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
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
Engine Builder Shop Solutions: July 2012
Olds V8 Distributor Gear Lubrication Problems When building an Oldsmobile V8, especially a performance engine with a high volume oil pump, it is a must to drill a small squirter hole in the rear galley plug by the distributor gear. A hole .025? to .050? in diameter will do wonders for gear lubrication and save
Engine Builder Shop Solutions: June 2012
Reducing Vibrations And Chatter Vibrations when machining with extended length setups can not only cause chatter and premature tool failure, but also reduce spindle bearing life and lead to poor surface finish, dimensional control issues and premature tool wear. Shops are often forced to reduce cutting parameters to avoid chatter, decreasing productivity. Chatter occurs when
Do You Have What it Takes to be the Performance Engine Builder of the Year?
Performance engine builders are a dedicated bunch. All they care about is winning – and sometimes they employ “creative” methods to win races. With that in mind, Engine builders of all sizes and types are eligible – and encouraged – to enter the Performance Engine Builder of the Year contest. “We are excited to be
Engine Builder Shop Solutions: May 2012
Why Engine Valves Break The following are some of the most common reasons why engine valves break. This information is courtesy of Basso S.A., a manufacturer of engine valves for original equipment and aftermarket customers. Break between valve head and stem: Cause: Repeated stress to valve stem Contributing Factors: - Weak springs -
Engine Builder Shop Solutions: April 2012
Cold Air Tool Cooling For Machining We have been using cold air cooling in our shop for cast iron machining for several years. It does several things: it keeps the tool cool without the use of wet coolant, it blows away the dry chips, and it eliminates having the mess of coolant everywhere. Also, we
Engine Builder Shop Solutions: March 2012
Transferring Gaskets For Intake Port Matching I have found an effective way to transfer the gasket to the intake manifold without losing the “port location.” First, have the completed long block with the heads and its ports finished. Next, do all the pre-fitting of the gaskets and manifolds or “mock-up” work. Make any machining or
Engine Builder Shop Solutions: February 2012
The Perfect Pilot With the increasingly smaller valve stem diameters it is getting harder than ever to get an air-floated, self-centering, single point, multi-angle pilot aligned with the guide. Here is a pretty simple way of getting you almost dead-on every time and without bending or breaking your $80 to $100 solid carbide pilot.
2012 Engine Builder Tech Solutions Guide
(Use the links below to view a PDF of each section or click here for entire supplement) Sponsored by:
2012 Engine Builder Tech Solutions Guide
(Use the links below to view a PDF of each section or click here for entire supplement) Sponsored by:
Goodson Tools & Supplies for Engine Builders Releases 2012 Product Catalog
Among the products featured are three grades ofbrake lathe replacement tips and holders, silencer bands, mounting adaptors anda wide range of replacement parts for most popular brake lathes. Dave Monyhan, Goodson nationalsales manager, says, “This is one of the best catalogs we’ve ever produced. Theproduct line is expanded to include several new products that are
Engine Builder Publisher To Retire After 30 Years
At year’s end, Dave Wooldridge, Publisher of Engine Builder, will round out a nearly 30-year career with the company. In conjunction with this milestone, Wooldridge has announced plans to retire at the end of 2012. Wooldridge joined Babcox in 1983 as Managing Editor of Heavy Duty Marketing magazine. A year later, he was promoted to
HPBG: Becoming a Better Engine Builder at 22nd Annual AETC in Orlando
But if I were a professional engine builder, or even a highly competent amateur engine builder, one of the first things I would do is learn as much as possible from the smartest people in the business. While we at Engine Builder magazine provide countless articles on the subject and the business of running a
HPBG: Engine Builder Fuel Injection Maintenance
The fuel system of a modern computer-controlled fuel injected engine is so reliable that it seems to be almost maintenance free, but these modern fuel injected engines have injectors that become flow restricted or “dirty” with use. This means that if you expect the engine you build to perform like it should, the fuel injectors
Engine Builder Shop Solutions: January 2012
Finding Better Ways to Clean Fasteners I work on all brands of American classic cars, and mostly rebuild their engines. Most of my clients desire the preservation of original parts as much as possible, especially exposed fasteners. Here are the ways I clean and detail head, pan, front cover, valve cover, intake and exhaust manifold
Roush Yates Nets Two MAHLE Clevite ‘Engine Builder of the Year’ Awards
The MAHLE Clevite Engine Builder of the Year awards are presented to the top engine builder in each of NASCAR’s top three divisions via a season-long system where MAHLE Clevite points are awarded based on qualifying, laps led and finishing position. Doug Yates’ award for the Sprint Cup Series was based on the outstanding
Engine Builder Shop Solutions: December 2011
Avoiding Hydraulic Timing Chain Tensioner Trouble Be certain to carefully follow the manufacturer’s recommended torque settings when installing hydraulic (oil pressure fed) timing chain tensioners. Over tightening the tensioner can result in distortion of the tensioner piston bore, which in turn can cause the piston to bind up in the bore instead of doing its
Engine Builder Shop Solutions: November 2011
Removing Mushroomed Lifters in Vehicle A good way to remove mushroomed lifters while the engine is still in the vehicle is to use the box that the new cam came in. You will need to pull the mushroomed lifter as high as it will go in the bore and hold it there with a small
Engine Builder Shop Solutions: October 2011
GM LS Engine Building Tips The GM “LS” engine format (GEN III and IV) is a replacement for the Chevy small block. For performance purposes it is no problem to obtain 500+ horsepower from just about any version of this engine. The following are some tips and suggestions we have found to make working on