END GAP ESCAPE PATH I often feel that people will gap the top oil ring rail improperly. The top oil ring rail needs to have a gap that is the same as the 2nd (scraper) ring above it, at operating temp. Gapping it the same is a safe adjustment. The tapered second...
REAMING OIL PASSAGES I like to use reamers to clean out oil passages in old engine blocks that have sat around for a long time and are rusty. If you use a +.001" oversize reamer, you will have perfectly clean oil passageways. Dave Matton D and D Auto Machine ...
EASY SQUARE DECKING When square decking blocks I simply take a measurement from each corner of the deck down to the parallel support bar. Choose the lowest side and deck it first. Then roll the block over and equal that side. Bruce Serene Hillsboro Racing Engines...
THREAD DEPTH MARKER When tapping tapered pipe thread for oil or coolant passage plugs in blocks and cylinder heads, it is important not to tap too shallow nor too deep. A length of soft copper wire, twisted around the tap, works much better than tape or a Sharpie mark...
FINDING YOUR CENTER One the most challenging jobs is the 302 -351W cylinder head stud removal that fastens down the intake manifold. It rusts and sits at an angle which makes it almost impossible to center a drill bit for removal. The solution is to drive a 1/4-inch...
STOP THE FLOW I line up the oil stream on my rod machine to where I want to stop the stroke. I try to over stroke approximately 1/2 of the rod width to keep the shoes from wearing unevenly. Randy Torvinen Torvinen's Machine Shop Menahga, MN August, 2022