect size, and easy to install and remove.

Shop Solutions – April 2016

To make the glass in our glass-beading machine last longer, we cover the inside with duct tape, leaving a small open port to view the work. When this gets cloudy, we remove another small piece of the tape. Our glass lasts much longer now before it needs replacing.

Shop Solutions March 2016

When vacuum checking 4-valve-per-cylinder heads, it’s hard to tell if it’s both or just one valve that’s leaking. Use your vacuum tester and one of those long inexpensive BBQ or candlestick lighters. Hold the lighter close to the valves and the leaking vacuum will pull the flame in, making it easy to tell which one is leaking.

Shop Solutions February 2016

Most bolts broken off flush or slightly below the surface can be easily removed using a MIG welder. Place a flat washer the same size as the broken bolt over the bolt and weld through the center. Then, place a ½” nut on top of the washer and completely weld in the hole and tack weld the outer edge of the nut to the washer.