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...
GET YOUR BEARINGS When baking and shot peening cylinder blocks, I leave the main bearing shells and the cam bearings in the block to protect surfaces and maintain concentricity. Anthony Rotella Anthonys Marine & Service St Petersburg, FL NOVEMBER, 2021
KEEPING THE WASTE OIL OUT When I disassemble an engine, I always leave it upright until I’ve removed and dropped the oil pan. The rest of the disassembly will be much cleaner as the parts won’t be dripping with the remaining tramp oil that doesn’t all get fully...
ANOTHER SILLY HEAT TRICK We all heat our oil plugs, studs and bolts to free them up. I found another heat solution, removing stubborn valve seals. I just warm them up with a propane torch to soften the rubber and they pull right off. This works great! Randy Torvinen...
HEX HEAD VALVE NUT Disassembling an old stuck engine can be challenging. When valves are stuck in the valve guides, try welding a nut to the face of the valve. Now you can rotate it to help free it from the guide. Dave Matton D and D Auto Machine Bloomington, MN...
CONVOLUTED IDEA On many spray-wash machines, the "parts tree" will scuff up a freshly surfaced cylinder head if it is allowed to touch it. I simply slide some Convoluted Wire Tube over the branches of the tree and the heads are safe. Sometimes it can be difficult to...