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SECONDARY RETENTION
Sep 22, 2025 | CRANKSHAFTS & CONNECTING RODS
If you find yourself having to fill a counterweight hole when balancing, here’s a tip. Once your piece of metal is installed, drill and tap for a tapered crack repair plug, as a secondary retention procedure. This, along with the press fit, gives you absolute...

MILLING HACKS
Sep 15, 2025 | OTHER SHOP WORK
Here are three simple CNC milling hacks. 1.) Slip a zip-lock bag over a dripping coolant nozzle while loading and unloading a part or cleaning up the machine. This’ll save you some aggravation. 2.) Secure floppy C-clamp handles with a rubber band to save time, and a...

REAR TDC MARK
Sep 8, 2025 | ASSEMBLY
After I have established true TDC and I’m getting ready to degree my camshaft, I will take a sharp chisel and put a small mark on the back of the block and the crank. It helps to find TDC in the future should someone slip a balancer or change something up, causing us...

BALANCER AS STABILIZER
Sep 8, 2025 | CRANKSHAFTS & CONNECTING RODS
I hone the I.D. of an old harmonic balancer to slide on the crank, so it works as a stabilizer when removing and installing tone wheels. Arus Kinney AK's Engine and Machining Covington, GA

REPLACE YOUR DEGREE WHEEL
Sep 2, 2025 | CAMSHAFTS & VALVE TRAIN
Replace your degree wheel with a digital inclinometer. You just must make sure the one you choose has a 180° mode. Many just reset at 90°. Zero at TDC and read the angle directly. Jim Steck AutoComponenti Brookville, OH

TAPERED BUSHING INSTALLER
Sep 2, 2025 | CRANKSHAFTS & CONNECTING RODS
A guy can't buy everything so when a new type of tapered bushing connecting rod comes in, I make my own installer. It's easy enough to remove the old bushing with an appropriate size bushing driver or turn one out. Remove the taper from one side of an old bushing and...