Wet & Dry Sump Oiling Systems – Choosing the Right System for the Right Job
If you are building a customer’s “dream engine” what type of oiling system should you use? The answer to that question will depend on the application (street, drag, circle track, road race, off-road or marine), engine RPM and how much your customer is willing to invest in a lubrication system. Your choices may also be
Midget Engines – Perfect Power from Pint-Size Performers
Midget open-wheel racecars and the Stock (S Class) and Modified (A Class) inboard hydroplanes have provided thrills and chills for racing fans since the 1930s. And as the speed and performance of these radically-different racing machines has improved, so have the engines that power them. These engines have varied from stock four and six-cylinder automotive-type
AFTERMARKET DIESEL INNOVATIONS – Evolutionary, Revolutionary or Illegal?
Diesel technology has come a long way, evolving from smelly, dirty, slow, workhorse engines to clean-burning, high-torque, high-horsepower engines that can give many gasoline engines a run for the money on a drag strip or race track. Diesels aren’t just for towing or pulling anymore, they’re finding a niche in all kinds of performance applications
Building A Ford 460 Stroker
Any automotive enthusiast would agree that the quest for more power is the true addiction. From simple bolt-ons to hardcore internals such as different bore and stroke combinations tend to fuel our burning desire. Every enthusiast seems to have a passion for a particular brand of manufacturer. Take for instance the Flathead Ford V8 engine.
UNDERSTANDING ROD RATIOS
Performance engine builders are always looking at changes they can make that will give their engine an edge over the competition. Rod ratio is one of those factors that may make a difference. Changing the length of the rods with respect to the stroke of the crankshaft offers some advantages in certain situations, and may
When Does Your Customer Service End?
Anytime I have a discussion with an engine builder, I’ve found our conversation eventually turns to his customers. We discuss how he can get more, how he can satisfy the ones he has now and, in some cases, how to get rid of the ones he doesn’t want anymore. As you know only too well,
NTPA Tractor Pulling Powerplants – Big Size, Big Horses, Big Torque
Tractor pulling in America means a lot of things to different people. Many in the general public regard the sport as nothing more than stock trucks and tractors coming in off the farm and doing their thing at the county fair. That was then, this is now. The sport has grown from those humble roots
Timing Chains, Gear Sets and Belt Drives
The short answer to which type of cam drive is best depends on the application, what your customer wants and how much they can afford to spend. A stock link style timing chain is fine for everyday driving and normal use. “Silent tooth” link chains are quiet, long-lived and adequate for stock cams and valve
Your Mission: Find Engine Parts For the AMX-Javelin
Having just returned from the American Motors Owners Assoc. (AMONational.com) 2016 convention, it’s hard not to be impressed by this Wisconsin automaker’s sporty AMX and Javelin models. When the car show awards were given out on Saturday night, they went to one or the other of these “pony cars” for at least a steady half
Turbochargers: Boost Your Turbo IQ
In the past decade, turbochargers have found their way onto more engines in cars and light trucks than ever before. By 2021, predictions by some experts cite turbocharged vehicles will reach up to 38 percent of all new vehicles sold in the U.S. Once thought of as only a means to increase performance on exotic
Flow Bench Testing is More Than CFM Numbers – What You Need to Know
On the surface, flow bench testing seems easy, but it’s not. Many in the industry have become solely fixated on cubic feet per minute (cfm) numbers, placing importance on a number that is easily manipulated and ignoring other data about a cylinder head’s performance. This thinking would make flow bench testing seem easy, but this
Rebuilding the Ford Triton V10 Engine
It looks as though for 2017, Ford is going to be bringing back the 6.8-liter Triton V10. There has been a lot of advertisement through the media on the matter and it seems everyone thought the V10 no longer existed. To everyone’s surprise, the V10 actually never stopped production. Many thought that when Ford quit
Head & Block RESURFACING EQUIPMENT
Regardless of what type of engine work you do in your shop (stock, performance, diesel, marine or anything that comes in the door), you need the ability to surface heads and blocks. Deck surfaces on high mileage heads and blocks are often corroded, pitted, scratched and/or out-of-flat – especially if the engine blew a head
The Buick V8 Chainsaw
Competition is almost a given anytime there is two people or businesses employed doing the same job. The banter begins about who can do their job better and faster. In Washington state the lumber trade was no different. On off days, contests were held between lumberjacks to determine who could fall a tree the fastest
The Street Rod Engine Market – What’s Hot and What’s Not in Selling to Hot Rodders
Street Rod/Hot Rod engines? Yeah, right! Defining this particular engine market has been likened to trying to nail Jell-O to a wall. There is an almost endless number of factors that cross engine “styles”’ usage and applications. It’s no different with hot rods. One hot rodder may want a stock unit just to keep him
Secrets Engine Builders Can Use to Make a Beast of a Factory Crate Motor Even More Impressive
Any bozo can slap a supercharger on a stock 505 horsepower LS7 small-block and pick up another 200 hp. Yawn. Increasing output that same 200 hp through natural aspiration should be harder, but all it takes is some head work, long-tubes, and a big hydraulic roller cam. Thanks to the incredible untapped potential of GM’s
Marine Performance Engine Building
This is the first installment of a three-part series on marine performance engine building. This series will look at this market from three different perspectives, the “meat and potatoes” refresh, turning big power into bigger power and then culminating with a look at the mega power that pushes 50-foot offshore endurance racers to over 200MPH.
The Science Behind Wet Sump Oil Pumps & Oiling System Upgrades
All automotive internal combustion engines are equipped with some type of pressurized oiling system. Oil lubrication is essential for reducing friction, preventing wear and cooling vital engine components. Pumping oil to the main and rod bearings creates a friction-reducing hydrodynamic film between the bearings and crank that allows the crank to spin with minimal friction.
Top Fuel Racing Engines – Containing the Explosions
It’s been over 60 years since Vic Edelbrock starting experimenting with nitromethane as a racing fuel in the early 1950s. In the 60 years of hands-on education since, along with the help of modern technology, there have been some amazing results. Earlier this year, I wrote a Memory Lane column titled “Going Faster in 1954”
Sleeves & Liners – Selection and Installation
Engine sleeves have long been used to repair worn or cracked cylinders that can’t be bored to oversize. Installing a sleeve can save a block that would otherwise be unrebuildable. But sleeves can also be used to strengthen cylinders, especially in performance engines that are being pushed way beyond their original design tolerances. A prime