Identifying Ford Duratec 3.0L Cylinder Blocks
The Duratec 30 is an aluminum blockwith cast iron liners, aluminum DOHC cylinder head with four valves percylinder, fracture-split (cracked) forged powder metal connecting rods,and a forged steel crankshaft. There are two versions of the Duratec 30: DAMB – Lincoln LS, Jaguar, Mazda 6 and MPV, which use direct-actingmechanical bucket (DAMB) tappets. Here the camshaft
Muscle Car Engines: What’s Old Is New. And The Greates Of All Time
Baby boomers wanted to go fast even if they were just driving to the grocery store. The open road was calling and America answered. But the government intervened and quickly started killing the culture in the early to mid-’70s. Then the gas crisis of the late ’70s put the final nail in the coffin. Or
Keeping Valve Jobs Profitable
Okay, so head work accounts for a large percentage of your business. But is it as profitable as it should be or could be? Do you have a good handle on cylinder head related costs (parts, labor and cleaning)? Are the employees who are doing the head work competent and productive? Is your valve guide
Engine Building Measuring Tools
The French created a measurement system in 1790 called the metric system. While the U.S. has never managed to switch over to it completely, as we were supposed to in the latter half of the 20th century, most automotive techs are familiar with it today because of the fasteners and components on late model vehicles.
Extending Valve Life
Most manufacturers of valvesoperate tech phone lines, and all have received that caller who opens the conversation by saying, "Your valve ruined my engine; when are you going to pay to fix it?"As much as the rebuilder or vehicle owner might like to lay blame it on the manufacturer for providing a bad product, it
Building Pontiac Excitement
Each GM division had its own engineering staffs and even its own assembly plants. There was very little parts interchange between the different divisions. Each unit had its own engines. Each division had its own personality. When Bunkie Knudsen became general manager of Pontiac in June of 1956 he set the world on fire. His
Performance Oil Systems
For the engine to survive, the oiling system must be capable of supplying an adequate volume of oil under a wide range of operating conditions. The oiling system must also maintain adequate pressure to keep the oil flowing to all of the places where it is needed. Critical among them are the crankshaft and camshaft
Connecting Rod Selection for Performance Engines
The types of rods are broken into four families: stock, aluminum, 4340 forged and 4340 billet. I know there are some 4130 and 5140 aftermarket rods available, but I have no experience with these. Stock rods vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, not only in size and shape, but in the amount of power and RPM’s
Thermal Considerations for High Performance Engines
Temperature affects the size of all the materials. However, the effect is certainly not the same for all materials. Almost all materials expand as they are warmed and contract as they are cooled. There is one noteable exception – when water changes to ice. Returning to the subject at hand, we find that for all
Lower Cylinder Bore Damage Caution for CAT 3400, C15, & C18 engines
The wear shown in Figure 1 is an example of the damage that can result on a worn cylinder block. The cylinder block should be repaired prior to installing a new cylinder liner. With newer engines developing higher cylinder pressures and horsepower, and older engines possibly having been overhauled a few times already, making sure
2012 Machine Shop Market Profile – Part 1
Because of the years of continuous data we’ve collected, we believe the information in this study is the most reliable data available for tracking trends in the production of engines, cylinder heads and crankshafts, as well as specific business data. While it isn’t always a rosy one, the picture that develops from our survey gives
Power Adders: Turbos, Blowers and Nitrous
The engine can only inhale so much air because the atmospheric force that’s pushing air into the engine is only 14.7 lbs. per square inch at sea level. To make matters worse, atmospheric pressure decreases with elevation. Air density also decreases with temperature because hot air is thinner than cold air. Most stock naturally aspirated engines
New Products for Modern V8 Engines
The numbers aren’t there yet, but engine builders and suppliers are taking notice of the new V8s. What has taken so long? For one, the new engines are more expensive and more complex. Some shops do not have the capability or expertise to work on them just yet, but more and more shops do. One
Engine Builder Shop Solutions: June 2012
Reducing Vibrations And Chatter Vibrations when machining with extended length setups can not only cause chatter and premature tool failure, but also reduce spindle bearing life and lead to poor surface finish, dimensional control issues and premature tool wear. Shops are often forced to reduce cutting parameters to avoid chatter, decreasing productivity. Chatter occurs when
Installing Exhaust Guides in GM Big Block Engines
The only practical method to determine if this is a problemis to install new a new guide, grind the valve seat, and pressure testthe cylinder head. If both a uniform seat width and leak-free sealaround the guide can be obtained, then the original concentricity wasnot a problem. Also note that the exhaust valve guides are
Labor Costing Study: Rebuilding the GM 3.4/3.5L Engine
But in many cases, “performance excellence” takes a back seat to “excellent performance,” and for millions of car, minivan and crossover vehicle owners, the development and growth of the 3.4L/3.5L platform of V6 engines has been just as important. Back in 1980, with the introduction of its new line of front wheel drive cars, GM
Building for the Drag Racing Market a Quarter Mile at a Time
At the top levels of drag racing there are multi-million dollar teams supported by corporate sponsors, but for the sportsman and bracket racers across the country, it’s still mostly supported by the racer’s wallet. Yet many of these racers have pretty deep pockets and the benefactors are those who service the market, including engine builders
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
Repairing 1998-2003 Honda V6 Oil Leaks
This bulletin may help installers to repair the problem. Depending onthe location of the leak, you or your installer may seal it with JB Weld or 3-Bond-coatedsealing bolts. Applies To: All 1998-2003 Accord V6, 1999-2003 Odyssey and 2003 Pilot models. Ifoil is leaking from the front, middle or rear of one of the aboveengines, it
Cylinder Block Cracks on 4.6L Cadillac Engines
A subject certainlyworth knowing about are cylinder block cracks on the Cadillac 4.6LDOHC engine. You may never see one of these cracks unlessyou painstakingly look for it or it bites you on a warranty. However,it becomes obvious almost immediately if you need to resurface theblock deck. The problem is cracking of the aluminum block casting