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
Speakers And Topics Released For 21st Annual AETC
Some of the biggest names in the industry will be speaking at the 21st Annual AETC™. Already scheduled are Greg West of Fel-Pro Gaskets, Matt Hartford of Total Seal Piston Rings, Steven Golya of JE Pistons, Bill Schlieper of Pro Power Racing, Doug Yates of Roush Yates Racing, Andy Randolph of ECR Engines, Ron Shaver
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The above statement is bold, you may think. Are you thinking that it doesn’t applyto your business? You may think you’re doing okay. Yet my statementapplies to everyone – from a one-man shop to a shop with 100 employeesor more – because if you don’t do it, your competitor will! The most recent Machine Shop
Federal-Mogul Launches Next-Generation Electronic Catalog
Federal-Mogul Corporation has launched a dynamic, next-generation electronic catalog – available at www.fme-cat.com– to help aftermarket distributors, auto parts stores, professionalautomotive repair technicians and consumers find high quality parts forany of millions of passenger and commercial vehicles as well asperformance, marine, agricultural/industrial and small-engineapplications. Available 24/7, the interactive new eCatalog features a user-friendlyinterface, expanded functionality
Opinions And Outlook From An Industry Veteran
The following interview with Comp Cam’s Paul "Scooter" Brothers recently appeared on CPGNation.com. We have posted an excerpt of the story below. To view the original posting, please visit http://www.cpgnation.com/forum/scooter-brothers-opinions-outlooks-industry-veteran-3245.html. With Scooter Brothers’ outstanding automotive aftermarket credentials, we thought it would be fascinating to get his take on some current topics. So wespoke with Brothers
MAHLE Clevite Inc. Introduces a New eLearning Course on Victor Reinz Gaskets
MAHLE Clevite Inc. recently added a new course on Victor Reinz gaskets to its eLearning™ curriculum. The new course covers the features and benefits of Victor Reinz gaskets and offers automotive and engine-rebuilding professionals the necessary tools to master sealing solutions. The course also will be available in French and Spanish in the near future.
Street Performance Valvetrains
Street performance requires everyday driveability and reliability. A good street performance engine should have a broad torque curve, plenty of low end power and a reasonable amount of intake vacuum at idle, especially if the engine is backed with an automatic transmission. A street engine also has to be capable of lasting tens of thousands
It
A bold statement, you may think. Are you thinking that it doesn’t apply to your business? You may think you’re doing okay. Yet my statement applies to everyone – from a one-man shop to a shop with 100 employees or more – because if you don’t do it, your competitor will! The most recent Machine
Boosting Performance – Nitrous, Superchargers and Turbochargers
From the budget six-cylinders that get 300 hp and 28 mpg for less than $25,000 to the 600 hp Viper V10 to the 630 hp Corvette ZR1 for just over $100,000, the performance market is deep and wide. “It’s amazing, the horsepower potential that these cars are coming with off the factory floor,” says Frank
Gaskets, Seals, Sealants and Fasteners
The factors that typically cause a gasket to fail include age, heat, thermal expansion, abrasion, pressure, vibration, corrosion, material breakdown or poor design. Some gaskets go the distance and others do not. With head gaskets, problems like detonation and engine overheating can damage the gasket very quickly, causing an otherwise good gasket to crack or
Valve Seat Selection and Machining
When rebuilding a cylinder head for a stock automotive application, a performance engine, or a heavy-duty diesel, what kind of replacement seats should you use if the original valve seats need to be replaced? Should you install new seats that are the same as the original seats, or should you use a different type of
TIG Welding Aluminum Heads
To survive in the current economic climate, you must look for opportunities to become more profitable and still maintain control of your profits. You must always look for ways to keep more of what you do “in-house” and keep as much of the revenue you generate in the business. Whenever you can control what goes
Ten ‘Must-have’ Features of a Shop Website
Research conducted among our readership indicates that only about half of you have a shop website. For those of you who haven’t unleashed the power of the Internet as ashop tool, what are you waiting for? You already know that it’s aneasy, fast way to find the information and answers you need to help youdo
Racing Oil and Additves
Engine oil has sometimes been compared to a cake mix. The base oil is like the flour and the additives are the spices. How much is used of each varies by the type of cake and its intended use. Birthday cakes don’t really work for weddings. Engine builders have also been compared to gourmet chefs,
What’s Rockin’ In Performance Rocker Arms and Valve Springs
Horsepower is in the heads. But for a cylinder head to breathe efficiently, the valvetrain must be rigid and strong to minimize flex, but also lightweight. For most performance applications, that means replacing the stock rocker arms, valve springs and pushrods with some type of aftermarket roller rocker arms, stiffer valve springs and stronger pushrods.
Takin’ it to the Streets: Performance Valvetrains for [almost] Everyday Use
Even though the valvetain plays a supporting role in the overall performance potential of an engine it can still be a make or – frequently – break proposition for engine builders. In a street performance application in particular your customers are usually quite proud of their vehicles and spend a lot of money on appearance.
Still The Same Old Grind?
The market for crankshaft grinding has changed a great deal in recent years. With many passenger car and light truck engines now lasting upward of 200,000 miles, there’s much less demand for grinding crankshafts than there used to be. By the time the engine needs major work, the vehicle has often depreciated to the point
Get Ready For The Perfect Storm
Prior to $5 per gallon gas many of us wouldn’t have given the sport compact market a second thought. After 13 years of meteoric growth, the high performance sport compact market stalled, nosed over, and settled into a holding pattern. The Fast & Furious crowd just lost interest. The huge sport compact enthusiast books suffered
Like Switching From Black and White to Color TV with Microwave Popcorn
I recently turned an age where you no longer want to talk about your age. An age where back pain and creaky bones start to set in, but everyone keeps telling you that you’re not that old. I remember when I was a kid and we got our first microwave and made the switch from
Choosing A Replacement Camshaft
Unless you are doing a totally stock rebuild and reusing the original camshaft, selecting a camshaft depends on what kind of engine you are building and how that engine will be used. A stock engine for a daily driver is obviously an entirely different application than an big stroker motor for a Pro Stock racer.