King to Reveal Race Engine Secrets at PRI and IMIS Tech Seminars
King Engine Bearings will present “Race Engine Secrets: Bearing Clearance, Tolerances and Oils” during the upcoming technical seminars at two race industry trade shows. The seminars will be conducted by Ron Sledge, King’s new performance and technical manager. The first seminar will take place at the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Trade Show on Friday,
PCV System: Sometimes Things Just Have To
I am certain that each and every one of you have, at some time in your life, experienced the horrific event of having the “wind” knocked out of you. If you can remember back to the first time it ever happened, before you knew that you would in fact breathe again, it was like you
Cam Drives and Timing Components
Cam timing plays a huge role in an engine’s power curve. Advancing cam timing shifts the power curve more toward the lower rpm range, while retarding it moves the power curve higher up the rpm scale. If an engine is being built for a particular application (stock, street/strip, drag race, circle track, you-name-it), how the
Cavitation
Tiny air bubbles are formed during normal engine operation and implode at an extremely high temperature and pressure and eat into the wall of the cylinder (see Figure 1). This erosion eventually penetrates the cylinder wall allowing coolant to enter, contaminating the oil or even causing the engine to hydrolock. The liner O-rings are also
Influence of Grooved Main Bearings on Performance
It’s essential to understand that bearings depend on a film of oil to keep them separated from the shaft surface. This oil film is developed by shaft rotation. As the shaft rotates it pulls oil into the loaded area of the bearing and rides up on this film much like a tire hydroplaning on wet
Smooth Moves: Today’s Surfaces Often Demand Different Finishes
When multi-layer steel (MLS) head gaskets became commonplace a number of years ago, there was a lot of concern that aftermarket surfacing procedures might not be able to reproduce the mirror-like finish that the vehicle manufacturers said was absolutely necessary to seal MLS head gaskets. The challenge was to duplicate the factory finish using out-dated
Causes of Melted Piston Top and Ring Land on Diesel Engines
Signs of melted piston or ring land damage include: • Erosion at the piston crown is visible. • Melted areas can be seen at the piston crown (Fig. 1) – right up to a completely melted off top of the piston (Fig. 2). • In extreme cases, there are seizure marks all along and around
Rebuilding the Chevy 3.4L/3.5L Engine
(Download the illustrated pdf here) We’re going to take a look at two of these engines, including both versions of the latest 3.4L that was used in the Chevy Equinox (and Pontiac Torrent) and the original 3.5L that was installed in several ’04-’07 Chevy cars and crossovers. And, we’ll give you an overview of what
2011 Stroker Engine Guide: Unlocking LS Stroker Engine Potential
Modifying the LS for more power is as easy as falling off a log, to apoint, then some tough issues arise, especially if you are building ahigh-rpm race engine. But until you reach that point, the LS respondsnicely to boring and stroking, improved cylinder head flow and theyrespond especially well to power adders. The only
Build With Bolt-On Horsepower, But Proceed With Caution
Whether the speed equipment is old school hardware or electronic in nature, you can be sure it is designed to turn automobile engines into more efficient air pumps. “Because the engine really is an air pump, I tell my customers one of the biggest things they can do is bolt on a different exhaust system,”
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
Marine Engine Market: Tugboats to Tankers
According to the American Waterways Operators (AWO) association, there are about 4,000 tug boats in operation nationally on inland and coastal waterways. Thanks to increased environmental awareness, many of those tugs are working harder than ever. Likewise, the engine rebuilders servicing this market segment are working hard as well. According to Mike Haight of Ironman
Inside Flat Tappet Camshaft and?Lifter Technology
Roller cams have a couple of advantages over traditional flat tappet camshafts: they reduce friction, and they can be ground with more aggressive cam lobe profiles to make more power. You can also swap roller cams without having to replace the lifters. But the roller cam’s main disadvantage compared to flat tappet cams is its
Pro Stock Engine Technology
For a gearhead it’s always interesting to look at the upper echelons of motorsports to see what’s ticking under the hood. F1, Sprint Cup, and endurance cars are all fairly engaging from an engine perspective, but nothing tops drag racing for its sheer power, variety and ingenuity. In a single event you have vehicles competing
Cleaning Cylinder Heads and Blocks
The cleaning process should remove all of the dirt, grease, oil, rust, scale and carbon deposits that have accumulated over the years. With painted castings, the old paint also has to be stripped away so the surface can be repainted. Even if you’re working with brand new castings, a final cleaning is still necessary after
Engine Builder Shop Solutions: July 2011
Editor’s Note: Over the past few months we have published several views on engine pre-oiling. This month is no exception. Here is an idea on how to save money on a priming tank. Low Cost Priming Tank I prime the oil system in every engine I build. It’s cheap and easy insurance against a dry
Trial and Error Can
Sometimes, owners with tuners or power enhancers have the capabilities to read trouble codes if something happens. But this may or may not point them in the right direction. A great example is one that came by the shop the other day. The owner had an ’03 6.0L Power Stroke that had lost power. When
Tips for Hotter Street & Strip Performance
Long’s HO Enterprises Performance Auto (www.hoenterprisesclassics.com) in Birnamwood, WI, sells hot rod parts, but his once traditional view on performance is changing as he sees his sons working on late-model imported cars with port fuel injection and “coffee can” exhausts. “Yeah, I think it’s all electronics now, but at least they’re car guys” Long points
Getting To The Bottom of Hydraulic Lifter Preload
Hydraulic lifters have been the choice of the automotive industry for many years for several good reasons. When compared to a mechanical lifter, the hydraulics are: 1. Quieter. 2. Low maintenance. 3. Able to adjust for thermal expansion of the engine. 4. Considered as a built in shock absorber, eases stress on valve train. 5.
Engine Builder Shop Solutions: June 2011
Editor’s Note: In the March issue we printed a Shop Solution from Melling Engine Parts titled “Oil Pump and Engine Priming” In the May issue we printed a different view on the subject from Timm Jurinche titled “Pre-Oiling.” This month we have a still different viewpoint on the subject. A Better Way to Pre-Oil New