PLASTIC FANTASTIC For many years, bolt boots have been the primary way to protect the crankshaft journal from damage during piston installation. Some shop supply companies sell long steel tubes that serve as guides to help align the rod to the journal. These help...
SPARK PLUG PLUGS Most popular engines have 14 MM and 18 MM spark plugs. The paper cup type from engine equipment suppliers, or tape, will pop out when engine is turned over. I discovered a cute economical way to plug the spark plug holes. 1/4 pipe loosely threads into...
COMBUSTION CHAMBER MOLDS When making chamber molds for a variety of purposes, including holding up the valves on the assembly bench (As opposed to a beanbag or shop rag) common auto body filler (Bondo) works very well. It’s fast and very inexpensive. Just mix the body...
METAL CHIPS IN THE MEDIA To save money on media blasting, I use the metal chips generated from my boring bar and brake lathe as a blasting media. I installed a reducer in the feed line to generate the correct amount of air speed, then use the chips instead of glass...
ON A MORE PERSONAL NOTE I got a hand-addressed letter in the mail this week. It’s so unusual to get mail that is hand written, that I opened it first. Inside there was a plain note card with these words scrawled in neat block letters, “Hi Steve, just a quick note to...
GET THE JOB INTO THE SHOP When I get a call for an engine rebuild, I am not immediately willing to give an exact price over the phone. I like to give a ballpark estimate and tell them that not until after we take it apart and check out the job completely, will we be...