Shop Line
Q. While working on a 2004 Mitsubishi 2.4L G69M engine, I got confused about the correct valve lash specs. Can you explain? A. The AERA Technical Committee says Mitsubishi’s published information seems to have listed incomplete specifications as two different camshaft profiles were use. The following information regarding the correct valve lash specification and camshaft
Tech Notes
Engine Builders: The AERA Technical Committee offers the following information regarding an engine oil leak for 2005-2007 Toyota 3.5L 2GRFE engines. Some 2GRFE engines may display evidence of a small oil leak, located on the rear side of Bank 1. The source has been identified as unused side and end bolt holes in the right
AETC Review
The 17th Annual Advanced Engine Technology Conference (AETC) was held for the second year in a row at the Orlando Convention Center, Dec. 11-13, just days before the opening of PRI. While the weather wasn’t frightful, there wasn’t quite as much Florida sunshine as the previous year either, but the talk around each morning’s breakfast
Core Corner, What’s Your Isuzu IQ?
[email protected] Here we are starting the new year with an optimism that hasn’t been seen for probably the last five years. From all indications, 2007 appears to be the first year in a long time that will be better and show growth for the engine reman/ builder industry. The decline of the market seems to
Understanding High Performance Valvetrain Technology
Parts are getting lighter, stronger and capable of producing more horsepower than ever before. One of the driving forces behind these advances has been the proliferation of aftermarket cylinder heads that require unique valvetrain components. In addition, new computer-aided design, modeling and manufacturing techniques are making it easier and faster for valvetrain component suppliers to
Over the Peaks and Into the Valleys – Hones, Diamonds and Bores
“Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to find the recipe for perfect bores…your instructions are to produce bores that are perfectly straight and round. This message will self-destruct after five minutes. Good luck.” Although it’s not “Mission: Impossible,” good bore geometry is critical in order to achieve proper ring sealing. Bore distortion
Final Wrap: A New Year And Some Brand Spankin’ New Technology
Happy New Year! As you undoubtedly realize, this is the time of year when magazine editors typically write their columns on one of three subjects: How bad the last year was and assurances that THIS year will be better. How great last year was but expressing concern that the bottom will drop out soon. Or,
Tech Notes
Engine Builders: What is viscosity breakdown? All of us in this business understand an SAE 5W-20 oil is thinner in viscosity than an SAE 10W-30 and that the “W” stands for winter, but that’s probably about where it stops even though there is more to the story. Motor oils thin in viscosity as they warm
PERA’S Core Corner: Ford 4.6L Front Cover Inquiries Top Year-End Wish List
Well, here it is the end of the year and, as I write this, the Midwest has just experienced its first major snowfall. Many of us are still digging out, with dire consequences for some, and school closings for thousands of children who are jumping up and down with joy. Remember when things were that
Aluminum Cleaning & Machining
Steel may still be the big dog when it comes to the content of the world’s motor vehicles, but aluminum usage in cars and trucks continues to increase. Fueled by the desire to save weight, time and energy, aluminum is gaining ground with manufacturers of parts and components. How does the use of aluminum in
Tech Notes
Engine Builders: At Quaker State Research, the folks working on the technical hotline answer hundreds of lubricant questions every day. Let’s answer a few more obscure questions you may or may not have heard before. Question: Can engine oil actually impact my fuel economy? Answer: Yes, but in the range of a few percent. Believe
Shop Line
We’ve had customer complaints about recurring MILs (malfunctioning indicator light) on some Chrysler 3.2 and 3.5L engines. Any idea what’s going on? The AERA Technical Committee offers the following information regarding a revised valve spring for 1998-2004 Chrysler 3.2 and 3.5L VIN J, G, K, M & V engines. This revision is the result of
Machine Maintenance: There’s Nothing Boring About Boring Bar Maintenance
You know the feeling: the machine you want, you can’t afford, and the machine you can afford you already have. Don’t you wish, just once, you could call up the sales representative and say “My turn, send me one of those new ‘XYZ’ machines?” You know the kind, the new state-of-the-art machining center that can
Performance Notes: Cashing In On Power Adders: Blowers, Turbos, Nitrous
The demand for high performance vehicles has never been stronger. A good indicator is that automakers are turning out more powerful models with each successive new car introduction. Remember when 500 horsepower was a pretty good number for a race motor? Today you can purchase a number of vehicles that eclipse 500hp, from a Z06
PERA’S Core Corner: When It Comes To ‘How Clean,’ Do You Really Know?
Ever notice how many commercials there are in our environment about cleaning? Cleaning your floors, toilets, counter tops, disinfecting everything and anything that you come into contact with. In fact even the air that we breathe needs to be cleaned. Spin that out to the vehicles that we drive. You know they have to be
Wet Flow Testing
Racers and engine builders are familiar with flow testing, used to measure the airflow and efficiency of their cylinder heads. In theory, there are two basic aerodynamic factors that are intuitive in the human mind. Number one, a bigger hole will flow more air. Number two, a smoother hole will flow even more air. To
Final Wrap: EB Staff Makes Grand SEMA Show Return…Sort Of
Almost lost among the thousands of chrome parts, neon lights, candy apple paints and mega-dollar tradeshow displays was one nondescript little 10×x10× booth tucked away next to a fire department standpipe. No thumping audio system, no gorgeous booth babe, custom car, just three chairs, a small table and copies of the latest issue of our
Tech Notes
Engine Builders: Pennzoil® reengineered its Pennzoil Platinum™ full synthetic motor oil and introduced adaptive molecules that are designed to survive the searing heat, intense pressures and shearing forces of today’s precision-made engine parts. The unique adaptive molecules in Pennzoil Platinum™ are engineered to manage the constant mechanical stresses inside an engine. They constantly change shape
Shop Line
Q: Are the cracked exhaust seats in the Cummins 5.9L diesel engine found in the Ram pickup a cause for concern? A: The AERA Technical Committee says cracked exhaust seats on 1998-2006 Cummins/Chrysler 5.9L diesel engines have been reported by other AERA members as well. The 24 valve engines with four valves per cylinder have
Fast Lane: Boosting Your Business With A Web Presence – Part II
In part one of this series (“A Web Site Can Add To Your Business Bottom Line,” August 2006 Engine Builder, page 38) we talked about the need for every business to have a Web site, regardless of what type of business you are in. Sadly, in the recent Machine Shop Market Profile in this very