Hot Rodders of Tomorrow Champions to Earn Trip to NASCAR Acceleration Weekend
Six Divisional winners and four wildcard teams will compete at the "Showdown at SEMA", sponsored by Edelbrock, and held Nov. 1 – 4 in the grand lobby of the SEMA Show. The top-10 high school auto tech teams who advanced via regional competitions across the country will compete head-to-head for the best average time as
Hot Rodders of Tomorrow to Exhibit at 2011 PRI SHOW
Between August and June annually, high school students practice and prepare for the big game or the next challenge in their academic careers. High school auto-tech teams now have that same opportunity when they compete in the Hot Rodders of Tomorrow Engine Challenge. In conjunction with the PRI Show, the Hot Rodders of Tomorrow will
Cavitation
Tiny air bubbles are formed during normal engine operation and implode at an extremely high temperature and pressure and eat into the wall of the cylinder (see Figure 1). This erosion eventually penetrates the cylinder wall allowing coolant to enter, contaminating the oil or even causing the engine to hydrolock. The liner O-rings are also
Roush Yates to Partner with Freescale Semiconductor
The new partnership brings together two industry leaders in automotive and motorsports. Freescale, as one of the world’s largest providers of automotive electronics, provides the processing power behind NASCAR’s 2012 Sprint Cup Series switch to fuel injection and is the official automotive semiconductor of NASCAR. Roush Yates is recognized as one of the premier engine
Influence of Grooved Main Bearings on Performance
It’s essential to understand that bearings depend on a film of oil to keep them separated from the shaft surface. This oil film is developed by shaft rotation. As the shaft rotates it pulls oil into the loaded area of the bearing and rides up on this film much like a tire hydroplaning on wet
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
Competing for Diesel Dollars with OEM?Dealers
About 13 years ago we – like many members of this industry – our business was struggling because our focus was only on machine work – our sales basically imploded and we needed to change. In our internal discussions, we put this dramatic change to two things: First, efficient engine design (including things like electronic
Compression Ring Seating: When is a Piston Ring Seated?
So when is a piston ring actually seated? For a compression ring to seal against the cylinder wall it is important that line contact be established. The sketches below Illustrate cross sections of two popular types used in many ring sets. As can be seen in the illustrations, both the barrel face and the taper
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
PERA Convenes Near
The Production Engine Remanufacturers Association (PERA) met September 20-23 in Ypsilanti, Mich. for educational and networking opportunities. “The program committee did a great job of organizing this year’s event,” said PERA President Matt Weinzapfel, Jasper Engines & Transmission Exchange. “We had three great plant tours provided by PERA member companies Melling, Mahle and Dart, which
Moly-Based Coating Conflicts
Molybdenum Disulfide is also used in CV and universal joints as well as on bullets for easier passage through the rifle barrel, allowing the barrel to retain ballistic accuracy much longer. However, if you build an engine that uses a moly-based coating you need to be selective about the type of break-in oil you use
Which Head Gasket to Use for GM 6.6L Duramax?
GM offers three different thickness head gaskets for its GM 6.6L Duramax diesel engines depending on the amount of piston protrusion the engine has. When measuring piston protrusion, make sure that you measure all pistons on each bank. See Figure 1, for gasket grade mark location and bank location on the gasket. For the maximum
Team EQ Racers Capture Modified, Stock Car Titles at 2011 IMCA Super Nationals
Gustin led a majority of the laps at the Boone (Iowa) Speedway in the September 10 race to earn $5,700 for the victory to become the highest paid Modified champion in IMCA history. Utilizing EQ cylinder heads, Gustin’s engine was built by Bob Heckt, owner, Heckt Power Products, Dysart, Iowa. Johnson ran in
Chevy 3.1L/191 Cam Bearing Bore Issues
If a new cam bearing is installed in a bore that has been damaged, it will spin in the block, cut off the oil to the cam, and cause an immediate failure. Inspect the cam bores in all of the late 3.1L castings (10137093/ 10191737/ 24504089/ 24504150/ 10224227) very carefully, paying special attention to the
Racing Rotating Assemblies: Cranks, Rods and Pistons
Building a performance engine requires assembling the optimum mix of rotating components that are compatible with the block and heads, properly matched with each other, and balanced to precise tolerances. The easiest way to get the right combination of parts is to buy a complete rotating assembly from a supplier who offers such kits. Most
EQ Names New General Manager and National Accounts Manager
As general manager, Cabral will oversee sales, marketing and purchasing for EQ. She has more than 25 years of aftermarket experience, including 18 years at Bonded Motors, an engine builder based in the Los Angeles area and four years at SMP Sales/Don Gross Sales. She has worked at AAEQ since 2006 in purchasing and administration.
Camshaft Installation and Break-In Tips
Do not attempt to operate an engine with less than .150? retainer-to-guide clearance. If you are using valve seals, check the clearance from the top of the seal rather than the top of the guide. When using a flat tappet camshaft and high pressure valve springs with more than 130 lbs of seat load or
Lifter Bank Angles of a Chrysler ‘A’ Block
The angle of the lifter bore is changed to help straighten out thepushrod angle. The standard lifter angle on the “A” engine is 59degrees from vertical. This points the lifter away from the center ofthe block and angles the pushrod toward the outside. Most of the blocks and some highly modified versions of the “A”
Stars from NASCAR, IndyCar, ALMS and NHRA to Compete in Red Bull Kart Fight at PRI
One of the most exciting events at PRI this year will take place outside the exhibit halls of the racing trade show. With Red Bull as the title sponsor and a driving force, stars from NASCAR, IndyCar, ALMS, Grand-Am, NHRA and other series will compete in one of the most unique and star-studded races on
SBI Announces New Web-based Catalog
Known throughout the industry for its catalogs, SBI has released a Web-based version of its acclaimed catalog in order to provide users with real-time updates on additions to the company’s line of replacement valvetrain parts for close to 3,000 applications divided among the categories of late-model domestic and import passenger car, light truck, performance, marine,