GET IT STRAIGHT When balancing crankshafts, I feel I is imperative that the crank straightness be checked and corrected for before any balance work is done to ensure accuracy. I have an offset indicator that I’ve come up with that mounts right in the mill drill on the...
WATCH FOR THE GROUND STRAP This happens far too often. After servicing late Chrysler Hemi heads, they’re back within a day or 2. If the installer is not careful, they get the ground strap between the head and the gasket during installation. Once they are torqued down...
SEAT REPAIRS THAT DON’T LEAK When installing valve seats, you sometimes run across porosity that leads into water at the base of the counterbore. I like to pressure test after the counterbores are If you have a seat that you’re trying to seal up, you can make a...
SUCK IT UP When performing volume checks, this cuts down on the mess to clean up afterwards. Once finished pouring the volume, we use this syringe and a piece of tubing to suck the fluid out of the cylinder or chamber before removing the plate. The syringes can be...
BROACHING THE SUBJECT When broaching a keyway in a relatively thin part, such as this modified gear cut from a Chevy camshaft or a narrow pulley, I use an aluminum spacer to hold the broach guide bushing up and out of the work piece. This will help hold the broach...
PRIME WITHOUT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD ON I prime all of my engines with the intake manifold off, valley open. You can see oil escaping around lifters and cam bearings. You can see if you have the wrong base circle camshaft on SB Ford hydraulic roller cams and if the...