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2 April 2013 | EngineBuilder

ENGINE BUILDER founded Oct. 1964Copyright 2013 Babcox Media Inc.

ENGINE BUILDER (ISSN 1535-041X)(April 2013, Volume 49, Number 04): Published monthly by Babcox Media Inc., 3550 Embassy Parkway, Akron, OH 44333 U.S.A. Phone (330) 670-1234, FAX (330) 670-0874. Periodicalpostage paid at Akron, OH 44333 and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to ENGINE BUILDER, 3550 Embassy Parkway, Akron, OH 44333.A limited number of complimentary subscriptions are available to individuals who meet the qualification requirements. Call (330) 670-1234, Ext. 275, to speak to a subscription servicesrepresentative or FAX us at (330) 670-5335. Paid Subscriptions are available for non-qualified subscribers at the following rates: U.S.: $69 for one year. Canada: $89 for one year.Canadian rates include GST. Ohio residents add current county sales tax. Other foreign rates/via air mail: $129 for one year. Payable in advance in U.S. funds. Mail payment to ENGINEBUILDER, P.O. Box 75692, Cleveland, OH 44101-4755. VISA, MasterCard or American Express accepted. Publisher reserves the right to reject any subscription that does not conform tohis standards or buying power coverage. Advertising which is below standard is refused. Opinions in signed articles and advertisements are not necessarily those of this magazine or itspublisher. Diligent effort is made to ensure the integrity of every statement. Unsolicited manuscripts must be accompanied by return postage.

COVER DESIGN BY NICHOLE ANDERSON

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.13 Features ON THE COVER

Green Strategies GuideWe celebrate Earth Day in April, so we thought it wouldbe a good time to look at ways to green-up your shopwhile saving some green. Our Green Strategies Guideaddresses the real world concerns and success stories ofengine builders in several important categories, including Cleaning Techniques and Equipment, RecyclingScrap and Precious Metals, Handling Shop Waste and Efficient Shop Operations ........................................26

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Performance GasketsMany performance engines are capable of making severaltimes as much horsepower as a stock engine of comparabledisplacement, so the head gaskets must be durable enoughto withstand the higher pressures. Technical Editor Larry Carley takes us through construction to surface finish........18

Seats & GuidesThere is no such thing as a typical valve job. Every job isunique. Cylinder heads with worn or burned valves, worn orloose valve seats, and worn or loose valve guides must bebrought back to spec. Contributing Editor Bob McDonald investigates the materials and best practices for returningthese components to service. ..............................................45

Cylinder Heads & BoltsWhether for the street or track, there is an aftermarket cylinderhead for more applications than ever before, and holdingthem down is one of the more challenging tasks. ContributingEditor John Carollo guides us through the choices. ..........52

Columns

Diesel Motorsports ......................14By Contributing Editor Ron KnochAre You Ready For a Diesel Resurgence?

Machine Maintenance ..................68By Contributing Editor Dave MonyhanGoing Green Not Just for the Irish

Final Wrap....................................76By Associate Publisher/Editor Doug KaufmanNot Quite a Full Pull – A Final Hook for an Old Friend

DEPARTMENTSIndustry News......................................................6

Events ..................................................................4

Shop Solutions ....................................................12

2013 Supplier Spotlight ........................................70

Cores/Classifieds/Ad Index ..................................74

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52Rockers, Pushrods and SpringsRockers, Pushrods and Springs – they are three of the mostimportant components in a performance engine. Senior Executive Editor Brendan Baker talks to valvetrain expertsabout selecting the right components for your build. ........61

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Events

Industry EventsMay 1-3AAIA Spring Leadership DaysBonita Springs, FLwww.aftermarket.org

May 14-16EASTEC 2013Eastern States Exposition, W. Springfield, MAwww.easteconline.com or 313-425-3000

May 16AERA Tech & Skills Regional ConferenceHosted by MAHLE and Driven Racing OilChildress Racing, Welcome, NCwww.aera.org or 888-326-2372

May 21-22Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium (GAAS)Hyatt Regency, Chicago, IL www.globalsymposium.org

May 22-23Aftermarket eForum 2013Hyatt Regency, Chicago, IL www.aftermarketeforum.org

June 2-4SME 2013 Annual Conference Baltimore, MDwww.sme.org/conferences or 508-743-8544

June 8AERA Tech & Skills Regional Conference Hosted by Liberty Engine PartsPittsburgh, PAwww.aera.org or 888-326-2372

June 22AERA Tech & Skills Regional Conference Hosted by National Performance WarehouseLos Angeles, CAwww.aera.org or 888-326-2372

September 18-2068th Annual PERA ConferenceDallas, TX www.pera.org or email: [email protected]

Circle 12 for more information


For more industry events, visit our website at

www.enginebuildermag.com or subscribe to

www.aftermarketnews.com.

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PERA Fall Conventionin Dallas to Include Tourof Cowboys StadiumThe 68th Annual Production EngineRemanufacturers Association (PERA)Conference will be held Sept. 18-20 inDallas, TX, and will include tours,tech sessions and a trip to DallasCowboys Stadium.

For the first time, PERA will joinwith the Engine Builder’s Association(AERA) to hold an AERA Tech andSkills Conference on September 18.The tabletop displays and tech semi-nars will be held at AER Mfg.’s re-manufacturing facility.

The Conference will be held at theWestin Galleria Dallas Hotel. A lim-ited number of rooms have been re-served in the PERA block andreservations can be made by calling800-627-8536 and asking about thePERA Annual Conference.

For more information and a pre-liminary Conference program, visitwww.pera.org/calendar.htm. Completeschedules of conference events will

be posted in these pages and atwww.enginebuildermag.com.

Ford Invests Millions inCleveland Engine Plant toBuild EcoBoost EnginesFord Motor Co. recently announced itwill invest nearly $200 million andadd 450 new jobs when it moves pro-duction of the 2.0L EcoBoost enginesfor North American vehicles from Va-lencia, Spain, to Ford’s Cleveland En-gine Plant. The investment comes asa result of rising demand for the 2.0LEcoBoost engine.

“This is our One Ford plan at itsbest – giving customers the powerof choice to decide which fuel-effi-cient engine is best tailored to theirneeds,” said Joe Hinrichs, Ford pres-ident of The Americas. “ClevelandEngine Plant was the first to pro-duce EcoBoost engines and will con-tinue to be a cornerstone of Ford'sstrategy to deliver affordable fueleconomy for millions.”

The investment in Cleveland will

shift North American production toOhio, while Ford’s Valencia EnginePlant will remain the exclusive pro-duction location of the 2.0L EcoBoostfor Ford of Europe-built vehicles. Va-lencia will continue to produce andship parts for these engines to NorthAmerica.

The 2.0L EcoBoost engine to bebuilt in Cleveland is currently avail-able in the Ford Explorer, Edge, all-new Escape and all-new Fusion,Focus ST, Taurus and new LincolnMKZ and MKT Livery.

Teen Dirt Late Model DriverWins $50K ‘Search for aChampion’ Grand PrizeBobby Pierce, a 16-year-old highschool student from Oakwood, IL,one of the nation’s top Dirt LateModel drivers, is the $50,000 grandprize winner in the “Search for aChampion” racing sponsorship con-test from Federal-Mogul’s ChampionSpark Plug brand. A sophomore atOakwood High School, Pierce was


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one of 15 finalists selected from hun-dreds of entries in the popular contest,which requires participants to submit atwo-minute video describing how aChampion sponsorship will help themdominate the competition.

Finalists and the grand prize win-

ner were selected on the basis of votesreceived at the www.AlwaysaCham-pion.com website as well as throughinput from NASCAR Sprint Cupdriver and Champion spokespersonKevin Harvick. Pierce, currentlyranked fourth in points in the Lucas

Oil Dirt Series, garnered more than13,000 of the total 114,000 votes cast inthe contest. Finalists represented virtually every form of engine-drivenracing, including circle track, dragrace, motocross, boat and snocrosscompetition.

“Bobby looks, acts and drives like achampion, and his video projected thepassion that’s required to build andmaintain a successful racing career,”Harvick said.

Pierce’s passion for racing comesnaturally: His father is National DirtLate Model Hall of Fame driver andprofessional car builder Bob Pierce,who was among the most successfulSuper Dirt drivers of the 1980s and’90s. His mother, Angie, and sister,Ciara, are members of his crew.

In addition to the $50,000 grandprize sponsorship, Bobby also receives$5,000 for being one of the 15 finalistsin the Champion contest. In total, Fed-eral-Mogul awarded $125,000 to grass-roots drivers who entered the 2013“Search.”

“Search for a Champion has becomethe top sponsorship program of itskind for the grassroots racing commu-nity,” said Michael Proud, director ofmarketing, North America, Federal-Mogul. “Champion Spark Plugs arepart of the fabric of amateur and pro-fessional racing in North America,from kart racing and local dirt tracks tothe leading Sprint Cup programs. Thiscontest is an example of the manyways Federal-Mogul and the Cham-pion brand continue to invest in thisimportant legacy.”

To learn more about Bobby and tofollow the success of his Champion-powered No. 32 Dirt Late Model car,visit www.bobbypierceracing.com, con-nect with him on Facebook and Twitter(@BobbyPierce32), and follow his blog,www.smoothoperator32.blogspot.com.

Elgin Industries ReceivesTop Supplier Awards from GM, John DeereElgin Industries recently received thePlatinum Supplier Status award forOutstanding On-Time Shipping Per-formance from General Motors Cus-tomer Care and Aftersales. This awardrecognizes Elgin for consistently per-forming above expectations and con-tinuous excellence in supplying parts


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to General Motors.Elgin’s ultra-modern, fully inte-

grated manufacturing complex hasearned a broad range of quality awardsand certifications from leading cus-tomers in the automotive commercialvehicle markets.

“GM’s Platinum Award recognizesour dedication to supplying the highestquality engine parts in a timely man-ner,” said Bill Skok, president, Elgin In-dustries. “This is a highly respectedaward, and it recognizes our commit-ment to the category.”

In addition, Elgin earned recogni-tion as a Partner-level Supplier in theJohn Deere Achieving Excellence Pro-gram. The Partner-level status is Deere& Company’s highest supplier rating.

The Elgin, IL-based company wasselected for the honor in recognition ofits dedication to providing productsand service of outstanding quality aswell as its commitment to continuousimprovement. Company employeesaccepted the recognition during formalceremonies held March 5, 2013.

Elgin is a supplier of internal enginecomponents to John Deere’s operationsin Waterloo, Iowa, as well as Mexico,France and Argentina.

Suppliers who participate in theAchieving Excellence program areevaluated annually in several key per-formance categories, including quality,cost management, delivery, technicalsupport and wavelength, which is ameasure of responsiveness. John DeereSupply Management created the pro-gram in 1991 to provide a supplierevaluation and feedback process thatpromotes continuous improvement.

Elgin Industries is a Tier One sup-plier of original equipment engine andchassis components to organizationssuch as Chrysler, Deere & Company,Ford, General Motors, Harley-David-son, Mack, and Navistar, and a lead-ing, all-makes/all-models supplier ofreplacement automotive and heavy-duty parts.

For more information about ElginIndustries, visit www.elginind.com.

Oliver Racing Parts NamesTed Keating VP of BusinessDevelopment & SalesOliver Racing Parts, manufacturers ofconnecting rods for motorsports andother high-performance vehicles, hashired automotive aftermarket sales ex-ecutive Ted Keating as vice presidentof business development and sales.

Keating will be responsible forgrowing Oliver’s business at a timewhen the company has made signifi-cant infrastructure upgrades in order toexpand its product lineup of aftermar-ket racing parts, including high-perfor-mance connecting rods.

“Ted has a proven track record ofgrowing a high-performance partsbusiness and improving profits,” saidJoseph A. Moch, president and CEO ofOliver Racing Parts, which is celebrat-ing its 30th anniversary. “He alsobrings ‘added value’ with his experi-ence in production and operations.He’s a great addition to the team.”

Keating joins Oliver from UnitedEngine and Machine, where he has


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been national sales manager. Prior to2012, Keating spent 15 years as generalmanager for Dart Machinery, where heoversaw all aspects of Dart’s opera-tions, including production, qualitymanagement, R&D, customer service,marketing and advertising.

For information, visit www.olivercon-nectingrods.com.

SEMA Opens Housing Services for 2013 Show,Guarantees Lowest RatesThe 2013 SEMA Show is still severalmonths away, but showgoers maynow secure hotel rooms from the offi-cial SEMA Housing Services atwww.SEMAShow.com.Availablethrough Travel Planners, the reserva-tions come with guaranteed low ratesand perks such as no resort fees.

“We know that showgoers are busy,and securing a hotel room shouldn’t bea time-intensive job,” said PeterMacGillivray, SEMA VP of events andcommunications. “By using the officialSEMA Housing Services, attendees andexhibitors can rest assured that they areworking with a legitimate companyand paying the lowest rates.”

To secure rooms through the officialSEMA Housing Services, reservationsshould be made from the SEMA Showsite www.SEMAShow.com and includethe official housing seal. Travel Plan-ners also can be reached directly at 800-221-3531 or 212-532-1660.

SEMA Show registration opens inMay and will also be available atwww.SEMAShow.com.

GM to Invest $332 Million inEcotec Engine PlantsAccording to a Reuters report, Gen-eral Motors plans to invest more than$330 million in four manufacturingsites in North America to producemore fuel-efficient engines and trans-mission systems.

GM has already announced $1.2 bil-lion in investments in its plants and isplanning to invest $1.5 billion in thoseplants this year.

The investments will boost produc-tion of a new Ecotec small gas engine, anew V6 engine, eight-speed transmis-sion and tooling for an existing six-speed transmission.

The company is also raising itspowertrain investment in two Michi-gan plants by $46 million to supportproduction of the new Ecotec V6 en-gine, according to reports. ■

EngineBuilderMag.com 11Circle 11 for more information


Making Your Own PistonRing CompressorSome customers have been askingme for piston ring compressors insizes we do not carry. My suggestionto them is to do what I do.

Look in a cylinder sleeve catalogand find one that is close to the ID ofthe job you’re working on. Place thesleeve in a lathe, cut off the lengthneeded and chamfer the edges. Nowyou have the piston ring compressoryou need! Not only does this saveyou a ton of money in the long run,but in some cases you can make twoor three ring compressors from onesleeve at a cost of only $10 to $20. Ittakes some time to make, but it isworth the time if you are a budgetbuilder.

Paint your new compressor withGlyptal and it will last a long time, atleast until it is dropped, and thenyou can make another one from thesame sleeve you started with.

Roy MaloneyEngine & Performance WarehouseHouston, TX

Sanitary Gasket RemovalVarious companies, including 3M,offer a “backing pad” system tomount a non-marring abrasive padto any 1/4˝ die grinder. The key ad-vantage of this method of gasket re-moval is that the soft abrasive paddoes not remove the metal or alu-minum from the parts being cleaned.The old method of scraping, espe-cially on softer aluminum parts, cre-ates metal shards that can get intothe crankcase or oil system and con-taminate the internals of the enginebeing rebuilt/repaired.

To further guarantee a sanitaryjob, a shop vacuum can be used tocatch any material that may other-wise land in the engine while youare removing any silicone or corkfrom the part being repaired. This isa quick and simple solution to un-wanted material getting into yourengine.

Rob WoodEngine & Performance WarehouseAnaheim, CA

Multi-Tasking: V8 TorquePlates on V6 EnginesSave money by using your V8 torqueplates on V6 engines. I know for afact that the small block V8 Chevytorque plate works great on V6Chevys.

Norm JohnsNorms Auto MachinePetaluma, CA

Finding the Center of YourWorkpiece QuicklyHere is a quick way to find the centerof a workpiece using inches withfractions:

First, take the OD measurement ofthe piece in inches and divide by 2.Then multiply the denominator ofthe fraction by 2.

Example: Find the center of 7-5/8.Solution: 3-1/2 (3-8/16) plus 5/16.Answer: 3-13/16.

It’s simple and no calculator is required.

Lee JohnsonPro PerformanceDenver, CO

Yet Another Way To Remove Broken BoltsHave you ever had a customer bringin a block or cylinder head to havework done and he says, “by the way,can you get the broken bolt out?”After a closer look you see he has al-ready triedto removeit, and tomake itworse, hebroke aneasy-out in it.

I havefound aneasy wayto removethese bro-ken boltsor studs,includingones thathave bro-ken easy-outs or

drill bits in them. It can save you alot of wasted drilling, grinding andchiseling time, not to mention thecost of drill bits and carbide burrs.

First, depending on if the bolt orstud is broken off flush or recessedbelow the surface, you will need togrind the exposed part with agrinder just enough for a clean sur-face. Next, take a nut and place itover the broken bolt or stud. Place aslightly larger nut over the bolt youare removing; for example place a7/16˝ nut over a 3/8˝ bolt. Weld thenut to the broken bolt or stud, let itcool, then remove. In some cases, ifthe broken bolt or stud is recessed ithelps if you build up the surfacewith weld prior to welding the nuton. This is also helpful when you areremoving broken bolts in the vehicle.Be patient and you will be surprisedhow easy it actually is.

Paul MarianaMardinly MotorsBroomall, PA

Manufacturer Shop SolutionCentering LS Chevrolet OilPump on the CrankshaftFor stock applications, placing the oilpump onto the crankshaft and in-stalling the oil pump mounting boltswill provide adequate alignment ofthe oil pump to the crankshaft. Forperformance applications, the align-


FACTOID OF THE MONTHMILESTONES IN THE WIDE WORLD OF WHEELS:

1891 - First Auto Accident In The

U.S. happened In Ohio City, OH.

Someone ran into a hitching post.

1909 - First Paved Concrete

Road In The U.S. was Wood-

ward Ave in Detroit, MI. One

mile of concrete pavement was

poured on a base of wooden

planks.

2012 - First Time One Billion Cars Ran On The

Roads Of The World. If you happen to live in Southern California, they all seem to

be on the 91 Freeway at 5pm.

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EngineBuilderMag.com 13

Shop Solutions –The Power ofKnowledge

Engine Builder and Engine Pro present

Shop Solutions in each issue of EngineBuilder Magazine and at enginebuilder-mag.com.

The feature is intended to provide

machine shop owners and engine tech-

nicians the opportunity to share their

knowledge to benefit the entire industry

and their own shops.

Those who submit Shop Solutions that

are published are awarded a prepaid

$100 Visa gift card.

Engine Pro is a nationwide network of

distributors that warehouse a full line of

internal engine components for

domestic and import passenger car,

light truck, heavy duty, industrial,

marine, agricultural and performance

applications.

They also produce engine parts under

the Engine Pro name that offer premium

features at an affordable price.


ment of the oil pump can be more closely controlled by follow-ing the steps outlined below:

1. With a quality Torx bit, remove seven oil pump screws.2. Remove rotor assembly from the housing, checking for chamfer

on outer rotor.3. Install pump housing over crankshaft and install the four pump to

block bolts finger tight.4. Lubricate and install inner and outer rotors into housing over the

crankshaft.5. Install three shims (.0015˝ to .002˝) equally spaced between the inner

rotor and splined pump drive to center inner rotor on pump drive. 6. Install three shims (.002˝ to .003˝) equally spaced between the pump

housing and outer rotor to center the outer rotor. Crankshaft rotation maybe necessary.

7. Tighten pump housing mounting bolts to 18 ft.lbs. (2.5 Nm) in a starpattern sequence.

8. Remove the shims, install pump cover and screws with a drop ofLoctite 242 on the threads (use sparingly), tighten screws to 80-106 in.lbs.(9-12 Nm).

Mike OsterhausProduct Development ManagerMelling Tool Co.Jackson, MI ■

12-13 Shop Solutions 4/18/13 9:38 AM Page 13

Diesel engine building willsoon see an increase in num-bers – very soon!

Why do I say that? In an effort to eliminate smoking

engines and reduce emissions, theEPA came down hard on tuner man-ufacturers just a few months ago, is-suing warning/cease notices ondiesel particulate filters (DPF) andEGR delete tunes/kits. This crack-down affects diesel trucks from 2008and newer with OEM DPFs and EGRemissions equipment.

Bypassing the OEM emissionsequipment, diesel trucks can get 19-20 mpg (16-18 mpg under load).With the emissions equipment lefton the trucks, these vehicles average12-13 mpg (about 8-9 mpg underload).

You may be scratching your headabout these calculations – doesn’tthis mean newer diesel trucks willuse almost double the fuel with theOEM equipment left installed? Andwon’t burning twice the fuel causemore pollution, more fuel cost, moreprocessing to make the fuel andmore trips to the station to get fuel?

This is why I believe we are goingto see a resurgence of older trucksthat will need rebuilt engines. Con-sumers will want to keep their olderdiesel trucks in order to get morepower and miles per gallon – andthey’ll be willing to invest in the en-gine build to get what they want.

Now your opportunity exists toadd to the build and make them hap-pier about their diesel engine choice.

New technology has been imple-mented by National Association ofDiesel Motorsports (NADM) partner

companies for the diesel communitysince the OEM equipment was origi-nally bolted on the truck. MAHLEClevite has new lightweight steel pis-tons that can withstand the heat andheavy use. Their sister companieshave other great products for buildslike Victor Reinz’s gasket/rebuild kitsand Clevite’s bearings for the dieseltrucks.

With the big power of new dieseltrucks, they require extra heavy-duty components, and Carrillo of-fers some of the toughest rods in theindustry, made to fit perfectly andperform for many years. Anotherquality company that stands behindtheir parts is ARP, no one makesbetter head studs and other boltsneeded for rebuilds.

Some of our diesel performancepart suppliers have specialized en-gine parts designed for performancein high horsepower diesel engines aswell. Industrial Injection has manycustomized parts that will reinforcethe block and engine componentsduring high torque and horsepoweruse. Its girdle engine block kits are amust if your customer wants to buildmore than 600 hp. Plus, for thoseneeding custom turbos and injectors,Industrial Injection is BorgWarner’slargest Master WD in the country.

These are just a few cases – thereare actually many different optionsavailable if you know where to look.However, networking can be difficultif you are tied to the shop all of thetime trying to complete jobs in orderto get paid.

You must stop for a moment andask yourself how you can expandyour business to include new

prospects and more profitable jobs.Upselling is always easier than sell-ing a less expensive product. Therewill always be someone cheaper outthere, and your profits will continueto shrink.

Adding value to a job gives yourshop credibility and makes the con-sumer willing – even eager – tospend more for the work they want.

Example: “Well yeah, I CAN buildthat motor to match the other guy’slowball price, but did you know thatfor just a few dollars more you couldget the next step up that would makeyour engine go another 75,000 -100,000 miles? And it won’t take anymore time than the other build!”

Quality is a frame of mind thathelps you sell with confidence – con-sumers can see it and will want thequality. If you are always quotingcheaper parts and downplaying qual-ity do you really think they will feelgood about choosing you to do thework?

Upselling is always the answer ina consumer market and this is no ex-ception. The diesel crowd wants“Made in America” and qualityparts with a company that standsbehind them.

I know of two companies thatmake parts for diesels in the U.S.and they both only have 2-yearwarranties. However, they carrythe highest marks for standing be-hind their products even past thetwo years if it involves productquality issues.

On the other hand, I know ofcompanies that offer lifetime war-ranties but don’t stand behind theirwarranties or help the consumer


Ready for a DieselResurgence?

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Ron [email protected]

Crackdown on emissions bypassingcould lead to increased engine workD

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orsp

orts

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with faulty equipment when they callin for help. Multiple excuses and/orno callbacks are the usual responsefrom these companies.

Represent your business best bybuying and installing quality productsfrom reputable companies who youknow can help you when you need it.It doesn’t do you much good whenyou install a part or engine on a con-sumer’s vehicle only for him to returnin a few weeks for you to redo thework for free! Sure the part is usually aswitch out, but look at your lost laborand time.

Diesel engines are built forlongevity and if proper maintenance isperformed they can last a long time.Make sure you keep a log record eitherby hand or computer as to whetheryour customer needs maintenance andwhen, then call or send him a notice toget to your shop. This makes you lookprofessional and you are givinghim/her personal service!

Again, it may be work that you arenot used to doing but your businesswill grow when you spend the time to

properly service and market to the cus-tomer. Do you have banners of theproducts you rely on hanging aroundyour shop? Many of the manufacturersoffer these for free or low cost if youask for them. Do you have your indus-try credentials displayed at the shop oryour employee’s credentials?

Consumers are now looking forvalidation that they are spendingtheir money at a reputable and stablebusiness so if there is trouble theyfeel good about coming back for re-pairs or maintenance.

I’m voicing some of the basics herebased on calls I’ve taken from dieselconsumers asking these questions forrecommendations on where to taketheir trucks.

They may be basics that we all takefor granted but you should be askingyourself these simple questions aboutyour business. Am I doing the rightthings to attract customers to my busi-ness in order to do the work that isneeded by diesel consumers?

We will attempt in future issues togo over some diesel performance is-sues, and also detail items that sur-round diesel engine building andservice for the shops.

Yes, it’s very hard work but no onesaid it would be easy. We hope we canhelp you network with some new sup-pliers along the way. ■

Ron Knoch is president of DIESEL Motorsports, a marketing company for thediesel industry that is also the only sanc-tioning body for diesel motorsports. Formore information and a scchedule of events,visit www.DIESELmotorsports.US.


Column


“Represent your business best by buying and installingquality products fromreputable companieswho you know canhelp you when youneed it.”

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The most critical engine gas-kets are the head gasketssince they have to withstand

the heat and pressure of combus-tion. And unless the engine is adrag motor with a solid billet orfilled block, the head gaskets alsohave to keep coolant out of thecylinders.

Many performance engines arecapable of making several times asmuch horsepower as a stock en-gine of comparable displacement,so the head gaskets must be

durable enough to withstand thehigher pressures. Head lift is prob-ably the most common cause ofhead gasket failure in a perform-ance engine, and some engines areworse than others (such as Fordsmall blocks). The amount of headlift an engine experiences dependson combustion pressures as wellas the number and pattern of thehead bolts, the size of the headbolts, and the rigidity of the blockand heads.

When a gasket manufacturer is

developing a new gasket for a highpower application, they will typi-cally map the areas on the headand block sealing surfaces to deter-mine where clamping loads arehighest and lowest, and wherehead lift may be affecting the seal.They then devise a gasket that mayhave extra embossment, shims, re-inforcing layers or raised sealingbeads in problem areas so the gas-ket doesn’t lose its seal or fail.

Crushing is one of the toughestchallenges to overcome, and is acommon cause of head gasket fail-ure. Hot spots such as the area be-tween the siamese exhaust ports insmall block Chevy heads cause thehead to swell more in this area.Aluminum heads can make thecrushing problem even worse be-cause aluminum expands at ahigher rate than cast iron. If thegasket is not designed to withstandthe crushing forces in the hot spotareas, it may permanently deform,lose its seal and fail.

Heat is the enemy, so the hotterthe engine runs the greater thecrushing loads on the head gasket.

It’s not unusual for aNASCAR engine torun as hot as 260 to270 degrees F orhigher during a race.Partially covering the


Performance Gaskets& Surface FinishesA performance engine is only as reliable as the gaskets and surface finish used to seal it

Feat

ure

The polymer coating is blue and silk-screened to coat just the areas requiringfluid seal help. The elastomer is expensiveand cost savings are achieved by using itjust where it is needed.

TECHNICAL EDITOR LARRY [email protected]

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grille opening with duct tape is acommon trick pit crews use forimproving aerodynamics, but thetrade-off is less airflow to the ra-diator and higher engine tempera-tures. These guys are runningright on the ragged edge, so any-thing that causes the engine tooverheat can cause big problemsvery quickly. A piece of track de-bris such as a discarded hot dogwrapper that ends up cloggingthe grille may obstruct airflowenough to cause the engine tooverheat and blow. It’s happenedmore than once.

Even in a street performanceapplication, overheating can causea head gasket to fail. Most stockgaskets can safely handle a mod-est increase in horsepower with-out any ill effects. But with bigpower adders such as a blower,turbo or nitrous oxide, or a signifi-cant increase in displacementwith a long stroker crank, the re-sulting power levels may be morethan a stock gasket can handle.

Detonation and pre-ignition

can also create problems in a per-formance engine is the fuel mix-ture goes lean. Most performanceengines are running a relativelyhigh compression ratio comparedto a stock engine, and boosted en-gines create even more pressure inthe cylinders. Consequently, if thefuel octane isn’t high enough orthe fuel mixture goes lean, the en-gine can do into detonation/pre-ignition and self-destruct ratherquickly. Usually the engine willburn a piston before it blows ahead gasket fails, but mild detona-tion over time can crack the com-bustion armor on a head gasket.

Contributing factors that cancause detonation/pre-ignitionand head gasket failure includetoo much spark advance and anycooling problems that cause theengine to run too hot.

When to Upgrade to aPerformance Head GasketA rule of thumb for performanceengine building is that if you aredoubling an engine’s power out-put, or are going much over 550 to600 hp, you should upgrade tosome type of aftermarket perform-ance gaskets. Upgrades usually re-


MLS head gaskets are made ofseveral layers of embossed stain-less steel (most are 3 or 4 layersthick, but some have more). Athin coating (.001˝ to .0015˝) ofnitrile rubber or Viton is used onthe external surfaces as well asbetween the layers to providemaximum sealing.

18-25 Gaskets 4/18/13 9:37 AM Page 20


21 FM_Layout 1 4/18/13 9:06 AM Page 21

quire no additional modifications.You just swap a performance MLSgasket for the stock head gasket.

Composition gaskets can usuallyhandle up to 600 hp or so. StockMLS gaskets can usually handlemore, depending on the applica-tions. But for serious increases inpower, you need to upgrade to apurpose-built performance MLShead gasket.

Performance MLS gaskets oftenfeature special embossments, highertemperature coatings and other de-sign innovations for specific engineapplications that help them handlehigher temperatures and loads.Some of these MLS gaskets use amore gradual radius on their em-bossments to reduce stress and im-prove conformability so the gasketwill evenly distribute load acrossthe contact area. Some MLS gasketsdestined for performance applica-tions may also undergo a specialstress relieving treatment to im-prove their durability and ability toretain torque.

Most aftermarket gasket suppli-ers offer some type of MLS headgasket for popular performance ap-plications such as SB/BB Chevy,SB/BB Ford, SB/BB Chrysler, andeven some sport compact engines.MLS gaskets have become the “goto” gaskets for racing and streetperformance engines because theycan handle just about anything. Theonly exception today is Top Fueland Blown Alcohol dragsters andfunny cars which are still runningcopper shims and O-rings. But whoknows? MLS gaskets may even finda niche here someday.

One manufacturer told us theirlatest performance MLS gasket(which has four layers and a speciallaser welded stopper layer) hasbeen successfully used in a 3,300 hpbig block Chevy.

Surface Finish RequirementsMLS head gaskets are made of sev-eral layers of embossed stainlesssteel (most are 3 or 4 layers thick,but some have more). A thin coating(.001˝ to .0015˝) of nitrile rubber orViton is used on the external sur-faces as well as between the layersto provide maximum sealing. Most


Feature



18-25 Gaskets 4/18/13 9:37 AM Page 22

aftermarket MLS gaskets can han-dle surfaces finishes as rough as 60to 70 Ra microinches, but somespecify a smoother finish of 30 to 50Ra. Smoother is always better, andif you can get the finish down to thelow teens or even single digit, great!But for most applications, a surfacefinish in the 20 to 30 RA range ismore than smooth enough for a per-formance MLS gasket.

If you are building a street per-formance engine that has a cast ironblock and aluminum heads, and areusing conventional steel/fiber com-

posite head gaskets or expandedgraphite head gaskets, the surfacefinish should ideally be 60 to 80 Ra(360 to 480 Rz). Don’t go smootherthan 40 Ra (240 Rz) or rougher than100 Ra (600 Rz) with a compositiongasket. Rougher surfaces limit gas-ket conformance, while smoothersurfaces increase the tendency forgaskets to flow, reducing the gas-kets blow out resistance.

If you are using a stock MLS head

gasket, the surface finish should be30 Ra (180 Rz) or less unless the MLSgasket has a thicker coating that canseal a rougher surface. Note: Neverapply any kind of sealer to a MLSgasket! It may react with the coatingand cause a problem.

Though Ra (Roughness Average)has traditionally been used to de-scribe surface finish, most gasketengineers today say a more accurateperimeter is Rz, which is the aver-age difference between the peakheight and valley depth. Ra canhave a wide variance across a given


FeatureTHIS ISSUE: PG 26 >> Green Guide PG 45 >> Seats & Guides PG 52 >> Heads & Bolts


Installing gaskets that have compres-sion-limiting grommets can preventcrushing and gasket damage. Use asealer and/or adhesive on cork andcomposite gaskets, but do not usesealer on rubber or coated gaskets.

18-25 Gaskets 4/18/13 9:37 AM Page 23

surface profile, so Rz gives a betterindication of the actual textureacross the surface.

To measure Ra or Rz, you need aprofilometer. If you don’t have one,you are shooting in the dark and as-suming the surface finish you’regetting is in the ball park. Maybe itis and maybe it isn’t. The only wayto know for sure is to actuallymeasure it. Most dry milling ma-

chines with theproper CBN orPCD cuttingbits can achievean extremelysmooth surfacefinish.

Waviness across the surface isalso important. The less wavinessthe better: no more than .0004˝ withMLS head gaskets. Trouble is, you

can’t measure waviness with a pro-filometer. It takes special (expen-sive!) lab equipment. Wavinessproblems can be caused by vibra-tions and a lack of rigidity inmilling equipment.

The flatness of the head and blocksurfaces is also critical in a perform-ance engine. The maximum amountof out-of-flat should not exceed .001˝within three inches in any directionin a stock engine, so even less is bestfor a performance build.

For a V8 engine, the maximumallowable out-of-flatspecification for stockcylinder head andblock deck surfaces is.004˝ lengthwise and.002˝ sideways. Aim for.002˝ if you’re buildinga performance engine.

For a V6, the recommendation for astock engine is less than .003˝ out-of-flat lengthwise and .002˝ side-ways. Again, shoot for half thatwith a performance build. As for anin-line six cylinder engine, the stockrecommendation is no more than.006˝ lengthwise and .002˝ sidewaysout of flat. If you have .003˝ or lessout-of-flat lengthwise and .001˝sideways, you should be in goodshape to seal up the head gasket.

Gasket Installation TipsThe surface of BOTH the head andblock must be clean, smooth, flatand free from scratches, pits or cor-rosion for a good head gasket seal.That’s true for any engine, and ab-solutely critical for a performanceengine. If the flatness of a head orblock is not within specifications, itneeds to be resurfaced.

When installing the head gasket,follow the recommended procedurefor tightening the head bolts (anglegauge or torque-to-yield). Usemotor oil or specially formulatedhead bolt lubricant on the boltthreads and underside of the boltheads to obtain the correct loadingon the bolts and head gasket. Dirtyor damaged threads, dry threads orthreads that have been lubricatedwith the wrong type of lubricantcan all create misleading torquereadings that can prevent a headgasket from sealing.


Feature


The upper gasket has a full poly-mer coating, the lower is silk-screened. Both seal fine. Theupper was for the aftermarket,so polymer coverage was addedfor extra protection.

18-25 Gaskets 4/18/13 9:37 AM Page 24

Do not reuse torque-to-yield(TTY) head bolts. They are one-timeuse bolts that permanently stretchwhen tightened. Reusing them isrisky because they can break or failto hold torque. Toss the old TTYhead bolts in your scrap metal binand replace them with new ones.

If you are reusing conventionalhead bolts, make sure they have notstretched, are not damaged (nonicks or gouges, no distortedthreads) and are not corroded. Ifany bolt appears questionable, re-place it. For high horsepower en-gines, scrap the stock head boltsand upgrade to stronger aftermar-ket head bolts.

Whether the engine is a brandnew casting or a seasoned block, al-ways clean and tap the cylinderhead bolt holes in the block. Thiswill assure proper loading and ac-curate torque readings when thehead bolts are tightened.

Another tip is to brush off theblack oxide coating on new cylinder

heads bolts before the are installed.The oxide coating increases drag onthe bolt threads, and may thus re-duce loading on the head gasketwhen the bolts are torqued to speci-fications.

Use an accurately calibratedtorque wrench. Beam style torquewrenches typically stay in rangebetter than adjustable or dial styletorque wrenches, but are harder toread. If you haven’t had yourtorque wrench calibrated within thelast year, have it checked to makesure it is accurate.

Tighten each cylinder head boltto specifications in the recom-mended sequence. Some NASCARengine builders use about 20% lesstorque on the head bolts when theyput the engine together to reducebore distortion. For a street per-formance engine, use the factoryrecommended bolt specs.

Tighten the bolts to full torque inthree even steps. Some performanceengine builders let the engine sit

overnight, then loosen and retorqueeach head bolt the next day to assureeven loading of the head gaskets.

With intake manifold bolts,torque to specifications in a criss-cross pattern to make sure the gas-kets are evenly loaded and sealtightly. With valve cover and pangaskets, don’t overtighten cork orrubber gaskets. Installing gasketsthat have compression-limitinggrommets can prevent crushing andgasket damage. Use a sealer and/oradhesive on cork and compositegaskets, but do not use sealer onrubber or coated gaskets. ■

For more information on surface finishesand gaskets, check our website. For acomplete list of gasketsuppliers, visit our on-line buyers guide athttp://bit.ly/11UqXX3or download the QRcode.


FeatureTHIS ISSUE: PG 26 >> Green Guide PG 45 >> Seats & Guides PG 52 >> Heads & Bolts


18-25 Gaskets 4/18/13 9:37 AM Page 25

Sponsored by:


26 Green Cover 4/18/13 9:34 AM Page 26

It may seem that there’s nothingnatural about cleaning an engine.Even after the couple of hours of

cleaning time, the engine might becleaner than the tech working onit – but the engine still needscleaned (and so does the cleaningcrew from time to time).

We are long from the days ofchemical soaking followed by adose of elbow grease. There’s Envi-ronmental Protection Agency (EPA)and Occupational Safety andHealth Administration (OSHA) stan-dards to follow.

Also, the arrivals of new metalalloys react adversely to the causticchemicals and the extreme heat ofa thermal blast oven.

“The reason some are movingaway from the blast oven is be-cause many parts are being madeout of lighter materials like alu-minum,” said Delia Downes, prod-uct manager for ARMEX, amanufacturer of soda-based media.She says aluminum is sensitive toharsh cleaning processes andharder grit abrasives, if there’s anyabrasive blasting.

In addition, what should shopsdo with the excess wastewater andsolvent? The answer should not in-volve a sink and/or drain.

“Engine guys use a lot of partscleaners in the shop,” said BuddyJudy, head of Safety Kleen’s motor-sports program. “So whatever youare doing, whether you have water

based parts cleaner or petroleumsolvent based, you should makesure that material is getting recy-cled.”

Some shops enlist various recy-cling methods in their enginecleaning like the use of a basicrinse tank that simply recirculateswater for reuse. Other shops –when dealing with more older en-gine parts – learn it’s wise to avoidthe hassle altogether.

“When we get vintage vehicles,instead of doing it in-house, werely on chemical stripping compa-nies to take care of the cleaning,”said Frank Honsowetz, Ed Pink Rac-ing in Van Nuys, CA. “That way, wedon’t have to deal with issues ofcleaning engines that haven’t beentaken apart in a while.”

As for the average engine, Hon-sowetz’s shop uses different kindsof cleaning tanks. One of these isfrom AXE Equipment, a manufac-turer of agitating hot tanks with ca-pacities from 150 to 300 gallons.

Other shops prefer to use acombination of thermal and wetcleaning to get the job done. MikeEighmy, of Precision AutomotiveDiesel in Rockford, IL, has in placea long-time system for his shop’scleaning.

“For a lot of our cleaning needs,we do use an aqueous cleaner, aswell as a couple of jet washers in aclosed system,” he said. “We alsohave a bake oven and shot blast

system; a three-stage system thatwe use for some of our heaviercleaning.”

Thermal cleaning can offer manyadvantages as well as disadvan-tages, Eighmy says. Once in a ther-mal oven, an engine’s oil galleriesare thoroughly cleaned out as therust and scaling turns to ash. Butthe ash can still contain harmfulparticles. Soda blasting can offeranother cleaning alternative.

Soda blasting is usually a closedsystem that involves a compressedair stream that literally blasts con-tamination via a nozzle spray. Aftera session under a soda blastingcabinet, the engine part offers anew-look and feel.

Downes notes that the changefrom cast iron to lighter materialshas led most shops to move awayfrom thermal oven cleaning and to-ward processes such as soda blast-ing to lessen the chance ofdamaging a part during the clean-ing process.

Downes points out that sodablasting is water-soluble. It flushesout the critical areas, which is key,but it is also more environmentallyfriendly when it comes time to dis-pose of the waste.

Eighmy said although his shophas utilized heat cleaning for quitesome time, they’ve leaned more to-ward aqueous cleaning because ofthe efficiency.

“You just throw the parts in there


Cleaning Techniques &

EquipmentMoving toward greener

cleaning methods

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR MICHAEL [email protected]

27-30 Cleaning 4/18/13 10:50 AM Page 27

and start it up,” he said matter-of-factly. “If the water ishot and treated with the right kind of detergent, theyclean very well under a high-pressure nozzle.”

As the awareness of the environmental impact on theautomotive aftermarket becomes more prevalent, manyengines shops are realizing that going green can alsomake them some green.

“There are a few nice benefits. The main one is thereturn on investment, which is dependent on the chem-istry that you are using,” said Tom Kucklick, generalmanager of Graymills Corporation. “A lot of it is be-cause the water supplied by you is ‘free.’ This helpsmake it less expensive than some petroleum-basedcleaners.”

Kucklick acknowledges that the petroleum-basedcleaners work well, but their pricing can be a much lesspredictable expense as they are subject to the whims ofthe oil industry. “We see this more and more every daywhen we are at the pump,” Kucklick said. “It is not asvolatile as it is at the gas pump, but it is still a cost con-sideration.”

Aqueous spray washers have proved to be more en-vironmentally sound than the toxic volatile organic com-pound (VOC) solvent cleaning that has polluted the airas well as endangered workers. According the U.S. Envi-ronmental Protection Agency (EPA) today’s aqueouscleaners contain less than five percent (50 grams perliter) of VOCs.

For Dean Yatchyshyn, owner of high-performance en-gine shop Cresap Automotive Machine in Cumberland,MD, it’s a matter of dollars and cents. After doing theresearch on several burn ovens and ultrasonic cleaners,he found that aqueous-based cleaning was a more effi-cient choice for his shop – especially since he doesn’toperate a one-size-fits-all type of service.

“To be efficient, parts would need to be packedpretty full when you put them in, and we get so many

one–off jobs,” he said. “We don’t get 50 small blockheads to do anymore. We might do a small block

Chevrolet and then do a four-cylinder Mitsubishi. It’ll go from afour-cylinder Pace tractor head toa 5.9L Cummins back to a CATD9, and a Briggs & Stratton.”

Yatchyshyn said cleaning meth-ods actually impact his produc-tion, having a significant effect on

his bottom line. “Independent shops don’t have the luxury of what to

work on. We don’t have a niche market anymore. Theeveryday stuff is gone,” he said. “We have to clean anengine part, work on it and have it go out the door.Pressure washers were the best choice for us.”

In addition, Yatchyshyn keeps an eye on production.On average, most shops spend nearly 30 percent oflabor hours cleaning when it comes to rebuilding theengine. Along with the spray washer, he is currentlylooking into a soda blaster cabinet.

“The biggest thing facing us now is the overheadcam cylinder heads that have oil passages with a blindhole or have a ball bearing driven in to seal them,”Yatchyshyn said. “There is a lot time is involved to getthem out and re-tap them for plugs.”

He said by using the combination of two methods,the soda residue from the blast will dissolve from thepressure washer thus saving time for his workers to re-main in the machining process. It remains the mostprominent factor in relying on aqueous-based cleaning.

“I was able to dedicate at least another 10 man hoursper week to production as opposed to cleaning,”Yatchyshyn said. “Cleaning is your one biggest expensein your shop. It is tough to charge someone $65 an hourto just clean.”

He noted that today’s equipment is a godsend fromthe older models that took hours to heat hundreds ofgallons of water with an electric meter that jittered like aspinning top.

“Since we went to the pressure washer, we can throwa block in there and 15-20 minutes later, find it ready tocome out,” Yatchyshyn said. “And it is nice and hot. Yourinse it with hot water over the rinse tank and blow it dryit, then it is ready to work on. The cleaning guys I hadturned into production guys.”

As shops are stretching their revenue streams, thetechnology continues to evolve allowing the environ-mental benefit to reach even further. Bioremediation,the process of using microorganisms to break downcontaminants, has been a viable treatment since it wasintroduced in clean up efforts in the infamous 1989Exxon Valdez oil spill across the Prince William Sound inAlaska.

“Bioremediation, an off shoot of water-based clean-ing is where – in light duty applications – you can intro-duce microbes into a specifically formulated solution,”Kucklick explained. “The microbes metabolize the oilsand greases that you are removing from the parts andbreak them down into carbon dioxide and water. Over


Cleaning

Newer, “greener” cleaning tech-nologies have become a main-stay in many shops that oncerelied on the old tried and truesink on a drum with toxic sol-vent-based cleaners.

27-30 Cleaning 4/18/13 10:51 AM Page 28


29 SK_Layout 1 4/18/13 9:05 AM Page 29

time, you virtually eliminate your waste stream.”New green technologies are not only enhancing the

parts cleaners, but the shop environment in general.Oil-Dri Corporation, a manufacturer of absorbent padsfor automotive shops, uses green technology in itsproducts. Materials like recycled cotton fibers and cellu-lose (paper) are ground and converted into absorbent

materials for shops and garages.“Cotton naturally holds on to oil. The advantage to

the cotton absorbents is that they are100 percent incinerable and producelittle ash,” said John Tornese of Oil-Dri. “A lot of automotive industriesare paying much more to dispose ofthese products than it actually costs.Now, you have this thing that issoaked in oil – should you pay a

bunch of money to get rid of it or just burn it?”Tornese contends that since the industry wants to de-

velop an environmental-clean mantra, then their con-sumers will demand overall clean when they enter theirshop’s doors. Keeping oil off the floor and out of theway of your customers is a great way to be green ANDlook green, as well.

“Over the years the automotive industry has devel-oped a new emphasis on a clean repair shop. Cus-tomers who buy a Lexus have come to expect it being“Lexus” like in the service area,” Tornese said. “Dealersand independents take pride now and want their cus-tomers to see the working conditions – It gives an auraof workmanship and quality. People hesitate to go tothe old stereotype of a greasy, dirty, grimy garage.” ■


Cleaning

APPLICATIONS

USE ON: Engine parts, aluminum components, composite materials, and chrome

For further case studies and more information go to

ARMEX.com or call 800-332-5424

ARMEX® and ARM & HAMMER® are registered trademarks of Church & Dwight Company. ISO9002

ARMEX® Baking Soda Blast Media — Discover the Difference

BENEFITS

– Safe on most surfaces even glass– Rinse residues from surfaces and passageways– Safer for workers and the environment

REMOVE: Paint, greaseoil, burned in carbon,and corrosion.

Application Overview: Clean aluminum cylinder heads without leaving particles behind in critical passageways risking engine failure and increasing warranty issues.

Process: ARMEX Maintenance Formula XL at 50-60 psi in contained cabinet system. ARMEX Turbine Formula at 45 psi for heavily burned in carbon. Followed by a water rinse. Results: Achieved a higher level of clean, lowered process time and energy consumption. Reduced labor, no post process detailing required. Eliminated warranty issues due to media lodging.

“We’re saving money, time and cutting hazardous waste.”

Case Study: Engine Parts Cleaning


Resorb Oil Select. This cottonbased material is a natural alter-native to polypropylene ab-sorbents and will help supportyour efforts toward environ-mental sustainability.

27-30 Cleaning 4/18/13 10:51 AM Page 30

Engine rebuilding, arguably thetruest form of recycling, re-stores core durability and is part

of the 3 Rs: Reduce, Reuse and Recy-cle. In fact, the very definition of theword “recycle” could be inter-changed with “engine rebuilding.”Recycling means to reuse or make (asubstance) available for reuse for bi-ological activities through naturalprocesses of biochemical degrada-tion or modification or to return toan original condition so that opera-tion can begin again.

During research by the Universityof Michigan, a remanufactured mid-sized gas engine went up against anOEM model to see which one savedthe most energy and polluted theleast.

The findings showed the rebuiltengine produced fewer harmful tox-ins such as carbon dioxide, carbonmonoxide, sulfur oxide and nitrogenoxide while exerting the leastamount energy.

The concept of recycling has be-come so ingrained in the fabric ofbusiness, an almost universalamount of auto repair shops (96 per-cent) say they recycle scrap metalfrom automotive components, ac-cording to the Automotive Aftermar-ket Industry Association (AAIA).

In the Institute of Scrap RecyclingIndustries (ISRI) yearbook study, itcites that “scrap recycling offers realsustainable solutions for balancingeconomic growth and environmentalstewardship.”

According to its findings, 74 mil-lion metric tons of ferrous scrap, theraw material used for the productionof new steel and cast iron products,was processed by the scrap recyclingindustry in 2011 – more than 55 per-cent of the volume of all domesti-cally processed scrap.

In addition, nearly two out ofevery three pounds of steel in theU.S. is made from ferrous scrap. Notonly does the action save energy,said the study, but by conservingmaterials such as iron ore, coal andlimestone; it coincides with marketindicators that provide monetary in-

centives for consumers to recycle.“Metals are definitely worth

something, obviously. The cost ofscrap has gone up and it is more ad-vantageous to recycle,” said DeanYatchyshyn, owner of Cresap Auto-motive Machine in Cumberland, MD.“It doesn’t add a lot to revenuestream but you have to do every-thing you can to get your bottomline healthy.”

Although it won’t make your shopa gold mine overnight, scrap metal isbig business. In 2011, more than 135


74 million metric tons of ferrousscrap was processed by thescrap recycling industry in 2011.

Recycling Scrapand Precious

MetalsThe cost of scrap has gone up and

is more advantageous to recycle


31-32 Recycling 4/18/13 9:33 AM Page 31

million metric of scrap metal alongwith paper, plastic, glass, textiles, rub-ber and electronics were recycled tothe tune of around of $100 billion inthe U.S. alone.

Forget gold and silver, those extraparts laying in the bin hold an array ofcast iron and steel and non-ferrousmaterials like copper and brass that’llhave recyclers knocking on your door.

For instance, aluminum is one ofthe most recycled non-ferrous materi-als in the world. The recycling rate foraluminum cans reached more than 65percent and is projected to hit 75percent by 2015.

Businesses like Olston’s Auto Re-cyclers, that sell new and recycleddomestic and import auto parts, dealmostly with used engines and trans-missions. But to the extent of theirscrap process, they see the value inthe aluminum.

“Twenty years ago, we weren’t asconcerned about the $30 worth ofaluminum that goes out of that usedtransmission. Now, the margins havetightened,” said Paul Carter, managerof the Lincoln, NE facility. “It is a big-ger focus. I have delivery drivers whodrop off and pick up transmissions ontheir route, so we can get that $30back in here.”

Carter, a 40-year veteran of the recycling industry, noted the non-fer-rous metals are so much in demandthat his company is forced to pay attention.

“Years ago, we didn’t bother withthe copper, but when we go throughthe complete crush process, we got acrew of guys that’ll stand there aswe’re putting the cars through thecrusher pulling out the wiring har-ness,” he said. “Those are things wedidn’t do years ago. The process hasgotten more detailed and much morelabor intensive. We are trying tosqueeze the last drops out of everylemon.”

The recycling of life that is enginebuilding should be nothing new forthe average rebuilder but for sometime it was a surprising concept, saidBuddy Judy of Safety Kleen.

“For many years, they didn’t thinkabout it. But the scrap guys come to

the engine shops because there’s al-ways a lot scrap metal, lots of iron,steel, and aluminum and it keepsthem fairly busy,” said Judy who runsthe company’s motorsports programand deals with many NHRA andNASCAR racing teams across NorthAmerica.

“A lot of NASCAR guys have theirown in-house, high-tech CNC-milling/cutting equipment and a fair amountof metals are picked up for recycling,”he said.

Other shops like Ed Pink Racing inVan Nuys, CA, that rebuilds enginesfor racing and high-end collector au-tomobiles, also send their metals outfor recycling and not just engineparts.

Manager Frank Honsowetz workswith a vendor that arrives at his shopto personally collect any metal that hecan get his hands on.

“We recycle a lot of metals and wehave one guy who comes in and recy-cles everything from broken parts toour machine tools,” he said. “We runown machining center and we have alot of clean aluminum. We have a littlesystem where he takes it all: titanium,steel, anything.”

As for the bigger players, facilitieslike AAEQ Manufacturers and Recy-clers with divisions such as En-gineQuest and A&A Midwest arethinking outside the box in terms ofrecycling.

The Las Vegas-based companyteamed up with the Clark County (NV)Department of Air Quality and Envi-ronmental Management and variouscompanies to create a lawn mowerexchange program.

The goal was to have residents ex-change their gas lawn mowers for acordless electrical model that pro-duced no emissions. Studies haveshown that one gas-powered lawnmower after a year’s use pollutes asmuch air as 40 automobiles drivenwithin the same period.

The program proved to be an in-spiring success as its inventory ofelectric mowers were depleted a fewweeks after the program started.

As long as prices steadily increasefor metals, the allure of recycling isnot going away anytime soon for bothengine shops and scrap yards. KirbyAndersen, owner of Andersen Wreck-ing Company in Kearney, NE, said thefuture is leaning toward more sophisti-cation and precision as more equip-ment is designed to recover a higherpercentage of recyclables out ofwaste material.

“In the past, some of that wouldend up in the landfill because theequipment could not separate thatmetal out of the interior,” he said.“And with the new tools that are avail-able on the Internet, we can look up acore value of a vehicle part and de-cide if we want to pull that caliper,steering gear or engine out and sendit to a core supplier. It is exciting be-cause it gives us an opportunity to geta little more out of that product in-stead of throwing it into the scrappile.”

For the shop owner, recycling cangive an environmental and socialboost to their business, but ultimatelythe monetary value is just as attrac-tive.

“I’ll be honest. I can’t take creditfor being green. It was more of a dol-lar and cent thing than it was environ-mental,” Yatchyshyn said. “It madesense to get some money out of thescrap that you would throw in thedumpster. It works out well that ithelps the environment, too.”■


Recycling

AAEQ was honored in 2010 for its supportof the "Don't Trash Nevada" program andfor operating an environmentally responsi-ble scrap-metal recycling center.

31-32 Recycling 4/18/13 9:33 AM Page 32


33 EQ_Layout 1 4/18/13 9:05 AM Page 33

34 Month 2013 | EngineBuilder

HeadlineSubheadFe

atur

e

cutline

The amount of used oil andother hazardous solvents canpile up in a hurry when you’re

hustling through the day’s enginework. Then you realize the space atthe back of your shop is getting clut-tered and your waste tank is fillingup. It’s time to take care of thewaste. From the early days of auto-motive repair, shop owners and tech-nicians have found creative ways torid their garage of shop’s leftovers.

“Fifty years ago, garage guyswould soak the oil in some gas,scrub it and use it on the grass to killthe weeds,” said Buddy Judy, mar-keting manager of Safety Kleen’sMotorsports program. “Or theysoaked a couple of logs in it to heatup the shop. Whatever they did withit, a lot of times it wasn’t the healthi-est thing for them or the environ-ment.”

And Judy would be correct. Thehazardous waste that quietly lies inyour garage contains harmful sol-vents including one of the mostdetrimental chemicals, Percholoreth-ylene. Better known as a basic drycleaning chemical, its exposure isone of the leading causes of cancerand lung disease.

In addition, a little bit of oil wastegoes a long, destructive way. Fromone simple oil change, the wastedamount that’s dumped in a drain isenough to contaminate one milliongallons of fresh water.

Knowing the dangers caused bysuch waste, the U.S. Congress

passed the Resource Conservationand Recovery Act (RCRA) in 1976.The act currently sets the standardsfor management of all waste andused oils.

In addition to using it as a helpfulgardening solution, used oil hasbeen a source for many a shop’swaste heater. Dean Yatchyshyn,owner of high-performance engineshop Cresap Automotive Machine inCumberland, MD, finds the methodrewarding.

“We save the waste oil thatcomes out of our motors and we gota waste oil heater,” he said. “We usethat in the winter time to supple-ment our heating system to keep

costs down on that. Plus, you know,it’s got to go somewhere.”

If done right to the code of OHSAand EPA rules, having an energy effi-cient heater can rid your shop of itswaste while serving a good use.Most states require a permit to oper-ate a waste oil heater and such regu-lations vary. Judy contends, forsome, it might not be worth the has-sle, plus there are other ways to han-dle a shop’s excess.

“I know, for instance, in Mecklen-burg County, NC, it is pretty hard toget a permit for guys to operate awaste heater. You are only allowedto burn your used oil,” he said.“Think about how many gallons

Handling Shop Waste

Having an environmental managementsystem in place will alleviateheadaches and save your shop money in the long run



34-38 Shop Waste 4/18/13 9:31 AM Page 34


35 Eastern_Layout 1 4/18/13 9:04 AM Page 35

you’ll burn in a day: Are you goingto produce that many gallons overthe course of the year? You may nothave the volume. And to take in oth-ers’ oil, you have to apply to get aspecial oil burner permit and thatcan be pretty hard to come by.”

“(Waste heaters) can be a lot ofhassle. And quite honestly, for thesame money, most shops can throwsome solar panels on the roof to geta lot faster heating and sell theirused oil off,” he noted.

Solar-powered radiant heatingcan be an alternative source in someclimes. The apparatus uses the sunas the heating source. The electro-magnetic wave energy travels at thespeed of light until it hits an objectthat converts it to heat throughoutthe space. Other sources can also beused to power a radiant heating sys-tem.

“One thing we did in our facilityseven years ago was to put in a radi-ant system,” said Mike Eighmy ofPrecision Automotive Diesel in Rock-ford, IL. “It heats the concrete slaband is very efficient in our shop.”

Eighmy also follows Judy’s advicewhen it comes to handling his shop’swaste. He enlisted a service from hislocal treatment facility that properlyhauls and treats the wastewater andmachine waste from his shop on aregular basis.

Businesses such as Judy’s SafetyKleen and Enercon, another full-ser-vice environmental firm, provide dis-posal and recycling services thattake the headache out of waste man-agement. LikeEighmy, Yatchyshynleaves the materials toa qualified entity.

“With hazardousmaterials, we use En-ercon’s disposal serv-ice for the waste we have,” he said.“We buy our chemicals from themand they have an arrangementwhere they pick up the used chemi-cals and our waste water.”

Yatchyshyn’s shop also recycles itsrinse water from the cleaning equip-ment. A rinse tank where chemicalsare washed out moves the waterback into the tank. A secondary rinsecaptures the rinse water, which isused for make-up water in the shop’s

spray washers. “We are keeping the chemical

costs down as well as the carbonfootprint by re-using the water asmuch as we can,” he said.

Frank Honsowetz of Ed Pink Rac-ing in Van Nuys, CA, explains his12,000-plus square-foot facility dealsin 300-gallon large tanks of usedmotor oil and regular solvents fre-quently. In his state, efficiency regu-lation for oils and solvents is a way oflife. “We are very careful of mixingthose things,” he said. “We alsohave a separate tank for waste-water.”

For Honsowetz’s shop and othersin the Golden State, waste disposalis as common as breathing. Used oilcomprises the highest volume ofhazardous waste generated in Cali-fornia with approximately 100 milliongallons being recycled in the stateeach year. The California Oil Recy-cling Enhancement Act of 2009 dis-courages the illegal disposal of usedoil. Enforced by the state’s depart-ment of Resources Recycling and Re-covery (CalRecycle), the law requiresoil manufacturers to pay CalRecyclea fee per gallon of lubricating oilsold in the state. CalRecycle thenmakes incentive payments to eligible

oil collection centers and programs. “I think the whole practice is more

established in California than otherplaces,” Honsowetz said. “Price isnot exorbitant and it’s easy to do. Idon’t consider it a burden. It’s just apart of how we do business now.”

Ed Pink Racing works with SafetyKleen to discard its waste. The usedoil is recycled and through SafetyKleen’s re-refining process, the oil re-turns to its original state.

“If you have a 1,000-gallon tank,you have a commodity on yourhands, and that material we wouldrefine or use as fuel in a powerplant,” Judy said. “Used oil is ex-actly that…used oil. Nothing else isin it.

“If a shop typically burns its usedoil yet it has some brake or chokespray where they have been cleaningthe engine blocks, they’re not sup-posed to burn that,” Judy contin-ued. “So, it is not the greenest ofthings and most solvents don’t burnefficiently.”

Companies like Safety Kleen andEnercon own and operate severalfuel blending facilities across NorthAmerica. In Safety Kleen’s case, theplants blend hazardous material suchas oils and other solvents into an al-


Shop Waste

Many shops are turning to profes-sional environmental managementcompanies to handle and removehazardous waste.

“If you have a 1,000-gallon tank, you have acommodity on your hands, and that material wewould refine or use as fuel in a power plant”



37 DuraBond_Layout 1 4/18/13 9:04 AM Page 37

ternative fuel source for cement kilnsthat are used for the pyroprocessingstage to manufacture Portland andother types of hydraulic cement. Itprovides kilns with a green alterna-tive to coal, oil and other fossil fuels.

“It’s better to have it recycled socompanies can use that oil and makegasoline or commercial fuel out ofit,” Judy said. “Those options arebetter than doing it yourself.”

But what about those shops thatdon’t deal in those huge volumes ofoil over the course of a year like Ed

Pink Racing or Cresap AutomotiveMachine? Judy says Safety Kleenworks with more than 10,000 retail-ers that handle oil and waste dis-posal through a used oil recyclingprogram via EPA and Earth911 initia-tive, Infinity Resources’ recycling di-vision.

The efforts of efficiently handlingyour hazardous waste can amount tosignificant costs. According to theEnvironmental Protection Agency, onaverage it would cost $1,200 to shipa 55-gallon drum of hazardous mate-

rial and more than $100 a month forcontainers, labels and time to man-age shop waste. Using a professionalservice can save you many of thesecosts as well as the hassle and legalchallenges of doing it yourself.

“We do a lot of recycling becausewe have a lot of stuff to get rid of,but it helps to have recycling compa-nies work with us to recoup a littlebit of costs,” Honsowetz said. “Weare encouraged to do that for theenvironment and for the bottomline.” ■


Shop Waste


A GOOD WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM REQUIRES AUTOMOTIVE SHOPS TO:

• Identify all wastes generated: Determine which ones are hazardous waste • Determine pounds of hazardous waste per month: Keep records • Identify options for getting rid of waste including used oil • Identify HW management standards • Train staff on waste management • Minimize waste/recycle

Source: Environmental Protection Agency


If you really think about it, the en-gine building/remanufacturing in-dustry is the true essence of going

green. After all, you’re recycling: 1. A used product for further per-

formance;2. The solvents for other use; and 3. Your shop’s revenue as you have

to make more profit from fewer re-builds.

“Most motors don’t run well untilthe third rebuild. When the block isgreen, you typically don’t get thebest performance out of them,” saidBuddy Judy of Safety Kleen. “Thesethings run then you take them backin, tear them apart and clean themup.”

Judy runs Safety-Kleen’s motor-sports program and has worked onenvironmental issues for many engineand auto racing shops in North Amer-ica including NASCAR teams JoeGibbs Racing, Kevin Harvick Inc. andEarnhardt Ganassi Racing.

In the past, shop owners havedealt with ever changing environ-mental and safety regulations aroundthe garage space. An OSHA and EPAguide of regulation resembled a fluidpuzzle rather than a helpful manual.But now, going green means morethan hugging trees and learning toembrace the Toyota Prius. It’s a multi-billion dollar initiative. What was onceknown as an alternative is now an ac-cepted adjustment that stresses effi-ciency and cost savings.

“(Shop owners or managers) cancall their local OSHA office to havethem come out and do an inspec-

tion,” Judy said. “OSHA also pub-lishes a document in which it identi-fies the top 25 violations of the year.”

Every year, OSHA conducts vari-ous inspections on auto shops acrossthe country and serves thousands ofcitations from faulty wiring to lack ofsafety literature or training. The feesaccompanying every error can easilyreach into the tens of thousands ofdollars. In some cases, each violationbrings most smaller shop owners’checkbook to the brink.

“Right now in a shop like mineand others across the country, it is justenough for the straw to break thecamel’s back,” said Dean Yatchyshyn,owner of high-performance engineshop Cresap Automotive Machine inCumberland, MD. “There is a thinline to cover the bill and if you gotsome kind of violation, it could pusha lot of shop owners over the edge,and make them say ‘forget it’ and putthe ‘Closed for Business’ sign up.”

Yatchyshyn and similar shop own-ers said the way to avoid such aheadache is to simply get in front ofthe problem. When he opened hisshop, Yatchyshyn reached out toOSHA for an initial inspection.

“I had them go around and in-spect the place and they gave me alist of half of dozen items that couldcause potential problems. I fixedthem and haven’t seen them in 25years,” he said. “It was a like a ‘get-out-of-jail-free’ card. I took positivesteps to contact them so I didn’t haveto see them with problems five andsix years down the road when they

could throw the book at me. Itworked out well.”

Yatchyshyn said he learned to beproactive in being cognizant of greenstrategies. He put in the researchtime to purchase a sufficient dy-namometer with acceptable noiselevels and abatement. In addition tothe cost of the dyno, he tacked onanother $15,000 in sound deadeningequipment. Yatchyshyn said the ex-pense has been a worthy investment.

“When my dyno is running, I canhave a 700 hp motor running fullsong. You step outside, and carsgoing up and down the street makemore noise than my dyno does. If youdon’t create a problem, you don’thave to fix it.”

For Frank Honsowetz of Ed PinkRacing in Van Nuys, CA, the EPA andOSHA regulation presence is as ce-mented in his state as death andtaxes. “I think the fire departmentcomes to inspect us regularly just be-cause they just like the way the shoplooks and to see what we’re up to,”he joked.

But keeping a green strategy isserious business for the high-endautomotive engine rebuilder. Forexample – according to its state’scode, California law requires that allvehicles must be equipped with anadequate muffler to prevent exces-sive noise from the exhaust system.No level greater than 95 decibels,when tested under specified condi-tions, can be generated. Coupledwith added restrictions and regula-tions, Honsowetz said it’s the price


EfficientShop

OperationsGoing green means more

than hugging trees; It stresses efficiency and cost savings


39-42 Shop Operations 4/18/13 9:30 AM Page 39

of doing business in the GoldenState.

“There’s not many race engineshops around that have mufflers ontheir dynos” he said. “We have to benoise-conscious and aware of things asit is part of the joy of living in southernCalifornia.”

Though the endgame eventuallyleads to the government agencies’ ap-proval, Judy also suggests there areother ways to meet efficient shop stan-dards without doing it all yourself. Hiscompany has former OSHA and EPAinspectors on staff, and your local firedepartment officials or insurance repre-sentatives can be a big help.

“A workers compensation officialcan come out and do inspection and alot of times, they ask shops to changethings that OSHA might be fine with,”he said. “Knowing what has been thecause of claims in the past, officials canpoint out specific things that need tochange as well. So, having those guyscome out is a smart thing to do.”

When Dave Deegan, owner of En-

gine Labs of Tampa, wanted to test hisefficiency he called for EnvironmentalProtection Commission (EPC) in Hills-borough County for help.

Through its “Green Star” Program,the EPC assists auto repair facilities withits environmental compliance. Like sim-ilar green-focused plans across thecountry, the Green Star Program allowsshops like Deegan’s to conduct a self-audit through a checklist developed bythe state’s environmental protectiondepartment.

The workbook provides useful infor-mation such as ways to identify andhandle hazardous materials as well asthe explanation of details about eventsof spills and leaks plus emergency pre-paredness. It also breaks down themost common wastes of an auto repairshop including waste batteries, usedoil, coolants and filters.

Once the auto facility completes thechecklist, it is submitted to the EPC forreview. Then, a certification inspectionis performed to ensure that the re-quired actions area in implementation.

After successful compliance, the shopis certified as a “Green Star” facility.

“We are the first ‘Green Star’ facilityin Hillsborough County,” Deegan said.“We get tested every three years tosee if we are a small quantity generatoror non-generator and we’ve been ableto that by the way we clean and pay toget tested.”

Although proactive efforts can savefuture headaches it can become ex-pensive in the front of end of your busi-ness costs, but having an efficient shopalso has robust monetary value as wellas social. Through recycling efforts fromused oil to scrap metal that quickly re-coup costs, going green can mean ac-tual green dollar bills.

“I’m proud of the way we operateand the way we are responsible,” Hon-sowetz said. “I’m sure in the industrylong ago, there were people doingthings with waste they should not havebeen doing. But now, it is the case ofdoing the right thing and being consid-erate and doing the right thing. It goesa long way.” ■


Shop Operations




41 Scat_Layout 1 4/18/13 9:03 AM Page 41

Shop Operations


Top Ten Violations forthe Fiscal Year 2012The following is a list of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s(OSHA) Top Ten Violations for the fiscal year 2012 (Per its Law and Regulationnumber). Are you guilty of any of these?

Fall Protection in construction (1926.501) • 7,250 violations

Frequently violated requirements includedfailure to protect open sides and edges, toprevent falls from roofs, and to coverholes.

Hazard Communication (1910.1200) • 4,696 violations

Commonly violated requirements includedfailure to have a written program, inade-quate employee education and training,improper or no labels on containers, andno MSDS’s (SDSs) or lack of access them.

Respiratory Protection (1910.134) • 2,371 violations

Frequent violations were no written respi-ratory protection program, poor fit testprocedures, unsuitable respirator selectionprocess, and lack of procedures for volun-tary use of respirators.

Ladders in construction (1926.1053) • 2,310 violations

Violations included damaged side rails, useof the top ladder step, inappropriate lad-der for the job, and excessive loads on lad-ders.

Machine Guarding (1910.212) • 2,097 violations

Violations included point of operation expo-sures, inadequate or no anchoring of fixedmachinery, and exposure to blades.

Powered Industrial Trucks (1910.178) • 1,993 violations

Common violations were inadequate opera-tor training and refresher training, and poorconditions of PITs when returned to serviceafter repair.

Electrical-wiring methods (1910.305) • 1,744 violations

Violations included problems with flexiblecords and cables, boxes, and temporarywiring, poor use of extension cords, andusing temporary wiring as permanent wiring.

Lockout/Tagout (1910.147) • 1,572 violations

Frequent violations were poor or no energycontrol procedures, inadequate workertraining, and inspections not completed.

Electrical-general requirements (1910.303)• 1,332 violations

Common violations were related to electricshock and electrocution exposures.

Source: http://www.osha.gov/dcsp/compliance_assistance/frequent_standards.html



Green ProductsChoose products and services that are not only good for your

shop but also the environment

Biomatics™ Parts WashersThese heated parts cleaners use hydrocarbon-converting microbes to re-duce solid waste and virtually eliminate fluid disposal. The hydro-carbonconverting microbes are added to the cleaning solution and break downoils, grease and other organic impurities into water and carbon dioxide.The advantage for users is that the cleaning fluid almost never needs re-placing. The bioremediation process is greatly helped by a built-in tanksolution aeration system that increases the effectiveness of the microbes.This self-sustaining system reduces your dependence on cleaning solu-tion changes and recycling companies.

www.graymills.comCircle Number 143

Or call 773-248-6825

Synthetic CAT Safe FormulaThis 100% synthetic, 5w30 engine oil provides maximum wear protection in today'shigh-performance engines. Edelbrock Synthetic (Green) features a (CAT Safe) formulato protect the vehicle’s catalyst and oxygen sensors, ensuring the vehicle’s emissionsand on-board diagnostics are not compromised by phosphorus additives. Maximumanti-wear protection combined with the heat resistant properties of Edelbrock SyntheticGreen will keep high performance engines running cooler, reduce friction and improveits efficiency – for maximum performance and extended engine life. Edelbrock Synthetic Green exceeds all API standards and is catalytic converter safe.

www.edelbrock.comCircle Number 142

Or call 310-781-2222/Tech Line Only 800-416-8628

Clean, Degrease, DepaintThere will be “no particle left behind” with ARMEX® baking soda based,water soluble media from the makers of Arm& Hammer® Products. Clean, degrease anddepaint core engine components in one step.Rinse residues away quickly and easily withwater.

www.armex.comCircle Number 144

Or call 800-332-5424

Email: [email protected]

43-44 Products 4/18/13 9:28 AM Page 43


Products

Waste Management Safety-Kleen will provide your company with proper han-dling, recycling, and disposal of both hazardous and non-hazardous waste. We ensure that your waste solutionbalances your objectives, operational demands and budget.Our certified support teams will create a custom service pro-gram to remove your waste materials at your convenience,while ensuring you are compliant with local, state and Fed-eral regulations. With Safety-Kleen you get the following:

- Customized pick-up schedules- Online Waste Profiling and

access to your account informationand paperwork

- Treatment of your hazardous andnon-hazardous waste

- Pre-handling and transportationinspection

- Printed manifests and labels- Certificate of Assurance and

Indemnification- Compliance support services- All-inclusive pricing

The Safety-Kleen GuaranteeSafety-Kleen is backed by our Cer-tificate of Assurance which guaran-tees that without fault of thecustomer, if a spill or accidentshould occur while a customer’s con-forming waste is in our possession,Safety-Kleen’s financial strength, insurance and assets will be there tocover the clean-up costs.

Waste Disposal OptionsSafety-Kleen provides a variety ofdisposal and recycling options foryour waste streams, allowing us toaccount for every detail with an un-paralleled level of compliance assur-ance. Our environmentally-secureprocesses and treatment technolo-gies meet or exceed regulatoryguidelines, providing total regula-tory compliance and reduced liabil-ity. Safety-Kleen’s waste disposaloptions include:

- Fuel Blending Services- Landfill Disposal- Incineration Services- Wastewater Treatment

www.safety-kleen.com/enginebuilderCircle Number 145

Or call 800-323-5040


43-44 Products 4/18/13 9:28 AM Page 44

Most engine builders worththeir salt know that withthe components and tech-

nology available today, it’s not thatdifficult of a task to make horse-power. With the availability of somany performance parts – whetherit’s from the OEM or the aftermar-ket – engine builders can pull fromvast resources to achieve a balancebetween reliability and horse-power. Reliable and enjoyablehorsepower can be made so easilytoday that I often think about whatit was like, say, ten years ago whenit was such a struggle, and an ex-pense to “go-fast.”

With that thought in mind, Isometimes ponder the changesthat have taken place in the manu-facturing world that put us wherewe are today. It is not so much asthe hard parts such as cranks,blocks, connecting rods and cylin-der heads, as much as the differentalloys that are being used to manu-facture these hard parts, which,subsequently, make power also.

Take cylinder heads, for in-stance. What changes can possiblybe made to them that have notbeen accomplished already? Yes,the goal is airflow, but high cfmnumbers don’t seem so unrealisticanymore. In today’s performancemarket there is a cylinder head forpractically any street applicationor racing class you can imagine.There are also CNC programs that

are offered by after-market companiesthat can port a cylin-der head for, as anexample, a latemodel Hemi. So, air-flow through the cylinder head isnot really the hurdle it used to be.The challenge now is the valve-train.

The weight of the valvetrainseems to be where the focus is atthe moment. Trying to reduce themass of the valvetrain while in-creasing opening and closing ratesof the camshaft and trying to keepthe valve from bouncing on theseat is not just a hurdle for enginebuilders and racers, but for themanufacturers as well. Productionengines now make more powerthan ever while offering consider-able fuel mileage with longevity.With this in mind, we can see whatmaterials the manufacturer (aswell as the aftermarket suppliers)are using to keep up with today’svalvetrain technology.

Valve SeatsFirst of all, we’ll discuss valveseats and what’s going on with thechanges that are taking place.What is the importance of thevalve seat? Let’s think about its jobfirst. The seat has to seal againstthe valve face in order to achievethe necessary efficiency in the en-gine. Second, the valve seat has to

transfer heat from the valve face.For quite some time now, morethan 90 percent of OE applicationshave used what is known as apowdered metal (PM) valve seat.PM offers great durability and is alot less expensive to produce. Thegreat thing about powdered metalis its ability to retain its shape toensure valve seal along with theability to remove heat. This comesfrom how the seat is produced.The process that is used to formthe powdered metal seat allowsthe materials that make up the PMseat to become more uniform. Theold process of making a cast seatpresented several problems.

According to Chuck Barnett atDura-Bond Bearings, “When youpour a cast seat, you pour it hot.When poured in liquid form, youget voids from gases plus hardspots.”

Barnett says that cast seats oftenresulted in uneven mixing of mate-rials and the seat was often notuniform, which made them moredifficult to machine. When makinga PM seat it’s like baking a cake.All the ingredients are added to-gether and mixed cold. Then themixture is placed in a press and


The great thing about powdered metal valve seats istheir ability to retain their shape to ensure valve sealalong with the ability to remove heat. This comesfrom how the seats are produced.

Feature

Valve Seats & GuidesIncreasing opening and closing rates can present challenges for engine builders and manufacturers

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR BOB [email protected]

45-50 Seats & Guides 4/18/13 9:27 AM Page 45

squeezed by 100 tons of pressure.The rate of 200,000 pounds persquare inch makes the materialmore consistent.

There are different blends of ma-terials that are used to make differ-ent types of PM valve seats.Sometimes “softer” blends are cre-ated for use in some racing applica-tions to lower valve bounce athigher rpm. This also gives the op-portunity to incorporate other ma-terials into the mix when makingthe powdered metal valve seat suchas graphite, which will offer somelubrication.

Dura-Bond also offers a new lineof PM seats they call the “KillerBee” series. This series of valveseats is based on a copper infil-trated design used by GM in theLS3 V8 engine. The process of mak-ing this seat is the same as otherswhere the mixture is pressed to-gether. But now a copper wafer isadded to the top of the mixture andthen sent through a furnace wherethe copper melts into the mixture.The molten copper penetrates theseat that results in a 15% coppermixture which offers a 4-6% fasterheat transfer from the valves to thehead. The Killer Bee has excellentmachining capabilities along withreduced wear and superior finish.The Killer Bee series can be usedwith steel valves only because ofthe carbide hard phase process.And Titanium valves can be used,but only if they are coated.

Speaking of titanium valves, an-

other choice of seat would be Beryl-lium copper. This material is notedfor high strength and thermal con-ductivity. The greatest asset wouldbe the ability to remove heat fromthe valve while taking a beating.Beryllium is only used in extremeracing applications. This is due pri-marily to the expense: a seat cancost an average of $35 each. Thebiggest problem with Berylliumcopper is the machining process.Here in the U.S., OSHA limits theamount of time someone is exposedto the material while machining ina controlled environment. Whenmachining, small dust particles arereleased into the air that when in-haled over a period of time cancause severe lung damage and evendeath. So, it’s not just the price ofthe seat but also the price of ma-chining the seat. Ductile iron is alsoa less expensive choice when usingtitanium because of its strength anddurability.

One thing new for Berylliumcopper has been developed by Ex-celdyne. They have recently devel-oped a proprietary valve seat finish.This new technique improves theRa of the valve seat while stillmaintaining the sharp edges thatcontribute to airflow. This form offinishing technique also promotescoating adhesion, which can now beused to reduce the wear on the cop-per based valve seat.

46 April 2013 | EngineBuilderCircle 46 for more information

Manganese bronze valve guides workgreat with higher valvetrain speeds andoffers great corrosion resistance. Thematerial make up of manganese-bronzegenerally consists of 55% copper, 40%zinc and 3.5% manganese.



47 Winona_Layout 1 4/18/13 9:02 AM Page 47

When rebuildingcylinder heads, onechoice is the use of a highchrome valve seat. Theseseats work well when re-pairing OEM cylinderheads. They offer greatstrength and dependabil-ity while being very costeffective. They are easy tomachine and offer greatlongevity when used forapplications such as dailydriving.

Tungsten carbide isused primarily for dieselapplications. The coolthing about tungsten car-bide is the more the valveseat is pounded the harderit gets. This is crucial tothe life expectancy of thediesel engine. This helpsthese engines operateclose to a million miles ormore for over-the-roadtrucks before a rebuild.Tungsten carbide is inex-pensive to machine andproduce, making it verycost effective as well.Dura-Bond manufacturesa tungsten carbide seatwith special additives thatoffer high temperature lu-bricating properties,which is not affected byhigh heat or machining.These seats also work wellin dry fuel applicationssuch as propane and natu-ral gas. High nickel hasbeen used in propane andnatural gas applicationswith great success. Sincethere have been more ad-vances made for the use ofdiesel, propane, and natu-ral gas, valve seat materialhas to be similar to ce-ramic in which the seatdoes not soften at elevatedtemperatures along with

the ability to be machinedlike metal.

Valve GuidesValve guides can be gener-ally classified into twogroups: cast iron andmanganese bronze, whichcovers a wide range of ap-plications.

Cast iron guides areused mostly by OEMs dueto its wear characteristicsthat result in longevity forhigh mileage applications.Cast iron is used withchrome valve stem appli-cations as well. Cast ironcannot be used with stain-less steel because of itstendency to gall. That’swhy high performance ap-plications do not warrantthe use of cast guides dueto the fact the materialcan’t handle the highloads associated withhigher spring pressures.Under high stress, castiron guides tend to crackand fracture, which canresult in engine failure al-together. Cast iron is inex-pensive and works bestwith daily drivers andhigh mileage applications.

For any kind of per-formance application, thechoice is manganesebronze. The way to pro-nounce this correctly isMAN-GA-NESE. I oftenhear this as magnesium,which is not correct.Manganese bronze isideal for performance be-cause it is more compati-ble with titanium andstainless steel. It has theability to handle highstress loads with somelubricity, and the abilityto have tighter tolerances


“Cast iron is inexpensive and worksbest with daily drivers and highmileage applications.”



49 DuraBond_Layout 1 4/18/13 9:01 AM Page 49

with great heat transfer. Manganesebronze works great with highervalvetrain speeds and offers greatcorrosion resistance. The materialmake up of manganese-bronzeguides generally consists of 55%copper, 40% zinc and 3.5% man-ganese.

As far as any other materialsused in performance, manganese-bronze is still the best choice forvalve guides. One thing that hasevolved with the material is theway that it is being machinedtoday. Precision Engine Parts (PEP)now offers their manganese-bronzeguides with an internal groove.This internal groove provides theintrusion of a small amount of oilinto the guide area for added lubri-cation. This is used mainly in en-durance applications. Thishigh-quality material is manufac-tured in Germany and machinedhere in the U.S. by PEP.

Another added feature to man-

ganese bronze guide was intro-duced by C.H.E. Precision Machine.C.H.E. integrates an internal O-ringinto the guide instead of using anexternal valve guide seal. This wasdone because of the increased valvelifts in performance. Valve lifts ashigh as .900˝ are becoming commonin class racing. This style of guidewith an external O-ring is beneficialbecause of the time it takes to reachthese kind of valve lifts where triplevalve springs must be used, whichlimits room for the valve stem seal.By being able to remove the seal,more length can be added to theguide allowing more stability in thevalvetrain.

One more new thing to the mar-ket is the introduction of the high-temperature copper-bronze valveguide by Ferrea Valves. This is aproprietary heat treatment of thecopper-bronze alloy that so far hasbetter heat-resistance, lubricity, andthe material has the ability to in-

crease the heat-dissipation. Thesecopper-bronze valve guides areCNC machined and concentricallyground, which allows the tolerancerange to be taken within .0005˝.These valve guides are now beingoffered for domestic, import, andmotorcycle applications.

Like I mentioned earlier, the pri-mary focus of making power is toreduce the mass of the valvetrain.The reduction in valvetrain weightseems to be making big gains infinding more horsepower. Thispractice is becoming more commonfrom racers to professional enginebuilders, to the OEM and aftermar-ket manufacturers. ■

For suppliers of valve seats andguides, visit our online buyers guide.Special thanks to the fol-lowing for their input:PEP Precision EngineParts, Dura-Bond Bear-ings and Ferrea Valves.


Feature




51 SBI_Layout 1 4/18/13 9:01 AM Page 51

Some say the air cleaner of an en-gine is like the front door of ahouse. That is, it’s what you see

first and foremost. And the homeowner can use that door to make astatement about the house withoutanyone seeing what’s inside. Muchlike what an air cleaner says about anengine without knowing what sitsunder it? Cylinder heads and headbolts may have a dramatic impact onthe performance of an engine but dothey work like the front door in set-ting the visual impression for theviewer? Well, sort of. These days somany aftermarket heads have alsobecome part of the ‘eye candy’ of agood looking engine but the headbolts are sort of the unsung heroholding everything together behindthe scenes. It just happens to workout that way when we see a set ofheads before they getbolted onto a blockand go to work mak-ing big power. Yep,new heads are justplain sexy!

That works justfine with the fact thataftermarket heads are an industrythat’s in constant motion – and that’sa good thing. It seems like someone isalways coming out with a new ver-sion of an old head. With the rapidlyadvancing technology of design, pro-duction, machining and materials,parts are coming out faster, better andin some cases, even less expensive

than ever before. In some cases, theaftermarket heads are doing thingsyou could never even dream aboutdoing with the original OEM heads.So why not throw on a new set ofheads on that motor you’re building?And don’t forget some new headbolts or studs to go with it. Why not,indeed. We rounded up the latestheads and listed them and their fea-tures here so engine builders cankeep ahead of this fast-moving train.

Proving the Chevrolet Big Block isfar from old, we have over half adozen versions of BBC heads fromsome of the biggest names in after-market parts.

BrodixBrodix starts off their new cylinderhead offerings with the SR20 thatraises the bar in aluminum BBC

heads. They are100% CNC-portedand feature copperexhaust seats andductile iron intakeseats as well as

.500˝ raised 440 cc intake ports with2.400˝ intake valves. The SR20 flowsat an incredible 507 cfm with the ex-haust port flowing 335 cfm through a1.800˝ valve. The newly designedcombustion chambers are 95 cc andthe intake valve angle has been rolledto 20 degrees. The SR20 is radicalenough to require the use of pistons,valve covers, head studs, shaft rock-ers and intake manifold that are spe-cially designed for these heads. TracyDennis of Sunset RaceCraft RacingEngines said, “The SR 20 is going tochange the sportsman racing market;it already has.”

DartDart Machinery is also offering a newaluminum head for big block Chevyscalled the 14° BC Pro1 head. It’s an as-cast head that requires no porting.Engine builders can use this head forSuper Gas, Super Comp or bracketrace engines. It also works great inthe marine industry. Dart uses RMR

‘Heads Up’ On Today’sCylinder Heads & Bolts

Find out about thelatest products

Feat

ure

Dart’s Big Chief Pro1 head forbig block Chevys is a 14 degreeas cast head that requires noporting work and are availableAssembled or bare.


Above: Bob Walla Racing offerstwo aluminum heads for 409s. Oneis a replacement head for the bestof the street 409s, the ‘690’ head.

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR JOHN [email protected]

52-60 Heads 4/18/13 9:22 AM Page 52


53 EPWI_Layout 1 4/18/13 9:00 AM Page 53

Alloy for all their aluminum cylinderheads and block castings. The twopart numbers are 18465030 – 14° BCPro1 2.400/1.900 for the bare head and18465136 – 14° BC Pro1 2.400/ 1.900/

1.625D for the assembled head with ti-tanium retainers.

EdelbrockEdelbrock is offering their new alu-minum heads for Big Block Chevy mo-tors with high compression. They’recalled Performer RPM 454-O HighCompression and come in three partnumbers. 60429 are bare heads, 60439are complete with valve springs de-signed for use with hydraulic flat tap-pet camshafts and 60435 comescomplete with valve springs designedfor use with hydraulic roller camshafts.These heads feature a 100cc chamberthat is ideal for high-compression ap-plications with both the intake and ex-haust ports having been profiled forimproved air flow. The unique oval in-take port shape produces flow similarto rectangular ports, but the smallerport size provides excellent seat-of-the-pants performance and crisp throttleresponse. They also have smaller-than-stock 11/32˝ valve stems for excellentflow and a lighter weight valve. Theyare available with two spring options,giving builders the option of choosingthe right cylinder head for their engine


Feature

Circle 54 for more information Circle 52 for more information

Specializing in Pontiac engine parts, KREis long known for making their ownheads and even blocks. Their Warp 6 is acanted valve aluminum head for whatthey call, “Heads Up, all out racing!”

52-60 Heads 4/18/13 9:22 AM Page 54

package. Edelbrock told us, “In 2012,we decided to offer many of our popu-lar cylinder heads with two valvespring packages. This allows the con-sumer to choose the cylinder headspring package that is best for their ap-plication. The right spring that ismatched to the camshaft will make fora smoother transition and increasedvalvetrain stability at high rpm, mak-ing the cylinder head more efficient.”

EngineQuestEngineQuest is offering their new 454big block GM and 502 GM heads. The454 GM is available in two runnersizes: 320 and 360 cc and is geared to-wards performance street and marine.These 454 heads are capable of beingused on 1000 HP engines and come in2.250 intakes and 2.30 intakes for the320 and 360 runners accordingly. Whatsets them apart is they are 24 degreestyle. They rolled the head over twodegrees from the stock 26 degree ver-sion GM made. Those two degreesallow for a tremendous flow advan-tage. They also are equipped withbronze guides. Part numbers areCh454a for the 320 intake runner with2.250 intakes and Ch454b for the 360intake runner with a huge 2.300˝ intakevalve. EngineQuest also offers a headfor the GM 502. It’s for Gen 5/6 and ismainly for marine use. While mostlyfor marine, the Ch502a can be used forthe street. The part number is Ch502afor the stock style 502 GM with a 298ccrunner and stock diameter intake. En-gineQuest makes head bolts for all ofthese heads.

World ProductsWorld Products isn’t forgettingChevy’s original V8, the Small Block.World is already well known for their

SBC heads and blocks. Their newest isa 200cc runner version of their Motowncast iron, Small Block heads. The 200ccintake port offers improved throttle re-sponse and torque at mid-range rpmfor better acceleration off the corners. Anew, 50cc combustion chamber will beavailable in both 200cc and 220cc Mo-town heads, producing increased com-pression with flat top piston engines.The innovative chamber designachieves excellent low-lift airflow byunshrouding the valves. The Motownis specifically designed for maximumperformance with flat tappet or hy-draulic roller camshafts. Airflow is 200cfm at .300˝ lift and peaks at 295 cfm at.600˝ lift. The part numbers are Mo-town 220 (64cc version) - 014150, Mo-town 220 (50cc) - 014150-50 andMotown 200 (64cc) – 014050, Motown200 (50cc) - 014050-50.

Bob Walla RacingThe second Chevy engine to hit thestreets in the 1950s was the W motor;first released in 348 cid and then laterin the ’60s with the famous 409. Thenot-so-underground market for W mo-tors is still very much alive and kickingthese days, possibly even more so thanwhen the Beach Boys first sang aboutthe 409. Bob Walla Racing (BWR) offerstwo aluminum heads for 409s. One is areplacement head for the best of thestreet 409s, the ‘690’ head. It will acceptall GM 409 accessories, intakes, exhaustmanifolds or headers and valve covers.Its main advantage over the stock headis that Chevy never made any 348/409heads out of aluminum. An increase in

EngineBuilderMag.com 55Circle 55 for more information

The SR20 from Brodix flows an incredi-ble 507 cfm with the exhaust port flow-ing 335 cfm through a 1.800˝ valve.Chambers are 95 cc and the intake valveangle has been rolled to 20 degrees.

52-60 Heads 4/18/13 9:22 AM Page 55

flow doesn’t hurt, either. Another alu-minum head from BWR is their raisedport version of the stock 409 head. Theports on the intake side are raisedabout .750 inch for a straighter shot atthe valve for better cylinder filling.Stock type and aftermarket intakemanifolds can be adapted with aspacer, as Moroso made for the talldeck BBC. A custom piece, or a sheet

metal manifold is available. BWR usesstandard ARP head bolts p/n 135-3602for their heads and offer two stud kits;p/n 135-4002 and p/n 135-4202.

Racing Head ServiceChevy’s newest engine, the LS Series,has been seeing a proliferation of partsalmost since its release. Racing HeadService’s (RHS) newest head shows anapplication called the LS7 RectangularPort Head. It’s for small bore LS en-

gines, designed specifically to fit on a3.900˝ bore engine. The new piece pro-vides the ability to apply Gen 4 Rectan-gular Port technology to the Gen IIIsmall bore engines while still usingstock rocker arms and intake mani-folds. Features include 12 degree valveangle and a .220 inch raised intake run-ner over the stock LS7, providing a bet-ter line of sight into the cylinder and abetter short turn. They use a six headbolt, LSX pattern for increased clamp-ing capacity which also provides betterhead gasket retention on high horse-power and boosted applications. TheLS7 rectangular port head (p/n 54503)is designed around using the stock fas-teners with the exception of the fifthand sixth head bolts on the LS7. RHSoffers head stud kits for all of theirheads.

Trick FlowTrick Flow Specialties is also offeringan LS Series head but this one is de-signed for the LS3. Trick flow says,“We’ve combined the best features of


Feature


Trick Flow's GenX 255 cylinder headsfor LS engines feature fully CNC Compe-tition Ported square port runners with apremium, high resolution surface finishfor maximum airflow and performance.

52-60 Heads 4/18/13 9:22 AM Page 56


57 EQ_Layout 1 4/18/13 9:00 AM Page 57

GM’s LS3 and LS7 cylinder heads withits own race-winning engineering andtechnology to create the ultimatesquare port LS cylinder head.” TheirGenX 255 cylinder heads also work onother LS engines with 4.000˝ and largercylinder bores. The heads have fullyCNC Competition Ported square port

runners with a premium, high resolu-tion surface finish for maximum air-flow and performance. The specs readout as 255cc intake and 87cc exhaustrunners, 69cc CNC-profiled combus-tion chambers and the valve angleshave been changed from 15° to 12° toincrease piston-to-valve clearance andallow the use of larger camshafts. Theydidn’t stop there as new rocker railmounts are included to accommodatestock-style LS3 1.7 ratio rocker arms.The GenX 255 heads come in standard-or six-bolt mounting patterns and offer

1.300” Dual Valve Springs (370 lbs.).Part numbers are TFS-32610001-C01for heads with steel valve spring re-tainers in the standard bolt pattern,TFS-3261T001-C01 for heads with tita-nium valve spring retainers in the stan-dard bolt pattern andTFS-3261T003-C01 for heads with tita-nium valve spring retainers with thesix bolt pattern. For Trick Flow Gen X255 Heads with 1.300” Dual ValveSprings (448 lbs.), use TFS-32610002-C01 for heads with steel valve springretainers in the standard bolt pattern,TFS-3261T002-C01 for heads with tita-nium valve spring retainers in the stan-dard bolt pattern andTFS-3261T004-C01 for heads with tita-nium valve spring retainers using thesix bolt pattern.

Kauffman Racing EnginesIn other GM brand heads, the Pontiacis still very much alive. Kauffman Rac-ing Equipment’s (KRE) latest head istheir Warp 6. Specializing in Pontiacengine parts, KRE is long known for


Feature


The RHS LS7 head provides the abil-ity to bolt on 35 hp and increase thetorque on a stock Gen III small boreengine. It is truly a “bolt on” out ofthe box head using stock valvetrainand intake manifolds and fits on a3.900” bore.

52-60 Heads 4/18/13 9:22 AM Page 58

making their own heads and evenblocks (aluminum and iron). TheirWarp 6 is a canted valve aluminumhead for what they call, “Heads Up, allout racing!” With the simple part num-ber of W6, these heads feature fullycanted valves, raised intake and ex-haust runners, splayed port design,oval intake runners, a single piecerocker shaft stand and are fully water-jacketed castings. The taller runnersflow better and there is now a heart-shaped combustion chamber. The ovalintake runner makes for higher effi-ciency and proven higher performancelevels per CID than any other head.There’s no other head like it on themarket as KRE got rid of the two centerexhaust valves that were side by side.That move also eliminates typical headgasket issues. They offer the KRE W6with or without assembly and cancome with titanium valves. KRE alsooffers its own head stud kits.

American Cylinder HeadNot all the new stuff is for car and per-formance street machines. AmericanCylinder is a world-wide supplier ofremanufactured cylinder heads for notonly automotive but heavy duty diesel,CNG, and industrial cylinder heads.Their newly implemented ISO QualityControl and Rottler SG80M churns outheads such as the CaterpillarC15/Caterpillar 3406E with precisionseat machining. Every seat is vacuum

tested before it leaves the RottlerSG80M, ensuring concentricity andproper seat specifications. For remain-ing heads, they utilize a unique crackrepair system that results in superiorlongevity and durability. They alsooffer 6.0L Power Stoke heads and saythe most common reason for this headbeing replaced is head gasket failureand subsequently having cracked headissues. They have found a bigger prob-lem is the seats when the head is re-moved, and developed a specializedtechnique using a Tungsten Alloy seatthat is higher quality than factory spec-ifications.

ARPThe folks at ARP often get asked which

is better: cylinder head studs or bolts?Of course the answer depends on theinstallation, but on many street-drivenvehicles, where master cylinders andother items protrude into the enginecompartment, it may be necessary touse head bolts so that the cylinderheads can be removed with the enginein the car. For most applications, how-ever, studs are recommended.

Using head studs instead of boltswill make it much easier to assemblean engine (especially a racing power-plant which must be serviced often)with the cylinder head and gasket as-sured of proper alignment. Studs alsoprovide more accurate and consistenttorque loading.

According to ARP, when you use


FeatureTHIS ISSUE: PG 61 >> Valvetrain PG 68 >> Machine Maintenance PG 70 >> Product Spotlights



52-60 Heads 4/18/13 9:22 AM Page 59

bolts to secure the head, the fastener isactually being “twisted” while it’sbeing torqued to the proper reading.Thus, the bolt is reacting to two differ-ent forces simultaneously. A studshould be installed in a “relaxed”mode – never crank it in tightly using ajammed nut. If everything is right, thestud should be installed finger tight.Then, when applying torque to the nut,the stud will stretch only on the verticalaxis. Remember, an undercut shorterstud will have a rate similar to a longer,standard shank stud. This provides amore even clamping force on the head.Because the head gasket will compressupon initial torquing, make sure studsand bolts are re-torqued after the en-gine has been run.

And if you are going to throw a newset of heads on a motor, why use oldbolts or studs? Here’s a few of the latestofferings from ARP:

• Pro Series rocker stud kit forMopar 318-360 Magnum with OEM-style, nonadjustable rocker arms. The

set consists of 16 each of8740 chrome moly studs,parallel ground washers and8740 chrome moly steel 12point nuts. As part of the ProSeries line, they are ground,heat treated and rated at200,000 PSI – so are thesekits:

• Pro Series head stud kitfor Ford 4.0 SOHC V6 en-gines. The set includes 16each of ARP 2000 headstuds, parallel ground wash-ers, 8740 chrome moly steel 12point nuts, the M8 fastenersthat secure the head to the blockand a ½ oz. packet of ARPUltra-Torque fastener assemblylubricant. These fasteners yield an in-crease of 25% tensile strength overOEM torque to yield head bolts.

• Pro Series kit for Chevy GenIII/IV V8 LS Series Rocker Studs fornonadjustable rocker arms. The setincludes 16 each of 8740 chrome

moly studs and chrome moly steelnuts that replace the OEM stylerocker arm hold down bolts.

There’s the latest and greatest inheads and head bolts so you havemore choices when you flip thatcoin. ■


Feature


ARP’s head studs have a 25 percent highertensile strength than regular OEM torque toyield type head bolts.


52-60 Heads 4/18/13 9:22 AM Page 60

Selecting the right componentsto make a rock-solid valvetrainis key to assembling an engine

that will last – and win. The pushrods,rockers and valve springs must beable to handle all of the stresses ofthe camshaft rotating with highspring pressures and with huge lift.Weakness in any part of the systemwill be a disaster.

The industry’s top suppliers ofthese components have tested andrefined their products to ensurethat your design requirements willbe met and exceeded. Thanks totheir commitment to research anddevelopment, your efforts can beput toward selecting the proper

combination of parts, confidentthat they’ll contribute strength andpower to your engine build.

Comp CamsOne of the key questions regardingvalvetrain design concerns mass,according to Comp Cams’ BillyGodbold. Does reducing mass re-duce the overall system stiffness,and by how much? Will reducingthe mass result is high stress thatcould result in failure? Will reduc-ing the component mass signifi-cantly change the effective systemmass?

“With these three questions inmind, we try to reduce the mass as

much as possible, while retainingas much system stiffness as possibleAND closely watching for highlylocalized stress concentrationsthrough both finite element analy-sis (FEA) and endurance testing onour Spintron test cells,” he says.

Godbold recommends check sys-tem stiffness by measuring staticmax lift with a flow bench checkingspring versus the running springwith everything else constant. Thesystem stiffness is the difference inload divided by the difference inlift. “The best systems,” he says,“have BOTH high stiffness and loweffective mass.”

Valve spring materials are some-


FeatureValvetrain’s On TimeChoosing the right rockers, pushrods and springs

Circle 61 for more informationCircle 72 for more information

SENIOR EXECUTIVE EDITOR BRENDAN [email protected]

61-67 Valvetrain 4/18/13 9:19 AM Page 61

thing of their own animal,Goldbold suggests, andthey’re not what they usedto be. “The high grades ofsuper clean chrome siliconwire we use today are farbetter than even the bestwire we had in NASCAR adecade earlier,” he ex-plains. “And these arequite difficult to compareto even the best aerospacesteels available today. Forsteel rocker arms we use8620 on the roller tip rock-ers and 8650 on the fullroller Ultra Pro Magnumand XD rockers. Our UltraGold rockers use a specifi-cally selected aluminumalloy for the unique stressand temperature require-ments of rocker arms.”

The key to selecting theright component, accord-ing to Godbold, is to havea good relationship with amanufacturer you trust.

“There are so many nu-ances to the designs andmaterials of today’s valve-train components that youcould have both an ad-vanced engineering andmetallurgy degrees andstill fall into traps uniqueto the valvetrain world.For example, most 5/16”standard wall pushrodscommonly see loads abovethe buckling load. The only

reason they lift is that theload durations are so shortthat the part never hastime to fail before the loadspike relaxes.”

Godbold suggests oneof two methods to valvespring selection: either tostay with a combinationthat is known to work wellthrough experience, or in-vest the time needed to runboth dynamics and dura-bility testing.

“We use a Spintron testfixture,” Godbold says. “Atypical test would be ap-proximately 2-3 days ofdynamics followed by 3-5days of durability, depend-ing on the type of racing,and Spintron testing runsapproximately half againto twice as much per dayas professional dyna-mometer testing.”

Crane CamsThe balance between relia-bility and cost-effective-ness must always be partof the parts choice equa-tion, according to CraneCams’ Chase Knight.

“Some folks have unre-alistic expectations regard-ing performance andreliability. It all comesdown to the compromisesthat need to made fortime/quality vs. dollars,”


Valve spring materials are not whatthey used to be, say experts. The highgrade wire used by some manufactur-ers is even better than what NASCARhad a decade ago.


Knight explains. “It’s best to plan outyour entire combination first (includ-ing the vehicle it’s going into), beforea single part is purchased, so youonly need to do it once. There is nomagic camshaft that will cure a mis-match of poorly chosen items.”

Knight concurs that valve springsshould be tested on a quality tester,that has been verified with a specialchecking spring. The inner springs(and dampers, if equipped) shouldbe preloaded with the proper stepthickness as provided by the speci-fied retainer.

“Run the valve spring down tocoil bind a few times, then check thepressures at the various checkingheights when returning from the coilbind position. This will ensure thatany hysteresis in the wires is consid-ered in the load readings,” he says.

The valve spring industry has ageneral tolerance of plus or minusten percent on all but the most ex-pensive springs, so be aware of vari-ations, if your supplier does notindividually match their sets.

EdelbrockEdelbrock’s Smitty Smith says hiscompany regularly develops newvalvetrain components. “We nowoffer aluminum roller rockers for ourcrate engine program which is alsoused with our top end kits and add-on sales when retailers sell our ac-

companying engine products,” hesays. “We also offer matchingpushrods and valve springs for all ofthe engines we offer hydraulic flattappet and hydraulic rollercamshafts for. Eliminating the guesswork as we make sure that they allwork together. This is part of our


FeatureTHIS ISSUE: PG 68 >> Machine Maintenance PG 70 >> Product Spotlights PG 76 >> Final Wrap


Test valve springs by running them downto coil bind a few times, then check thepressures at the various checking heightswhen returning from the coil bind position.


total power package.”Smith says the most important

factor for choosing the correctsprings is to use the ones recom-mended by your camshaft supplier.“Basically, there are different valvesprings for the different type ofcamshafts, hydraulic flat tappet, hy-draulic roller, solid roller,” he notes.

When an engine builder switchesfrom a stud mounted rocker to ashaft mounted rocker, Smith saysthat this is most common in racingapplications where they use hy-draulic roller and solid rollercamshafts with aggressive valvespring pressures. He says it ensures avery stable valvetrain at all rpm’s.

Elgin“Everyone is always conscious ofkeeping the reciprocating mass(weight) down as a total,” saysElgin’s Dan Gathman. “That includesthe weight of the lifter, pushrod,

valve, valve spring, rocker, retainer,all the way through that circuit.”

From a performance standpoint,Gathman says, the weight on thevalve side of the rocker is the mostcritical to control. “That mass is whatprovides the impact load on the seatsof the valves. The mass increases theinertia that you have to overcome toreverse the direction of the valve, thehigher the rpm the more importantminimizing this force becomes.”

Gathman says that Elgin has de-veloped and is testing a new heavy-

wall, fully machined one-piecechrome moly pushrod. “Right nowthe offering we have is a straight wallpushrod,” he says, “but that wall isthick enough to support a fully hard-turned configuration. The final ma-chining process is done after the heattreating so we can get an exact radiusand very good surface finish.” Andit’s DEAD ON accurate, according tothe folks at Elgin.

“On the pushrod side of the


Feature



Looking down from the top of a 3/8thspushrod tube you can see the variouswall thicknesses from .035˝ to .145˝.


rocker, weight is not typically a bigconcern for racing and performanceguys,” says Gathman. “They arelooking for stiffness. So whateverthe cam profile is, they want thevalve to follow that as close as pos-sible. That’s one of the reasons thatthe high performance industry wantsthe biggest, fattest, strongestpushrod that you can possibly fit inthe engine, even at the expense ofadding more mass to the engine.”

Elgin president Bill Skok says,

“What we’ve seen with our differentmaterials such as stainless steel rock-ers that we have and even our cryo-genic valvetrain components havebeen taking off.” He says the BlackIce product line (rockers) is gettinglonger and better wear. And the

parts are stronger through their treat-ment process.

“What we have is different thanwhat is typically out in the field. Wehave the ability to perform a supercryogenic treatment,” says Elgin’sRick Simko. “Out in the field a cryo-genic treatment will typically bearound -120 degrees F below zero.With our super cryogenic treatmentit is between -250 F and -300 degreesF below zero. So we do a super cryobut the metallurgical advantages andbenefits are still not fully under-stood. It’s very difficult to get quan-tifiable data to show the amount ofthe improvement but there is an im-provement. The performance in thefield suggests that the improvementgoes in the right direction. In mostcases it adds durability and in somecases it adds strength.”

K-MotionWhen it comes to valvetrain compo-nents, K-Motion’s Bob Kamp saysweight is important. “Anything thatchanges directions needs to be light,”




Rocker ratio has a small effect on theweight of the rocker, the higher theratio the longer the rocker will be fromthe trunnion or stud mount, to the tip ofthe rocker. Shaft-mounted rockersmade of steel or aluminum are bestsuited for handling high horsepower.


he says, noting that they have re-cently added a number of newsprings to their catalog. “We have 19part numbers that cover 95% of themarket. Our springs are made of anew high tensile steel.”

Kamp recommends using a benchtester to check all springs and then tostart the engine and bring it up totemperature. “Use an engine tester(LSM) to check again,” he says. “Thiswill give you a good baseline on anew spring.”

Manton Pushrods“Some of our newest valvetrain ideasare a .281˝ ball adjuster, which is usedto replace the standard cup adjuster,”says Manton Pushrods’ Alan Perkins.“The pushrod end used with the .281ball adjuster is produced from H-13tool steel and is fitted with a copperalloy insert.”

Perkins says the pushrod is avail-able in 7/16˝ x 20˝ and 3/8˝ x 24˝sizes, with or without pressure feedoiling.

Perkins says Manton prefers to use4130 chrome molly seamless material,as well as S-7 Tool steel along withtheir own heat treating methods. “Weuse 86L20 standard bearing materialand H-13 Tool Steel for our tip ends,”he says. “These materials are neededto ensure proper function with allrocker arm adjusters.”

PRWThe weight of rockers can vary basedupon material content and types oflifter being utilized. Chris Robertsfrom PRW Industries explains that avariety of materials is used to offeran assortment of products.

“We use a variety of materials inthe construction of our rocker fromour investment cast 4340 SteelSportsman Series (for flat tappetcams), 15-5 Pro Series and 17-4pHAlloy Steel Platinum Series, and topof the line Performance Quotient(PQx) aluminum shaft mountedrocker arm systems. Each has a spe-cific benefit depending on the type of

engine being built, weather that is asmall high rpm motor or largetorque-churning build,” saysRoberts.

“One of the newest products thatwe have developed is the GMLS3/L92 Platinum Series rocker with1.7 Ratio offset intake rockers. Thissystem integrates a 0.675˝ comple-ment bearings, 0.875˝ micro polishedtrunnions, alloy steel full roller bodyand an internal oiling system to in-sure proper lubrication at all enginespeeds and horsepower levels. AClear Nitron finish adds to theirstrength and reliability for years ofworry free operation,” explainsRoberts.

Trend PerformanceThe largest percentage of Trendpushrods is made from chromemolybdenum, a type of alloy steelknown as 4130. “This material,” saysTrend’s Andy Anderson, “possessesan excellent strength-to-weight ratioand is considerably stronger and


Feature



harder than standard 1020 steel.Sprint Cup engines use it as domuch of Pro Stock and Pro Mod. Incontrast, Top Fuel and Funny Carteams use H13 tool steel in solid barform.”

The 4130 pushrods are producedfrom thick-wall tubing. Their hollowcenter passage is pressurized by oildestined to lubricate the rocker ad-juster.

For competition engines operatingunder extreme pressures such asMountain motors, Pro Mod, Pro Ni-trous, Top Sportsman, NHRA ProStock and fast Bracket engines, An-derson says Trend has introduced anew series of 5/8˝ pushrods. “Cre-ated from 4130 chrome molybdenumthick-wall tubes, they are con-structed as one-piece units and avail-able with wall thicknesses of 0.188˝or 0.125˝ and in lengths ranging from8˝ to 13.500˝ long,” he says. “Theyare also supplied with a plain radiuscup or with a BZ radius cup.”

Anderson says these are high

load-bearing bronze inserts thatovercome galling troubles that occurbetween the rocker ball and thepushrod’s upper cup. “Galling is anominous condition perpetuated bythe use of extremely lightweight lu-bricating oils,” he says “Moreover,Trend is also making the balls andcups available in our latest self-lubri-cating tool steel.”

Trick FlowTrick Flow has expanded its offeringof valve springs to cover more appli-cations and uses American-madesprings from PAC Racing Springs.PAC Racing Springs is the perform-ance division of Peterson Spring.They have been making springs fornearly 100 years.

“The valve springs are batch fa-tigue tested before shipment to en-sure they meet Trick Flow’s stringentdurability requirements,” explainsMike Downs of Trick Flow. “We listrecommended components (retainersand locks) to match the springs to

help take some of the work out offinding the right components. Wealso list recommended applicationsfor each spring.”

Trick Flow offers US-manufac-tured chromoly pushrods in 5/16”and 3/8” diameters. The pushrodsare available in many lengths from6.250” to 9.000” (5/16”) or 7.650” to9.950” (3/8”).

“Our US-made aluminum rollerrockers feature heat-treated CNC-machined bodies, premium needlebearing fulcrums, roller tips, and amachined relief for improved valvespring clearance,” says Downs.“They are well-matched to TrickFlow cylinder heads, and can beused on most factory and other after-market heads, too.” ■

For contact information on these andother suppliers of valvetrain compo-nents, visit our exclusive online BuyersGuides at enginebuildermag.com.





Did you know that as enginebuilders, we were green longbefore green became the IN

thing? We were green even beforeKermit said it wasn’t easy. How arewe green, you ask? We are green be-cause we rebuild, which means werecycle.

Green is defined as:• Relating to or being an environ-

mentalist political movement; • Concerned with or supporting

environmentalism; and • Tending to preserve environ-

mental quality (as by being recycla-ble, biodegradable, or nonpolluting)– Merriam Webster Dictionary.

A couple of synonyms for greenas a verb are rejuvenate and revitalize.

Isn’t this exactly what the automo-tive aftermarket is all about? Rebuild-ing, rejuvenating and revitalizing acomponent or complete assembly.The automotive aftermarket has beendoing this since I was just a little salesmanager. We rebuild everything fromwater pumps to starters to alternatorsto brake calipers to transmissionsand, of course, complete engines andall of the components that go into theengine. We regrind valves and valveseats, we regrind valve guides, we re-grind camshafts, crankshafts, con-necting rods and the list goes on andon. We basically reuse just aboutevery component that moves inside agas or diesel internal combustionengine.

Being green in rebuilding the en-gine’s components is one thing weare very good at but what about theshop in general? How green is yourshop? Do you recycle your metalchips? Do you recycle the aluminum

engine components that can’t orwon’t be rebuilt? What about the canfrom the pop you drank today? Sowhat can and can’t be recycled?Here’s a partial list of what can berecycled in my area:

• Iron• Steel• Aluminum• Tin• Plastic• Cardboard• Newspapers• Phone books• Office paper• Magazines• Glass • Used motor oilYou will, of course, need to check

with your local recycling center toget a list for your area.

I suggest you create a “GreenCzar” in your shop to be responsiblefor identifying what can and cannotbe recycled. This person will also beresponsible for ensuring that every-thing that can be recycled is, in fact,recycled. The key here is being con-sistent. Separate these items daily,then round them up monthly for de-livery to your local recycling facility.

By taking time to separate recy-clables your shop will be more organ-ized, cleaner, and done properly youhave created a nice little income tospoil your hard working employeeswith. You can use these proceeds tohelp fund a monthly pizza party orother function that all of your hardworking people can be a part of andtherefore get on board to recycling. Insome cities the recycle facility willsend a truck to your shop and pickup all of your recyclables at one time.

Metal and Metal Chips: Thesecome in various forms and you get anew supply each and every day.Steel, iron and aluminum are obviu-osly most common; plus we get tothrow in some copper, bronze, tinand a little brass now and then. Thisis probably your biggest source ofrecyclables, so pick up all of thesemetals and organize a place some-where in or outside your shop to col-lect and store them. Be sure this areais secure to prevent theft, if you storeyour metal recyclables outside. Weget fresh cast iron chips from ourboring bar. We get fresh cast ironand aluminum chips from our millor surfacer and we get cast iron andaluminum from our seat and guidemachine.

You will need to take the time toremove the steel wrist pins fromthe pistons. Keep in mind that pis-ton rings can also be recycled andthere may be other componentsthat may need to be disassembledto separate one type of metal fromanother. Also check with the localrecycler to ensure you are comply-ing with these specific require-ments for recycling.

Plastics: We get these free al-most every day in the form ofwater bottles, plastic oil bottles,coolant jugs, plastic pop bottles,plastic packaging material andyes, engine components, plastictiming chain guides and plastictiming gears. Always check withthe local recycling facility to makesure they take all the variousforms of plastic we see in the ma-chine shop. Some of these willneed to be cleaned prior to them


Going Green NotJust for Irish

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR DAVE [email protected]

The industry has been green longerthan most but hasn’t promoted it

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68-69 Mach Main 4/18/13 9:17 AM Page 68

going on the recycle pile.Paper and Cardboard: Here is an-

other almost endless supply of clutterthat can be recycled. Most all engineparts and shop supplies arrive in card-board boxes. They may also includenewspaper as packing, and when youcombine the office paper, envelopes,old phone books, magazines, and junkmail you get a pretty good pile.

Some packing material cannot berecycled and one of them is thosepesky weebos, as I call them, but mostrefer to them as packing peanuts. Re-move these Styrofoam thingies beforeyou recycle the cardboard as most re-cycling facilities do not accept them.There is a new generation of packingpeanuts made from cornstarch thatwill decompose in water. Encourageyour suppliers to use these instead ofthe petroleum-based packing peanutsmost of us are accustomed to seeing.

Engine oils from your tear downdepartment are great for recycling.Some of you may already be using itto heat the shop in winter. Antifreezehowever is one of those substances

that need special handling for recy-cling. Check with your city or countyhazardous waste departments forguidelines.

Coolants and Oils: Your best bethere is to get the maximum life out ofyour coolants and oils. So let’s discussthose opportunities you already havein your shop to not only be a littlegreener but to also save some money.Let’s start at the hone tank. Here wecan use filter paper under the work-space to catch the big chunks of metalcreated when honing.

I like to also suggest you put somemagnetic strips or actual magnets inthe coolant trough to catch additionalmetal particles prior to them goinginto the pump and into the finer filtersyou have on the back of the machine.By separating these particles from thehoning oil you have just extended thelife of your honing oil by about 25 per-cent, saving you money by not havingto replace the honing oil as often.

The valve refacer can also benefitby adding magnets to the oil returntroughs. You can extend the life of

your crank grinder coolant as well asthe surface grinder coolant by incorpo-rating a sludge filter bag at the end ofthe return hose prior to it going backinto the sump. This sludge bag will re-move the larger chunks of grindinggrit and if you include magnets in thecoolant troughs you will remove themetal particles as well. By includingthe sludge bags and magnets yourcoolant will last longer your floor tofloor grinding speeds will stay thesame and your finished work piecewill also be consistent.

Now don’t get me wrong, I like sell-ing you guys oils and coolants eachand every day, but I also know weneed to get the most life as possible forthese expensive oils and coolants.

So, like I said at the beginning, youare already Green, now it’s time totake it the next level to save moneyand the environment. Be sure to checkout the special “Green Strategies” sec-tion in this issue of Engine Builder foreven more ideas!

See ya in the shop!Dave (aka Dr. Green) ■


ColumnTHIS ISSUE: PG 70>> Product Spotlights PG 74 >> Classifieds PG 76 >> Final Wrap


68-69 Mach Main 4/18/13 9:17 AM Page 69


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Valve Spring TesterPerformance Trends has released a High Forceoption for its automatic valve spring tester.Powered by shop air, the High Force springtester produces 2,500 lbs force at 130 psi airpressure. The standard model produces 1,600 lbs. This is ideal for the huge valvesprings run in today’s top race classes. Thetester is controlled by most any computer withXP through Windows 8. The data recorded in-cludes seated and open force, spring rate, forceat some particular height or height increments,linearity, damping, bind height, bind heightclearance, and more. Other features includetest cycling, accommodating springs up to 4”height, USB connection, professional graphsand reports, and much more. Manualtesters and special low range testers for smallersprings also available. Visit our website atwww.performancetrends.com for more infoand a FREE demo of the software.

Performance Trendswww.performancetrends.com

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“No particle left behind” withARMEX® baking soda based,water soluble media from themakers of Arm & Hammer®

Products. Clean, degrease anddepaint core engine compo-nents in one step. Water rinseresidues away.

ArmaKleenPhone: 800-332-5424

Email: [email protected]

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70-73 Spotlights 4/18/13 9:16 AM Page 70


Product Sp

otlights

Web-Based Valvetrain Parts CatalogSBI has released a Web-based version ofits acclaimed catalog in order to provideusers with real-time updates on additionsto the company’s line of replacement val-vetrain parts for close to 3,000 applica-tions divided among late-model domesticand import passenger car, light truck,performance, marine, agricultural, heavy-duty and forklift/industrial. The catalogalso features listings of K-Line BronzeBullet-brand valve guide liners and mis-cellaneous K-Line tooling stocked by SBI,Exclusive Master Distributor for K-Line.Based on SBI’s CD-ROM catalog, the SBIWeb-based catalog allows the user tosearch the database by part type/partnumber, vehicle type, engine manufac-turer, or specific engine and make codes.

S.B. InternationalPhone:1-800-THE-SEATwww.sbintl.com

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Ergonomic Blast Cabinets

ZERO blast cabinets are now available inan ergonomic body style, which allows theoperator to sit while working. The cabinetconfiguration provides comfortable knee-room for the operator without interferingwith the free flow of media for reclamationand re-use. Standard cabinet features in-clude: large, quick-change window, re-verse-pulse cartridge-style dust collector,suction-blast or pressure-blast models.HEPA filtration as an option. Cabinets canwork with glass bead, aluminum oxideand other recyclable media. Applications:cleaning, de-burring, peening, and finish-ing.

Clemco Industries Corp.Phone: 800-788-0599www.clemcoindustries.com

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Valve Guide Run-Out Gauge

Goodson has released its newValve Guide Run-Out Gaugewith the following features:• Check concentricity to .001”• Never install an incorrectly

machined guide again• Indicator included• Use with your existing pilots;

comes in .375˝, .385˝ and .437˝.

Goodson Tools and Supplies for Engine BuildersPhone: 800-533-8010www.goodson.com

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Stainless Steel Roller Rockers

The popular Elgin® PRO-STOCK® per-formance line now includes premiumstainless steel roller rocker arms for small-and big-block Chevrolet and Ford 302and 351W engines. Stainless steel con-struction and extra-large trunnions givePRO-STOCK roller rockers superiorstrength and increased durability whileeliminating deflection at high RPM. Eachpart’s full needle-bearing trunnion allowsfor increased horsepower and quicker re-sponse, and a large roller tip helps preventwear. The new roller rockers are offered inclamshell kits of 16 that include poly locks.

Phone:800-323-6764www.elginind.com

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MAHLE Clevite IncludesQR Codes on Packaging

Adding to the growing number ofelectronic resources MAHLE Cle-vite Inc. offers, QR codes are nowincluded on all MAHLE Original,Clevite and Victor Reinz productpackaging. Translating the codewith a free QR code reader auto-matically directs the end-user to asearch page where they can inputa part number to retrieve specifi-cations and up-to-date technicalinformation on the particular part.

Mahle Clevite Inc.Phone: 734-975-4777www.mahle-aftermarket.com

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Product Sp

otlights

Stock Replacement Gaskets from Engine ProEngine Pro has added to its line of stockreplacement gaskets, with full sets andhead sets now available. All gasket com-ponents are produced to OE standardsand are ISO 9001:2000 certified. Cylinderhead gaskets have an exclusive perfo-rated steel core to resist scrubbing, spe-cial aluminum sealing compound forbetter load spread, and Teflon-graphitecoatings for better heat resistance andmore effective sealing. Go to goengine-pro.com for your local Engine Pro Dis-tributor.

Engine ProPhone: 1-800-ENGINE-1www.goenginepro.com

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Cla

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Call now to order or to receive a free 2012 catalog 1-800-434-5141www.autobodysupplies.com

USED AND REBUILT EQUIPMENTCBN TOOLING:WE RESHARPEN

CBN’S!

MACHINEREBUILDING

JAMISON EQUIPMENT1908 11th St., Emmetsburg IA 50536

800-841-5405Check out our used equip. list atwww.jamisonequipment.com

SPECIALIZING IN ENGINE CORES

GGRRAANNTT(314) 421-5585

ST. LOUIS ★FAX (314) 421-1436

(888) 421-5585• CAMS • HEADS• CRANKS •RODS

3815 N. 21st ST. ST. LOUIS, MO 63107

WEBUY

WESELL

74-75 Class-Cores 4/18/13 9:14 AM Page 74


Classified

/Cores

NeedReprints?

CallTina Purnell

at 330-670-1234, ext. 243

Advertiser IndexCOMPANY NAME PAGE # CIRCLE # American Cylinder Head, Inc. 17 17

American Gasket 25 25

Apex Automobile Parts 9 9

ArmaKleen Company 30 131

ARP/Automotive Racing Products Inc 60 60

Automotive Service Equipment 50 50

Avon Automotive Products 54 54

Bill Mitchell Products 8 8

Brad Penn Lubricants 4 12

Butler Performance 60 60

Chrysler Group LLC/Mopar 6 6

Clemco Industries 66 66

Cometic Gaskets 23 23

Comp Performance Group 11 11

Dakota Parts Warehouse 59 70

Dart Machinery Ltd 3 3

Darton International 4 4

Demon Carburetion 48 48

Diamond Racing Products/Trend Performance 64 64

Dipaco Inc. 16 16

DNJ Engine Components 1 1

Driven Racing Oil, LLC 46 46

Dura-Bond Bearing Co 37 137

Eastern Precision 35 135

Edelbrock Corp 38, 43 138,142

Elgin Industries C2 2

Engine Parts Group 13 13

Engine Parts Warehouse 65 65

Engine & Performance Warehouse 53 53

EngineQuest 33, 57 57, 133

ESCO Industries 22 18

Federal Mogul/Fel Pro 20, 21 20, 21

Goodson Mfg Co 69 69

GRP Connecting Rods 56 56

Graymills 40, 43 140, 143

Harland Sharp 64 71

Injector Experts 54 52

K-Motion Racing 61 61

King Electronics 8 18

Liberty Engine Parts 5 5

Lunati 63 63

Mahle Clevite 7 7

Manton Pushrods & Rockers 61 72

Martin Wells 62 62

Motor State Distributing 58 58

Mr Gasket Performance Group 22 22

Packard Industries 10 10

PAI Industries Inc 59 59

Permatex Inc C3 79

QualCast 67 67

Quality Power Products 15 15

Rottler Manufacturing C4 80

Safety Auto Parts Corp 19 19

Safety Kleen 29, 44 129,144,145

SB International 51 51

Scat Enterprises 41 41

SCE Gaskets 24 24

T & D Machine Products 55 55

Winona Van Norman 47 47

To Advertise in CLASSIFIEDS!

Call Roberto Almenar at 330-670-1234, ext. 233

[email protected]

74-75 Class-Cores 4/18/13 9:14 AM Page 75


Fina

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Associate Publisher/EditorDoug Kaufman, ext. [email protected]

Senior Executive EditorBrendan Baker, ext. [email protected]

Tech EditorLarry [email protected]

Group PublisherDavid Moniz, ext. [email protected]

Graphic DesignerNichole Anderson, ext. 232 [email protected]

Advertising ServicesTina Purnell, ext. 243 [email protected]

Director of DistributionRich Zisk, ext. 287 [email protected]

Circulation ManagerPat Robinson, ext. 276 [email protected]

Sr. Circulation SpecialistEllen Mays, ext. 275 [email protected]

Sales RepresentativesRoberto [email protected], ext. 233

David [email protected] ext. 210

Bobbie [email protected], ext. 238

Don [email protected] 330-670-1234, ext. 286

Karen [email protected], ext. 295

Dean [email protected], ext. 225

Jim [email protected], ext. 280

Tom [email protected], ext 224

Glenn [email protected], ext. 212

John Zick [email protected] 949-756-8835

enginebuildermag.com3550 Embassy ParkwayAkron, OH 44333-8318

FAX 330-670-0874

330-670-1234

Babcox Media Inc.Bill Babcox, President

Greg Cira, Vice President, CFOJeff Stankard, Vice President

Beth Scheetz, Controller

In Memorium:Edward S. Babcox (1885-1970)

Founder of Babcox Publications Inc.

Tom B. Babcox (1919-1995)Chairman

In tractor pulling parlance, a “hook”is when you attempt a pull. A “fullpull” is one in which you go the

maximum distance of 300 feet.At Engine Builder, we’re mourning

one of our own, who made the hook,but didn’t quite get the full pull.

Jim Walbolt, who had been a con-tributor to Engine Builder since the early2000s, suffered a massive heart attackand died back in January. He was only56 years old.

Jim was one of our original highperformance columnists and featurewriters and loved racing of all kinds,particularly truck and tractor pullingand stock car racing. Whether it wasgrassroots or professional, dirt or pave-ment, if it went fast, made noise andfueled someone’s competitive fire, Jimloved it.

In addition to columns and articleshe wrote for us, Jim was a frequentcontributor to the National TractorPullers Association’s (NTPA) Pullermagazine. He was a gifted photogra-pher and was passionate about usingwords and photos to tell a story.

It seems amazing now, but whenJim first started writing “Fast Lane” for

us in 2001, the concept of high per-formance engine and machine workwas somewhat foreign to many of ourreaders. We encouraged you to diver-sify your business, look for opportuni-ties outside your comfort zone andtake advantage of the rapid growth ofhigh performance enthusiasm.

And, boy, did you respond! Today,more than 82 percent of our readersservice the high performance customer.For a lot of these readers, that’s thebulk of their business.

But it still isn’t ALL of their busi-ness. Despite the significant attentionpaid to high performance in thesepages, a sizeable audience continues todo just fine, thank you, serving other

markets than the traditional racing andperformance customer. We recognizethat, which is why we continue to pro-vide detailed editorial information ontraditional passenger car engines aswell as diesel and other markets, too.

Jim enjoyed writing about shopmanagement and business topics aswell, and developed a passion for Websites and social media. He consideredthem vital tools that shops need to em-brace rather than ignore.

Jim loved being part of this businessand couldn’t wait to share his passionwith you, the reader. In fact, he wasscheduled to write one of the featuresin this issue and had started doing re-search at the time of his passing. Hewas very excited about the growth ofdiesel motorsports and couldn’t wait tocontribute to the special coverage wehave planned for our June issue.

Jim will be missed by his family andfriends all across the country, and espe-cially here at Engine Builder. Finding areplacement for his writing and pho-tography skills will be a challenge forus...finding a replacement for his en-ergy and enthusiasm will be nearlyimpossible. ■

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER/EDITOR Doug [email protected]

Not Quite aFull PullA final hook for an old friend

Jim Walbolt 1956-2013

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