CRANK BALANCE SOCKET If your shop has a particular crankshaft design you tend to balance on a regular basis, we recommend using a crankshaft snout socket as a locator on your magnetic attachment for rpm and position on your balancer. This allows you to quickly remove...
STUD INSTALLER We use an old roller rocker arm adjuster nut and put a used rod bolt in place of the Allen jam bolt. I use this assembly to install main and head studs when they do not have a hex in them. Terry Dowker Dowker Engines Charlotte, MI MARCH, 2021
GETTING A HANDLE ON IT This is a simple handle I made for blocks to support them while setting them up in machines that require you to level or tram with a jack screw. It threads into a cylinder head bolt hole. I use it on the surfacer, lifter true machine and it is...
LIFTER BORE GO-NOGO An expedient method of checking and verifying both lifter bore wear and size is with a “go- nogo” gauge. This is not meant to replace the use of a dial bore gauge, just as a quick check. They are easily machined on a lathe. They can be machined...
VW VALVE BREAKAGE It is not uncommon for the Volkswagen 1.8L, 20-valve cylinder head to require several if not all new intake and exhaust valves once it reaches your shop door. A failed belt, water pump and tensioners can provide quick and devastating havoc inside the...
WHICH WAY IS UP When you are not sure which way the 2nd rings go in or cannot figure out the markings, remember, they are oil scrapers and have a tapered face. I hold one down to see which way it leans vs. a square. The side that leans towards the square is the top...