Valve, Guide and Seat Repair Options
Valve, guide and seat repairs are the cornerstones of rebuilding cylinder heads. It makes no difference if the head is a 350 Chevy or one with dual overhead cams and four-valves-per-cylinder. The basics of refinishing the valves, guides and seats are essentially the same. The newer high tech heads will usually have smaller parts, the
Rebuilding the Chevrolet LT1 Engine
Although it shared many common dimensions, looked much the same and even had a few common parts, it was totally redesigned to provide more power with lower emissions and better fuel economy. Compared to the 1991 Chevy 350 L98 with TPI, the LT1 made 20% more horsepower, got better fuel mileage, and had a
Rebuilding the Buick 3300
The Buick 3300 was introduced in 1989 as areplacement for the 3.0L that had been around since 1982. It hadthe updated block with on-center bores, just like the revisedversion of the 3800 that came out the year before, along withseveral other changes and improvements. This engine was installed in many of the "A"bodied cars including
Machine Shop Market Profile
Interviews conducted with parts and equipmentsuppliers, as well as machine shop owners and custom engine rebuilders,generally point to market demand which has remained flat whenengine production numbers are compared to year earlier figures.Recent survey results of machine shops concerning production year1997 confirm these assumptions. Automotive Rebuilder magazine conducted a surveyof the machine shop membership of
Valve Stem Seals
Valve stem seals play a critical role in controlling valve lubrication as well as oil consumption. If the seals do not fit properly or are not installed correctly, the guides may be either starved for lubrication or flooded with oil. Either way, the engine is going to have problems – and you’re going to have
“Heading” In The Right Direction: Heads Are A Hot Commodity These Days
Heads are a hot commodity these days, but itdepends on the application. Some heads like those for Chevy 350and Chrysler 2.2L/2.5L engines are always in demand, but pricesare low because of the glut of cores that are available for theseengines. Even so, anybody who’s selling heads these days has tohave them. The hot heads are
Low Cost Quality Honing For The Small Shop
My son and I run a small automotive machineshop doing engine rebuilding and custom machine work in ruralMissouri. We try to do the very best work possible all the time.Whether we are rebuilding a Ford 8N or a 427 Corvette engine,we use the same amount of care doing the job. When our customerspick up their
Steering A Course Through The Rack Wars: Today’s Market For Remanufactured Rack-And-Pinion
Is today’s market for remanufactured rack-and-pinionsteering units meandering through the doldrums of a mature aftermarket,or is it heading in a new direction that may soon create new opportunitiesfor rebuilders? Some say the worst is behind them. They sayrack prices have bottomed out, competition has leveled off, anda growing number of retailers have come to realize
Small Engine Performance
Most businesses have the same problems and each must look for ways to remain competitive by reducing costs and exploring new markets for existing products or services. And so it is in engine building. There is always someone that is able to provide more features per dollar than you (or at least make someone believe
Performance Marine Engines – Meeting Customer Expectations
Life is a series of compromises. Human relations almost alwaysinvolves compromises of some sort. You want Chinese for dinner,she wants Italian; something has to give. Even if you go yourseparate ways, it’s a compromise and a decision to not dine together. Believe it or not, it’s the same with machinery. Any exercisein design is a
Building Horsepower Through Dyno Testing
Pick up a copy of any racing-oriented automotive publication andas you thumb through its pages you’ll notice a smorgasbord ofads from engine builders. Most of them will have an assortmentof horsepower figures large enough to rival the national debt. Of course, all the numbers are suspect because, in most cases,they were obtained on the advertisers’
1997 Shop Kinks
Machine shops and custom engine rebuilders are, and always havebeen, a resourceful group. Our industry was founded on the principalof bringing component parts from a condition of disrepair to onethat offers equivalent performance to that of a new part. Rebuilt engines offer cost savings and performance benefits thatcan not be found with any other products,
Niche Market Opportunities
In today’s highly competitive market, it makes sense to constantlybe on the lookout for new opportunities. Information on the marketsdescribed in this article may provide some new business prospectsfor those shops not already involved with them. However, rebuildersshould constantly be prospecting for other niche markets for theirexisting products or services. There are potentially many products
Brakes Market: Brake Rebuilders Have No Intention Of Slowing Down
Despite a few bumps in the aftermarket roadto success, brake rebuilders have no intention of slowing down.Some brake industry professionals say that demand in the brakerebuilding market is pretty consistent compared to last year. "The market (in sales) seems to be following the same patternsas last year," said Steve Suber, friction materials managerfor EIS Brake
Making A Big Splash In The Marine Market
The average individual that would have owned a performance car in the 1960s, and the baby boomers that did, in many cases no longer have a modern affordable toy they can tweak to their own satisfaction. Serious performance today is often available to only a few with large checking accounts or extra good credit, and
Tackling High Performance Work
Obviously, there are many questions to be answered before a shop enters or expands its activities into the high performance arena. There are moderately successful performance-oriented machine shops scattered from one end of the nation to the other. There are also a significantly smaller number of VERY successful shops. Typically, the difference between the former
Rebuilt Market Reviews – Electronics Market
If flexibility and the ability to quickly diversify are the marks of a successful rebuilder, then Denver, CO-based electronics rebuilding specialists, cciUPTIME, was destined for this industry. cciUPTIME remanufactures electronic control modules (ECMs) for Mercedes-Benz and other high-end import vehicles. These units include everything from on-board computers to climate control, cruise control, idle speed control,
Rebuilt Market Reviews – Clutches Market: New Rules And A Changing Field Of Players.
Anybody who’s in the clutch rebuilding business today knows that it’s an entirely different ball game, one with new rules and a changing field of players. A proliferation of new passenger car and light truck clutches in recent years, plus an influx of low-cost new clutches from offshore manufacturers, has driven the cost of new
Eis Brake Parts: Consists Of Five Separate Remanufacturing Facilities In The U.S. And Canada
EIS Brake Parts has come a long way since it began as a manufacturer of hydraulic brake hose couplings back in the early 1930s. Today the company, which became a division of Standard Motor Products in 1986, consists of five separate remanufacturing facilities in the U.S. and Canada. The facilities are located in Berlin, CT;
Grinding Techniques: In Thousands Of Years, The Basics Of Grinding Haven’t Changed
Grinding is one of the oldest methods known for shaping and sharpening objects. It was first used in prehistoric times to make weapons and other tools by rubbing wood, stones, bones and eventually metal against hard, abrasive rocks. In thousands of years, the basics of grinding haven’t changed. We’re still rubbing an abrasive against metal