by Donnie Hurt | Nov 10, 2026 | OPERATIONS
Two things you should always keep in your shop are large plastic bags and plastic peanut butter jars. You likely already keep trash bags around to cover blocks, heads, and other assemblies to keep them clean. Now, think about covering your machines and equipment to...
by Donnie Hurt | Nov 3, 2026 | BLOCK WORK
Checking the transmission mounting surface or timing cover alignment with the crankshaft centerline is often overlooked and easy to do. This surface interface can cause a number of problems, including transmission pump, converter, stator, clutch, and crank thrust...
by Donnie Hurt | Oct 26, 2026 | DISASSEMBLY & CLEANING
For my spray washer, I mix a 20-gallon barrel of rinse water with half a teaspoon of bleach and a capful of cooling system corrosion inhibitor. I use a media blasting gun with the siphon tube in the tank. This cool mixture prevents flash rusting after rinsing, better...
by Donnie Hurt | Oct 19, 2026 | CAMSHAFTS & VALVE TRAIN
I always check the lobe taper on new flat-tappet camshafts to make sure they have adequate taper, as I prefer. Chevys are easy because the journals are all the same diameter. I lay them on the mill table and use a tenth indicator with a stem that fits in a collet. I...
by Donnie Hurt | Oct 8, 2026 | OPERATIONS
I find that in places of the shop where I’m constantly using either brake cleaner or pump oil cans that a piece of 3″ PVC, cut at a 45-degree angle, attaches very easily to a machine with one screw. For aerosol cans a few screws in the bottom will keep the...
