The Mid-range Diesel Engine Market
The diesel engine market is a very complex one, but it can be broken down into three basic categories: light-, medium- and heavy-duty. These categories could then be broken down further into on-highway, off-highway and agricultural. In 2004 roughly 1.5 million new diesel engines were produced in North America, a whopping 79.6 percent of which
Coretalk: AERA EXPO 2005 Set For Las Vegas Hilton In April
The EXPO will showcase leading edge technology with live, operating demonstrations of equipment, tools, supplies, parts and services. Exhibits will be open on Thursday, April 28, from 10:30 am-6 pm; Friday, April 29, from 10:30 am- 6:30 pm; and Saturday, April 30, from 10:30 am- 2:30 pm. EXPO will include a keynote address from NASCAR
Coretalk: GM, DaimlerChrysler Join Forces To Produce Hybrid Automobile Engines By ’07
Although financial terms of the agreement weren’t disclosed, the collaboration is likely to involve an investment of hundreds of millions of dollars between the automakers. The first of the vehicles is to debut in 2007 – when Toyota has said it hopes its hybrid model sales will total several hundred thousand worldwide. GM, which has
Washington Way: Battle Over Heavy Duty OBD Repair Info Continues
In early 2003, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) decided to extend to heavy-duty vehicles the on-board-diagnostics information access rules then applicable only to automobiles and light duty vehicles. These access rules specify the information which the vehicle manufacturers have to make accessible from within the OBD system on their vehicles and from outside the
PERAs Core Corner
It seems that the thirst for knowledge on the Gen III GM engine applications is growing almost as aggressively as the information for the 4.6L Fords. I addressed the subject of Gen III long and short crankshafts in a recent column (See September 2004 Engine Builder Core Corner). But based upon the number of responses
The Angle On Valve Seats
Valve seats seem to be a fairly simple engine component but they play a critical role in sealing compression and cooling the valves. When a seat becomes worn, it may leak compression and allow the valve to run hotter than normal. The same thing can happen if the seat is out-of-round or has lost its
Ford Timing Chains and Belts
So if a customer is driving a vehicle that is more than 5 or 6 years old, he may be driving on borrowed time if the timing belt has not been replaced. The risk of belt failure goes up sharply once a belt surpasses its recommended replacement interval, which for most Ford applications (except the
New Technology:Advances in Engine Building Equipment
How has racing changed your engine building business? No, it’s not a hypothetical, industry-generic question; in this case, it’s directed at every reader of this magazine. A strange question? It may seem to be. If you race – or build motors for racers – it’s probably an easy one to answer. But if you stay
Topline Automotive Buys, Reopens Hylift Facility, Engine Builder, August 2004
A full-line of flat mechanical tappets, lash adjusters and encapsulated hydraulic roller lifters are again being produced by the original Hylift machines and team. The previous Hylift OE lines that were in Zeeland, MI, have now been relocated to the Muskegon plant. “The same people who made ‘The Beautiful Lifter’ are back manufacturing with precision
Guide and Seat Equipment
Cylinder head work has been and should continue to be a profit center for engine builders. Heads almost always require guide and seat work to restore compression and oil control. This includes drilling, reaming and replacing valve guides, removing worn, loose or damaged valve seats, cutting new seat counterbores, and machining valve seats. For performance
Get Your Shop Together To Be More Efficient, Profitable
Let’s face it; the hardest part about starting each day is being ready to work when the start bell rings. The worst way to start your day is to spend time searching for where you left off the day before. The best way to be ready is to get your shop together. This means that
Researching the Rebuilding Market for Multi-Valve Cylinder Heads
Cylinder head work has provided a good income for many of our readers over the years. All engines eventually need a valve job and guide work if they accumulate enough miles. Head work may also be needed if an engine overheats and blows a head gasket, if the head develops a crack, or an OHC
OBD II Shop
Having come from the era of the muscle car, it is extremely interesting to me to get out and look at the new vehicles, feel the performance and see the technology that makes the tailpipe emissions half of what they were in 1996. This technology is made possible by faster power train control modules that
Preacher, Teacher, Fighter, Friend
Warning: The Surgeon General has determined that reading this article may be hazardous to a negative attitude, and acting on the recommendations contained herein may result in increased job satisfaction and a more productive business atmosphere. If enthusiasm for his job were a virus, Dave Deegan would have one of the most serious infections the
When Old Dogs Learn New Tricks
When Jay Steel was introduced to the assembled throng at last spring’s AERA International Expo 2003 as the winner of Engine Builder’s 2003 “Machine Shop of the Year” award, he was intimately involved with the down and dirty business of rebuilding and restoring all manner of antique engines. His shop’s lineage descends directly from the
Removal Tricks For Broken Ford Flathead Bolts
First, the flathead design means head hardware is exposed at all times to weather and coolant so corrosion results. Second, several bolt holes in the block on both sides (between cylinders) crack. It’s rare to find any of them NOT cracked and experience says that although these cracks do not create a problem that would
What’s Wrong With Our Industry
What’s wrong with the engine building industry today? It’s a simple question that has no simple answer. Like many other – if not every – industry facing difficult times, the factors impacting this market are varied, complex and frustratingly hard to pin down. Are the woes of the industry the fault of customers or suppliers?
Align Yourself
The crankshaft main bores are the foundation of every engine block. The alignment of the main bores is important because their position establishes the centerline of the crankshaft and how the crank aligns with the cylinders, deck surfaces and camshaft. Misalignment in the main bores can cause binding and premature main bearing wear. Misalignment occurs
Shop Equipment Can Serve Niche Markets
Ever since man first rubbed two sticks together to make a fire and then sharpened the first stick so he could hunt with it, we have been coming up with new ways to use old tools. When it comes to your machine shop equipment, today
The Constant of Change
Although "change" is a frightening word to many people, reasons Yamato Engine Specialists’ Asiff Dhanani, there’s simply no point in questioning it. Of all the "sure things" in business, the only certainty is that situations definitely change. Dhanani, incoming president of PERA explains that the change in this industry is not new. Things have been