V10 BALANCING ACT When balancing V-10 cranks, I use my four V8 bobweights and then two V6 bobweights on the fifth journal. I’ve double checked this by moving them around after the crank is balanced, and there is no change. It works great and eliminates the need to...
GEN VI LIFTER GUARD I have a big block Gen VI tip that will provide oiling and windage improvement at no cost. When a builder uses retrofit roller lifters and no longer has a use for the hold down spider, I find it useful as a cover and shield by modifying it and...
IN HOUSING SHAFT REPAIR Let's say you need to repair damaged threads on the impeller end of a pump or turbo shaft, which is recessed in the housing, and maybe even mushroomed by a hammer-happy tech. You cannot remove the shaft from the housing because of the...
WELDING ROD STORAGE Regardless of the material, after some time, humidity takes its toll, and many rods end up being trashed. Especially susceptible are aluminum, magnesium, and chrome moly. I keep my rods in hermetically sealed homemade tubes of plastic plumbing...
THAT SMELL Many shops are now using CNC machining centers, with coolant tanks/sumps. With time, the coolant will grow a foul-smelling bacterium, especially during the warmer summer months. The cure for foul-smelling is "Coolant Deodorizing Tablets", available from...
TWICE THE SCALE I adapted this rod weighing setup after seeing my friend doing something very similar. If the point of contact with the scale is not the dead center of the bore on each end of the rod, you will not get accurate readings. I turned some mandrels on the...