Stock Car Engines and Sanctioning Bodies: Different Groups, Different Rules
But for engine builders, keeping up with these groups, and the many sets of rules, can be quite a task. How do you stay on top of what’s legal AND competitive? We will take a closer look at a number of groups that are off NASCAR’s beaten path and see what they have for rules.
Today’s Performance Connecting Rods
The crank and rods handle all the stresses of converting up and down motion to reciprocal motion. And when you are building a performance engine, those stresses are much higher and consequences of a failure are much greater. Therefore, selecting the right parts for your build is critical to the success of your engine and
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
PRI Announces Transition and Sale to SEMA
With 20-plus years of publishing and management experience at PRI, John Kilroy will serve as vice president/general manager of PRI and assume day-to-day operations for the group. All the operations, employees and offices will remain intact at PRI’s current location in Laguna Beach, Calif. "Steve Lewis launched the PRI concept a quarter-of-a-century ago,
Alapont to Retire From Federal-Mogul, Jueckstock Elected Successor
Alapont will remain with the company in a consulting role to assist with the transition and will also remain on the company’s board of directors through the 2013 annual meeting of shareholders. Rainer Jueckstock, currently senior vice president of the company’s powertrain energy business unit, has been elected CEO effective April 1. Jueckstock
Engine Options Abound In The Street Rod Market
The National Street Rod Association (NSRA) provides the best definition of what street rods are all about. “By definition a street rod is an automobile of 1948 or earlier manufacture which has undergone some type of modernization to include any of the following; engine, transmission, interior refinements, and any other modifications the builder desires. In
HPBG:Grassroots Engine Market – The Grass MAY Be Greener
Since most people who are involved in racing do not run in NASCAR Sprint Cup, IndyCar or NHRA Top Fuel, we think that it is fair to say anything below these high profile professional racing series is a large group of grassroots racers who support the industry through the dollars they spend, not the sponsorships
A Million Here, A Million There
First, Fisher’s a former winning sprint car driver running with the top-gun World of Outlaws and All-Star groups. Then, there’s the fact that he’s got the mind of a skilled surgeon when he probes the innards of his engines looking for more performance. The guy is a graduate engineer (Ohio State – 1975), but his
Hydraulic Camshafts and Lifters 101
Closing up the gap between the tip of the rocker arm and the top of the valve stem reduces the pounding effect that can accelerate valve and rocker wear. Because of this, most of the push rod engines that have been built for the last 60 years have come factory-equipped with hydraulic camshafts and lifters.
Vintage Engines, Modern Results
His business card provides the data on “George’s Speed Shop Precision Racing Engines,” but doesn’t provide much of a clue of who George is or what he does. You might be surprised to learn that the George in this case is better known as “Ohio George” Montgomery, a legendary NHRA national driver. But if you
Smooth Moves: Today’s Surfaces Often Demand Different Finishes
When multi-layer steel (MLS) head gaskets became commonplace a number of years ago, there was a lot of concern that aftermarket surfacing procedures might not be able to reproduce the mirror-like finish that the vehicle manufacturers said was absolutely necessary to seal MLS head gaskets. The challenge was to duplicate the factory finish using out-dated
LKQ
Peter Butterfield, regional vice president of LKQ Remanufacturing, says the purchase of ATK North America (Dallas,TX), PROFormance Powertrain Products (Springfield, MO) and Yamato Engine Specialists (Bellingham, WA) are a sign of continued industry consolidation but one that should, in the long run, benefit the entire industry. “It’s no secret that this industry has contracted dramatically
PRI Offers Race Engine Builders Opportunities to Increase Efficiencies, Profit in 2012
The PRI Trade Show is being held December 1-3, 2011, in the North/South Building of the Orange County Convention Center, in Orlando, Fla. It is open to the racing trade only. You must be part of a racing business or professional race team to gain admission. “The PRI Trade Show is where you go when
Build With Bolt-On Horsepower, But Proceed With Caution
Whether the speed equipment is old school hardware or electronic in nature, you can be sure it is designed to turn automobile engines into more efficient air pumps. “Because the engine really is an air pump, I tell my customers one of the biggest things they can do is bolt on a different exhaust system,”
Cleaning Cylinder Heads and Blocks
The cleaning process should remove all of the dirt, grease, oil, rust, scale and carbon deposits that have accumulated over the years. With painted castings, the old paint also has to be stripped away so the surface can be repainted. Even if you’re working with brand new castings, a final cleaning is still necessary after
Do Your Customers Qualify?
If you’ve been following along the past couple years, you know that when I say qualify, I’m referring to the act of “qualifying” your potential customer. First and foremost, can they afford to pay for the work and the parts you will provide. The best test for this is to require a deposit. A down
Sources To Make Your Shop’s Facebook Page Better
With today’s easy-to-use Facebook apps, you can do neat things likesell products and services directly from your Facebook page, or conductcontests, sweepstakes, etc. Check out this blog for examples of impactful Facebook pages. Inspired now? There are a number of companies I recommend that make it easy to install Facebook apps: ShortStack I use ShortStack
2011 Machine Shop Market Profile – Part 1
For what seems like an eternity, it has almost become commonplace to wait for the eye roll, the shake of the head and the hangdog expression before hearing the familiar refrain, “Oh, man, let me tell you…” In the engine building business, of course, the standard response industry-wide has, for many years, been simple:?Lousy. Numbers
Engine Builder Shop Solutions: June 2011
Editor’s Note: In the March issue we printed a Shop Solution from Melling Engine Parts titled “Oil Pump and Engine Priming” In the May issue we printed a different view on the subject from Timm Jurinche titled “Pre-Oiling.” This month we have a still different viewpoint on the subject. A Better Way to Pre-Oil New
Oiling Systems For Grassroots Racing
One of the first things to look at when building an engine is the oiling system. Dry sump systems are very scalable and efficient but are not known to be inexpensive by any means. Wet sump systems, on the other hand, offer affordability and can handle some impressive performance applications, but using all stock components