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
Balance of Power (and Profit)
One of the keys to a smooth running, long lasting engine is proper balance of the reciprocating and rotating parts. When a crankshaft is out of balance, the uneven distribution of weight can generate centripetal forces that shake the engine with increasing intensity as engine rpm goes up. Centripetal force (which many people mistakenly call
Cutting Tools and Abrasives
One of tricks of the trade of machining engine parts is choosing the right cutting tool or abrasive for that particular job. Different metals have different machinability characteristics. A cutting tool or abrasive that works well on one application may not work so well on another application. Years ago when most engine parts were
Machine Maintenance: Time For Spring Cleaning
Springtime is here at last. Birds are chirping, the snow is melting and the grass is finally starting to show. It’s time to hang up the snow shovels and get the lawnmower tuned up. And if you’re like me, you can hardly wait to get your summer toys out of storage and ready to roll.
Chrysler 318/360 Blocks Cracked Around The Head Bolt Holes
Some thread repairs don’t work because they can’t take the torque required for a head bolt, and others leak coolant through the insert itself if you do try to use them. Some engine builders “vee” out the cracks, weld them up, and deck the block, but that’s a time-consuming process that doesn’t always work out
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
Back to Basics: Reconditioning Connecting Rods
When you’re looking at connecting rods and considering returning them to service, there are many things you must consider. They are one of the most critical pieces of the engine puzzle and under great strain when in operation, so you must pay attention to the details during the rebuilding process. There are many times when
Coretalk: EPWI Names ‘Vendor Of’ and ‘Representative Of The Year’ For 2006
EPWI also named Dick Niemi, Federal-Mogul, as its 2006 Rep-resentative of the Year.A surprised Dick Niemi, district sales manager in the greater San Francisco Bay area, accepted his award during the awards ceremony. Niemi provides sales, product and marketing support for Sealed Power, Speed-Pro, FP Diesel, Fel-Pro, Carter and Champion product lines to EPWI’s Oakland
Cleaning Engine Parts – In The Real World
Regardless of what kind of engine work you do, cleaning the parts is almost always the first step in any job. Parts need to be cleaned before they are machined for a variety of reasons: it helps keep your shop equipment cleaner (which means less mess and cleanup later), it uncovers the bare metal surface
GM’s 6.5L Diesel Engine
The 6.5L GM diesel engine was introduced in 1992 to replace the 6.2L diesel engine and was in turn replaced by GM’s Duramax 6600 in 2001. On the surface it would appear that the story of the 6.5L diesel would end here, right? Well, that wouldn’t make much of an article. In actuality, production of
Performance Connecting Rods
The connecting rods are a vital link between the pistons and crankshaft. They connect the reciprocal motion of the pistons to the rotational motion of the crank. The weight of the rods is important because it affects the reciprocating forces inside the engine. Lighter is usually better because less weight means faster throttle response and
Stroker Engine Kits
For more than 50 years the old saying “There’s no substitute for cubic inches” has been the credo of nearly every racer and hot rodder. Whoever created this unwritten universal law could never have imagined to what extremes today’s speed enthusiasts would take it. Now, unless you have a 420cid-plus small-block or a 550cid-plus big-block
Engine Builders: Pistons and Rings – Hypereutectic, Valve, Installation
Though pistons can often be salvaged when remanufacturing an engine, sometimes they have to be replaced. The original pistons may have worn or damaged ring grooves, wrist pins or skirts, or they may have cracks. New pistons may also be necessary if the cylinders have too much taper wear and the block has to be
Aluminum Cleaning & Machining
Steel may still be the big dog when it comes to the content of the world’s motor vehicles, but aluminum usage in cars and trucks continues to increase. Fueled by the desire to save weight, time and energy, aluminum is gaining ground with manufacturers of parts and components. How does the use of aluminum in
Shop Line
We’ve had customer complaints about recurring MILs (malfunctioning indicator light) on some Chrysler 3.2 and 3.5L engines. Any idea what’s going on? The AERA Technical Committee offers the following information regarding a revised valve spring for 1998-2004 Chrysler 3.2 and 3.5L VIN J, G, K, M & V engines. This revision is the result of
Performance Notes: Cashing In On Power Adders: Blowers, Turbos, Nitrous
The demand for high performance vehicles has never been stronger. A good indicator is that automakers are turning out more powerful models with each successive new car introduction. Remember when 500 horsepower was a pretty good number for a race motor? Today you can purchase a number of vehicles that eclipse 500hp, from a Z06
Shop Line
Q: Are the cracked exhaust seats in the Cummins 5.9L diesel engine found in the Ram pickup a cause for concern? A: The AERA Technical Committee says cracked exhaust seats on 1998-2006 Cummins/Chrysler 5.9L diesel engines have been reported by other AERA members as well. The 24 valve engines with four valves per cylinder have
Engine Sealing: High Performance Head Gaskets
One thing no engine builder wants to worry about is a head gasket failure, whether it is a NASCAR cup engine, a Pro Stock drag racing engine, a dirt track engine, a hot street engine or even a stock engine. Stock head gaskets hold up well enough under normal loads. But as compression ratios and
Crack Detection
Take a look in the mirror. Smiling back at you, you’ll notice that row of pearly whites. They probably look pretty good. Maybe a bit stained from coffee or smoking, but overall, they seem to be pretty solid, right? If you’re like many people, the fear sets in as soon as you sit down in