Are there really two different GM cranks carrying the same casting number?
A. According to the AERA Technical Committee, the answer, regarding crankshafts for the GM 2.2L VIN 4 engines built from 1996-
Era Of Aluminum: Late-Model OHC Head Rebuilds
Over the last few years, manufacturers have abandoned cast iron heads in passenger cars and light trucks. Cast iron is heavy and the more radical, lighter, aluminum overhead cam (OHC) designs are the challenges and opportunities facing today
V-Process Aluminum
By using a new aluminum casting on the air intake manifold of our Roush Performance Products
Is it normal for a customer to lose up to a quart of oil every 2,000 miles?
Q. Is it normal for a customer to lose up to a quart of oil every 2,000 miles? A. Surprisingly, if your customer is driving a 1999-2002 GM truck with the 4.8L V8 (also known as the Vortec 4800), the answer is "yes." General Motors says oil consumption of this magnitude under normal operating conditions
IRS Addresses Phantom Incomes And Ghost Core Values
Sometimes patience and perseverance pays off. Over eight years ago my client, the Automotive Parts Rebuilders Association (APRA), learned that the Internal Revenue Service had issued new internal guidelines directing how rebuilders must value their core inventories for tax purposes. Of particular concern to the industry was the way IRS wanted a rebuilder to value
Fields of Green
The secret to making money these days, in many cases, is to go where the aging baby boomers go. And today, boomers are spending big money on "recapturing the rapture" of the cars of their youth. Whether you
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Q. What
Conferences And Seminars Offer Many Potential Rewards
Getting away from the day-to-day grind and going to a seminar or conference with fellow shop owners and machinists has rewards that far outweigh the expense, and often may even present new business opportunities. At the Engine Rebuilders Association Tech Expo (AERA) I attended this past April in Indianapolis, a presentation given by John DeBates,
CERs
What if we had the power to predict the future? We would no longer react to situations, but instead, anticipate them. By knowing what lay ahead, bumps in the road and the roller coaster we call life would be relatively flat. Don
The PER Future
When you think of the future, there is a tendency to think of Hollywood or maybe Jules Verne. You might be thinking you
Blowin’ Smoke; Internal Combustion Not Going Away
Government regulations"
To The Future – And Beyond
If there is one thing the future of the industry depends on more than anything else it is highly educated and trained machinists and technicians. As tomorrow
How should the crankshaft damper be installed in the 1997-’02 GM 5.7L VIN?
Q.How should the crankshaft damper be installed in the 1997-’02 GM 5.7L VIN? A. AERA
Eliminate head gasket failures on Cat diesels
Q. To eliminate head gasket failures on Cat diesels, how should the heads be torqued? A. Pressurizing the cooling system with the oil pan removed can differentiate between a water pump leak and a cylinder head gasket leak before removing the head. If a head gasket is the source of the problem this revised cylinder
Feeling The Need For Speed After All These Years
In his book "They Call Me Mister 500" (1969, Henry Regnery Co.), Andy Granatelli weaves tale after fascinating tale of what it was like to be one of the pioneers of the performance automotive industry. Before he was "Mister 500," before the days of the STP Pit Crew Pajamas and long before Mario Andretti gave
Where Should The Cam Bearing Oil Hole Be Located On A 3400 Series Cat Diesel?
A: The AERA Technical Committee offers the following information regarding cam bearing oil hole location for 3400 series Caterpillar diesel engines and installation of all cam bearings for these engines. This bulletin should be used, and service manuals published before 1985 should not be used. The correct location for the oil hole in the camshaft bearing
The Properties Of Cast Iron
The reality is that much of what you understand and have been taught about welding cast iron may be incorrect. Cast iron is not used because it’s cheap, but because it has very good properties and works extremely well as the metal of choice for many engine blocks and cylinder heads. Cast iron has gotten