It’s All About The Choices
When I had difficulty coming up with ideas worthy of the space between the covers of this magazine it took only a couple of phone calls from customers before the light bulb came on: I realized I needed to examine the past to address the present. After two or three calls from customers relating their
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
Ohio Technical College Partners with Jasper Engines & Transmissions
Through the partnership, JASPER will provide engines, transmissions and differentials along with manufacturing, marketing and sponsor support to OTC. Students will train on the company’s products during a six-week course held in the new Jasper Engines and Transmissions Training Center Lab building. “We are excited to have JASPER as the official automotive engine and transmissions
Facebook Timeline Design: How To Make Your Page Look Nice
Well, we’re going to teach you where each feature is and how to use it, so you don’t need to waste your time trying to figure things out! ?? First of all, if you haven’t already done so, DON’T change your Business Page to Timeline design just yet. Use it in Preview Mode until you
Engine Builder Shop Solutions: August 2012
Editor’s Note: This coming October will mark “Shop Solutions’” fifth anniversary and to help Engine Pro celebrate, we’re putting plans into place to have a “Top Five from the Past Five” contest where you’ll get to choose your favorite Shop Solution from the past five years. Watch this section as well as the magazine for
New Rear Main Seal Installation for 1995-2004 GM 3.8L Engines
Affects 1995-2004 GM models with with 3.8L V6 Engines (VINs K, 1,2, 4 – RPOs L36, L67, L26, L32) Crankshaft Rear Oil Seal and Housing Removal 1) Remove oil pan assembly as outlined in the appropriate Service Information Manual. 2) Remove the crankshaft rear oil seal housing bolts. 3) Remove the crankshaft rear oil seal
Tips and Tricks For Quickly and Accurately Detecting Cracks
Dry Method Magnetic Particle Inspection When "Magnafluxing" a casting, never blast with media prior to testing.Blast media peens the surface and can move metal, possibly closing thevery cracks or flaws that you are trying to identify. When very coarsewire brushes are used roughly, they can also mask these areas. Usuallythe casting itself, without cleaning, is
Getting Employees To Adopt The Right Culture
How many times during the day does a customer stop by or call, and ask toonly speak with you, the shop owner? Do you know why? It’s because in general,the experience the customer has when dealing with the owner of a business ismuch different than when dealing with an employee. The owner goes out of
What You Can
To put things in perspective, .0015? isequal to 32 micron. These particles are small enough to get into that space justahead of the cam lobe and lifter contact area. Small particles can get in betweenthe roller and the axle on a roller lifter. Even worse, hard particles canscore the bore of the plunger in hydraulic
COMP Cams Engine Builder Duel Returns To NSRA Street Rod Nationals Aug. 2-5
The 2012 NSRA Street Rod National participants will get a chance to showoff their engine building skills in the COMP Cams Engine Builder Duel this weekend, Aug. 2-5, at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville,KY. The event annually features over 11,000 street rods and more than 30,000 visitors. The Engine Builder Duel, presented by Snap-On
History-Making Times and Technologies
Speaking of choices, we have a little bit of history happening in theautomotive industry as well and it’s called Displacement on Demand,Active Fuel Management, Multi-Displacement system, Variable CylinderManagement and the list goes on. The bottom line is, technology thatchanges the number of cylinders a vehicle runs on can use just 25-30percent of the available horsepower
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.
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
7 Shop Survival Tips
Ford 5.0L/302 "Cobra" Cams Problem: Ford made a limited number of the Mustang Cobras with a "super-high-output" 5.0L in ’93, ’94 and ’95. They all had a unique roller cam (p/n F3ZZ-6250-A) that can be identified by the "GT" stamped on the barrel, right behind the distributor gear (see Figure 1, at right). This cam
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
Russo and Steele Teams With Edelbrock For Childrens Charity Fundraiser
Russo and Steele Collector Automobile Auctions has an entire program dedicated to raising awareness and funds for Edelbrock’s youth initiatives along with The Center for Learning Unlimited, during its 12th Annual "Sports and Muscle in Monterey" auction event this August 16-18, 2012. The fundraising will begin with a charity auction on Thursday, August 16th prior
Diesel Motorsports: Pulling in Profits or Just Blowing Smoke?
Let’s take a look at the diesel market’s history. A dozen years ago, when the first organized event was held for diesel pickups in Muncie, IN, there were a couple of hundred trucks. And most of were lucky to hit 500 to 600 horsepower. Fast-forward to today and you will find close to 40 diesel-only
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
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
Diesel Engines: Dino Fuel or Bio Fuel?
Though they lately seem to be going the other way, with rising fuel prices, consumers are constantly looking for inventive ways to cut fuel costs and consumption. That’s the American spirit: we love to look for ways to beat the system. There is nothing wrong with this attitude, because this is where inventive minds