engine builder, july 2013

2013JULY

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SERVING ENGINE BUILDERS & REBUILDERS SINCE 1964

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2 July 2013 | EngineBuilder

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

ENGINE BUILDER (ISSN 1535-041X)(July 2013, Volume 49, Number 07): 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

Dressing Up VintageThese days, with the value of original and old schoolcars soaring, an updated appearance for that vintageengine may not be the route you want to take. If you’rebuilding an engine for a vehicle that fits in either ofthese two categories, your engine dress-up optionsmay be limited. Contributing Editor John “Gunner”Gunnell explores the options....................................28

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Racing OilsStreet oils are regulated to meet industry standards for zincand corrosion protection among other requirements, but they are not always the best choice for racing engines. Chemicals and lubricants used in this environment also mustbe up to the task. Technical Editor Larry Carley explains themagical blends behind these performance products ..........17

Cleaning: Heads & BlocksIt’s a dirty job, but someone has to do it. Technical Editor LarryCarley looks at what engine builders are doing to get theirparts clean. Here’s a hint: there’s no single way to get themgrime-free. It depends on the application and material as wellas your customers’ expectations ..........................................38

SEMA Auction Engine BuildOur 2012 Performance Engine Builder of the Year winner, EdPink Racing Engines, scored high marks in its commitment tothe industry – most notably through its support of the SEMAMemorial Scholarship Fund, which has, over the years, givennearly $2 million in aid to students seeking careers in the automotive industry. Contributing Editor Bill Holland followsthe steps of this custom charity engine build ......................44

Columns

Profitable Performance ................11By Contributing Editor Dave SuttonWill You Have a POP or a SODA?

Diesel Dialogue ............................14By Contributing Editor Bob McDonaldDiesel Exhaust Fluid Not So Bad

DEPARTMENTSEvents ..................................................................4

Industry News......................................................6

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

NASCAR Performance ..........................................37

Supply Line ..........................................................50

2013 Supplier Spotlight ........................................51

Cores/Classifieds/Ad Index ..................................54

Final Wrap............................................................56

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Events

Industry EventsAugust 12-18Monterey Car WeekMonterey, CAwww.montereycarweek.com

August 17 - August 19EFI University Hosted by Pro Car AssociatesAkron, OHwww.efi101.com or 866-316-7744

September 18AERA Tech & Skills Regional Conference Dallas, TXwww.aera.org or 888-326-2372

September 18-2068th Annual PERA ConferenceDallas, TX www.pera.org or 817-243-2646

September 25-26Rottler 6th Annual Open HouseKent, WAwww.rottlermfg.com/open_house.php

September 27AERA Tech & Skills Regional Conference Hosted by Rottler ManufacturingKent, WAwww.aera.org or 888-326-2372

October 2MERA Remanufacturing andSustainability ConferenceTroy, MIwww.mera.org or 248-750-1280

November 5-7AAPEX ShowLas Vegas, NVwww.aapexshow.com or 708-226-1300

November 5-8SEMA ShowLas Vegas, NVwww.semashow.com or 702-450-7662

Circle 4 for more information

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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Speakers and SponsorsNamed for 24th AETCThe 2013 edition of the Advanced En-gineering Technology Conference(AETC) will be held at the IndianaConvention Center on the three daysprior to the Performance Racing In-dustry Trade Show, Dec. 9-11.

The ever-expanding group ofspeakers will present seminars on awide variety of topics, speak with at-tendees one-on-one and share per-sonal insight to provide a wealth ofinformation in three short days.

Sponsors for the 24th annual con-ference include presenting sponsorMotor State Distributing, partner-in-presenting Performance Racing In-dustry, platinum-level sponsorsCOMP Cams, Circle Track, EngineMasters and Total Seal Piston Rings,along with a wide variety of gold-and silver-level supporters fromaround the performance aftermarket.Each is providing thousands of dol-lars worth of prizes and giveaways.

The list of speakers reads like a

who’s-who of engine expertise, andincludes Harold Bettes, Power Tech-nology Consultants; Lee Carducci,Arrow Racing Engines; Cecil Stevens,Performance Illusions Engines; BillMcKnight, MAHLE Clevite; LauraShehan and Jon Sams, HOLLEY Per-formance Products; Keith Jones, TotalSeal Piston Rings; Dan Jesel, Jesel Val-vetrain Innovation; Vince Roman,Burns Stainless LLC; Ben Strader, EFIUniversity; Chris Paulsen, C&R Rac-ing Inc.; Greg West, Fel-Pro; StephenGolya, Performance Motorsport Inc.;Dane Kalinowski, JE Pistons; BrianKurn, Four Stroke Design; OzzieHutchins; Roush Yates Engines;Bruce B. Baldwin, Oliver RacingParts.

For information on their topics,visit aetconline.com/speakers. To regis-ter, visit aetconline.com.

SBI Releases New 2013 Anniversary Catalog In honor of its 30th anniversary, S. B.International, Inc. (SBI), of Nashville,

TN, has released a 1,072-page 2013valve train parts catalog. The cataloghas an emphasis on the more than200 additions to its comprehensiveline of cylinder head parts since itsprevious catalog in 2010, as well as a32-page supplemental catalog insertof K-Line Bronze Bullet-brand valveguide liners and miscellaneous tool-ing now stocked by SBI, and new ap-plications for late-model domesticand import passenger car, perform-ance, light truck, marine, agricultural,heavy-duty, and forklift/industrialapplications.

The 30th Anniversary-edtion 2013SBI catalog is available in print, onCD-ROM, or can be accessed directlyonline at www.sbi-e-catalog.com. Thecatalog can also be downloaded in itsentirety by visiting SBI’s website atwww.sbintl.com and clicking on the“Downloads” button.

For a copy of the catalog, or forquestions regarding the catalog orSBI parts, call 1-800-THE-SEAT.


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MAHLE Names Douglas NewGM For MAHLE Clevite Inc.MAHLE recently promoted Jon Dou-glas to General Manager of MAHLEClevite Inc., effective immediately.Douglas, who transitioned into the roleupon the retirement of Dan Moody,will report to Arnd Franz, Director andGeneral Manager for MAHLE After-market.

During his 20-year career with theMAHLE Group, Douglas has held avariety of roles, including produc-tion/quality engineer, team coordina-tor, and production manager –automotive. His most recent positioninvolved guiding the MAHLE Motor-sports division in North America to thetop of the performance engine parts aftermarket.

In his new role, Douglas will as-sume management responsibilities forall North American Aftermarket activi-ties, including MAHLE Clevite, Inc.,MAHLE Clevite Canada, ULC and theMAHLE Aftermarket S. de R.L. deC.V., S. de R.L. de C.V. in Mexico.

For more information aboutMAHLE Clevite Inc. and its NorthAmerican Aftermarket activities, visitwww.mahle-aftermarket.com.

Vintage Toolbox AuctionHelps Tornado Victims Lista International, Motorhead Extraor-dinaire and Garage Journal recentlyheld a two-week fundraiser to supportOklahoma tornado relief efforts. Usingthe Garage Journal forum (garagejour-nal.com), the auction gave forum mem-bers a unique opportunity to bid on avintage Lista SC750 Mobile Cabinet,originally used in the Lista factory.100% of the proceeds going to theAmerican Red Cross.

“Having just been through the re-cent Boston Marathon tragedies, weunderstand and share the pain of ourfriends in Oklahoma,” said Joe Ger-mann, president and CEO at Motor-head Extraordinaire. “We want to help,and at the same time give a GarageJournal member an opportunity toown a beautiful vintage Lista mobile

cabinet, compliments of Motorhead Ex-traordinaire and Lista International.”

“Our thoughts and prayers arewith all those affected by the recentweather events in Oklahoma,” addedPeter Lariviere, president of Storage &Workspace Solutions at Stanley Black& Decker. “The Lista Internationalbusiness has great friends and cus-tomers in the Oklahoma region, andwe are pleased to help those affectedby this tragic event.”

The auction was held in early June.The winning bid was $1,400 and Mo-torhead Extraordinaire donated an ad-ditional $200 to the fund. ListaInternational assisted with shippingcosts to the winning bidder as well.

To find out more, about Lista Inter-national visitwww.listaintl.com. Formore information on Motorhead Extra-ordinaire, visit www.motorheadextraordi-naire.com.

SEMA Announces Board ofDirectors Election ResultsDoug Evans of Source Interlink Media


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has been elected the chairman-elect ofSEMA and joins two newly electedboard members to help lead the associ-ation for the 2013-’15 term. Evans fillsthe position held for the past two yearsby Nate Shelton of B&M AutomotiveGroup; Shelton has moved up toSEMA chairman.

2013–’14 SEMA Board of Directors• Chairman of the Board: Nate Shel-

ton, B&M Automotive Group;• Chairman-elect: Doug Evans,

Source Interlink Media; and• Immediate-Past Chairman:

Scooter Brothers – COMP PerformanceGroup.

Board Members• Jeff Bates – principal/partner, Bob

Cook Sales (reelected to an additionalone-year term);

• Jim Bingham – president andCEO, Winner’s Circle Speed & CustomInc.;

• Luanne Brown – president andCEO, eTool Developers;

• Nick Gramelspacher – nationalsales manager, Meyer Distributing;

John Hotchkis – president,Hotchkis Performance LLC;

• Kyle Fickler - vice president ofsales, Weld Racing (newly electedboard volunteer);

• JR Moore – director, warehouseoperations, Performance Warehouse;

• Russell Stephens – president,MSD Performance;

• Tim Watts – vice president of salesand marketing, Superlift Suspension(newly elected board volunteer); and

• Steve Wolcott – CEO, ProMediaLLC.

John Johnson of The Spartan Groupwill serve as secretary/treasurer, andRuss Deane of Trainum, Snowdon &Deane continues as general counsel.

The newly elected SEMA Board ofDirectors will be recognized during theSEMA Installation Banquet & GalaFundraiser, Friday, July 26, at the Sher-aton Fairplex Conference Center,Pomona, CA. Also during the banquet,outgoing Board members and 2013SEMA Hall of Fame Inductees will behonored.

APRA Cautions Against Big RHotel Reservation ScamThe Automotive Parts Remanufactur-ers Association (APRA) has issued awarning for Big R show attendees: Ifyou receive a telephone call fromGlobal Housing Management regard-ing making your hotel reservation atthe Tropicana Hotel for the 2013 Big RShow, this is a scam. This company isnot connected with APRA or the Big RShow, the association says.

If you have made a reservationwith this company, APRA advises youto refuse this charge on your creditcard and email Magathan@buyreman tonotify the association.

The correct and safe way to make areservation at the Tropicana for thisyear’s Big R Show is by going to theofficial web site – www.bigrshow.com. ■


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Have industry news to share?Email it to Doug Kaufman at

[email protected]


Across the nation it seems wedon’t always agree on what tocall things. For example, when

you order a soft drink to some it’s“pop.” To others it’s “soda.”

I know what you’re thinking –where is this going, and why am Ithirsty all of a sudden? We’re goingback to the acronym I introduced afew months back that stands for Pro-fessionalism, Organization andProfit. Obviously, I’m a POP kind ofguy. I’m hoping you are also and nota SODA person. That’s because itmeans Some Other Description Ap-plies. Because these are our choicestoday, we need to get ahead of thecurve, make some money andchange some perspectives.

Previously we talked about bring-ing our business up to its most profes-sional, organized and profitable levelpossible. Well, as usual, I have a fewmore thoughts on the matter and theyconcern how professionalism comesinto play. If you have a contractorcome to your home for some remod-eling work, he’s probably going to askfor some up-front money for materi-als. You may worry that if you handover some money, you’re never goingto see this guy again. So what’s a cus-tomer to think if he walks into a dirtyold shop with his shoes sticking to thefloor, having to watch what hisclothes might bump up against andseeing parts and trash lying about?

If his mind goes off in that samedirection, the first thought in his headmight have to do with trust. Nowyour relationship is getting off to abad start. If you’re going to hand overyour hard earned cash, especially be-fore the job is done or even started,

you want to know you can trust theperson taking your money, right?

A good looking and clean shopconveys anticipation of a well done or“clean” job. What if the customersends someone else to your shop topick up his or her job? Does your en-vironment make the customer com-fortable enough to send, say, his wifeor daughter? Or will he havethoughts of the movie “Taken?”

When you have to call and explain additional work and parts that thecustomer will need to complete hisjob, will it be an easy sell? Or, will hethink some unexpected bills havecome into your shop and that his jobis going to pay them? Will the cus-tomer trust that he’ll get his numbersmatching block and heads back? Or,will he be worrying that his parts willbe lost among the many old coresstacked around the back door or pos-sibly given to the wrong person?

Trust is the number one messageyou want to convey. “Trust me to fixthis.” Or, “Trust me when I tell youwhat you’ll need.” And, “Trust methat you’ll get your money’s worth.”Maybe even, “Trust me to help yourwife if she’s going to be the one pick-ing things up.” Finally, “Trust me tobe a professional in every way possi-ble!” Would you want it to be anyother way if you were the customer?

A clean shop is an organized shop.Organization is just as important forthe customers’ trust as it is for you toget things done right and withoutwasting time. Organized means giv-ing the customer’s parts back to him –all of them. Organized gets the billingdone right the first time. Organizedhelps keep you from making time-

wasting mistakes. Organized gets youall your receipts in one place and theparts billed on the job. It also getsyour papers filed and delivered toyour accountant, so you have no trou-bles with the state or Feds.

I highly recommend some form ofjob ticket organizer. Again, this is asimportant for you as for your em-ployees. You are as responsible fortheir time management as they are.You’re the boss. Obviously, better yetwould be a computer. But an organ-ized workspace of some sort will helpyou all see jobs waiting for parts andjobs waiting for a deposit. Finishedwork, work on hold and whateverother heading you may need to sepa-rate one job from the next.

A good organized impressionwould also be made if you haveshelving, probably pallet racking, tohold all the parts and pieces for eachjob up off the floor. Or maybe abovethe block that’s on the floor. This alsokeeps it all together and safe fromfalling over onto someone. Plastictotes from a big box store can be veryuseful and clear or translucent oneswill allow you to make a simplepaper sign with the customer’s nameto put on the inside end of the box.Nice and easy to see, even on anupper shelf.

Pallet racking is also good for stor-ing your cores. Put them away in theback, not under foot. Your shop mighthave nice yellow painted stripes foraisles and safety, but the last thingyou need is blocks and heads lined upas aisle markers. Store them away orget rid of them before someone getshurt and you get sued! Believe it or

CONTINUED ON PAGE 48

EngineBuilderMag.com 11

Profitable Perform

ance

Will You Have aPOP or a SODA?

We may not agree what to call things,but we all want to make money

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Dave [email protected]

11, 48-49 Profitable Performance 7/17/13 9:22 AM Page 11

How to See Through Pistons for ClearanceWith the advent of longer strokecrankshafts, one inch plus liftcamshafts,raisedcamshaftlocations,lifter an-gles, borespacing,etc., exactcamshaftlobe andconnecting rod clearance may not beable to be determined from lookingup from the crankcase area of theblock.

To see through the pistons we savespent pistons, mark the pin locationand bore, and then machine the headsoff or machine openings so we can ob-serve clearances from above. We canalso send a mirror down the chamber.In addition, this is a great vantagepoint for observing connectingrod/wall thickness.

Archie FrangoudisArchie's Racing ServiceMerrimack & Nashua, NH

Small Parts Storage IdeaI use tea bag holders to organizesmall parts for cleaning. Retainers,keepers and other small parts fit intothese containers that are available atthe local hardware store. They have ascrew top so everything is kept to-gether, so no more lost parts!

Dave BurnArea Auto Parts & MachineDenver, CO

Using a Welder to RemoveBroken BoltsAs we all know, extracting a brokenbolt can be very frustrating and timeconsuming. Here is a tip to helpmake your life a little easier.

First, find the correct size flatwasher and nut for the broken bolt.For instance, a broken 3/8˝ bolt will require a 3/8˝ flat washer and nut.Start by welding the flat washer to theend of the broken bolt and then weldthe nut to the flat washer. Welding the

washer to the end of the bolt firstmakes it easier to get a good weld be-tween the nut and the broken bolt. ATIG welder works very well for thisbut a MIG welder can also be used.

After the washer and nut iswelded on, it can be heated with atorch to help make it easier to re-move the bolt. The nut that has beenwelded on can now be turned andthe broken fastener should comewith it.

Ben HoitinkHughes Engines, Inc.Washington, IL

How to Improve Your Company Image Want to improve your companyimage? Before you answer yourphone or a customer gets to yourcounter, do this – smile.

According to an APS Journal ofPsychological Science study, there isphysiological response to smilingthat reduces the intensity of thebody’s stress response, regardless ofwhether a person actually feelshappy. And being in a positive frameof mind will help you sell more partsand labor!

Steve RichSterling Bearing, Inc.Kansas City, MO

Aluminum or Tri-Metal,Which Bearings to Use?When you bring up the question ofwhether to use aluminum (bi-metal)or tri-metal bearings to several ma-

chinists, you are likely to get morethan one answer. The chart belowfrom MAHLE Clevite supplies factsto help you make the right decision.

Engine Pro Technical Dept.(Thanks to MAHLE Clevite, Inc.Farmington Hills, MI)

Manufacturers Shop Solution: Why Replace Oil Pump Screens?An oil pump pickup screen smoothsthe flow of oil into the pump and usu-ally keeps out debris that can lock upthe pump. The pickup screen is theonly part in an engine that assists thepump in its function. All other engineparts depend on the oil pump to as-sist them.

If a screen could be taken apart, itwould be easy to clean. Unfortu-nately, it can’t. Therefore, it is impos-sible to clean it completely. Anydebris left inside has the potential oflocking up the pump.

Close examination of a used screenassembly after attempts to clean itmay reveal a dark brown stain, whichis usually a varnish type coating. Themost common screen mesh has .040˝square openings between the wires.Oil flow is directly proportional to thearea of the hole. If the varnish coatingis .0051˝ thick, the square hole is re-duced to .0301˝ on each side. This is a25% reduction on a side, and a 44%reduction in the total opening areaand flow. Here is the math: (.040˝)2 -(.030˝)2 / (.040˝) = 43.75%

The second statement references


Bearing Factors Bi-Metal Material Tri-Metal Material

Application General use in passenger cars and Ideal for rebuilding engines where more light commercial vehicles, demanding use is anticipated, such as

especially OE engines designed heavy duty, motorsports or street for aluminum bearings. performance.

Wear Resistance Relatively harder aluminum alloy Babbit surface engineered to utilize wears well, interacts closely with stronger copper layer under it, thus journal surfaces for strength. minimizing wear.

Embedability Babbit alloy easily absorbs particles, has low melting point. Conformability Alloy engineered for toughness to Babbit and copper-lead alloy adapt to

conform while preserving strength. shape errors.

Compatibility Greater silicon content conditions Babbit layer adapts to the journal bearing journal surfaces. surfaces, has natural lubricity.

Seizure Resistance Silicon moderates journal surfaces Layered design and copper-lead alloy to maintain oil film for normal offer unmatched strength and lubricity operating conditions. for demanding use.

Strength 10,000 psi load carrying capacity. 12,000 psi load carrying capacity.

Bearing application chart from MAHLE Clevite

12-13 Shop Solutions 7/17/13 9:20 AM Page 12


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.


“usually keeps out debris.” There are two styles of screens thatallow debris to enter an oil pump. The first has a valve in the cen-ter that opens if the oil is too thick or if the screen is restricted. Thesecond type has eight gaps approximately 3/16˝ x 1/2˝ which allowoil to flow if the mesh will not.

Oil screens should always be replaced. There is not a more economi-cal way to reduce oil pump and engine failure from ingested foreignmaterial.

Technical DepartmentMelling Engine PartsJackson, MI

Factoid of the MonthThe iconic Ford blue logo was signed byHenry Ford. Right? Wrong!

The Ford blue logo was designed andsigned by Childe Harold Wills, best known asthe father of the Wills Sainte Claire automo-bile. Mr. Wills was also a metallurgist and calligrapher. He designed and signed theFord blue logo while working for Henry Ford before launching his own automobile.

By the way, a foremost collector of Wills Saint Claire automobiles is Tom Lieb,owner of Scat Enterprises. Tom owns four Pebble Beach Concours class winning Wills Saint Claires, and many spare parts. ■

12-13 Shop Solutions 7/17/13 9:20 AM Page 13

Ioften hear comments from peopleabout a strange and mysteriousfluid called DEF (Diesel Exhaust

Fluid) that is used in some late-modeldiesel trucks. Many owners of thesenewer diesel-powered vehicles don’tknow what DEF is or why they havea separate tank or even how often toadd the stuff. And what exactly is itmade of (Hint: it’s not urine!)?

The use of DEF in diesel trucks isbased soley on its ability to help man-ufacturers meet today’s tougherdiesel emissions standards. With theemission devices of the ’70 and ’80sstill a bad memory for many, these de-vices robbed power, made vehiclesmore difficult and costly to repair, andultimately led to the increased pricesof vehicles. One thing you have to re-member, however, is that back thendiesel engines wereexempt from theserules and regulations.Diesel engines thatwere found in auto-mobiles were neverreally in demand, andthey didn’t makemuch power either.One positive thing about them wasthe fact that they generally got greatfuel mileage and were in service avery long time.

As time has passed and we’velearned a lot more about emissionsdevices, it really isn’t a sore subjectamong consumers anymore. In fact,with the power and reliability alongwith fuel mileage of today’s auto-mobiles, no one really complains.However, as diesel engines becomemore regulated there tends to besome flashbacks to the past. With

this being said, I want to explain theuse of DEF in diesel applications tohelp ease some concerns that may beholding your customers back fromtheir next diesel truck purchase.

DEF is a mixture of urea, not amixture of urine. I realize this is notscience class, but it’s nice to under-stand what urea really is. Naturalurea is waste excreted by humans andother mammals from metabolizingprotein. In humans, the liver breaksdown protein and ammonia thatforms the waste urea. The kidneysthen transfer the urea from the bloodto the urine. The average person canexcrete 30 grams of urea a day, mostlyfrom urine and some through perspi-ration. DEF, however, is made from asynthetic urea. It is produced from acompound of ammonia and carbon

dioxide

manufactured for uses such as animalfeed and fertilizer.

DEF is used to reduce the levels ofnitrogen oxides, know as NOx. Nitro-gen oxide is formed in an internalcombustion engine from the reactionof nitrogen and oxygen during thecombustion process. The NOx causesair pollution and in bigger cities is amajor contributor of greenhouse gas.NOx gas has been one of the majorconcerns for the EPA, which has beentightening emission standards fordiesel engines in the last few years.Because a diesel engine has a leanerstoichiometry (air/fuel ratio), it tendsto produce more NOx than otherfuels. The use of DEF to lower NOxgas is known as SCR (Selective Cat-alytic Reduction). DEF is one waymanufacturers have reacted to newemission requirements to lower NOx.


Diesel ExhaustFluid Not So Bad

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Robert [email protected]

There is still a lot of misconception surrounding this mysterious additive

Die

sel D

ialo

gue

A sample can be taken from the DEFtank where the disc in the tester willmeasure the concentration of urea. If theconcentration of urea is off by as little as0.7%, replace the urea and determinewhy the urea concentrations were low.

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How the System WorksThe DEF fluid is a mixture of 32.5%high-purity synthetic urea and 67.5%deionized water. The solution isadded to a tank on the vehicle that islocated generally near the fuel tankfor convenience. The DEF tank has ablue lid where the fuel tank has agreen lid. The DEF fluid is trans-ferred from the tank to an injector viaa pump. The injector for the DEFfluid is usually placed downstream(after turbo) in the exhaust system.The injector is operated electronicallyby a controller that will open it toallow a low dose of DEF into the ex-haust stream. The controller for theinjection of DEF is programmed toinject the right amount of fluid basedon inputs from the engine controller.As engine demands change, theamount of DEF will change depend-ing on engine load, rpm, speed, tem-perature, etc. When the DEF isinjected into the exhaust stream, it be-comes a catalyst for the NOx. TheNOx level is reduced between 70%

and 90% based on application. Here’s the beauty of SCR: by using

urea, more NOx gas can be reducedthan other treatments, which has al-ways been a major issue when tryingto reduce diesel emissions. This iswhy the EGR valve system wasplaced on diesel engines. The EGRwas used to revert exhaust gas backinto the intake in order to lower theoxygen content of the the incomingcharge of air into the engine. Whenthe oxygen level is reduced, the com-bustion temperature is also lowered.

In a diesel, when the combustiontemperature is reduced, you begin toform soot instead. Then soot becomesan issue in the intake manifold alongwith the rest of the exhaust system.When the soot particulate had to bedealt with, manufacturers began in-corporating an expensive solutionknown as a DPF (Diesel ParticulateFilter). This is known as a regenera-tion process where the soot is col-lected in a filter in the exhaust systemand then later burned off by injecting

fuel to clean the filter. But naturally,this creates higher fuel consumption.

By incorporating the use of SCR,NOx levels can be maintained whileproducing more power. Then themanufacturers rely less on otheremission devices such as the EGRand DPF. So, more power can bemade with less pollution. This is oneof the reason today’s diesel enginescan make almost twice the power onthe same platform.

Injection timing can be tailored tomake power instead of being alteredto produce less NOx and deal withcooler combustion temperaturesfaced with EGR. Reflecting back,EGR systems have caused their shareof problems. Look at the Ford 6.0Ldiesel and the problems the EGRcoolers impose on those engines. Sothe use of DEF has proven to be apositive, low-cost solution to loweremissions while offering more powerand reliability. ■


Column


14,16 Diesel Dialogue 7/17/13 9:24 AM Page 16

Performance engines built forracing deserve the best possiblelubrication. Ordinary street oils

don’t cut it on a race track. The latestAPI-certified SN and ILSAC GF-5motor oils are fine for everyday driv-ing in late model vehicles, but mostoff-the-shelf motor oils (even manysynthetics) come up short in the anti-wear department in a racing applica-tion – especially if the engine isrunning a flat-tappet cam or a radicalroller cam with a lot of valve springpressure.

Specially formulated racing oilsare available from a variety of com-panies. The base-oils and additivesthat are used in these products is aproprietary secret, just like theColonel Sander’s recipe for friedchicken. Nobody is going to divulgethe exact ingredients and their per-centages that make their productwhat it is, though most will tell yousomething about the basic oils andadditives they use and how greatthey perform (there’s a lot of hype tosift through from the marketing de-partment!). Most brands offer a rangeof viscosities from which to choose aswell as various additive packages foreverything from drag racing to circletrack, for gasoline or alcohol fueledengines, and even air-cooled motor-cycle engines.

Many suppliers of racing oils re-fine their own oil and make a full lineof lubrication products for both streetand racing. Other companies buytheir base-oils from other refiners andhave their products blended to theirown specifications. Either way, theend product is a high-quality lubri-

cant that is designed for the rigors ofprofessional racing.

What makes racing oil differentfrom off-the-shelf conventional andsynthetic oils that are marketed foreveryday use? Basically, racing oilsare formulated for racing and noth-ing else. They are designed to handlehigher temperatures and higherloads. Most racing oils are NOT de-signed for everyday street use, al-though there are some special streetperformance oils that offer increasedwear resistance and thermal protec-tion for higher-output engines.

Wear ResistanceMotor oils contain zinc and phospho-rus as high-pressure anti-wear addi-tives. But in recent years, the amountof ZDDP (zinc dialkyl dithiophos-

phate) that is allowed in street oilshas been reduced to prolong the lifeof the catalytic converter and oxygensensors (both of these metals are con-taminants that can reduce the life ofthe catalyst and sensors). Motor oilscontained 1,500 parts per million(ppm) of ZDDP back in the 1980s. Inthe 1990s, that was reduced to 1,200ppm, and in 2005 it was cut again to600 to 800 ppm. The rationale wasthat modern engines with roller camsor OHC cam followers don’t requireas much ZDDP anti-wear additive asolder engines with flat-tappet cams.The reduced levels of ZDDP werealso deemed adequate for most pas-senger car flat-tappet cam engines.But as many racers learned the hardway, today’s street oils with reducedZDDP are wiping out cams in per-formance engines with flat-tappetcams, radical roller cams and enginesthat are using lots of valve springpressure.

The solution? Some racersswitched to diesel motor oils becausethey still contained higher levels ofZDDP. But that also changed a fewyears ago when the amount of ZDDPin diesel oils was reduced to 1,200ppm. Most experts feel that 1,500 ppmof ZDDP (or more) is required to pro-tect cam lobes, flat-tappet lifters andthe needle bearings in roller lifters.Anything less than that is asking fortrouble. Some racing oils also containmolybdenum in various forms as partof their anti-wear package.

ZDDP crankcase additives areavailable that can provide the re-quired anti-wear protection for olderengines and performance engines


Feature

Racing OilsOrdinary street oils just don’t cut it on the race track any longer

Break-in oils typically contain no detergent and have extra ZDDP andother anti-wear additives to help protect the cam and lifters.

BY TECHNICAL EDITOR LARRY [email protected]

17-24 Race Oils 7/17/13 9:18 AM Page 17

that are running street oils. These ad-ditives are designed to supplementstreet oils, not racing oils, so followthe directions and precautions on theproduct.

Some oil engineers caution againstusing additives with racing oils. Amotor oil performs best with the ad-ditive package that is blended into it.Adding supplements may create anoverdose of some ingredients andupset the balance of other ingredi-ents. Too much zinc can interferewith other additives (such as deter-gents), and increasing zinc levels be-yond the recommended 1,500 to 2,500ppm concentration will not providehigher levels of scuff and wear pro-tection. For this reason, the expertsrecommend using a racing oil that isformulated from the get-go to pro-vide the required anti-wear protec-tion needed for a performance engineand to NOT add anything else to it.

Thermal StabilityThermal stability, which is the oil’sability to resist oxidation (burning)

when it gets hot, can also be an issuewhen ordinary motor oils are sub-jected to the rigors of racing. Synthet-ics are much better in this respectbecause they can handle higher tem-peratures without breaking down.

But the base oil and additive packagein a motor oil formulated for every-day driving (including synthetics) isnot going to provide the same levelof performance as the higher qualitybase-oils and additives that go intospecially formulated racing oil. Con-sequently, an off-the-shelf street oil isnot going to perform at the samelevel as a racing oil.

Base Oil ChemistryBase-oils are categorized according totheir performance characteristics. Vis-cosity Index (VI) is one measure of oilquality. Anything over 100 is good,with higher numbers being best.Group I base-oils are the lowest cate-gory. They are the least expensive oilsto refine and typically have a VI rat-ing in the 80 to 100 range. Most con-ventional street oils today use aGroup II base oil (usually a VI of 100or higher) plus a small percentage ofGroup III (VI over 120) synthetic oilto meet API SN or ILSAC GF-5 requirements.

Racing oils start with higher grade


Feature


Racing oils start with higher gradebase-oils from Group III all the way upto Group V and are full-synthetics.

17-24 Race Oils 7/17/13 9:19 AM Page 18


19 amsoil_Layout 1 7/17/13 9:38 AM Page 19

base-oils (Group III, Group IV syn-thetics and even some Group V oils)to get a higher level of performance.Group IV oils are full-synthetics andinclude POA (polyalphaolefin) whichis the most versatile synthetic. POAdoes not contain any sulfur, phospho-rus, wax or metals. It can withstandelevated temperatures, and has a VIrating of 135 to as high as 300. That’swhy POA is used as the base oil inmany racing formulas.

Oil Viscosity and HeatHeat is a real challenge in perform-ance engines because the engine maybe making anywhere from one and ahalf to three times as much horse-power than a comparable stockmotor, depending on what’s beendone to it. That’s a lot of waste-heatgoing into the block and other engineparts.

Direct oil flow to the crankshafthelps cool the main and rod bearings,and splash lubrication helps lubricateand cool the pistons and wrist pins.Add some pin oilers to direct oil at

the pistons, and the oil takes on evenmore cooling responsibility. Oil alsohelps cool the upper valve train, in-cluding the rockers and valvesprings. Consequently, the oil picksup a lot of heat.

The type of oiling system on themotor can help manage much of thisheat by routing the oil into a reservoirtank and through an external oilcooler. But engines that are running aninternal wet sump oiling system withno external cooler can heat up the oilvery quickly in a racing environment.

Racing oils are formulated to han-dle temperatures that cause ordinarystreet oils to break down. This re-quires high-quality base-oils and ad-ditional friction-modifiers. Manyracing oils are designed to handletemperatures in the 250° to 300° F (orhigher) range.

The oil in a crankcase of a daily-driver is probably going to stay in the165° to 185° range with normal driv-ing. It can climb higher during hotweather, with sustained high-speeddriving, when towing a trailer or

when driving aggressively. But it isnot going to reach the kind of temper-atures a race engine can experience.

The least demanding racing appli-cation as far as oil temperatures areconcerned is drag racing. The engineis started cold with little or no warmup time, then it’s a short burnout anda quick blast down the quarter-milebefore going back to the pits. The oilnever gets very hot, so a relativelythin, low viscosity racing oil such as5W-20 and 5W-30 may be used with-out fear of overheating the oil.

Thin oils can also be used in cer-tain asphalt circle track engines, too,provided the engine has an adequateoil-reservoir, good oil-cooler and ra-diator to help manage the heat. Thinoils are typically used with tighterbearing clearances and reduced oilpressure (which saves horsepower).By comparison, more traditional rac-ing oil viscosities such as 15W-40,15W-50 and 20W-50 are thicker andbetter able to maintain their viscosityat elevated temperatures in en-durance applications such as circle


Feature


17-24 Race Oils 7/17/13 9:19 AM Page 20


21 henkel_Layout 1 7/17/13 9:37 AM Page 21

track and road racing. The heavieroils work best with increased bearingtolerances and perform best whenpreheated before a race.

Lower viscosity multi-weight oilsare used in late-model passenger carsfor a variety of reasons. Thinner oilsreduce friction and save fuel, butthey also flow better when cold andspeed lubrication to critical uppervalve train components such as over-head cams in late-model engines.That’s why most new cars todaycome factory filled with 5W-20, andsome even 0W-20 motor oil. Thinnerviscosity racing oils can also reducefriction to yield power gains depend-ing on the base-oils and additivesused. You’re not going to see hugepower gains, but with some oils it ispossible to see another 1 to 3 percentmore horsepower at the flywheel. Onan 800 hp engine, that could be an-other 8 to 24 more hp on the dyno.

Street oils are formulated forlonger service intervals (up to 7,500miles or more), so they require moredetergents and dispersants. Racing

oils don’t have to go those kind ofdistances so the additive package canbe very different. A racing oil stillneeds good detergency to handle fueldilution of the oil in the crankcase,but not as much detergent or disper-sant as a typical street oil. So racingoils need to be changed fairly fre-quently. One expert said if you cansmell fuel in the oil or see that it isturning dark, it’s time to change it.

Oil RecommendationsChoosing a particular brand and vis-cosity of racing oil depends on a lot ofvariables: how tight you’re buildingthe engine, how much heat the oilwill have to endure in a racing appli-cation, the kind of oiling system onthe motor, the kind of fuel the enginewill be running, how much “extra”horsepower you are trying to gain byusing a thinner/slipperier oil, howmuch anti-wear protection the enginewill require (depending on the type ofcam, lifters and valve springs), yourpast experience with a particular oil,if your customer has a brand prefer-

ence or sponsorship to consider, andthe advice of the oil supplier. Nobodyknows their products better than theones who make them, so don’t beafraid to ask an oil supplier what typeof racing oil they recommend for theengine you are building.

If you’ve had good experiencewith a particular brand of racing oiland are comfortable with how the oilperforms, there’s probably little or noincentive to try something different.After all, if it isn’t broke there’s noneed to fix it. Trying a different brandor viscosity of oil is always a gamble.A different oil may run cooler, protectbetter and/or give you some extrapower – or it may not. The only wayto find out is to find out what kind ofoil some of your competitors areusing and try some yourself.

Some oil companies publishguides listing the type of oil and vis-cosity they recommend for certaintypes of racing. If you’re building ablown nitro engine for a Top Fueldragster or Funny Car, you’ll need aheavy oil like 70 weight. In that kind


Feature


17-24 Race Oils 7/17/13 9:19 AM Page 22


23 maxima_Layout 1 7/17/13 9:37 AM Page 23

of application, the oil isn’t going tolast very long. Most Top Fuel racersdump the oil after every run. The realpenny pinchers may let the old oil sitin a bucket for several days for thenitro to separate, then drain off theoil and reuse it another couple oftimes before discarding it completely.

The point here is that oil is cheapand engines are not. You have to usethe right oil and change it as often asneeded to keep the engine alive.

For enduro road racing or circletrack, a 20W-50 or even a straight 40or 50 weight oil may be the bestchoice. For an alcohol fueled engine,an oil with a special additive packagedesigned for alcohol would be recommended.

If you’re building a 500 to 800horsepower big block Chevy for acustomer who wants to drop the en-gine in a hot rod or street rod (whichwill probably only be driven duringwarm weather), a 20W-50, or straight40 or 50 weight oil would be recom-mended to handle the heat.

On the other hand, if you arebuilding a late model Chevy LSmotor for a road racer thestreet/strip, a lighter multi-viscosity5W-20, 5W-30, 10W-30 or 15W-40might be the best choice dependingon how much power the engine

makes and howhot the oil will get.

If a racer does-n’t know whatkind of oil temper-atures are normalfor his kind of rac-ing, he should in-vest in an oiltemperaturegauge or oil tem-perature sensor sooil temperaturescan be monitored.Once this vitalpiece of informa-tion is known, it’seasier to pick anoil based on howmuch heat the oilwill have to with-stand.

Break-In OilsEqually importantto choosing agood racing oil fora performance en-gine is using thecorrect type ofbreak-in oil whenthat engine is firstfired up. Conven-tional 30 weight

oil is usually recommended for lubri-cating internal engine parts as the en-gine is being assembled, with molyassembly lube being applied to thecam lobes, the bottoms of flat-tappetlifters (or the needle bearings in rollerlifters), rocker arms and the tips ofpushrods.

Once the engine is together, thecrankcase should be filled with amineral-based (not synthetic) non-de-tergent oil. The trouble is, non-deter-gent oils are hard to find so many oilcompanies now formulate their ownspecial break-in oils. These productstypically contain no detergent andhave extra ZDDP and other anti-wearadditives to help protect the cam andlifters during break-in. Break-in oilviscosities may range from 0W-10(for engines that will be running a re-ally thin oil) to 5W-30 to 15W-40.

The most critical step in the break-in process is getting the piston ringsto seat. If the rings don’t seat, the en-gine will use oil and never developgood compression. Plateau honingthe cylinders before it is assembledgoes a long way towards assuring agood ring seal. But even with a goodplateau hone, it still takes a little run-time to fully seat the rings. We’retalking 30 to 45 minutes of run-timeat varying engine speeds and loads toseat the rings, and maybe up to anhour or two of run-time as needed,but no more.

Once the rings have seated, itstime to turn it off and dump thebreak-in oil. Once the break-in oil hasaccomplished its mission, it’s history.You can recycle it, burn it in a wasteoil heater, or even use it in an olderdiesel engine or farm tractor. Butdon’t leave it in any longer than nec-essary. A common mistake is to leavethe break-in oil in the engine whileyou’re tuning it on a dyno. Break-inoil is not racing oil, and if you push ittoo hard and get it too hot, it’s goingto burn and possibly wreck the newengine you just put together.

Make sure you change the filter,too, because any residual honingabrasives and wear particles that arefloating around inside the engine cancause a lot of problems later if not re-moved. ■

For Oil Supplier contact information,visit enginebuildermag.com and useour interactive Buyers Guides.


Feature


Many suppliers of racing oils refine theirown oil and make a full line of lubrica-tion products for both street and racing.

17-24 Race Oils 7/17/13 9:19 AM Page 24


25 epwi_Layout 1 7/17/13 9:33 AM Page 25

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26 PEBOY_Layout 1 7/17/13 9:32 AM Page 26


27 driven_Layout 1 7/17/13 9:32 AM Page 27

There are probably a million waysto dress-up a classic show car’sengine. You can add colorful

spark plug wires to any vintage motor.You can install Chevy Orange logovalve covers on any 1958-’86 slant edgesmall-block Chevy. You can get a uni-versal-fit Airbox air cleaner with a blueHPR filter, for muscle cars with cowlinduction. These colorful “goodies”will make your engine look flashy andmore modern, but they may changethe character of your “mill” from old tonew.

These days, with the value of origi-nal and old school cars soaring, an updated appearance for that vintageengine may not be the route you wantto take. If you’re building an engine fora vehicle that fits in either of these twocategories, your engine dress-up op-tions actually fall into four main cate-gories:

1. Painting and detailing the engineto its original factory appearance;

2. Adding factory optional dress-upequipment from the original era;

3. Locating hard-to find, period-cor-rect aftermarket dress-up items; and

4. Installing aftermarket reproduc-tions of period correct dress-up parts.

Standard Factory DressingsClassic car restorers have been knownto stop just short of fisticuffs when debating what colors car factoriespainted engines many years ago.“What’s the proper color for my engine?” is often the firstquestion new collectorsask and sometimes thereis no absolute answer.For instance, paints invarious shades of blue

are available to 1960s Pontiac enginerestorers. “Robin’s Egg Blue” was thefactory issue color on cars made earlyin that decade and Metallic Silver Bluewas used after 1966. Today, both ofthese colors are sold by different sup-pliers as “Pontiac Blue,” so some re-builders wind up using the wrongcolor for the year of their engine. Goodresearch can avoid this problem, but itgets a little trickier to determine whichof several Robin’s Egg Blues is the perfect OEM match.

In reality, there may be no single“correct” color to paint a vintage en-gine. Auto historians have found thatcar factories purchased paint from dif-ferent vendors and, although manufac-turers provided color specifications tothese suppliers, slight variations couldand did occur. Therefore, engine re-builders may not be able to swear an

oath that PlastiKote’s No. 208 PontiacBlue is more accurate than Eastwood’sNo. 777 51629 ZP Pontiac Light Bluefor 1959-’65 engines (or vice versa).However, as long as you use just onetype of paint, the results will meet current guidelines.

Such guidelines are often estab-lished by clubs that recognize onebrand or one model of a car – for in-stance a Ford club or a Mustang club.For an older engine made when thou-sands or hundreds of different automakers produced cars, clubs suchas the Antique Automobile Club ofAmerica (www.aaca.org) or Classic CarClub of America may be helpful.

According to Shane Hanke, theowner of Shane’s British Classics inWaupaca, WI, there are websites suchas www.mgcars.org.uk/mgtd that givethe color samples and modern product


Vintage Engine GoodiesAll dressed up with show places to go

Feat

ure

Chrome kits like the one on this’70 Chevelle SS454 were notavailable as factory installedequipment until the late 1960s.

BY CONTRIBUTING EDITOR JOHN [email protected]

28-36 Engine Dress Up 7/17/13 9:17 AM Page 28


29 sema1_Layout 1 7/17/13 9:28 AM Page 29

codes to help restorers findthe correct engine paints forvintage British sports cars.Engine color information isalso available from compa-nies that supply such prod-ucts including Bill Hirsch,Tower Paint and Jochem’sAuto Parts.

Engine paints are formu-lated as Very High Tempera-ture (VHT) coatings and thelabels on the can will indi-cate the maximum tempera-ture they will withstandbefore burning off. We’veseen powder coat and porce-lain finishes on old engines.Technically, these are not au-thentic, but they sure looknice. There are new ceramicengine paints as well as spe-cial paints for engine partssuch as exhaust manifolds,accessory brackets, starters,generators (and alternators),carburetors and so on. ECSAutomotive Concepts(www.ewcsautomotive.com)sells a new product calledRPM Rust Prevention Magicthat can be used to treat baremetal engine parts so theycan have an original lookwithout rusting.

Another item needed todress-up an engine to looklike it did when it was new isa kit of all the decals the fac-tory put on it. Up until themid-1950s, engines had onlya few decals on parts such asthe air cleaner, valve coversand oil filter (if they had anoil filter). Later engines all

came standard with decal-plastered air filters, as well assmog pumps, oil filler caps,electrical parts and manyother components requiringcertification labels, etc. Au-tomakers were even forcedto retroactively add labels tocars like the Fiero due togovernment recalls. PhoenixGrafix (www.phoenixgraphix.com) is a large sup-plier of decals, but manyother catalog distributorsoffer decals for specific years,makes and models of cars.

Hobbyists don’t neces-sarily think of a restoring anengine to stock appearanceas dressing it up, eventhough they are willing tospend a bunch of moneydoing it. “Well, I guess it’sdressing up an engine whenyou have new paint andnew decals on the valvecover and air cleaner andeverything is shiny and neatand working,” 1957 T-Birdowner Mike Drechsler toldEngine Builder. “But until Ireally thought about this, Ialways felt dressing up anengine meant adding theoptional ‘chrome pack’ thatyou see on a lot of these T-Bird engines.”

30 July 2013 | EngineBuilderCircle 30 for more information

Egge Speed Shop and othervintage engine specialists selldress up parts like this pol-ished aluminum Offenhausercylinder head for the flatheadFord V8.


Factory Dress-up KitsChrome packs or engine dress-up kitswere mainly a late postwar era devel-opment. In the 1920s or 1930s, if yourcar came with a dressed-up engine,your name was probably HowardHughes or Jay Gatsby. Expensive lux-ury cars like Duesenbergs came withnickel-plated engine parts. If you or-dered your “Duesie” with a super-charger, then it had huge, bright metalflex pipes flowing from under thehood. In contrast, if you bought a FordV8, you got a motor painted drabgreen; if you bought a Chevy with a“stovebolt six” it was painted stovepipe gray. Automakers didn’t offermany dress-up parts in those days.

As we’ll see in the section on pe-riod-correct aftermarket parts, follow-ing World War II the growth of hotrods and custom cars spawned thegrowth of mail order parts houses of-fering speed equipment for streetdriven cars. Some of this equipmentwas designed to dress-up the looks ofengines (more often than not Ford’sflathead V8). By the mid-‘50s, enthusi-asts could order all sorts of under-hood appearance enhancements fromthese places, but not from Detroit.

Car Fax 1958 – a publication thatrecorded new car costs, factory sug-gested prices and detailed prices forfactory-installed optional equipmentand accessories – didn’t list a singleengine dress-up kit for Big 3 models orStudebakers or Ramblers. Even theCorvette and T-Bird had no shiny extras.

This doesn’t mean all ‘50s-early ‘60sengines looked boring. Certain enginedress-up items were standard on carslike the Corvette and pricey optionslike fuel-injection or air conditioningmay have included shiny engine bits.It’s also possible that dealer-installedaccessories were put on before a carleft the showroom. However, therewere no factory dress-up kits until themid-’60s.

Specialty cars like the Corvette andT-Bird had distinctive-looking engines,that were optional in other Chevys andFords. In 1962, the Pontiac Grand Prixcame out for the sports-personal mar-ket niche and the 1963 Buick Rivierafollowed a year later. Then, the Mus-tang and GTO arrived in mid-1964 andboth of them took factory engine dress-up parts to a new level. By 1965, a 389-

cid V8 with chrome-plated rocker armcovers, oil filler cap and air cleaner wasstandard in GTOs. Ford marketed theMustang as an entry-level sporty carwith lots of options to boost its price.Mustang extras included Cobra enginedress-up kits.

Other factory muscle cars like theChevelle SS 396, Olds 442, Ford Fair-lane GT, Dodge Coronet R/T, etc.,came with dressed up engines. In 1965,Pontiac realized the chrome parts forthe GTO’s 389-cid also its 421-cid V8,so a dressed-up 421 was used in theCatalina 2+2, a full-size muscle ma-chine. Although the chrome parts werestandard on these “factory hot rods,”anyone could order them through thedealer parts network and use them todress-up a non-muscle model thatcame with a milder version of thesame basic engine.

It didn’t take the factories long to re-alize that a little bright work under thehood sold cars. By 1968, half of the 16engines offered for Tempests, GTOs,Firebirds and big Pontiacs came with

chrome-plated low-restriction aircleaners and seven of those also in-cluded a chrome oil filler cap androcker arm covers. By 1969, Ford madea bright engine dress-up kit and alu-minum rocker arm covers part of itsRam Air option, but the parts could beordered separately, too.

Finding period-correct factory op-tional engine dress-up equipment islike looking for a needle in a haystack.Ads in car clubs devoted to one makeof car may get you in touch with ven-dors who bought out old dealer inven-tories to get new old stock parts to sell.Auctions on eBay are another possibil-ity, but beware of listings that say “alsofits 1965 Mustang” as they are sellingaftermarket parts (sometimes verycheap aftermarket parts) that fit yourcar and many others. Such parts willnot give you the originality you arelooking for. Hemmings Motor News is ajulyly magazine with thousands ofclassified ads that can also help you lo-cate very-hard-to-find factory-issuedengine options.

EngineBuilderMag.com 31Circle 31 for more information


The prices of NOS parts foundtoday can shock you. An original ACchrome oil filler cap for a 1964-‘67 Pon-tiac 389-cid/400-cid V8 (GM part No.5420359) was recently listed on eBayfor $149.99. That compares to $34 for acorrect chrome re-pop from Ames Per-formance (www.amesperf.com). Proba-bly the only difference between thetwo is that the car with the NOS capwill win a few more points in a judgedcar show. However, it is that kind ofbragging rights that collectors are will-ing to pay for. As they say, things areonly original once.

Old School Aftermarket‘Dress-Up’ PartsRacing car designer, builder and driverJoseph W. Jagersberger was born in Vi-enna, Austria in 1884. After highschool he joined Mercedes as an engi-neering apprentice and he later be-came a demonstrator of the company’sproducts – sort of a public relationsman. He started racing in France in1897 and continued driving racing carsafter he came to the United States in

1903 to join the Case racing team inRacine, WI. In 1914, he formed a com-pany to make speed equipment forModel T Fords. Today, you’ll findcylinder heads made by his RAJO(RAcine JOe) Mfg Co. are part of“Speedy” Bill Smith’s vintage enginecollection at Speedway Motors in Lin-coln, NE.

The RAJO story illustrates how farback the speed equipment industrystarted and the collectible nature – andvalue of – early speed equipmenttoday. The following ad for a RAJOcylinder head appeared in 2011:

RAJO MODEL T FORD OHVHEAD with all accessories. Rebuilt readyto go: $2,740. This is everything you needto convert your Model T to an overheadvalve motor. Nicely rebuilt RAJO cylinderhead, rebuilt rocker arm assemblies, pushrods, head bolts, exhaust manifold andvalve cover. Ready to go!

For comparison, an original ModelT Ford cylinder head that needed cleanup was recently listed as a $9.99 buy-it-now item on eBay, while a perfectcylinder head that had been cleaned-

up was auctioned for a high bid of $85.It’s true that Joseph W. Jagersberger

didn’t make his overhead valve con-versions as a dress-up item. His wasone of hundreds of companies makingparts that enhanced the performance –rather than looks – of engines. How-ever, it was from the same speedequipment industry that the develop-ment of engine dress-up parts evolvedafter World War II. Ray Richter of Bell,CA – a Los Angeles suburb – was a pi-oneer in catalog sales of speed equip-ment in the postwar era. His Bell AutoParts “49” Catalog, distributed in 1949,was advertised as “the most compre-hensive and up-to-date catalog of racing equipment.”

The Bell Auto Parts “49” catalog offered speed equipment made by along list of early suppliers. The backcover promoted Edelbrock, Offen-hauser, Weland, Navarro, Tattersfeld,Knudsen, Harman and Collins, Win-field, J.E. Pistons, Thomas, Halibrandand Burns products. Although the ex-ternal engine parts like cylinder heads,intake and exhaust manifolds, magne-

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32 July 2013 | EngineBuilderCircle 32 for more information


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tos, air cleaners, exhaust headers andcarburetors were sold as “racing equip-ment,” they also made the enginesthey went on look cool and many areconsidered dress-up items today.

Some items in the 1949 Bell Catalogwere actually described as parts thatenhanced the appearance of an engine.“Made of steel tubing, these wirelooms give the neat precision appear-ance of a professional racing engine.The sturdy brackets mount on the in-take bolts, holding the wires awayfrom oil and cylinder head tempera-tures,” noted the copy for chrome-plated ignition wire looms that fit Fordand Mercury V8-85 motors and soldfor $7.60 per pair (plus 5% excise tax).

Other mainly dress-up items in thecatalog were a chrome Air Maze aircleaner for FoMoCo flatheads ($4.25), achrome Hellings air cleaner for enginesrunning Riley carburetors ($6.25), Be-lond No. 855 chrome-plated exhaustheaders for ’35-’48 Ford flatheads($42.50), chromed Stromberg 97 carbu-retors ($10 exchange or $16 outright),polished chrome-plated carburetor

stacks ($1.25 each), a polished alu-minum fuel pump stand ($1.75),chrome acorn manifold bolts specifi-cally sized for Edelbrock Super and Of-fenhauser Dual Manifold intakes (25cents each) and polished aluminumvelocity stacks ($2 each).

Automotive writer Ken Gross hasalways been fascinated with the Fordflathead V8. “I don’t know if it was because I was speed-equipment-deprived as a child or what,” he toldinterviewer Phil Berg in his book, Ulti-mate Garages. “I just looked through is-sues of Hot Rod and I just wanted all ofit (speed and dress-up parts),” he said.“And now I’ve got a lot of it.” Grosswas talking about the 138 or so vintageFord intake manifolds hanging on thewall of his garage.

Reproduction Old School Aftermarket GoodiesTo add to the value of a classic car, anaftermarket engine dress-up item hasto have something special going for it.There are many chrome goodies thatwill fit certain vintage engines and

brighten them up, but that alone won’tjustify the cost of buying them. In fact,some cheaply made parts may fitpoorly or start rusting very quickly orsimply look “cheesy” on a collector car.Professional appraisers joke that thereare cars that are worth more with theirhoods closed!

As we have already seen, the reallyspecial dress-up items are the factorychrome kits and the authentic vintageaftermarket parts that survivedthrough the years. Due to the passageof time, such parts are difficult to findand a few may even be true rarities.Fortunately, over the past decade or so,the restoration parts industry hasgrown both in size and marketing sophistication. Even old line compa-nies like Edelbrock and others havestarted selling replicas or exact repro-ductions of parts they sold years ago orparts made by other iconic hot rodparts suppliers.

Edelbrock – which is celebrating its75th anniversary this year – could sim-ply dust off old blueprints for its vin-tage parts. Egge Machine, for example,


Feature



created Egge Speed Shop to sell Moon,Offenhauser, Wayne and OTB re-pops.

“As old school looks in traditionalhot rods and customs became popular,the perceived values of vintage enginedress-up items like Offenhauser valvecovers, finned aluminum flathead oilfilters, finned air filters and the likewent through the roof,” explains AlanMayes, managing editor of Ol’ SkoolRodz magazine. “If the items could befound at all, they were too expensivefor the average guy to buy or too valu-able to leave on an unattended car.”

According to Mayes, the automo-tive aftermarket that caters to tradi-tional hot rodders and customizers issmall enough to act quickly, though.“Companies like Mooneyes(www.mooneyesusa.com), O’Brien Truck-ers (www.obrientruckers.com), H&HFlatheads (www.flatheads-forever.com)and several others stepped up to offernew replicas of those desirable olditems,” Mayes notes. “ In some cases,they were even able to locate and re-furbish the original molds. After all,back in the day, those parts were madeby hot rodders who became entrepre-neurs and everyone knows hot rod-ders don’t throw anything away!”

An outgrowth of the swing to oldstyle aftermarket dress-up parts is thatengines which went out of vogue yearsago are regaining popularity. Thisgroup includes early postwar CaddyV8s, Olds Rockets, Buick “nailheads,”Chrysler Firepower Hemis and evenGMC-Chevy-Ford straight sixes andOlds-Buick-Pontiac-Packard straighteights. A few specialty vintage engineparts suppliers sell Offenhauser valvecovers for 1953-1966 Buick nailheadsand 1949-1956 Olds Rocket V8s.

Smaller companies are also makingvintage style parts. PML (www.yourcov-ers.com) markets Cadillac valve coversfor 1949-1967 Cadillacs with 331-, 365-,390- and 429-cid V8s with four-boltvalve covers. For 1963-1967 390- and429-cid engines, the PML covers willbolt on the heads, although the shapeis different. You will need to use a 1954Cadillac gasket to get the valve coversto seal on a 429. The finned coverscarry the 1949 style Cadillac logo.

As a niche market, the restorationengine business allows room for somecreativity, too. Ross Racing Enginesmakes both speed parts and stock re-placement parts for nostalgic Oldsmo-

EngineBuilderMag.com 35Circle 35 for more information



Feature


bile Rocket and J2 engines. One exam-ple – the company’s Lacey & Morsealuminum cylinder head for 1949-1964Olds 303-, 324-, 371- and 394-cid V8s –is made for racing, but looks veryshiny and dressy and shaves 70 lbs. offthe weight of a stock head.

Hot rodders and racers have nolock on the retro-look marketplace, either. Patrick M. Dykes of CasaGrande, AZ, (patricksantiquecars.com)sells engine dress-up items for 1932-1953 Ford V8s and 1937-1962 Chevyin-line sixes, but focuses largely on theold truck category. Patrick’s currentvendors include two very famousnames – Iskenderian and Offenhauser,while he manufactures (and, like allhis parts, warrantees) other compo-nents himself. One of his specialties isparts for the GMC 228 thru 302-cid in-line sixes.

Chances are pretty good that thenumber of vendors making reproduc-tion nostalgic parts will keep expand-ing. The 1949 Bell Catalog had 40pages, plus covers, and there are still

quite a few parts shown init that haven’t been repro-duced yet. In fact, there aresome real niche-nicheitems like a Weiand pol-ished aluminum head forthe Studebaker Champion flathead sixpriced at $43.25 and a dual-carb intakemanifold for Chrysler and DeSoto

sixes and Dodge truck engines pricedat $43.75. We wonder how many ofthose they sold? ■

Vic Edelbrock was one of the early pioneers in the industry and introduced many “dress up” items thathas continued today with items such as its #41403valve cover with vintage 8-fin styling that fits thelegendary 348-cid and 409-cid Chevy big-block V8s.



Track Talk

Someone once said “It’s notwhere you start, but where youfinish.”

Considering the path to hiscurrent career in motorsports,that person could have beentalking about 2003 NASCARTechnical Institute (NASCARTech) graduate JonathanSickler.

For the last two years, Sicklerhas been an integral part of RevRacing where he serves as a fin-ish fabricator and drives theteam rig that hauls the racecars.All those miles on the road andhours in the garage could take atoll on a person, but notSickler.

“If you’re passionate about

what you do and enjoy it, itdoesn’t seem like work,” saysSickler.

Even if it doesn’t seem likework, the time and effortSickler and his team put in hasbeen well worth it. LastNovember, the No. 6 RevRacing Toyota team driven byKyle Larson captured the K&NPro Series East crown, markingthe first NASCAR touringchampionship for Rev Racingand NASCAR’s Drive forDiversity initiative.

More than a decade ago,when Sickler was installing carstereos in Pinellas Park, FL,NASCAR championship tro-phies were not exactly top of

mind. However, as he workedmore with cars, he developed apassion for them, even beyondthe stereo component. Takingon the same tasks, day after day,he was ready for a change, andknew that expanding hisknowledge of cars was the firststep.

At 25, Sickler packed up hisbelongings, drove across thecountry and enrolled at theUniversal Technical Institute(UTI) Avondale, AZ campusand completed the 51-weekCore Automotive Program.

With a solid mechanicalfoundation, Sickler was readyfor more. “Race City, USA” andNASCAR Technical Institute(NASCAR Tech) was his nextpit stop.

“The curriculum was reallystrong and I was at the age

where I was mature enough tounderstand what I wanted todo and how I was going to getthere,” explains Sickler.“NASCAR Tech provided a plat-form for me to accomplish mygoals.”

At 27, Sickler was notdeterred from reaching the pin-nacle of the racing world. Heproves that no matter your age,a career in the automotiveindustry is possible.

“Shops and race teams arelooking for qualified, skilledand passionate individuals,”says John Dodson, communi-ty/NASCAR team relationsdirector at NASCAR Tech.“Those are the types of gradu-ates we turn out, and they getthe job done.”

Sickler is talented and moti-vated, but notes that withoutthe education he received atUTI and NASCAR Tech, hewould not be where he istoday.

“You have to have an educa-tion in automotive technologyto get into racing,” says Sickler.“It’s really competitive andhands-on experience is the dif-ferentiator race teams are look-ing for.”

Sickler realizes how fortu-nate he is to be in this positionand wants others to know thatall things are possible.

“Whatever you put into lifeyou will to get out of it,” hesays. “If you work hard andbelieve in what you’re trying toaccomplish, you can do it.”

For more informationabout NASCAR Tech’s 10 yearsof starting careers, visitwww.uti.edu/partners/nascar.

Follow NASCAR Performance on Twitter and Facebookwww.twitter.com/NASCARauto

www.facebook.com/NASCARPerformance

Jonathan Sickler helped Rev Racing capture the 2012 K&N Pro Series East crown. A UTI and NASCAR Tech grad-

uate, Sickler says education and hands-on automotive experience is the differentiator shops and race teams

look for when hiring.

Education, Hard Work Pays Off forRev Racing’s Sickler

37 July 2013 NASCAR_Layout 1 7/17/13 9:15 AM Page 37

Cleaning engine blocks and cylin-der heads is just as important asthe machining operations you

will perform on the castings. You can’tdo a thorough job of inspecting theseparts if they are dirty, greasy or cov-ered with paint or corrosion. Checkingfor cracks in cast iron heads and blocksrequires a clean surface for the mag-netic particle detection powder. Like-wise, checking aluminum castings forhairline cracks with penetrating dyealso requires a clean surface. Evenporosity leaks in aluminum heads andblocks may be masked if there’s aheavy layer of gunk on the metal.

You also don’t want to gum upyour shop equipment while you’remachining the castings, and you don’twant any surface contaminants inter-fering with precision machine worksuch as honing or resurfacing. Mostlate-model heads require a mirror-likefinish to seal the MLS gaskets, so anydebris that’s snagged and drug acrossthe metal by the milling headmay mar the mating surface.Clean bare metal is all youwant to see following the initialcleaning process.

There’s no single cleaningprocess that is right for everyapplication because aluminumand cast iron are very different metals.Aluminum is much softer than cast ironand much more sensitive to high tem-peratures (anything over 450° to 500°F.). Too much heat can anneal andsoften the metal. Aluminum is alsoporous and more chemically reactivethan cast iron. Harsh cleaning solutionsthat work well on cast iron may dis-color and tarnish aluminum’s naturallybright finish. Clean bare aluminum

quickly forms a surface layer of alu-minum oxide that stops further oxida-tion, and the color is the same as thebase metal so there is no change in ap-pearance or color. Most customers wanta bright, like-new finish on their alu-minum heads and blocks so it’s impor-tant you use a cleaning process that cando just that. Of course, the other optionis to camouflage a discolored castingwith aluminum paint before it goes outthe door.

Cast iron, by comparison, can with-stand just about any cleaning processyou can throw at it: harsh causticchemical solutions, acid dips, lots ofheat (indirect heat or open flame) andalmost any kind of abrasive blastmedia. But as tough as cast iron is, itsAchilles’ heel is rust. Iron has a strongaffinity for oxygen and wants to revertback to its natural state (iron oxide) assoon as clean bare metal is exposed toair – especially if there’s moisture orhumidity to accelerate the process. Be-

cause of this, rust control and preven-tion are major concerns when cleaningand preserving cast iron blocks andheads. The cleaning process youchoose to use on cast iron shouldtherefore include some type of rust in-hibitor or post treatment to prevent themetal from turning an ugly brownishred. The castings will eventually bepainted or powder coated, but it’s im-portant to keep rust formation to aminimum until the assembled partsare either returned to the customer orare ready to paint.

Making Dirty Parts CleanAfter tens of thousands of miles ofeveryday driving, even the cleanest en-gine is covered with crud. Oil leaksand dirt combine to form a greasy coat-ing on the outside of the engine. Thefactory paint can chip and peel away asa result of heat and surface corrosion,allowing exposed iron to rust. Alu-minum heads and blocks can becomedull and discolored. Road salt can etchand corrode aluminum, and form a


Cleaning Blocks &Cylinder HeadsIt’s just as important as your machining operations

Feat

ure

The process you choose to clean blocks andheads must be effective at removing dirt,grease, oil, paint, carbon, rust and scale frominternal as well as external surfaces. This headwas half cleaned with an ultrasonic system.

BY TECHNICAL EDITOR LARRY [email protected]

38-43 Cleaning 7/17/13 9:14 AM Page 38

39 Tattoo ad_Layout 1 7/17/13 9:27 AM Page 17

rusty crumbly mess on exposed castiron surfaces.

Internally, engines get dirty too,with hard carbon deposits coating thecombustion chambers and exhaustports. Scale and lime deposits can forma thermal barrier inside the coolingjackets around the cylinders and com-bustion chambers. Oil varnish deposits

and sludge can build up in oil galleys,valleys and other internal block andhead surfaces that are bathed with oil.

All of these external and internalsurface contaminants have to be re-moved by the cleaning process youchoose, not only to allow inspectionand relatively clean machining but toalso eliminate contaminants that could

cause trouble if not removed. Ma-chined parts also require some type ofpost-cleaning to remove oils, metalchips and honing residue. Never as-sume a customer will do a good job ofcleaning their block and heads afteryou’ve done the required machinework. They might or they might not,but if there are any problems they willlikely blame you when contaminantschew up the bearings, score the crankor cam journals, scuff the cylinders andpistons or cause the engine to fail.Think of post-cleaning as added insur-ance against comebacks.

Post-cleaning after machiningshould remove all traces of metal chipsand honing residue as well as any blastmedia or shot reside that may be lurk-ing in nooks and crannies of the headsand block. The final cleaning processshould leave the metal with a bright,clean, cosmetically-appealing finish –unless, of course, you are painting thecastings. Even then, you need an oil-free clean surface for the paint to stick.

Choosing A Cleaning ProcessObviously, the process you choose toclean blocks and heads must be effec-tive at removing dirt, grease, oil, paint,carbon, rust and scale from internal aswell as external surfaces. The processshould also require the least amount oftime, labor and energy to complete be-cause cleaning costs can often accountfor as much as 20 to 30 percent of thecost of rebuilding some engines. Theless manual labor it takes to clean theparts, the better. Besides, cleaning is adirty job that nobody loves doing sothe more automation you can incorpo-rate into the process, the more youremployees will appreciate it. The bestcleaning methods only require you toload the parts and turn on the equip-ment. So whether it’s load and spray,soak and penetrate, cook and vaporize,or blast and rinse, the more work thecleaning equipment can do for you, theless handling, scrubbing and scrapingyou’ll have to do to get the parts clean.

There are lots of ways to cleanblocks and heads and different shopsuse different cleaning techniques fordifferent reasons. If you’re buildingperformance engines and working pri-marily with new castings, you should-n’t have to deal with much dirt andgrease and grime. Post-machining


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38-43 Cleaning 7/17/13 9:14 AM Page 40

cleaning to remove cutting oils, metalchips and honing residue is probablyall you’ll have to worry about. On theother hand, if you’re rebuilding old,dirty, greasy, high-mileage engines thatlook like they’ve been dragged throughthe mud behind a 4X4 or used as a boatanchor for the past 30 years, cleaningcan be more of a challenge.

Cost is another variable that affectsthe type of cleaning process you maychoose to use. If you can’t afford theequipment, it’s not an option. Spraycabinets and thermal ovens and flamerotisseries and ultrasonic tanks andblast cabinets are great to own, but if allyou can afford is a discount storepower washer and a small solventtank, your cleaning capabilities will begreatly limited. Spray aerosols such asgasket remover, engine degreaser,brake cleaner or general purpose clean-ers can all be used to clean heads andblocks, but they also take a lot of scrub-bing and hand washing to get the partsclean. That’s why you need to thinkabout upgrading your cleaning capa-bilities if you are still cleaning parts the

old fashioned – and often environmen-tally-unfriendly – way.

Space limitations within yourshop may also limit your ability touse the type of cleaning equipmentyou’d like to use. If this is the case,you may be able to farm out some ofyour more challenging cleaningneeds to another shop.

You may also encounter environ-mental restrictions on the type of clean-ing processes and chemicals you canuse. Some jurisdictions may limit stackemissions from thermal cleaning sys-tems or the use of high VOC (VolatileOrganic Compound) chemicals. Theremay also be restrictions on what youcan pour down the drain or send to alocal landfill. Hazardous waste dis-posal costs can really add up, so theless waste you produce, the less costyou’ll have to bear in getting rid of it.

You also have to consider the cost ofthe cleaning equipment, the cost tomaintain that equipment (maintenancecontracts and repairs), the cost to oper-ate the equipment (energy costs andenergy efficiency), and the cost to get

rid of any residues or hazardous wastegenerated by the cleaning process.Your equipment supplier can fill you inon the details here. Just make sure youask all the right questions and get themanswered to your satisfaction!

Which Cleaning ProcessWorks Best?It depends entirely on the application.The first and foremost considerationshould be the effectiveness of the clean-ing process. Does it remove all of thecontaminants and get the heads andblock reasonably clean? In some in-stances, it may take more than one typeof cleaning process to achieve the stateof cleanliness you desire. A process thatdoes a great job removing dirt, greaseand oil may not do as well removingrust or carbon. Some cleaningprocesses that work extremely well onthe exterior surfaces of castings (suchas spray washing) don’t do much ofanything to clean the insides of thecasting such as the cooling jackets andoil galleys. So you have to pick andchoose the process or combination of


FeatureTHIS ISSUE: PG 44 >> SEMA Engine PG 47 >> Profitable Performance PG 50 >> Supply Line


38-43 Cleaning 7/17/13 9:14 AM Page 41

processes that will do everything youwant to accomplish.

Spray washers are great for washingoff external surfaces as well as any ex-posed internal surfaces the jet streamcan reach. Spray washers require theright type of detergent for the metalbeing cleaned, and are most effectivewhen the water temperature is main-tained within the specified workingrange of the cleaner (which may rangefrom room temperature up to 170° F ormore). Hotter usually cleans better, buthotter also increases your energy costs.

Hot tanks (filled with caustic orsome type of aqueous cleaner) aregood at cleaning both the inside andoutside surfaces of castings. Submerg-ing the parts and allowing them tosoak for an extended period of timewill loosen most of the stuff you don’twant on the metal. As with spraywashers, heat usually accelerates thecleaning process as does agitation. Theconcentration of the cleaning solutionin the tank also has to be maintainedand replenished as needed to keep the

tank operating at peak efficiency. Thegunk that settles to the bottom also hasto be cleaned out periodically.

Choosing the right chemicals or detergents is absolutely essential for effective cleaning. A highly caustic solution in a hot tank or spray washercan do an excellent job of cleaning castiron heads and blocks, but it may dis-color or etch aluminum. Conversely, acleaning agent or detergent that is for-mulated for aluminum may not be thebest choice for cleaning cast iron. Somecleaning products are “general pur-pose” cleaners that can be used on bothcast iron and aluminum, but there maybe tradeoffs such as longer processtimes to clean cast iron or some metaldiscoloration when cleaning aluminum.

An ultrasonic tank can do magic onall kinds of parts. The ultrasonic soundwaves literally blast dirt and grime offboth external and internal surfaceswith tiny imploding bubbles. Ultra-sonic cleaning can also reach into blindholes and deep recesses to blast the

surface clean. If you’ve never seen ul-trasonics in action, you will be amazedat how grease and oil just melts off thesurface – and it’s extremely fast pro-vided the parts are not caked with aheavy thick coating of dirt and grease.Ultrasonics is often used as a second-ary fine cleaning process after partshave been spray washed or baked. Thefrequency and power level of the ultra-sonics can be tuned to the type of partsbeing cleaned, giving you even moreleverage in your battle against grime.

Thermal cleaning in a oven or anopen flame rotisserie can burn offgunk both inside and outside blocksand heads. An open flame is especiallygood at burning off high temperatureoils such as synthetics. But thermalcleaning always requires a subsequentcleaning process (shot blast, glassbead, soda blast or spray washing) toremove the ash residue. Too much heatcan anneal and soften aluminum cast-ings, so the heat has to be turneddown when cleaning aluminum headsor blocks. You should never attempt to


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38-43 Cleaning 7/17/13 9:14 AM Page 42

clean cast iron and aluminum parts inthe same batch.

High temperatures inside a cleaningoven can also loosen the seats andvalve guides in aluminum heads. If theseats and guides are being replacedanyway, it’s no big deal and may saveyou some disassembly time. On theother hand, if the original seats andguides are being reused, and you don’twant them to fall out, thermal cleaningmay not be the best option for aluminum heads.

The cleaning technique (or combi-nation of methods) you use shouldleave the heads and block free ofdirt, grease, carbon and lime de-posits. Residual carbon deposits thatare still clinging to combustionchambers or exhaust ports can bebrushed or blasted away, but that re-quires additional manual labor(which should be avoided to mini-mize your cleaning costs). The cos-metic appearance of the metaldoesn’t matter until the final post-machining cleaning has been com-pleted and the block and heads are

ready to be assembled, paintedand/or bagged and returned to thecustomer. Bagging is highly recom-mended to keep out dirt while partsare being stored and transported.

When final cleaning an engineblock, the cylinders should be manu-ally scrubbed with hot soapy water toremove all traces of honing residuefrom the bore surfaces. Wiping thecylinders with ATF or WD-40 canprevent rust but it won’t remove hon-ing residue. You have to use deter-gent to loosen, lift and wash awaythe residue.

Dry blasting aluminum with glassbeads, aluminum oxide grit or steelshot (stainless works well and lasts along time but is expensive) can re-move discoloration. But this requiresan additional cleaning step to makesure no beads, grit or shot are left be-hind in any of the nooks and cranniesof the casting. Masking off the valveguide and cooling jacket openingsprior to bead or grit blasting can re-duce the risk of media being retained.

Another cleaning alternative is to

use a soft blast media such as plasticbeads, walnut shells or baking soda toclean both cast iron and aluminumcastings. Baking soda has proved tobe an effective cleaning media on castiron and aluminum, and can be useddry or mixed with water to create acleaning slurry. Adding some alu-minum oxide to the mixture can in-crease its cutting action even more.

Baking soda is relatively soft com-pared to other traditional blastmedia (only 2.5 on the Mohs hard-ness scale), and it is inexpensive andis water soluble (making it easy towash off afterwards). It can scouraway carbon, rust and paint, but unlike other media dry soda canonly be used once (wet soda canmake several passes).

When baking soda hits the surfaceof the metal, it fractures as it knocksloose the surface contaminants. Thiscreates a lot of dust, so the blastinghas to be done in a sealed cabinet. Bycomparison, wet soda blasting is aclosed-loop process that eliminatesthe dust. ■


FeatureTHIS ISSUE: PG 44 >> SEMA Engine PG 47 >> Profitable Performance PG 50 >> Supply Line

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


38-43 Cleaning 7/17/13 9:14 AM Page 43

The criteria for selecting EngineBuilder magazine’s inaugural“Performance Engine Builder of

the Year” included much more thanthe ability to put together race-win-ning engines. Things like communityinvolvement and the support of train-ing and education were part of themix. To be sure, our 2012 award win-ner, Ed Pink Racing Engines of VanNuys, CA, scored high marks in theseareas – most notably through theirsupport of the SEMA Memorial Schol-arship Fund (SMSF), which has, overthe years, provided close to $2 millionin aid to students seeking careers in the automotive industry.

An important means for raisingscholarship funds has been the an-nual auctioning of an engine on eBay.This engine is builtentirely of aftermarket compo-nents manufacturedby SEMA membercompanies. And it’sbeen configured,built and dynotested by the personnel of Ed PinkRacing Engines.

In addition to being responsible forengines that have won the Indy 500,plus captured numerous champi-onships in drag racing, off-road,sprint car, midget and road racingcompetition, the folks at EPRE alsoknow what it takes to build a top-shelf street motor.

Rather than have a complete, pre-packaged dyno-tested engine for sale,a unique twist to the 2012-’13 pro-gram was to tailor the build to theneeds of the buyer. The winning bid-

der, Rod Johnson, met with Ed Pinkand Frank Honsowetz of EPRE at thePRI Show and they chose a course ofaction.

A solid foundation for the buildcame in the form of a Dart small blockChevrolet SHP cast iron block, whichwas mated to Dart SHP aluminumcylinder heads. From that point on,the build was the proverbial “cleansheet of paper.” Johnson wanted anengine for his dad’s street-driven 1955Chevy pickup; something with goodperformance, but completely docile.

As you know, cubic inches are al-ways a good way to get more powerwithout sacrificing reliability, so aScat 4340 forged steel stroker crank(3.750” stroke) was selected, as wereScat 4340 H-beam connecting rods(5.700” length) along with Clevite rod

and main bearings

and Fel-Pro gaskets. An ATI SuperDamper augmented the internallybalanced engine. MAHLE forged alu-minum pistons (4.145” bore) andTotal Seal piston rings were employedin the 405 cid package, which camewith a 9.55:1 compression ratio. TheDart heads featured 200cc intakeports, 64cc combustion chambers, andhad 2.02” intake and 1.60” diameterexhaust valves; a good balance be-tween air/fuel flow and velocity.

Continuing with the premise ofhaving a streetable power curve, aComp Cams hydraulic roller (#12-647-8) was used. A set of Manley one-piece chrome moly pushrodsconnected the Comp hydraulic rollerlifters to the Comp 1.6 aluminumroller rockers. This gave the engine anet lift of 0.612” at the valve, with aduration of 248° (intake) and 255° (ex-


Built for Auction

SEMA Scholarship Engine Build Helps Students Seeking Automotive Industry Careers

Feat

ure

Polished aluminum abounds onthe SEMA Scholarship Engine,thanks to the Holley EFI, Mo-roso valve covers, Edelbrockfront cover and water pump andMarch pulleys.

BY CONTRIBUTING EDITOR BILL [email protected]

44-46 SEMA engine build 7/17/13 9:04 AM Page 44

haust) at .050° with zero lash.A Milodon high-performance oil

pump and a 6-quart Milodon panhandled the small block’s lubricationneeds, with Driven racing oil utilized.Cooling came via an Edelbrock waterpump. An Edelbrock front coverhoused a Comp timing set. A set ofHedman hedders, appropriate to thevehicle, was also provided.

All the fasteners used in the buildwere from ARP. They ranged from4130 chrome moly head studs, mainstuds and rod bolts all the way to pol-ished stainless steel 12-point acces-sory fasteners. The high-performancealternator and starter were manufac-tured by PowerMaster, while a set ofMarch brackets and pulleys added anice finishing touch.

To provide the engine with a dis-tinctive “look” and all-around per-formance a Holley EFI was selected.The polished aluminum injector fea-tures a 2x58mm throttle body, a StealthRam intake, and fuel injectors rated at35 lbs. per hour. A FAST distributorwas used to signal the Holley ECU,

with a Crane HI-6 igni-tion and coil providingthe power to the Morosoplug wires and Cham-pion spark plugs. Thefuel pressure required atWOT was 43 psi, and thedistributor had 33° ad-vance. A pair of Morosopolished aluminumvalve covers, speciallyengraved with the SEMAand Ed Pink Racing En-gines logo, add to the en-gine’s exclusivity.

After all the normalbreak-in procedureswere completed the en-gine was put through itspaces on the dyno, withadjustments to ignitiontiming and fuel mapping


FeatureTHIS ISSUE: PG 48 >> Profitable Performance PG 51 >> Product Spotlights PG 56 >>Final Wrap


Cylinder head specialist CraigMcCormick dialed in the valvetrain of the SEMA Scholarshipengine.


made to optimize performance. Theengine cranked out an impressive 475ft.lbs. of peak torque at 4,500 rpm,and exhibited a very wide torqueband that showed in excess of 400 ftlbs. for about 2,500 rpm. Peak powerwas a steady 453 horsepower, whichit held between 5,500 and 5,800 rpm.Needless to say, with its broad powerband the SEMA/Ed Pink small blockwill make for an excellent “driver.”

The beauty of the Holley EFI isthat the ECU will “learn” the actualdriving parameters of John-son’s Chevy and make thenecessary finite adjust-ments for optimum per-formance.

Thanks to the efforts of almost two-dozen SEMAmember manufacturers andthe considerable skills of Ed Pink Rac-ing Engines, a potent, good-lookingengine was built to benefit young peo-ple wishing a career in the automotiveaftermarket. These scholarships areavailable to university, 2-year college

or trade school students, with a per-centage dedicated to children of SEMAmember employees. A “loan forgive-ness” program for paying off student

loans for employees of SEMA membercompanies is also available. Applica-tion information is available atwww.sema.org/scholarships. ■


Feature


Noted engine builder Ed Pink(right) is joined by Mike and RodJohnson, who are putting theengine in a classic Chevy pickupthey’re building for their dad.



FeatureTHIS ISSUE: PG 48 >> Profitable Performance PG 51 >> Product Spotlights PG 56 >>Final Wrap

A “bonus” for Johnson was touring theEd Pink Racing Engines facility. HereEPRE’s Larry Ingham shows off a rareNovi engine from the Indy 500 currentlyunder restoration.

It takes a combination of partsand people to build an engine.Here are Ed Pink Racing En-gines staffers (l to r) TomSchlaak, Bill Wood, Craig Mc-Cormick, Lauren Arana, LarryIngham and Felipe Javier whohad a hand in the build.

EPRE technician Lauren Arana is shownworking on the SEMA Scholarship enginein the early phase of construction.

Frank Honsowetz, General Managerof Ed Pink Racing Engines, poses withthe Dart SHP block that was the foun-dation for the small block build.

Wickersham mapped the ECU and madea series of partial pulls, “dialing in” thefuel curve of the Holley EFI. Once in thehost vehicle the EFI will self-program tomatch driving conditions.


CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11not, this will reduce stress and keepthe confusion down, leaving only cus-tomers engines, which you’ll keep or-ganized and continually moving inand out of the shop.

While we’re talking organizing, es-tablish a way to order and check-inyour parts. Before computers, I used touse a simple “0” next to the part thatneeded ordering from the work order.It became an “8” if it was ordered anda black blob if it was in the premises.You’re more creative than that, I’msure, but it was easy and anyone couldlook at a work order and know whatwas happening with the parts acquisi-tion.

Being organized and professionalwill make you money. Professionalsgarner repeat customers and referrals.These are your best hope for futurecustomers. You can’t refer someone toa business that does not represent itselfwell because this can reflect back onyou. People will feel good referringothers to a clean, neat and well organ-ized business, even if the businesscharged slightly higher prices than thedark and dangerous cave across town.

If “location, location, location” arethe three most important things in realestate, then you must know by nowthat my three most important thingsfor success in the automotive aftermar-ket are “profit, profit, profit.” Don’t besilly and think I am driven only bymoney. That’s crazy. But withoutprofit, you’re not here tomorrow, pe-riod. Without profits, you can’t buypallet racking or a computer. Andyou’re not going to be able to get as or-ganized and professional as you’d like.

How many profit centers in yourshop? If you’ve answered “two,” partsand labor, I feel that might be a littleshortsighted. In the broadest sense,yes, but in a managerial or ownershipposition you must see it as much more.Parts might be calculated to includewhat is needed to complete the job,plus the profits that can come fromadd-on sales. Related parts, chemicals,paint or performance oils and addi-tives all have the potential to put moremoney in your pocket. This can also beexpanded to include, but not limitedto, clutches, water pumps and motormounts. You might also set up a


Column




wholesale account with a parts store ortraditional WD and supply your cus-tomers with everything they need tocomplete the job, including belts, hosesand ignition parts.

Labor might be easier to see. Howmany employees, counting yourself?How many profit centers? Granted,your wife or accountant might not beproducing labor out of the shop, but Ihope everyone else is making you aprofit.

Now let’s count machines. Each ma-chine is capable of generating incomeand hopefully profit. If not, why? A ma-chine needs to be able to produce; Oth-erwise it’s just wasting space that couldbe occupied by some greasy old cores.Seriously, consider each machine andeach operation. I regularly hear that thecylinder head department generates thehighest dollar per hour in most shops.This tells me that the other operationsneed to be addressed.

Start timing your major machiningoperations and compare your findingsto your published or preferred hourlyrate. If you’re not meeting or beatingthose numbers, it’s time for a price in-crease for that operation. You got intobusiness to make money, if you want tocontinue you will occasionally need toraise your prices.

Check around with other shops thatoffer similar services as your own. Seewhat they are charging. Now comparethe variables. Can you charge a little bitmore? Do you have newer and fasterequipment? Can you provide addi-tional services that the others cannot?Look at it from many angles. This willhelp you determine your selling strate-gies as well. Now you can see a differ-ence and you need to highlight thesedifferences while talking with your po-tential customers.

Don’t forget that the atmosphere ofyour clean organized business will alsohelp you because customers will expectto pay a little more in this environment.Conversely, if your business is a wreck,and still looks stuck in 1974 you’ll beperceived as just that up-to-date. If it isdirty, unorganized and generally looksunder-funded, then that’s what cus-tomers will expect to pay: 1970s-eraprices that reflect a poor cut rate busi-ness.

It’s the choice of the now generationof shop owners. POP or SODA? Youdecide. ■


ColumnTHIS ISSUE: PG 50 >> Supply Line PG 51 >> Product Spotlights PG 56 >> Final Wrap





Sup

ply

Lin

e

Voodoo Engine KitsVoodoo Engine Kits range from the complete engine kit –including the full rotating assembly, camshaft, lifters and atiming set – down to a traditional balanced rotating kit thatincludes the crankshaft, rods, pistons, rings and bearings.Each kit has been precisely matched and built to exact engine specs, making them ideal for street performanceand racing.www.lunatipower.comCircle Number 125

Or call (662) 892-1500

Ultra-Gold ARC Series Aluminum Rocker Arms COMP Cams LS Non-Adjustable Ultra-Gold ARC SeriesAluminum Rockers are more durable than both stock rock-ers and other aftermarket aluminum rocker designs. ACNC-extruded body provides increased strength and stiff-ness, which is especially important for higher-load springs.The roller tip, meanwhile, is an upgrade over the stockslider, which is not meant for use with high-lift cams andsprings that see increased load. What's more, a larger-than-stock billet trunnion package features captured nee-dle bearings to help prevent failure. The rockers includepedestal mounts and bolts, and feature a non-adjustable,bolt-down design. www.compcams.comCircle Number 126

Or call (800) 999-0853

Titus – Aftermarket Cleveland Engine BlockAccepting standard Cleveland accessories and hardware,these new larger displacement blocks from McKeown Mo-torsport Engineering (MME), dubbed Titus, are available inaluminum or cast iron, with deck heights of 9.2˝ or 9.5˝ andwith bore sizes ranging from 4.00˝ to 4.20˝. As anticipated,MME’s Titus engines are suitable for street or strip use andfor most forms of drag, oval track, and road racing. Need-less to say, they operate in naturally aspirated form or with

nitrous, turbochargers,or superchargers. Moreimportantly, they aredesigned to handle ex-treme power, they mateto stock componentsand operate easily instandard street cars. Unlike the originalCleveland block, the lubrication system hasbeen redesigned for pri-ority oiling to the mainbearings with the ability to adjust oil flow elsewhere. In ad-dition, the main webs are designed for strength, providingthe greatest amount of material for 4.38˝ bore centers.Other key upgrades contained in the options lists include:solid water jackets; deck heights of 9.100˝ to 9.700˝; 14- or18-bolt cylinder heads; bushed lifter bores and more.www.mmeracing.comCircle Number 127

Or call (301) 932-9292

Electric Racing Water PumpPRW’s Performance Quotient Series chrome high flowelectric racing water pumps were designed to alleviate thepower drag produced by conventional pulley drive units. Aheavy-duty electric motor, turning at approximately 1,500rpm, is more than adequate to fulfill cooling needs withoutdraining horsepower from the engine. The unit can bewired to operate manually, even with the engine off. Themotor life is rated at 2,750 hours of continuous operationat 176° F. Kit comes complete with gaskets, billet alu-minum inlet fitting, mounting hardware, pigtail connector,and timing cover block-off plate (Ford applications) and isavailable for SBC, BBC, BBF, SBF and Ford 351 Clevelandapplications. www.prw-usa.comCircle Number 128

Or call (714) 792-1000

>>New Products

50 Supply Line 7/17/13 9:03 AM Page 50


Product Sp

otlights

Engine Pro High PerformanceConnecting Rods

Engine Pro H-Beam Connecting Rods areforged from 4340 steel and produced onCNC machinery. They are finished in theU.S. to ensure precise big-end and pin-endbore sizes. Rods are magnafluxed, heattreated, stress relieved, shot peened andsonic tested to ensure they provide thestrength required for high horsepower ap-plications. Engine Pro connecting rodsequipped with standard 8740 bolts are ratedfor up to 700 horsepower in small blocks,and 850 horsepower in big block applica-tions. Visit, www.goenginepro.com.

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

Circle 105

2X Zinc FormulaReduces Engine Wear

Maxima Performance Break-InOil is specifically designed for breaking in engines withflat tappet camshafts, roller elements or where elevatedlevels of anti-wear additivesare needed. Complex 2X Zincstructure protects for an extended temperature range,outperforming conventionalbreak-in oils.

Maxima Racing OilsPhone: 800-345-8761www.maximausa.com

Circle 102

Have You Been ToEngineBuilderMag.com?The Engine Builder website - www.engineb-

uildermag.com - provides weekly updated

news, products and technical information

along with the same in-depth editorial con-

tent as the magazine. Technical, product

and equipment, market research, business

management and financial information is

all searchable by keywords making it easy

for engine builders to find the information

they need from current and past issues.

Currently the site receives more than

120,000+ page views/impressions per

month and growing!

Engine BuilderPhone:330-670-1234www.enginebuildermag.com

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51-53 Spotlights 7/17/13 9:02 AM Page 51


Prod

uct

Spot

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s

Ford 5.4L 3V CamshaftsElgin Industries offers the aftermar-ket’s most complete line of precision-engineered stock and performancecamshafts for today’s leading engines. Now engine builders can restore OE performance and reliabil-ity to Ford 5.4L 3-valve (VIN 5) engines with the following premium-quality Elgin cams:

E-1830-S (Left) 2005-2008E-1831-S (Right) 2005-2008

Elgin IndustriesPhone: 800-323-6764www.elginind.com

Circle 106

Ergonomic Blast Cabinets

ZERO blast cabinets are now available in anergonomic body style, which allows the op-erator to sit while working. The cabinet con-figuration provides comfortable knee-roomfor the operator without interfering withthe free flow of media for reclamation andre-use. Standard cabinet features include:large, quick-change window, reverse-pulsecartridge-style dust collector, suction-blastor pressure-blast models. HEPA filtration asan option. Cabinets can work with glassbead, aluminum oxide and other recyclablemedia. Applications: cleaning, de-burring,peening, and finishing.

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

Circle 107

Mobil 1 Racing Oil0W-50

Mobil 1 Racing 0W-50 is a fully syntheticmotor oil specifically designed to maxi-mize horsepower in a wide range of raceengine applications, including highlyloaded flat tappet designs used in theNASCAR Sprint Cup series. Mobil 1 Rac-ing oils were engineered to help on-trackvehicles reach the peak of their perform-ance potential. It is recommended for ap-plications where a higher viscosity andthicker oil film are required such as longerduration races where heat build-up maybe an issue.

Mobil 1 RacingPhone: 866-254-7103www.Mobil1RacingStore.comCircle 110

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Circle 109 Circle 111



15W-50 Racing OilAMSOIL Dominator Synthetic 15W-50 Racing Oil (RD50) provides supe-rior performance and maximumprotection in high-performance andracing applications. Dominator isengineered from advanced synthetictechnology to better withstand theelevated rpm, high temperaturesand shock-loading common to rac-ing applications. Its robust formula-tion, tested and validated bychampionship race teams, is de-signed to provide maximum horse-power without sacrificing engineprotection. Dominator providesstraight-grade protection in a multi-grade formulation.

AMSOIL INC.Phone: 715-399-8324www.amsoil.com

Circle 115

Product Sp

otlights

Web-Based Valvetrain Parts Catalog

SBI 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

Circle 114

“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]

Circle 116

Circle 112

Circle 113

Circle 117



Cla

ssifi

ed/C

ores

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

Need Reprints?Call

Tina Purnellat 330-670-1234, ext. 243

Visit EngineBuilderMag.com

The Engine Builder website - www.enginebuilder-mag.com - provides weekly updated news, prod-

ucts and technical information along with thesame in-depth editorial content as the magazine.

Technical, product and equipment, market re-search, business management and financial infor-

mation is all searchable by keywords making iteasy for engine builders to find the information

they need from current and past issues. Currentlythe site receives more than 100,000+ page views/

impressions per month and growing!

Engine BuilderPhone: 330-670-1234

www.enginebuildermag.com

To Advertise in

CLASSIFIEDS!Call Roberto Almenar

at 330-670-1234, ext. 233 [email protected]

Simply the Best Lists:Automotive Aftermarket

Truck Fleet & Powersports Markets

What Type of Direct Marketing

Initiatives Do You Have in Store

for 2013?

Don Hemming, List Sales ManagerBabcox Media, Inc.

Phone: 330-670-1234 x286 Fax: [email protected]

Direct MailE-Mail MarketingTelemarketingNew Business• ProspectingDrive Web Site

TrafficDatabase

EnhancementCatalog MailingPromote Upcoming

Tradeshows

54-55 Class-Cores 7/17/13 9:01 AM Page 54


Classified

/Cores

Call now to order or to receive a free 2013 catalog 1-800-434-5141www.autobodysupplies.com

SPECIALIZING IN ENGINE CORES

GGRRAANNTT(314) 421-5585

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WEBUY

WESELL

Advertiser IndexCOMPANY NAME PAGE # CIRCLE #

Access Industries Cover 3 57

Amsoil Inc 19 19

ArmaKleen Company 43 43

ARP/Automotive Racing Products Inc 31 31

Atech Motorsports 36 28

Avon Automotive Products 8 8

Bill Mitchell Products 49 49

BlueDevil Products 45 45

Brad Penn Lubricants 4 12

Brock Supply 35 35

Chrysler Group LLC/MOPAR 6 6

Clemco Industries 41 41

Comp Performance Group 32 32

Dakota Parts Warehouse 40 38

Dart Machinery Ltd 30 30

Darton International 4 4

Dipaco Inc. 16 16

DNJ Engine Components 1 1

Driven Racing Oil, LLC 27 27

Edelbrock Corp 18 18

Elgin Industries Cover 2 2

Engine & Performance Warehouse 25 25

Engine Parts Group 13 13

Engine Parts Warehouse 20 20

ESCO Industries 40 40

GRP Connecting Rods 22 22

Henkel Corp 21 21

Injector Experts 46 44

King Electronics 48 47

Liberty Engine Parts 5 5

Maxima Racing Oils 23 23

Mobil 1 Racing 3 3

National Cylinder Head 36 36

NPR of America, Inc. 33 33

Packard Industries 34 34

Quality Cutter Grinding 42 42

Quality Power Products 15 15

Rottler Manufacturing Cover 4 60

SB International 7 7

Scat Enterprises 9 9

SCE Gaskets 48 48

SEMA 29 29

Spectro Oils Of America 24 24

Trac-Pro 49 50

United Engine & Machine 10 10

54-55 Class-Cores 7/17/13 9:01 AM Page 55


Fina

l Wra

p

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

Senior Executive EditorBrendan Baker, ext. [email protected]

Tech EditorLarry [email protected]

Group PublisherJeff Stankard, 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

Everybody is looking for some-thing. Johnny Lee was lookingfor love in all the wrong places.

The Marines are looking for a fewgood men.

Here at Engine Builder magazine,we’re really no different – we’re look-ing for love (in a manner of speaking)on our Facebook page and Twitterfeed. Have you checked out our socialmedia presence yet? If not, I encour-age you to do so.

And, like the Marines, we’re alsolooking for a few good men...perfor-mance engine builders, actually. Thesecond-annual Performance EngineBuilder of the Year Contest has startedand the search for greatness is offi-cially underway.

Engine Builder magazine andDriven Racing Oil are again lookingfor the best example of creativity andinnovation, training and education,merchandising and promotion, pro-fessional standards and conduct, ap-pearance, solid business management,community involvement, businessgrowth, achievement and victories.

You’re out there – somewhere –

and I’d like to offer a hearty congratu-lations in advance.

The Second-Annual PerformanceEngine Builder of the Year Award willbe presented in a special presentationduring this year’s Advanced Engi-neering Technology Conference(AETC) December 9-11 in Indianapo-lis, and performance builders of alltypes are eligible. Engine builders cannominate their own businesses, orothers can nominate performance en-gine building businesses.

The entry process is simple: just goto www.topperformanceshop.com and an-swer a few simple questions to getstarted. Those making the nominationneed to provide basic informationabout the engine builder being nomi-nated and write a short (300-wordmaximum) essay explaining why thatoperation should be considered.

From there, all entrants will be re-viewed and a group of semi-finalistswill be selected. Those semi-finalistswill then be asked to provide addi-tional information for judging. Apanel of judges, including, representa-tives from Driven Racing Oil and the

Engine Builder staff will select the threefinalists and, ultimately, the Perform-ance Engine Builder of the Year Awardwinner.

You can win an iPad, hotel accom-modations in Indianapolis and admis-sion to the 24th Annual AETC, a fancyEngine Builder of the Year plaque foryour lobby or office wall and $1,000,as well as a bunch of other goodies.But that’s not all.

As Frank Honsowetz and the gangat Ed Pink Racing Engines can attest(winners of our inaugural contest in2012), one of the best prizes is brag-ging rights. Winning this contest givesyou the chance to call yourself the cur-rent Performance Engine Builder ofthe Year for the next 12 months and apast winner for the rest of your career.Pretty sweet.

The ancient Greek philosopherDiogenes is said to have wandered thestreets of Athens with a lantern indaylight looking for an honest man.When it comes to your analysis ofwhy you’re the top of the performanceheap, we’re leaving the light on foryou. ■

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER/EDITOR Doug Kaufman

[email protected]

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER/EDITOR Doug [email protected]

Start YourEnginesChampions celebrated here

56 Doug K. 7/17/13 9:01 AM Page 56


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engine builder, july 2013

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