Engine Bearings and Crankshafts: Best Friends Forever (BFFs)
Bearings appear to be such simple engine components. On the surface, they’re just half-circles of metal whose only purpose is to reduce friction between and support moving parts. The engine bearing has to establish and maintain a film of oil between moving and stationary parts to prevent wear to expensive engine components. They look like
New Aftermarket Automotive Belts and Hoses Last Longer
There was a time when rubber belts and hoses were maintenance itemsthat had to be replaced every five or six years, depending on theircondition. The original equipment belts and hoses on today’s late-model vehiclesare mostly made of EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer), a syntheticrubber that is far more durable, heat-resistant and wear-resistant thanNeoprene. This means
How Do You Reuse Cummins ISX and QSX Connecting Rods?
There are two types of ISX & QSX connecting rods; “Drilled” and “Non-Drilled”. A drilledconnecting rod has an oil passage drilled up through the shank of the rod to supply lubrication tothe connection at the piston pin. A drilled rod can be used with either two piece articulated orone piece steel pistons. There is no
Identifying Six Common Fastener Failures
While few engine builders have access to sophisticated analysis equipment, a standard Bausch and Lomb three lens magnifying glass will generally show 98% of what you want to see. Several of the photos have been taken utilizing a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and are presented to simply illustrate typical grain configurations after failure, according to
HPBG: Don
In that discussion we hashed over the disparity in coefficients of expansion between cast iron and aluminum (that caused a revolution in head gaskets around the time of the Cadillac 4.1L). We discussed surface conditions and how that affects gaskets and scrub. We discussed gasket coatings and how they remain plastic while not scrubbing and
Making Dollars and Sense Cleaning Blocks, Heads
Unless you’re starting with all new parts, cleaning is as important to your engine build as disassembly, inspection, machining and reassembly. Without taking the cylinder heads and engine blocks down to bare metal, you can’t properly inspect the castings for cracks, wear and other defects. For something so important, proper cleaning technique is often misunderstood, overlooked
Cracked Cylinder Head Repair
It seems as if many cylinder heads are doomed to crack from the very start because of their lightweight construction and design. Aluminum overhead cam (OHC) heads, in particular, are often found to be warped as well as cracked. But so too are many pushrod cast iron heads. Cracks are often blamed as the cause
Racing Rotating Assemblies: Cranks, Rods and Pistons
Building a performance engine requires assembling the optimum mix of rotating components that are compatible with the block and heads, properly matched with each other, and balanced to precise tolerances. The easiest way to get the right combination of parts is to buy a complete rotating assembly from a supplier who offers such kits. Most
Communication Breakdown: Diagnosing Engine Bearing Failure
Engine builders turn into medical examiners when this happens; getting the story behind the story is what you must do to understand what went wrong and what to do to avoid it in the future. According to engine bearing experts, a failed bearing is not usually the fault of the bearing but rather the fault
2011 Machine Shop Market Profile – Part 1
For what seems like an eternity, it has almost become commonplace to wait for the eye roll, the shake of the head and the hangdog expression before hearing the familiar refrain, “Oh, man, let me tell you…” In the engine building business, of course, the standard response industry-wide has, for many years, been simple:?Lousy. Numbers
Media and Solutions For Cleaning Engine Parts
One essential aspect of engine building and rebuilding that cannot be avoided is the need for cleaning. Used engine parts have to be cleaned before they can be inspected. Parts that will be reused also have to be cleaned to remove dirt, grease, oil, carbon, rust, scale and other gunk that could contaminate a newly
1999-2001 Frontier and Xterra Right-Hand Exhaust Manifolds Cracked in VGS33E Engines
If a cracked right-hand exhaust manifold on a 1999-2001 Nissan VGS33E engine is discovered when the exhaustheat shield is removed, installers must replace the exhaust manifold. If one of these symptoms should occur, use the following to diagnosethe condition, replacing the right-hand exhaust manifold and relatedparts as described. SERVICE PROCEDURE Diagnosis: 1. Installers should
Evolving Crankshaft Designs and Applications
In the early days, a crank didn’t have to be very sophisticated or strong because most engines were an inline design, and the loads and speeds were relatively low. Fast forward to today. The evolution in engine technology, power and performance has led to a whole new generation of performance crankshafts that are a mechanical
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
OHC Cylinder Head Rebuilding and Equipment
Originally featured mainly in European racing machinery from Fiat, Peugeot and Alfa Romeo in the early part of last century, by the 1960s companies like Fiat and Jaguar had introduced OHC production engines. It was advanced technology for the time, but today OHC is the norm for even the least expensive production engine. OHC cylinder
Valves: When to Reclaim, When to Replace
Performance engine builders can’t afford to take chances with questionable valves because they have to withstand high rpms and temperatures. Likewise, rebuilders who overhaul high dollar heavy-duty diesel and industrial engines want to minimize their comeback risks by making sure the valves they use are either new or have been carefully inspected and reconditioned to
Intake Manifold Gaskets
Back in the days when most engines had cast iron blocks, heads and manifolds, the intake manifold could be easily sealed with simple and relatively inexpensive die cut fiber faced metal gaskets (solid or perforated core). Sealer was usually required to ensure a leak-free installation. But in the late 1980s and early 1990s, fuel
GM Northstar 4.6L V8 Engine
Initially rated at 295 horsepower, the Northstar V8 has grown over the years to an incredible 469 hp at 6,400 rpm (STS-V Supercharged Northstar engine). In 1995, the engine was ranked as one of the “10 Best Engines in North America” by Ward’s Auto World. It repeated the honor in 1996 and 1997, but it
Cleaning Up In The Shop
In fact, it can be very difficult to make an accurate diagnosis of what’s wrong with an engine until it’s clean. You may be able to recognize some failed parts, you can often see large cracks or obvious damage, but you’re really only assuming you know what caused a failure if you can’t see for
Diesel Crankshaft Basics
The crankshaft turns this linear motion into a rotating motion that provides power to move a vehicle forward, operate generators or otherwise give measurable activity. Whether in a gasoline or diesel-powered engine, the crankshaft is a key component. With diesels, the crank is typically thought of as bigger, heavier and harder to get in the