Wagler DX 460 Engine
Most of this Wagler DX 460 engine from head to toe gets brought in on pallets of aluminum and is machined into a complete engine. With hours upon hours of engine design and development Jeremy Wagler has this DX 460 engine singing to the tune of 2,500 hp.
Mazda Miata BP4W Engine
A standard Miata engine normally aspirated makes about 100 to 115 hp. This Mazda Miata BP4W engine built by Chris Graham of Race Engineering made over 245 horsepower. The Spec Miata it goes in is now so fast that Chris and the car’s owner broke the gas pedal during testing.
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.
Secrets Engine Builders Can Use to Make a Beast of a Factory Crate Motor Even More Impressive
Any bozo can slap a supercharger on a stock 505 horsepower LS7 small-block and pick up another 200 hp. Yawn. Increasing output that same 200 hp through natural aspiration should be harder, but all it takes is some head work, long-tubes, and a big hydraulic roller cam. Thanks to the incredible untapped potential of GM’s
Understanding Cylinder Blow-by
While this industry continually runs on tighter and tighter engine clearances, in today’s world of engine building, no one has yet to figure out how to run engine parts on zero clearance. There has to be some amount of space available or an engine simply won’t run. Thus, when it comes to pistons and piston
Head Porting – Going with the Flow
Flow…that magical, mystical word that is seemingly carved in stone anytime the discussion topic turns to performance cylinder heads. Whether you are a seasoned veteran in the engine wars or finalizing the specs for your first ever build, it is virtually impossible to avoid it. The flip side of that coin always carries another word
Today’s Grassroots Drag Racing Market
Bracket racing is the most popular form of drag racing. Participants in various bracket racing classes make up the majority of NHRA & IHRA land racers in the U.S. Drag races usually cover 1/8 or 1/4 mile tracks on land, a couple hundred feet for mud and usually 1/4 mile for water. Some high-powered land
The Daily Grind
Today, seats are made of a wide variety of materials, different combinations of various alloys, powdered metals and other super hard materials. This seat material is designed to prolong the ability of the valve seat to seal against the pounding of the valve head during engine operation. The variety of materials also means new and different abrasives are required for proper machining.
Shop Solutions December 2015
Despite what you may believe, there is a way to recondition the so-called “cracked” rods, or powdered metal connecting rods. I use a media made of coal slag that can be found at most home improvement stores.
DBB Acquisition LLC Acquires Dura-Bond Bearing Company
DBB Acquisition LLC has announced that it has completed the acquisition of Dura-Bond Bearing Company, a division of privately held Melling Engine Parts. Dura-Bond is a manufacturer of Cam Bearings, Bushings, Valve Seats and Hardware for engine and transmission rebuilding since 1947. The Company is based in Carson City, Nevada. Terms of the transaction were
CNG and Propane Engine Builds
Building engines for a living means building whatever a customer wants. With a growing market for alternative fuels you might find yourself building an engine for a customer who wants his engine to run on compressed natural gas (CNG), liquefied natural gas (LNG) or propane (liquefied petroleum gas or LP).
Engine Block and Head Repair
A cracked cylinder head or engine block may or may not be bad news depending on the size and location of the crack(s), the value of the casting and what it will take to fix the crack(s) versus what it would cost you to replace the casting. Read what your options are in this Larry Carley feature.
MAHLE Aftermarket Inc. Names Fourth-Annual Champion Technician
MAHLE Aftermarket Inc. recently named Las Vegas native, Kevin Roche as the fourth annual MAHLE Aftermarket Champion Technician. Roche was awarded the title based on his entry in the MAHLE Aftermarket Champion Technician contest, established to spotlight talented and forward-thinking engine technicians and specialists nationwide.
The Ford ‘FE’ – Rebuilding An American Iron Icon
Ford produced the FE series engines for almost 20 years and in this time period, this series of engine gained quite a following. After researching the FE, I was intrigued about its internal workings. I had always heard about and seen some of the more popular FE engines such as the 390, 427 and 428 but never had a chance to dive into one – until now.
Breaking Rules With Our 392 Magnum Engine Build
Breaking Some Rules — that’s what we’ve been doing and promoting with our 392 Magnum engine build. And with our plans to raffle the finished product and raise money and awareness for the work being done by the Independence Fund (www.indepencefund.org ) for our disabled veterans, we’re really doing something different, at least for us.
Cutting Tools and Abrasives for Engine Work
When it comes to machining late model engines, tolerances are generally much tighter and finishes often have to be much smoother to meet original equipment specifications. If you’re doing performance work, there’s even less margin for error. Consequently, you need up-to-date equipment and tooling that can hold close tolerances and deliver high quality finishes while
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
Tech Talk: Why VVT Engines Are Becoming a Reality for Most Vehicles
Variable valve timing can dramatically increase low- and high-speed engine torque, increase fuel economy and reduce exhaust emissions. When the topic of variable valve timing (VVT) comes up, few realize that the concept of increasing low- and high-speed engine torque by automatically advancing and retarding valve timing isn’t a recent development. For example, I recently discovered an
Performance Diesel: Turbos & Tuning
There is nothing more fast and furious than the roar of a turbo engine when it is finely tuned and performing efficiently on all levels. Whether pulling gear with the diesel truck or revving the street hot rod, making the most out of the turbo is crucial to most engine builders. As the consumer’s appetite
Engine Builder Shop Solutions: January 2013
Detonation vs. Pre-Ignition (Editors Note: the following is in response to Greg Goss’s entry in the August 2012 issue) A sharp point or edge that can glow in a combustion chamber or on a piston top does not cause detonation. Mr. Goss inadvertently was referring to pre-ignition. Detonation and pre-ignition are two distinctly different terms and