REMOVING DRY SLEEVES Removing dry cylinder liners by pressing them out can require a lot of setup time. Using your boring bar, offset the centering with a .030 feeler gauge on one finger. Line up the offset so you can view your cut. Set the bit by letting it slide out...
GROWING ALUMINUM We live in a time where aluminum blocks with cast-in sleeves are common. We build several dozen Gen III and Gen IV GM LS type motors per year. We finish our cylinders .001” tighter on the aluminum block engines to compensate for the additional growth...
POLISHING ARBOR I made an arbor to polish piston pins and pilot bushings that can be chucked up in my lathe, or even in a drill chuck. First I cut off the head of a long carriage bolt. This one was 3/8” coarse and will fit in a small drill chuck. Then added a nut,...
BMW UNDER PRESSURE One of the most difficult heads to pressure test is the BMW DOHC 6 cylinder. It is nearly impossible to plug the water outlet on the side of the head, until now. A “T handle drain plug” from a boat is the perfect size, and easy to install and...
MAKING THE SEAL ON WET HEADBOLTS & STUDS 40 to 50% of our business is hi-performance boat engines, and the head bolt/stud sealing is critical on these engines. Jet boats use “waste” water from the jet pump to cool the engine and the pressure applied to the water...
PRICE TALK The phone rings, “How much is a valve job on a pair of early 350 heads?” Sound familiar? These are generally the first words you hear from a customer and seem to reflect the fact that your prospective customer’s first concern is COST. Should you quote a...