TIME IS MONEY With certain jobs in the shop, setup time can be a big factor. I keep detailed notes and sometimes pictures of particular setups to save time. For instance, I have “crib sheets” for many set ups on the line boring machine. Block to machine head,...
CAM FIT INSURANCE We often just get the job of installing cam bearings, but we’re not assembling the engine. We keep a supply of old camshafts around to use for a test fit. This is good insurance against our customer having a problem when it comes time to assemble the...
FAST AND FURIOUS FLYWHEEL FIX To all the fast and furious, turbo charged, side stepping clutch crowd, this one’s for you. Many Japanese flywheels are step cut. Often times when a clutch blows up, by the time you surface the face, the step is gone. To keep the factory...
DETAILS Sometimes it is just the little details that add up. Taking the time to use a little ATF to wipe your new piston rings down before assembly, can help keep dirt and debris out of your new engine. Multiply this by the number of parts that go into an engine and...
MORE BALANCING TRICKS A quick way to center up crankshaft bobweights is to use a piece of round aluminum rod, machined to 1/2 the difference of the widths of the weight and the journal. Use it to space one side up and snug the bobweight. That centers it right up on...
ROD FIXTURE When I mount pistons onto press fit rods I set my mounting fixture so I get them perfectly centered. But setting the mounting fixture on tapered pin boss pistons is harder to get right. I took an old rod and honed the small end until the press pin slips...