Shop Line
I’ve had difficulty in locating intake manifold kits for GM 3.8L engines. What gives? The AERA Technical Committee offers the following information regarding a revised upper intake manifold for 1995-2004 GM 3.8L VIN K engines. Engines manufactured for the 2005 model year include the revised gasket. With the recent availability of these new kits (Figure
PERA Core Corner: The Latest Update On The Great Ford 4.6L Cover Up
Back in August of 2004 I provided you with information on the front covers on the 4.6L Ford SOHC V8 engines. The data here is an update to that information with an updated chart to rapidly identify the covers. If you are using the older chart it is time to discard it and use the
Fast Lane: Striving For Perfection In Motorsports Isn’t Enough
To be successful in any business, you must strive to be the best at what you do. However, to be successful in motorsports, you must actually BE the best at what you do. Continued success in the racing industry means that you must continually make your customers winners, and if you do that, then you
Valve Guide and Seat Equipment Options
For many engine builders the bread and butter business is in cylinder head work. In fact, according to our 2005 Machine Shop Market Profile (also available at www.engine-builder.com) 41 percent of gas and 54 percent of diesel engine builders’ business comes from servicing cylinder heads. And one of the most important aspects of doing this
Restoration – Yesterday’s Treasures, Tomorrow’s Trophies
There have been tremendous and significant changes in vehicle design since the first gasoline-powered vehicle hit the streets of America back in the early 1890s. Such advancements as fuel injection, radial tires, variable valve train technology, roller cams and front-wheel drive, among many others, have made cars easier to maintain, safer to drive and more
The Final Wrap: At Mid-Ohio School, The Song Remains The Same
Engine Builder reader Rich Tomolonis came up to me the other day, grinning like a schoolboy, and proceeded to vigorously shake my hand. Just when I started thinking he was excited to meet me, I listened a little closer to what he was saying. Yeah, he was excited, but it wasn’t because of me –
Coretalk: Sunnen, RMC Form Strategic Alliance To Market Equipment
This Sunnen/RMC alliance is effective immediately. RMC products will be sold under the Sunnen/RMC brand. Sunnen’s team of field engineers and service specialists will now represent and support the RMC line. “The new Sunnen/RMC branded products complement Sunnen’s existing product line,” said Mike Haughey, Sunnen’s chief operating officer. Ray Meyer, president of RMC, agreed: “The
Shop Line
I’ve had complaints of a strange rattling noise on some 4.0L Rover engines, any ideas? The AERA Technical Committee offers the following information regarding rocker arm noise on 1997-2001 4.0L Rover engines. Customer complaints of a rattling/tapping noise from the engine have been found to originate from the rocker shaft area. The noise may result
Tech Notes
Engine Builders: The AERA Technical Committee offers the following information regarding camshaft identification for 2001-2003 Hyundai 3.0 and 3.5L engines. Previously published service manual information has been called misleading, resulting in incorrect assembly. Each of these engines use four unique camshafts that look the same. Each camshaft for the 3.0L and 3.5L engine is etched
Machine Maintenance, Make the Most of Your Crank Grinder: Maintain It
Your crankshaft grinder probably represents one of the single biggest investments you’ve made for your shop. Most of you purchased your grinder to ensure quality, delivery and to enhance your shop’s ability to be self-sufficient. Hopefully you and your employees are taking good care of this sophisticated and expensive machine. To help you out, here
Common Technologies, Uncommon Fuels, New Challenges
There is a “shade tree law” from the 1970s that states that computing capacity doubles every few years. In fact, computing capacity for the size of the computer or device has outstripped that by several orders of magnitude in the last five years. As evidence of that, we now see cell phones that were only
Coretalk: Recon Automotive Founder Armand J. Mancini Dies
He leaves behind his wife of 42 years, Carole, and three sons and a daughter – Armand, Vincent, Daniel and Carrie Mancini Young. He is also survived by three brothers, a sister and six grandchildren. Mancini was an icon of the automotive remanufacturing industry, having founded Recon in 1973 and building it into one of
Shop Line
The AERA Technical Committee offers the following information regarding the piston oil clearance on 1992-2004 Mitsubishi 4D34 and 6D34 diesel engines. Engine builders have reported occasional piston to cylinder wall scuffing shortly after rebuilding these engines. The engines have failed pistons in multiple cylinders at the skirt’s largest diameter. AERA is aware of at least
Technotes
Engine Builders: The AERA Technical Committee reports information regarding cracked valve spring retainers on 1999-2002 Audi/Volkswagen 1.8L turbo AEB and ATC engines. This information is an update to a previously published bulletin as some information has changed. It had been reported that exhaust valve retainers have cracked while in service allowing valve keys to unlock
Performance Pistons
Piston manufacturers are introducing new performance pistons for all of these applications as well as refining existing piston designs to reduce weight, and improve strength, durability and ring sealing. Piston design and manufacturing used to be a relatively low-tech process. Now, with the aid of finite element analysis and other computer modeling techniques, many aftermarket
Align Honing Principles
If you ever want to get scared, check out what a crank looks like at high RPM. If you’re interested, the machine to do this with is called a Spintron. What you’ll see is a large, heavy, supposedly rigid chunk of steel squirming around like crazy. You’d swear any metal walking around that much would
Searching For The Complete Clean
Many shops have systems that work well for one but not so well on the other. Are there effective ways to clean both types of metal with one setup? The answer to that depends, in large part, on what you consider clean. Most shops have some type of cleaning equipment, whether it is an automated
Tech Notes
Engine Builders: AERA members have reported an oil cooler leak on 2001-2004 GM 6.6L VIN 1 and 2 diesel engines. This engine is the Duramax™ used in many pickup models as well as some Topkick series vehicles. Minor imperfections in the engine block’s machine surface at the oil cooler interface may allow engine oil seepage
Shop Financials: Automotive Technology Isn’t All Under The Hood
Like our cars, many of us take our computer systems and networks for granted. Once they are installed and working, we tend to forget about scheduled maintenance and security. Since most of the services that our companies require are on the Internet, we are forced to get access to stay current with technology. When on
PERAs Core Corner: Ford Balance Shaft Information For Gearheads
This month’s column is going to be information about balance shaft gears and changes that have occurred in some Ford engines. But I thought before we got to that I would give a little history on balance shafts and their purpose. The basic concept behind balance shafts has been recognized for nearly a century. Contrary