STUD LUBE When installing head studs, lube the threads in the block instead of the actual stud. This will ensure proper lube to the entire threaded area, instead of the lead threads stripping the oil off as they go in. It also mitigates the oil that ends up on the...

UNDER PRESSURE 3rd Gen Hemi MDS plugs can be tricky to remove. Even more so to get them out without breaking them! Here's a simple trick. Spray some penetrating oil around all the plugs, then apply compressed air with a rubber tipped air blower to the MDS drain port...

SHARPER SCRAPERS I like to keep my super scrapers nice and sharp. Here's an easy little way to touch them up. I squared up a piece of scrap steel in my mill and drilled the hole in the same setup so it's nice and square. I drilled the hole just under the .375 tool...

REAMING OIL PASSAGES I like to use reamers to clean out oil passages in old engine blocks that have sat around for a long time and are rusty. If you use a +.001" oversize reamer, you will have perfectly clean oil passageways.   Dave Matton D and D Auto Machine ...

BACK TRACKING To save my old shoulders and back I had to come up with a way to get the big diesel blocks in and out of the spray washer. This track, with short pieces of angle iron welded on, catches on a brace. It lets me pry them in and out until the chain hoist can...

EXTRACTING SHARP EDGES I like to chamfer the sharp edges on lifter bores after shotblasting blocks. I use a spiral flute extractor and just rotate it clockwise a few times with my fingers to remove any peened over edges. I find that it works better than a lot of my...