Owner Maintenance: Who
Over the past several years, I’ve written a lot articles on maintaining your machine shop equipment. I’ve always believed in being proactive when it comes to maintenance and preached it many times in this column. I am convinced that by doing maintenance up front you’ll keep these expensive machines lasting longer and performing better for
Common Failure Modes
For years, B&G Machine had been a diesel machine shop serving Seattle and the upper Northwest part of the U.S. To address certain market conditions in the mid- to late-’90s, we began building diesel engines. In doing so, we tried to identify the engines that would best serve a captive market – markets that would
Holley Names Ricky Best Technical Sales Representative
Best will handle sales and support for all of Holley’s brands, but will be specialize in Holley EFI, Holley carburetors, and Earls plumbing. Best is a "hands on" sales representative who can offer a high level of technical expertise to engine builders, tuners, race teams, and specialty car builders. He will be attending many race
Exhausting Emissions Questions
It’s kind of funny because 20 years ago, no one wanted a clacking bucket of bolts, let alone have to work on one of these diesel engines. That was simply how the diesel engine was viewed. Now, mid-size trucks offer reliable power, awesome torque, quiet engines and decent fuel economy from a vehicle that can
Today’s Cylinder Block Choices Broader Than Ever
In this case, “best” power means that the engine does exactly what the driver – regardless of racing type – wants it to do, when he wants it to do it. It also helps the driver’s winning percentage if the engine makes it to the end of the race. Remember that old saying: “To finish
Honda Performance Development To Continue Support For Quarter-Midget Racers
Support for quarter-midget racers will be offered through Honda Performance Development (HPD), Honda’s racing company within North America, and its Honda Racing Line program. Although the Quarter Midgets of America (QMA) recently announced a plan to phase Honda engines out of competition, both HPD and Honda Power Equipment will continue to support QMA racers and
Dyno Decisions Depend on Business Model
If you need a dyno only three or four times a year, you’re probably better off renting dyno time from another facility. If you build race engines for a living, an engine dyno is an essential part of how you do your job and ultimately the value you provide to your customer. So what are
The Business Case For Buying a CNC Machine
Like a good chef, a good machinist does a lot by feel and experience. These things can’t be learned in a few hours or even days – it takes years. When it comes to CNC machines, sometimes the sum equals more than its parts – but many times the parts generate more than its sum.
Balancing And The Bottom Line
Balancing, once considered to be important in this industry only to performance engine builders, has lately become a sought-after service in some segments you may never have considered. Yet good-old-fashioned engine balancing remains an important profit center in many machine shop operations. If the engine components (pistons, rods and crankshaft) aren’t in balance you’ll experience
How Piston Rings Affect Horsepower
The rings seal the pistons to prevent air and oil from being drawn past the rings into the combustion chamber during the intake stroke. During the compression stroke, the rings make sure the air/fuel stays in the combustion chamber and is fully compressed before it is ignited. During the power stroke, the rings prevent pressure
Booths Now Available for 2011 International Big R Show
This year’s International BIG R Show will be co-located at the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel withthe Powertrain Expo run by the Automatic Transmission RebuildersAssociation (ATRA). In addition, the International Big R Show will onceagain feature a section on the floor plan for the Diesel Engine market. “As we have done in the past two years,
Cylinder Sleeve Installation Procedures
Dry sleeves have long been used to repair damaged and worn cast iron and aluminum engine blocks. If a cylinder has excessive taper wear, or is cracked, scored or otherwise damaged, boring out the damaged cylinder and installing a repair sleeve can often save the block. Likewise, if all of the cylinders are heavily worn,
Sprint Car Piston Design and Other Topics Discussed at the 21st AETC
People always ask what I get out of going to AETC? The simple 30 second elevator answer is you take the smartest people you know, or have ever met, and throw them all in a room together for three days and see what comes out of it. It usually doesn’t disappoint. As expected, a lot
Cultivating Diesel Success Using Unconventional Approaches
While most of Osborne’s customers never even come through the Liverpool, NY shop’s door, their continued patronage has pushed Syracuse Crank to record sales figures over the past few years, he says. “We were at 31 percent growth last year over the year before, and the year before last we were 26 percent higher. Our
MAHLE Clevite Inc. Announces Renewed Commitment to NASCAR and Grassroots Racing
The three-year agreement includes both the NASCAR national series as well as the NASCAR regional and local grassroots series. Clevite engine bearings will also remain an exclusive NASCAR Performance product – preferred by every NASCAR engine builder. Additionally, as a Prize Money & Decal (Contingency) Program sponsor, the iconic MAHLE decal will be displayed on participating
Parts Sales and Profits: First Admit There
Yes, believe it or not, I am attempting to show a parallel between the famous Twelve-Step programs – plans designed to help one admit the size and scope of addictive or dysfunctional problems and reinforce the need to ask for help for success – and a plan we can create to resurrect parts sales and
Classic Muscle: Kammer & Kammer Make Mopar Magic
Most of the time, amateur racers are customers at the nationally known Kammer & Kammer Mopar High Performance Shop in Dayton, OH. Kammer says his business consists of about 65 percent racing and 35 percent street performance, and the most important thing he provides is a good relationship between himself and his customer. “When I
Nailing Down The Buick Nailhead
Likethe Small Block Chevy, the Rocket 88 Olds, the Ford Flathead and the ChryslerHemi, the Buick Nailhead engine is one of those that has the immortal smell ofhistory all over it. Yet,unlike its more familiar brothers, cousins and even competitors, the Nailheadhas an aura of mystery about it as well. TheNailhead had a
Can Diesel Performance Help Boost Your Business?
Most people associate diesel engines with truck and tractor pulling events, not traditional motorsports. There are no diesel-powered NASCAR races or Indy cars. But diesels are making inroads in other types of racing. Diesel-powered race cars and trucks are setting land speed records at Bonneville, winning endurance races at LeMans, and running over 200 mph
Parts Sales and Profits: First Admit There
Yes, believe it or not, I am attempting to show a parallel between the famous Twelve-Step programs – plans designed to help one admit the size and scope of addictive or dysfunctional problems and reinforce the need to ask for help for success – and a plan we can create to resurrect parts sales and