NON-STICK EQUALS NICER FINISH I find that when machining some valve seats my cutter will get a build up and give a poor finish. I use a small knife to scrape the cutter clean, than I smear PAM (non-stick spray) on the seat and the cutter for the last .002” cut. It...
SILICON AND GLASS BEADS DON’T MIX Many times you will have an aluminum head with some left over silicon gasket on the surface. Attempting to bead blast the silicon off will only result in a damaged cylinder head. The aluminum will continue to be worn away by the...
UPGRADE YOUR ENGINE STANDS Most of the engine stands in my shop were manufactured offshore. Though they are pretty good, in just a few minutes you can increase stability and load capacity. I simply MIG weld all the joints where the legs, main body and uprights join....
TORQUE PLATE HONING GM LS-SERIES ENGINES We have found that due to the length of the head bolts and the fact that they finish approximately 1-1/2 inches from the mains, considerable bore distortion will occur if torque plates are not used when finish honing the GM LS...
RESURFACED HEAD DEBURRING TOOL I found a great tool for deburring combustion chambers after resurfacing cylinder heads. I took a common chainsaw sharpening file, removed the “rat tail” handle, chamfered and radiused this end for a comfortable fit in my hand. I also...
MAGNETIC CATCH MATS Small valve locks, especially those for obscure import applications, can be difficult to get into place and inevitably, if you’re not careful, can pop out and easily get lost on or under your work station. Magnetic sheeting is available in one foot...