I was never a fan of tapping a 1/2" hole for a 1/2" pipe plug which measures about .530 diameter. I've been using 9/16-18 set screws for the SB Chevy street and race builds for years. A 9/16” starting tap will work without drilling, and I finish up with a bottom tap....
LIFTER BUSHING When it comes to installing lifter bushings, heres a couple tips; Always deburr the top and bottom of the host bore, as well as any oil holes that intersect. This will prevent the dragging of material as the bushing is pressed in. A bearing scraper...
BLENDING CYLINDER SLEEVES In order to blend the bottom of a cylinder repair sleeve to the step, I have found it best to indicate the boring bar on the lower portion of the old cylinder that is left from leaving a bottom step. After installing the sleeve, the ID needs...
KNOCKING OFF THE EDGES Before installing cam bearings, make sure to chamfer any oil holes and clean up back grooves of any sharp edges. This is especially critical with aluminum blocks. I like to give these areas a little buff on the mounted wheel to finish. This will...
TAPE MEASURE In most cases when I top down a sleeve, I put a piece of masking tape next to the sleeve. The tape I have is .005 thick so when my tooling touches the tape I have right around that .005 left to file if I’m not decking. If you have fine feed with an...
LINE HONE QUICK CHANGE On my line honing machine, I machined the threaded hold down rods for 3/8” cap screws. This makes adjusting them much faster, using a cordless drill. Just machine the face flat, and drill and tap on the lathe. Super time saver when switching...