Ford 351W With Excessive Oil Consumption
The 351 Windsor will have oil consumption problems if it’s installed in an Econoline van without the right intake gasket. The bottom of the intake manifold was too hot, even with the metal heat shield riveted to the bottom of the intake, so Ford left off the shield and used a special “bathtub” intake gasket
Ford 351 Windsor Cylinder Heads With Missing T.E. Passages
Engine builders have reported seeing some E7TE head castings for the Ford 351W that weren’t drilled for the thermactor emissions (T.E., or A.I.R.) passages. It turns out that Ford plumbed the T.E. directly to the exhaust manifolds for some of the truck and van applications from 1990 through ’97, so some of the heads don’t
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
Aftermarket Veteran Dave Caracci Named Global Symposium Chairman
Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium (GAAS) founder and chairman emeritus Mort Schwartz recently announced the appointment of Dave Caracci as the new chairman of the symposium. Caracci is president of Caracci Aftermarket Strategies and past chairman of the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA). In addition, he is the current chairman of the University of the Aftermarket
PERA 2008 Spring Tech Conference Set For Big Cedar Lodge In Branson
The Production Engine Remanufacturers Association (PERA) Spring Tech Meeting is set for March 5-7 at Big Cedar Lodge in Ridgedale (Branson), MO. The opening reception will take place on Wednesday evening. Events featured this year will be tours with PROformance and SRC Automotive. Hotel reservations should be made through Pam Burban at Worldtek Travel. Reservations
Kansas
Kenny Burns, machine shop manager for Harry’s Machine Works, Inc., Dodge City, KS, has won the 2007 MAHLE Clevite Machinist of the Year Award. Burns is an ASE Master Engine Machinist. He is ASE-certified as a cylinder head specialist, cylinder block specialist and engine assembly specialist, and is also a member of the Engine Rebuilders
EngINtel: A Stack of Gifts Almost as Satisfying as Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire
At this time of year, let me be the first one to to give you a gift – and it’s one you’ll likely use again and again. Many of you may have not seen this issue, but once it bites you, you will always remember the Nissan KA24 engine series in the SOHC configuration. So
Valve Seat Technology For Stock and Performance Applications
Valve seats are a critical engine component because they are the foundation of the valvetrain. The seats provide a surface for the valves to seal against when they close so there’s no loss of compression or pressure from the combustion chamber. The seats also help cool the valves by conducting heat away from valves into
The Tool Salesman Doesn
Our tool man, or perhaps I should say tool person, doesn’t stop at our shop any longer. First one week, then another went by without seeing the tool person pull in. I thought perhaps our tool person had gone on vacation without telling us, or even worse had gotten sick. After a few weeks, I
Hey, It
Wherever two or more shall gather… Somebody is bound to be too hot or too cold! It seems to be a fact of life, people can never agree about the temperature inside. This one says it’s too hot, while that one says it’s too cold. One thing we can all agree on is that we
Shop Solutions: November 2007
Solution for Pre-mature Camshaft Failure on Big Block Chevy Engines ≈Big Block Chevrolet engines are well known for being subject to premature camshaft lobe wear and failure. Here are ways to help relieve this problem. When replacing a hydraulic camshaft, instead of using the OE type of lifter (p/n 817 or VL37) use p/n 2095
Understanding Oval Track Cranks & Rods: There’s more to it than you think
Racing’s racing, right? The first one is the winner and second place is just the first loser. While that may be true as far as it goes, getting across the finish line first takes different techniques depending on the type of racing it is. Racing engines are not immune to specialization. Where one style of
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
Got a Minute? – Educating the customer
Time is an interesting construct. If you look at its history, you begin to realize that there is no real reason for a minute to have 60 seconds, an hour to have 60 minutes or a day to have 24 hours, or for us to divide those 24 hours into 12 hours of daylight and
Coretalk: Performance Marine Industry Expo To Launch In Las Vegas
The theme of the show is “Experience the Power, the Passion and the Performance.” Consumers will be able to see boats in action at Lake Mead, performance test new boats and test boats they purchased at the show. Performance Marine Industry Expo is the result of ConvExx, producer of the internationally acclaimed SEMA show, teaming
Shop Line
Q:I’ve noticed the main bearing bores on some Cat diesels seem to be bigger than others. Can they still be rebuilt? A:The AERA Technical Committee offers the following information regarding a main bearing housing bore caution for 1997-2007 Caterpillar diesel engines. Oversize main bearing bores have been reported during engine rebuilding on the above engine.
Horsepower – Building In and Bolting On
I consider myself blessed that for the last 35 years I’ve had the opportunity to hang around with some of the nation’s best engine builders and racers, and had the rare opportunity to pick their brains about engine building tips and tricks. Most of these concepts are pretty well known in the engine building community
Timing Chains & Gears
As a rule, most pushrod engines use a timing chain to drive the camshaft, though some older four and six cylinder engines use a gear set. A short chain or gear set works well in this kind of application because the camshaft is located in the block just above the crankshaft. In overhead cam (OHC)
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
The Tool Salesman Doesn
Our tool man, or perhaps I should say tool person, doesn’t stop at our shop any longer. First one week, then another went by without seeing the tool person pull in. I thought perhaps our tool person had gone on vacation without telling us, or even worse had gotten sick. After a few weeks, I