Crack Detection and Correction
First off, let’s get one thing perfectly clear – there’s no such thing as “flawless.” Like those shocking tabloid photos of that Hollywood actress who gets blindsided beside a bistro, even the most conscientious engine builder sometimes has to deal with surprising surface imperfections. And just as she has paparazzi to expose the damage and
How to Properly Care for Your Carbide Cutting Tools
There are three things to remember when using carbide cutting tools: 1. Avoid making intermittent cuts 2. Do not turn tool in reverse of normal rotation 3. Avoid cutting out valve seats with counterbore seat cutters When in use, always keep carbide tools stored separately, cased in wood or plastic. If they happen to bump
Giving Away Profits To Stay Busy Makes No Business Sense
Why am I writing about your wallet? To be perfectly honest, it’s because I want you to stay in business. If you’re not in business, Engine Builder magazine isn’t in business. If you’re not in business, Goodson Tools & Supplies isn’t in business. If you’re not in business, Dave Monyhan is not employed, and that
Cleaning Engine Parts: Can You? Should You?
Here’s the kicker – those shops who feel that proper cleaning is too difficult, too time consuming or too expensive are actually leaving money on table when it comes to their engine parts. “At one point in my career, cleaning seemed like it was really difficult,” says Dave Arce of Arce Enterprises, El Cajon, CA.
The Nitty Gritty of Abrasive Safety
Conventional abrasives have kind of taken a back seat to PCD and CBN cutters in the automotive world in the last few years. Since most engines being rebuilt these days are made from multi-alloy components they are more easily machined with PCD or CBN. But PCD and CBN can’t do everything, so abrasives are still
Late Model Performance Cylinder Heads
As the economy continues to come out of its slump, cylinder head manufacturers are seeing a growing demand for new cylinder heads that can deliver race-winning performance. Whether the heads are upgraded aftermarket heads for traditional small block/big block Chevy and Ford applications, or hot heads for the latest generation of Chevy LS and
Designing and Building a World-Record Beating Porsche V8
We would build for the Blown Gas Modified Sports (BGMS) class where the record is currently 231.5 mph. Another record we were after was the Porsche marquee record for the 928 of 205.6 mph. Our math told us that – because we knew our final drive ratio, tire diameters and engine redline; and if our
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
Understanding Today
Metallurgy is one of the oldest sciences in the world – it’s a history that can be traced back to the beginnings of civilization. It’s hard to believe that in the thousands of years since the discovery of gold and silver there have only been 84 new metals discovered. In fact, when the automobile was
Understanding Port Swirl In Diesel Engines
What is port swirl? Actually this is a little contradictive. The port doesn’t actually swirl, it is the design of the port that causes air to swirl! Swirl is what is taking place when the intake charge exits the intake valve and enters the combustion chamber. As the air enters the combustion chamber and the
LPG Cylinder Head Conversions
The recent move to clean up inner city exhaust emissions has resulted in renewed interest in the use of LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) as a motor fuel. Tax incentives are being offered to encourage fleet operators to convert to gaseous fuels and more vehicles are being offered by the OEMs that are already converted. What
Choosing Aftermarket BBC Cylinder Heads for Street/Strip Applications
In 1958, Chevrolet released the first big block for use in its trucks and heavier passenger cars. It was called the “W” engine and it came in three engine displacements until 1965: 348 cid, 409 cid and 427 cid. After Chevy introduced its “mystery engine” to NASCAR in 1962 with a combustion chamber and canted
Engine Builder Shop Solutions: August 2009
Gasket Surface Cleaning Caution Cleaning gasket surfaces can be a terrible thing to do! Many of today’s cylinder heads, and various parts are made of aluminum. The use of cleaning discs can damage the surface being cleaned by actually removing some of the surface being cleaned. There are also dangers of getting fibers from the
CNC Machines for Heavy-Duty or Industrial Engines
On one hand, automating certain commonly performed machining processes means you only have to do the initial setup once and the machine does the rest. It frees up the machine operator to do something else, and it reduces the risk of human error when doing tedious, repetitive tasks. On the other hand, making the transition
Diesel Cylinder Head Rebuilding
If you have ever tried to start most diesel engines in cold weather, you know that you have to have an engine heater, or you have to have a starting aid like starting fluid. These engines most commonly did not have a computer, and the fuel pressure would be in the range of around 3,000
Federal-Mogul Begins Producing Powertrain Components at New ‘Greenfield’ Facility in Brazil
Federal-Mogul recently beganproducing the first pistons from a state-of-the-art manufacturing lineat its new Powertrain Energy business segment facility in Araras,Brazil. The 10,300-square-meter "Greenfield" facility produces pistons,camshafts and valve seats and guides for several leading vehiclemanufacturers. The new Araras facility shipped the first pistons to customers, four weeks ahead of the planned shipment date. "We are
Special Supplement: 2008 Machining & Engine Parts Tech Guide
April 2008 Machining & Engine Parts Tech Guide Cylinder Bores & Piston Rings Valves & Valve Seats Crankshafts & Engine Bearings Head & Block Decks and Gaskets Sponsored By:
Machining & Engine Parts Tech Guide
April 2007 Machining & Engine Parts Tech Guide Cylinder Bores & Piston Rings Valves & Valve Seats Crankshafts & Engine Bearings Head & Block Decks and Gaskets Sponsored By:
New Metals-New Challenges
Cast iron is like an old familiar friend to most of our readers because it’s been around forever. Vehicle manufacturers like cast iron because it’s cheap compared to most other metals, it is strong and durable, and it can be easily cast and machined to make engine blocks, cylinder heads, crankshafts, connecting rods and other
The 2006 Machine Shop of the Year
Turning 40 used to be a bad thing… On that tragic day, the black balloons, the wacky "Over The Hill" gag gifts and the general air of sympathy that your best years had all come and gone were about the only things you could hope for. That is, if you view 40 as old. But