Engine Builder, November 2014

SERVING ENGINE BUILDERS & REBUILDERS SINCE 1964

Racing Oil Systems • Pontiac Straight 8 Prospects • Cutting Tool Technology

2014NOVEMBER

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2 November 2014 | EngineBuilder

ENGINE BUILDER founded Oct. 1964Copyright 2014 Babcox Media Inc.

ENGINE BUILDER (ISSN 1535-041X)(November 2014, Volume 50, Number 11): Published monthly by Babcox Media Inc., 3550 Embassy Parkway, Akron, OH 44333 U.S.A. Phone (330) 670-1234, FAX (330) 670-0874. Pe-riodical postage 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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.14 Features ON THE COVER

ARCA Engine TechnologyThe Automobile Racing Club of America uses olderstyle NASCAR Cup cars. Specifically, they are the onesused just before the advent of NASCAR’s Car OfTomorrow (COT) in 2007. The big picture is the enginesused in the ARCA Racing Series fall into the samecategory as modern day NASCAR Sprint Cup engines.They are mostly the same 358 cubic inch limit enginesused in Cup only with the older carb. We take a look atARCA’s 2015 engine options.

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Pontiac Straight 8The Pontiac L-head straight eight was used in productioncars for 21 years between 1933 and 1954. This classicengine was advertised as a powerplant that could run100,000 miles without a major overhaul. In this article wedive into ways builders are keeping them going strong.

Upgrading Cutting EquipmentIf high quality head work is a cornerstone of your business,a new state-of-the-art valve guide and seat machine,cylinder head machining center or even a multi-purposeCNC machining center could take your business to ahigher level.

Oiling SystemsThe basic purpose of an oiling system is to providelubrication for the engine. It doesn't matter if the system isa wet sump or a dry sump system. We take a look intowhat makes for a well-performing oiling system.

Columns

Building History..................................30By Bill Holder The story of Jack Hohl

Track Talk ..........................................80Submitted by McCullough Public RelationsThe rebirth of the Green Monster

Talking Shop ......................................84By John GunnelMillers at Milwaukee Vintage Indy Car Event

Fast Lane............................................88By Animal Jim FeurerFive points to ponder prior to PRI

DEPARTMENTSIndustry News and Events ....................................6

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

2014 Supplier Spotlight ........................................94

Cores/Classifieds/Ad Index ..................................98

On The Road ........................................................100

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64CamshaftsChoosing a camshaft for an engine build is an importantdecision that has to be made before any other parts areordered or machined. Choosing a cam requires answeringbasic questions, the most important of which is the engineapplication itself.

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As we come to the close of another year in therebuilding industry, we’re hoping your shophad a great business year. And, although the

SEMA and PRI shows are upon us, we here atEngine Builder are already looking ahead into waysto improve our services for 2015 — be it the printedversion of the magazine, our weekly emailnewsletters or the digital content of our magazineand website.

Since coming on board as the editor of EngineBuilder a little more than a year ago, I’ve had thepleasure to meet a number of builders andperformance enthusiasts, as well as those in theparts and equipment side of this industry. And itseems to be good timing for me. Everywhere I go, Isee that this is an exciting time to bein the engine and performanceindustry.

In fact, sales of automotivespecialty-equipment productscontinue to climb, reaching $33 billionin 2013. The number represents a6.7% increase over the previous yearand marks the fourth consecutiveyear of growth, according to theSEMA Annual Market Study.

Recently, this magazine celebratedits 50th anniversary as a trademagazine, bringing to shops helpfuland timely technical and businessinformation. I want to continue thistradition of excellence. One way Ihave found to do this in my more than 20 years inthe editorial business is by calling on the experts inthe field – our readers.

For 2015, I would like to have in place anEditorial Advisory Board for Engine Builder.

The plan is to create a group of about 8-10 shopowners/engine builders who receive our monthlymagazine to help with the direction of the magazineas we move into the future.

The editorial board members and their shopnames will be listed on the contents page of the

magazine each month. Serving as an editorial board member doesn’t

take up a lot of your time, but it does help withstrengthening the rebuilding community. The way Isee it, when we improve the means of providingtechnical and business information to you, ourreaders, it helps improve the industry as a whole. Ifeel the staff at Engine Builder is here to help serveyour shop by providing the best content out there.

So what are the duties of an editorial advisoryboard member? We would contact you throughoutthe year to:

• Provide ideas for potential articles in thepublication;

• Offer background sources for information;• Discusses industry issues;• Contribute an article or column

for the magazine, or provide a guesteditorial;

• Act as a source for direct quotesor indirect quotes in tech andbusiness articles;

• Contribute photographs fromyour shop on subjects related toupcoming articles;

• Promote the publication to otherreaders;

• Help choose winners of awardscontests;

• Answers tech questions fromreaders; and

• Address readership studies.

If you would like to be considered to join oureditorial board team and help strengthen the enginebuilding community, email me [email protected] with your name, title, nameof your shop and other contact information. If yourshop has a website or Facebook page, email me thatlink as well.

This is a great opportunity to improve the enginebuilding and performance community. I lookforward to working with you in the New Year! ■


Help Wanted

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EDITOR ED [email protected]

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Andrew Sexton SpeaksAbout Federal-MogulMotorpartsInterviewed by Andrew Markel,editor, Babcox Tech GroupAndrew Sexton is senior vicepresident, global sealing andengine, Federal-MogulMotorparts. Sexton’sresponsibilities include thecompany’s renowned Fel-ProGaskets business, based inSkokie, Ill. Fel-Pro, “TheGaskets Professionals Trust,” isNorth America’s preeminent

brand of engine and related sealingcomponents for automotive andhigh-performance applications.Federal-Mogul Motorparts is adivision of Federal-Mogul HoldingsCorporation, selling and distributinga broad portfolio of productsthrough more than 20 of the world’smost recognized brands in the globalvehicle aftermarket.

The following is a portion ofAndrew Markel’s interview withAndrew Sexton.

MARKEL: It has been 15 yearssince Fel-Pro became part of Federal-Mogul Motorparts. How hasFederal-Mogul been able to continueto increase the strength of this iconicbrand?

SEXTON: When you look at thestrengths behind the Fel-Pro brand,the value of our people really standsout. You’ve had a chance to talk withour engineering and productmanagement teams, so I’m sure youcould see that there is a real passionhere. When you look to the thingsthat we really do well, engineering isfront and center and works hand-in-hand with the product team. I cantell you that every part that goes intoa Fel-Pro box is validated andapproved by a Fel-Pro engineer.

I think we've done a good job inmarrying the strengths of Federal-Mogul Motorparts and Fel-Pro. WithF-M’s expertise in the total enginepackage, we have done a good job inintegrating this comprehensive viewin order to design the best-performing gaskets for eachapplication.

MARKEL: What do you think isgoing to have to happen in futureyears to help keep engine builders

and other industry professionalsahead of the technology curveassociated with each new generationof engines? Is it going to be more andmore difficult for a repairprofessional to do an intake manifoldsealing repair or a head gasketreplacement, for example?

SEXTON: A key principle of theFel-Pro brand is to design andmanufacture products that areoptimized for the repair environmentand help make the professionaltechnician or engine builder moreproficient on the job. By the time anengine enters the aftermarket repaircycle, it doesn't have that perfectsurface finish, and everything’s notflat as it was in the OE environment.We focus on understanding therepair environment from anengineering perspective and thendeveloping a design that's morerobust for that application.

Take, for example, a multi-layersteel head gasket coating. What'spossible on an OE manufacturingline -- where everything's pristine,flat and highly polished -- is muchdifferent than the environment wesee in the aftermarket, where thetechnician might not have all thetools or simply can’t create thatperfect surface finish due to thecasting wear. That’s why Fel-Progasket engineers developed aproprietary coating for PermaTorqueMLS gaskets that's much morerobust for the aftermarketenvironment.

You can see the same approach in

our PermaDryPlus molded rubberline. Look at our PDP intakemanifold gaskets – our engineersdeveloped a very robust moldedrubber compound applied to a rigidcarrier, which resists the chemicalattack of the different types of fluidsthat flow through the manifold.That's a particular product line that’sbeen strong in the repairenvironment and with professionaltechnicians due to the fact that itsolves a known sealing issue. It’s agood example of an innovativetechnology that provides significantvalue to the repair professional andone that has earned Fel-Pro thetechnician’s trust.

MARKEL: Do you see any needfor additional gasket sets or anygrowth in the marketplace fordifferent types of sealing repairs,such as front cover, etc.?

SEXTON: I think it's going to bevery application-specific. In certainengines, we have found a way tosolve specific problems that havegone unaddressed by othersuppliers. As a result, we seesignificant growth in these productcategories for several years. OurPermaTorque MLS head gaskets arean example of a technology thataddresses very real engine sealingneeds and, as a result, they have seenrobust growth year over year.

A new opportunity perhaps willcome through the OEs’ increased useof turbochargers; we might find thatthis trend will generate new gasketsales. In general, the engineenvironment is being stressed veryheavily, with the enginemanufacturers pushing the envelopein terms of combustion pressuresand temperatures. At the same time,we are generally seeing decreasedclamp loads and the use of differentengine casting alloys. Each of theserealities bodes well for the sealingcategory and for the serviceenvironment.

MARKEL: How prevalent is MLStechnology at the OE level versusaftermarket?

SEXTON: On the light vehicleside it's the predominant head gaskettechnology. On the commercialvehicle side there's still a mix ofmultiple approaches. In MLS, some


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of the OEs are trying to cut somecost out of the gasket by going froma four-layer gasket to three layers,or from three to two. They're beingvery creative and, I think,innovative around the combustionseal itself, trying to come up with away to fold or to use other materialsto avoid an extra layer. So theyalways continue to push thetechnology and sealingrequirements placed on the gasketsand are always mindful of the costof the technology.

On the aftermarket side, ourmajor focus is to maximize therobustness of the seal. We know thattypically if you're pulling apart anengine, the primary cost of the repairwill not be the gasket. We put a greatdeal of R&D into the combustionseal, with a focus on the mosteffective way to provide that robustseal, regardless of the number oflayers.

Editor’s Note: Read the full interview atwww.enginebuildermag.com in theBusiness and Management category onthe homepage.

NHRA Supports HotRodders of TomorrowEngine ChallengeThe National Hot Rod Association(NHRA), whose professional drag-racing teams employ some of thenation’s top auto technicians,supported the next generation ofauto experts through the HotRodders of Tomorrow EngineChallenge. The NHRA donated its

table at the 2014 SEMA ShowBanquet to the top two teamscompeting in the Hot Rodders ofTomorrow Engine Challenge at theShow.

“So many of the participants inour engine challenges hope to oneday be employed by teamscompeting in the NHRA Mello YelloDrag Racing Series, so this is a bigdeal to these kids,” said RodneyBingham, president of Hot Roddersof Tomorrow. “It makes the wholeexperience of coming to Las Vegaseven more fun.”

Along with seats at the SEMAShow Banquet, the NHRA awardedthe top two teams tickets to anNHRA Mello Yello Drag RacingSeries event that’s closest to theirschool.

High-school teams competethroughout the year in hopes ofqualifying for the Hot Rodders ofTomorrow Engine Challenge DualChampionship Finals. Thirty-twoteams have qualified for the event,completing a crate-engine rebuild inless than 35 minutes. The top twoteams going into the SEMA Show’s

Championship competition are EastRidge High School from EastRidge, Tennessee, and ThomasCounty Central High School fromThomasville, Georgia. Both of theseteams completed engine rebuilds in20 minutes or less.

For more on the Hot Rodders ofTomorrow Engine Challenge, visithotroddersoftomorrow.com.

King Bearings IntroducesNew Master Catalog,

Updated Branding andNew Bearing MaterialsKing Engine Bearings introduced its2015/16 master catalog and newbranding and marketing materials atthe 2014 AAPEX show in Las Vegas.Its new catalog features more than200 new applications for replacementand racing and expanded technicalinformation on King’s advancedmaterials and geometric innovations.

As part of its unified globalmarketing initiative, King hasredeveloped its marketing materials

EngineBuilderMag.com 7

Industry News

Circle 7 for more informationCircle 6 for more information


to better explain how King bearingsare more innovative, reliable and abetter choice than any other bearingsavailable today. In addition to thenew catalog and supportingmaterials, King’s website provides awide array of technical informationincluding technical white papers, testresults, videos and other materials.

To download King 2015/16Catalog:http://kingbearings.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/King-Engine-Bearings-catalog-20151.pdf

In addition to its new catalog andbranding, King also announced newbearing materials during AAPEX thisyear.

The needs of modern enginescombined with today’senvironmental restrictions has ledKing to develop new advancedbearing materials which canwithstand greater load thantraditional materials while remainingenvironmentally friendly.

King's R&D unit, the TechLab, hasbeen developing a variety of leadedand lead free materials to providehigh load capacity while meeting allenvironmental requirements.

The first tri-metal lead freematerial, SV, is a silver-based overlaymaterial containing solid lubricantadditives.

King also displayed its new XPRace Bearings that feature aproprietary pMax Black tri-metalcomposition, which combined withunique geometric features, results ina 24 percent load capacity increaseover standard race bearings.

WIX Filters Celebrates 75th AnniversaryWIX Filters, a global manufacturerof filtration products, is celebratingits 75th anniversary with amarketing program focused oncustomer engagement and backed byseven decades of industry leadershipin aftermarket and originalequipment design.

“Our focus today is the same as itwas when we were founded in 1939– to provide our customers withpremium qualityfilters designedto exceed theirperformancedemands,” saidKeith Wilson,president of WIXFilters, who hasled the company

since 2000.“We are proud of our nearly

eight decades of growth andinnovation, and our focus onproduct development has madethe name ‘WIX Filters’synonymous with a rich traditionof excellence,” Wilson said.

WIX Filters was founded in acotton mill in Gastonia, NC, in1939, when Jack Wicks and hisbusiness partner, Paul Crawshaw,

needed an inexhaustible supply ofpure white cotton thread waste forthe filtering media of their newcompany.

At the time, Gastonia and GastonCounty produced more combedcotton yarn than anywhere else inthe world.

Wicks and Crawshaw soon saw aneed for filter replacements thatwould simplify the filter changingprocess and, within 15 years, theyturned the filter market upside downwith the invention and patent of aspin-on oil filter design – known atthe time as “twist of the wrist” – thatquickly became the industrystandard.

WIX is marking its historic yearwith a specially designed 75thanniversary logo that was featuredon many of WIX’s 2014 promotionsand sales materials. The promotionswill continue in 2015.

“Our promotions emphasizecustomer engagement in 2015 andwill be supported by point-of-salematerials and other marketingcommunications elements to drivesales and brand awareness for autoparts stores and distributors,” saidMike Harvey, brand manager forWIX Filters.

Highlights of WIX’s 2015promotion schedule include the WIXSales Day promotion, specialized,hands-on training sessions throughthe WIX Institute of Filtration


Industry News gFollow us on facebook

November 28-30Los Angeles Auto ShowLos Angeleswww.laautoshow.com

December 8-10AETC ConferenceIndianapoliswww.aetconline.com

December 12-14PRI Trade ShowIndianapoliswww.performanceracing.com

February 14-15, 2015Race & Performance ExpoSt. Charles, ILwww.raceperformanceexpo.com

March 6, 2015HRIA Education Day and TrainingDetroitwww.sema.org/hria-education-day

Industry Events

For more industry events, visit our website at

www.enginebuildermag.com or subscribe to

www.aftermarketnews.com.



9 TI Auto_Layout 1 11/6/14 9:29 AM Page 9

Technology and the popular WIXHummer H2 mobile marketing unit,among other promotions.

QualCast Announces NewOnline Valve Train CatalogQualCast’s new online catalogfeatures the ability to search over560,000 new lines of data tying valvetrain and engine componentapplications to Year, Make, Model,Vehicle data from North America.

In addition, the Search by PartNumber feature returns dimensions,tolerances, photos, interchanges, andapplications by part, with the uniqueadvantage of one-click ordering fromthe Part Number page for logged-oncustomers, who also see inventoryfrom 14 US distribution locations.

The online catalog is mobilefriendly, updated daily, includeslight vehicle, industrial, heavy duty,agricultural, marine, and perform-ance applications, and has a shortforwarding online address of

YMME.BIZ, which stands for Year,Make, Model, Engine.

Anyone can use the new onlinecatalog, but to use the order andinventory features, a logon isnecessary.

QualCast does not sell directly tothe public, and restricts customerlogons to machine shops, productionengine rebuilders, and engine partsspecialists.

For qualified account requests,contact your local QualCast salesrepresentative or call 888-432-4552.

The new online valve train catalogwith Year, Make, Model, Engine datais available at http://ymme.biz.

Mopar Fans Select ‘Top Eliminator HEMI Heritage’ WinnerMopar enthusiasts selected RogerDavis and his 1934 Plymouth PF 5-Window Coupe as the fourth andfinal winner in the online portion ofthe 2014 Mopar “Top EliminatorHEMI Heritage” competition.

This is the eighth year Mopar, theservice, parts and customer-carebrand, has held the “Top Eliminator”challenge to help shine a light onpassionate and dedicated muscle carenthusiasts who exemplify un-matched skills in modifying or pre-serving a classic or modern-daycompany vehicle. This year’s editionwas renamed to encompass the



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brand’s celebration of the50th anniversary of theiconic 426 Race HEMI en-gine.

The online winningselection, a 1934 Ply-mouth PF 5-windowCoupe named “in-Flame-ous” is owned by RogerDavis, a lieutenantcolonel in the U.S. Armyon active duty as adeputy brigade com-mander training troopsin Birmingham, AL.

He bought the hot rodin 2012 after previous incarnationshad it as a yellow street rod in the‘70s and then a drag racer from thelate ‘90s to 2010 posting a best run of9.160 seconds at 143.46 miles perhour (mph).

He spent the last two years restor-ing and personalizing his hot rodand won “Best Mopar” honors at De-troit’s Autorama earlier this year.

Davis made changes to the car tomake it street legal, including the ad-dition of lights, wipers and a horn,and upgraded the alternator and ig-nition system. The pre-war hot rodalso received a new paint schemealong with seven painted historicalChrysler logos, new wheels and tires,a re-work of front suspension, steer-ing and brakes, as well as a cus-

tomized grille. Addi-tional Mopar parts in-clude a Siamese-boreHEMI 4-bolt block andMopar crank.

“The 1934 PlymouthPF 5-window Coupe isthe ultimate ride for hotrodders,” said Davis.“It’s like what you seein the movie AmericanGraffiti.”

Davis uses his dailydriver, a 2012 Ram 1500Laramie, to tow his“Mopar HEMI Heritage

Top Eliminator” winner in a trailercustom-painted to match his truck.

Get more industry news atwww.EngineBuilderMag.comor sign up for our weeklynewsletter on the site’s homepage.





13 Qualcast_Layout 1 11/6/14 9:28 AM Page 13

Main Cap TechOne of the main problems withblocks that need to be align-bored isthe lack of squish between the maincap and the block. What I amreferring to is the interference fitbetween the cap and main registerthat holds the cap in alignment, andis the reason a light tap is needed toseat the cap. If the caps do not fittight, the crank will not be held assolidly as it was intended, and alsoresults in inconsistent bearingclearances.

This lack of squish is reasonenough to align bore a block, even ifthe engine had no previouscrankshaft problems, to avoid afuture crank issue. (Four bolt smallblock Chevys are notorious forhaving loose caps.)

The caps do not fit tight becausethey have shrunk due to stress. Thisstress causes them to pull away fromthe main registers. I have seen someattempted "fixes" where someonehas center punched or used a chiselon the block to try to tighten the cap.This does not address the stressissue, and also moves the caps withregards to the centerline of the block.The proper way to restore squish isto remove the stress in the cap,which is where the problem lies.

We do this by peening the capusing an air hammer with a roundedoff broken valve guide driver(approx. 1/2"). Work the undersideof the cap (where the bearing goes)in the center 1" to 1 1/2". Thepeening action of the air hammerwill relieve the stress in the cap, andthe sides will spread to their originalposition. Make sure you do this

before you cut the caps, to keepthem flat. By using this method youcan actually control the amount ofsquish the caps will have. Yes it willleave some marks on the cap, butthey will clean up with the alignbore. By using this method the capsfit tight in the registers, the stresshas been removed from the caps andthe original centerline of the enginecan be maintained by align boring.

Stacy RedmondGrawmondbecks Competition EnginesMason City, IA

Cleaning PrecisionMeasuring ToolsWe have experienced the same prob-lems for years: how to clean honingoil from dial bore gauges and snapgauges before it can gum up andslow the dial readings.

We used to immerse the measuringhead up to near the dial in acetone,and gently run the gauge through itsentire travel multiple times. This wasour preferred method for years, butit is labor intensive.

Acetone is flammable and you alsodon't want to get acetone on the dialface as it will frost over immediately.We now simply immerse the measur-ing head, not the entire unit or dial assembly, into our ultra sonic cleaner.After a minute or so, run it through itsrange several times while immersed.

If you clean them this way, you cando it every several uses or even once amonth (we prefer to clean them all onMonday mornings before we open theshop). We then rinse the ultrasonicjuice from the tools in our "final clean"parts washer for a minute or so, thenlightly WD-40 the working parts. Youdon't want to clean dial veneers, smallmachinist rulers, or anything else withpainted markings in this manner. Thepaint markings, even if recessed, willdisappear in mere seconds!

Timm JurincieTuf-Enuf Auto & Marine PerformanceAvondale, AZ.

Editors Note: My apologies to Timm

Jurincie. In the September issue of EBShop Solution “REMOVE THE WEB”,we inadvertently attached the wrongshop name, city and state.

Save Used Head PartsOur shop does a lot of cylinder headwork. We keep several parts fromold cylinder heads in marked boxes.Sometimes you lose an odd ballvalve lock that no one keeps in stock.

At this point, that box marked“Valve Locks” is worth it’s weight ingold. This saves time waiting on UPSor delivery. Sorting the parts by whatengine they came from also savestime later on rummaging throughyour boxes. If you are servicing deal-ers or repair shops, you know theydon't want their service bays tied upany longer then necessary. Especiallynot due to your error.

Henry SatterfieldSatterfield's Machine ShopCayce, SC

Don't UnderestimateAdvertising And AttitudeEvery shop needs to advertise be-cause your current customers willsomeday go away. Getting new cus-tomers should be the goal and adver-tising is one good way to get it.

We have our logo and lettering onour delivery vehicles and from timeto time send out a mass mailing ofpost cards to current and prospectivecustomers. If a customer does notuse you for a year or so, they mayforget you. Many times, customerscall and mention they saw our nameon a truck or got a postcard in themail. That’s money well spent. Butdon't forget that the attitude of yourdrivers and employees can also gainor possibly lose you a customer in amoment.

Have you ever gone to a store or ashop and you either loved it or hatedit based solely on the attitude of thepeople who worked there? If youtook your computer to a repair shopand the person at the front counterwas negative and had a bad attitude,


14-15 Shop Solutions 11/6/14 10:13 AM Page 14

you might think about going elsewhere. The work ethics and attitudes of the staff in general will have

an impact on customers. Be positive and upbeat with your cus-tomers. Teach your drivers and employees to always act profession-ally and it goes a long way with customers, especially prospectivecustomers. They are the face of your company and some of the best ad-vertising you can have.

Jeffrey MyersMAR Automotive, INCPhiladelphia, PA


Shop Solutions –The Power ofKnowledge

Engine Builder and Engine Pro present

Shop Solutions in each issue of EngineBuilder Magazine and at

enginebuildermag.com.

The feature is intended to provide

machine shop owners and engine

technicians 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.


14-15 Shop Solutions 11/6/14 10:13 AM Page 15

The Pontiac L-head straighteight was used in productioncars for 21 years between 1933

and 1954. This classic engine wasadvertised as a powerplant thatcould run 100,000 miles without amajor overhaul.

Pontiac was actually launched as“the Chief of the Sixes” in 1926. Itwas a lighter “companion car” forthe Oakland. The Pontiac sold well,while the popularity of the Oaklanddeclined. By 1932, the companydropped Oakland (which had a V8)and offered a Pontiac flathead V8. Itused the basic engine as theOakland, although it had somedetail changes. A year later, thestraight eight replaced the early V8.This type of engine then survived atPontiac until 1954.

A lot of people think that allPontiac straight eights are the same.The original 1933 version was 223.4cubic inches and produced 77 hp.Displacement was unchanged in1934, but horsepower jumped up to84. Those specs were retained for1935. In 1936, the numbers were232.3 cid and 87 hp. The 248.9-cid100-hp version of 1937 was carriedover through 1939. In 1940, the sizestayed the same, but three extraponies were advertised. Thingsremained like this right through

1947. When Hydra-Matic Drivewas introduced in 1948, the stick-shift engine stayed at 103 hp, butthe “high head” (short for high-compression and meaning 7.5:1instead of 6.5:1 compression) engineused with the automatic

transmission had a 106-hp rating.This was carried over for the 1949model year.

Starting in 1950, the straighteight was bored out a quarter inch


Pontiac’s Straight 8sRethinking Rebuilding OpportunitiesSt

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Over the years the straighteight was sold in differentdisplacements and horsepowerratings. Details like the style ofspark plug loom used areapparent at a close look. Thisengine has the 1952-1953 stylespark plug arrangement.

The underhood area of a 1950 Pontiac Eight owned by Chris Wynstra ofFranksville, WI, looks pretty much the way other straight eight Pontiacs do, butsometime during its existence this car was converted to propane power.

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR John [email protected]

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to 268.4 cubes where it stayed fromthen on. That year, horsepower was108 with standard shift and 113with Hydra-Matic and in 1951 therespective ratings were 116 and 120.

Two ponies were added to eachin 1952-’53. In the last straight eightyear, 1954, the synchromeshengine’s rating was 122 hp and thehigh-head version advertised 127hp. That was the maximum outputbefore the V8arrived.

Right fromthe beginning,the Pontiacstraight eighthad five main

bearings and solid valvelifters in the side of theblock. A Carter one-barrelcarburetor was used through1939. A Carter two-barrelwas used from then on. In1947 the dual-throat carbwas switched from a CarterWDO to a Carter WCD. TheWCD was also used onBuick 8s and was thenmodified for early 1960sRamblers, putting thelinkage on the opposite side.


Straight 8s

IT’S A “GASSER”—PROPANE-FUELED PONTIAC STRAIGHT EIGHT Chris Wynstra of Franksville, Wis.—a town in the Milwaukee area—has a 1950 Pontiacwith the 268.2-cid 108-hp straight eight. And synchromesh transmission that is not quitethe way it came from the factory. Even though the car’s engine number and the tag onthe door opening match, Wynstra’s car (seen to the left and on page 28) will never winawards for authenticity or originality because at some time in its life, someone convertedthe car to propane.The car also has a customized interior with neon lighting and—since Chris is proud of itsheritage—an Indian logo in the rear window. The propane tank is carried in the trunk ofthe car. There are few hints under the car’s hood that it is not a regular Pontiac, butChris enjoys the idea that the car features a very early propane conversion that has ahistory of its own.

A good example of a detailedengine compartment in a 1954Pontiac with a straight eightengine. Braided spark plugwires and old style hose clampswould add to the originality, butthis is still a nicely donerestoration.

One of the sexiest cars to use thePontiac straight eight was the 1954Bonneville Special dream car. It had afiberglass two-seat body, a canopytop It had a 268-cid that was paintedbright red with chrome accents.

16-28 Pontiac 8 11/6/14 10:12 AM Page 17

Rebuild kits are the same,though. If your partssupplier can’t find aPontiac carb kit listed, trylooking for Buick orRambler parts.

Various otheraccessories on thePontiac eights changedfrom time to time. Forinstance, the metal sparkplug wire looms have thesame look in 1952-1953,but were changed in1954.


Straight 8s


This is a 251-cid 1930 OaklandV-8. It has two block castings90 degrees apart and castintegrally with the crankcase.The horizontal valves areoperated directly by rockerarms working from a centrallylocated, chain-driven camshaft.

16-28 Pontiac 8 11/6/14 10:12 AM Page 18


19 Henkel_Layout 1 11/6/14 9:27 AM Page 19



This 1932 Pontiac V-8 is the Oakland engine with thesynchronizer moved to the left side instead of the right. It alsohas a higher 5.2:1 compression ratio and more horsepower.You may see different details in the Pontiac version.

Here is a Chevy V-8 installed in a 1948 Pontiac Streamliner.Conversions such as this are not uncommon today and thecar owners are likely to try to sell the original straight eightthey remove from the car.

This Pontiac straight engine has the 1954 style spark plugarrangement. Air conditioning was introduced by Pontiac thisyear and the rare GM Harrison system had the condenser inthe trunk, but some extra hardware under the hood.

16-28 Pontiac 8 11/6/14 10:12 AM Page 20

21 ACCH_Layout 1 11/6/14 9:27 AM Page 21

Both the carburetors andgenerators on these Pontiacs haveprovisions for oiling. If you tell theyoung man at the Quik Lube to oilyour generator, he’ll first have noidea what a generator is, and whenyou explain that it’s like analternator, he’ll tell you that itdoesn’t need oil. It does!

The Pontiac Eight was offeredwith Hydra-Matic Drive for the firsttime in 1948. Cars with this optionused a unique linkage that operatedoff the foot-operated starter motor.The linkage chokes the carburetor,squirts a drop of fuel into it andmoves the gear shifter from thereverse position (used for parking)

into neutral, while starting theengine. Most of the time, if youbypass the linkage and try to startthe car in the conventional way, youwill flood the engine.

Pontiac straight eights seem to becatching on a little bit with hotrodders wanting to put somethingdifferent under the hood of a carthey’re building. There’s a lot ofgood information about theseengines posted on the HAMB—apopular hot rod Internet bulletinboard. People are also asking howmuch these engines are worth. Theconsensus among hot roddersseems to be that the Pontiac eight isa “boat anchor” that isn’t worth alot, but a few feel differently.

Apparently, the question of valuewas raised because many hotrodders who buy a pre-1955 Pontiacimmediately yank out the stately L-head engine and Army-tank-provedHydra-Matic in favor of a hottermill. They install modern V8s. Inmost cases, a Chevy 350-cid V-8replaces the factory-installedstraight eight with a Turbo Hydra-Matic transmission behind it. Thisleaves the hot rodders with a bighunk of iron they then want to sell.It then becomes “rare andvaluable.”

These fellows aren’t toointerested in the Pontiac Eight’sreputation for being a 100,000-mileengine when many other motorstended to last 60 percent as long. Afew rodders do get a little creativeand ask about the availability ofvintage speed equipment for thePontiac Eight.

They want to know ifaftermarket suppliers back in theday offered fined aluminum headsor split manifolds for this motor.

Some such hardware wasproduced in the early ‘50s, althoughthe 1949 Bell Auto Parts Catalog onlylisted speed equipment for Fordflathead sixes, StudebakerChampion sixes and Chrysler andDe Soto flatheads, in addition to thenormal Ford and Mercury V-8goodies. A few modern hot roddersfabricate their own Pontiac Eightperformance parts and some lookpretty cool. At least one Pontiac


Straight 8s


16-28 Pontiac 8 11/6/14 10:12 AM Page 22


23 EQ_Layout 1 11/6/14 9:26 AM Page 23

“flattie” was headed to Bonnevillelast year.

An interesting article touching onstraight eight performance was aroad test of several cars in which a‘54 Pontiac Eight pulling a trailerwas compared to contemporary V8ssimilarly equipped.

The cars were tested pulling atrailer and not pulling a trailer. Thetest results indicated that the PontiacEight performed the best of the packwhen the trailer was attached sinceit “out-torqued” them.

So what is a Pontiac straight eightengine worth to a collector? Therehave been ads in collectorpublications asking as much as$2,000 for a straight eight andsomeone on the HAMB said he’d sellhis for $100.

In the real world, people in theknow about these engines will pay$400-$500 for a good used one. APontiac collector restoring a car witha bad engine will probably spendmore.

An unused new-old-stock straighteight long block or an entire enginethat has been correctly rebuilt wouldbe a steal at $2,000. A completerebuild of such an engine with nocutting of corners can cost as muchas $1,000 per hole or $8,000according to professional rebuilders.

Of course, if you remove thatheavy engine and take it to amachine shop, then pick it up, put ittogether and re-install it yourself,you might beat this price if youdon’t count your labor. So, it is easyto understand why a lot of pre-1954Pontiacs are getting V8s today.

If a car collector brings a Pontiacstraight eight to your shop to have itrebuilt, where do you get parts forit? California Pontiac Restoration(www.pontiacparts.net) advertisesMaster Overhaul Kits in the Pontiac-Oakland Club International(www.poci.org) magazine SmokeSignals.

The CPR kits include pistons,piston rings, main bearings, rodbearings, cam bearings, an overhaulgasket set, a timing chain and gearset, valve springs, an oil pump kit,free valve locks, freeze plugs, a zincadditive and cam grease. The kit for



16-28 Pontiac 8 11/6/14 10:12 AM Page 24


25 SBI_Layout 1 11/6/14 10:59 AM Page 25

1937-1949 engines is $1,596 and thekit for 1950-1954 engines is $1,271.

If you have a Pontiac eightearlier than 1937 vintage or if youwant to compare suppliers for otherreasons such as parts brands andprice, vintage engine partssuppliers such as Egge Machine(www.egge.com), CaliforniaObsolete Engine Parts(www.danamotorssac.com),Northwestern Auto Supply(www.northwesternautosupply.com), Kanter Auto Products(www.kanter.com) and TerrillMachine(www.deleontexas.com/chamber/t


Straight 8s


Specs, copies of shop manuals andother materials providing instructionson rebuilding a Pontiac straight eightengine are housed in the Pontiac-Oakland Automobile Museum(www.pontiacoaklandmuseum.org) inPontiac, Ill.

16-28 Pontiac 8 11/6/14 10:12 AM Page 26


27 Motorstate_Layout 1 11/6/14 9:24 AM Page 27

machine.php ) would be goodplaces to look for help with engineparts.

(For additional suppliers notlisted here, refer to the Engine BuilderBuyer’s Guides)

Finally, if you need specifications,copies of shop manual pages andother materials that provideinstructions on rebuilding a Pontiacstraight eight engine, the Pontiac-Oakland Automobile Museum(www.pontiacoaklandmuseum.org)in Pontiac, Ill., houses a large archiveof such materials and a researchservice is available.

For more information on thiscontact Tim Dye at the Pontiac-Oakland Museum and ResourceCenter, 205 N. Mill St., Pontiac, IL61764. Call (815) 842-2345 or [email protected]. ■


Straight 8s


Located in the trunk of Chris Wynstra’s numbers-matching Pontiac Eight is apropane system to fuel the old car. It is not known when the conversion was doneor who did it.

16-28 Pontiac 8 11/6/14 10:12 AM Page 28


29 Comp_Layout 1 11/6/14 9:23 AM Page 29

During the 1950s and ‘60s,building and tuning aperformance race engine was

a different world from today. It wasdefinitely more of a hands-onsituation where the feel, sound andsmell of an engine were importanttools of early engine builders.

It was a time when there weren'tany dynos and drag strips were fewand far between. It was a time thattesting an engine was done on thestreet in wheel-to-wheel racing.Then, at the few real drag strips, itwas necessary to trailer your car,sometimes hundreds of miles, to get

there. And if that wasn’t enough,many didn’t provide ET data, whichwas really needed.

Just ask veteran engine builderJack Hohl of Riverside, OH, whowas one of the best in western Ohio.Not only was Hohl an enginebuilder, but he spent much of histime behind the wheel incompetition.

Hohl, known for his Fordexpertise, was interested in being anengine tech from his early teens andhad a license when he was only14. “My mom knew I was reallyinterested in cars and she bought mea service manual during that time. Iremember reading it cover-to-coverand sucking up all the information.”

His first car was a ‘38 ChevyCoupe and he immediately knewwhat it took to make it run. “Put on apair of carbs and headers on it and itran like crazy on the street.”

Next came a 239 Flatheadpowered ‘46 Ford Convertible. “Itwas my first serious engine buildwhich I bored and stroked to about286 cubic inches. I added three two-


Going HohlSchoolB

uild

ing

His

tory

One of many flathead-powered carsthat Jack worked on, this being astock car That’s Jack second from theright.

BY BILL HOLDER

PHOTOS BY PHIL KUNZ AND JACK HOHL

Late 1950s drag racing. That’s Jack inthe lead in his ‘57 supercharged Ford.

30-36 Building History 11/6/14 10:09 AM Page 30


31 Motovicty_Layout 1 11/6/14 9:23 AM Page 31

barrel Stromberg carbs, 9-1 Edelbrock aluminum heads,and headers. I tried four carbs, but determined that wasjust too much airflow. It had a top speed of about80 mph. Back in those days I was tuning my engines formax rpm at about 5500 rpm.”

“The next project was a ‘53 Ford with the same typeengine, but it was a lot easier to work on. I bored it to a 33/8 bore and 4 1/8 stroke which equated to about 301cubic inches. It was pushing 90 mph at drag strips in

Moline, IL and Akron, OH. But again, there was no ETdata available.”

A 1955 272 cid Y-block powered Ford came next. “Iwasn’t very pleased with that engine, but it was betterthan the smaller Flathead. It wouldn’t perform without asupercharger. I installed a McCullough blower, but hada head gasket problem.”

A huge step-up occurred in 1957 when Hohl acquireda 300hp supercharged 312 Ford. It was a rare engine andwas used with NASCAR for a short time before beingoutlawed.

“I loved the engine and immediately tried to increaseits performance. I installed a Ford ‘C’ cam and with thehelp of (Indy 500 star) Troy Ruttman, doctored up theblower which kicked the horsepower up to about 325. It

could really run!”Hohl ran and tuned the car for four years and won

Super Stock titles at Indy Raceway Park, Kil-KareDragway (Ohio), Detroit Dragway, Thornhill Dragway inKentucky, along with Edgewater and DAHIO bothin Ohio. “I beat a bunch of ‘57 injected Chevys during theperiod and they sure didn’t like that! Most of the time Iwas right at 100 mph at the finish.”

During this time he was also working on customer’scars concurrent with his own activities.

In the early 1960s, Hohl got into big block Fordperformance with a 405 horse ‘62 406 Tri-Power Galaxie.Hohl massaged it to put out an additional 20 or 30horses. The Galaxie won an NHRA Super Stock title inDetroit and was runner-up at Indy.

That Galaxie was followed by another Galaxie. This


Building History

These two photos show a ‘55 272 Y-block that receivedHohls motor magic. He equipped it with a pair of four-barrel carbs. He later installed a McCullough blower andit was a great racer.

This was the ‘53 Flathead upon which Hohl installed threetwo-barrel carbs. It might look like there are four carbs, butthe front carb is actually the oil-filler cap.



33 FM Mp_Layout 1 11/6/14 9:23 AM Page 33

time a ‘63 model powered by an awesome 427 big blockwith a pair of four-barrel carbs. “I initially had troublegetting it to run, but when it was right it won a lot.”

There was also an interesting time when Hohl wasasked to work on a Chrysler 300D that was apart of thefamous ‘77 Sunset Strip’ TV show starring Ed Burnes.Would you believe that it had a pair of 6.71 blowers,one on each side of the engine. “That was a lot of fun.”

Veteran NHRA drag racer EdCrowder fondly remembers Hohl’sengine building skills.

“I was preparing to run the 1959Daytona Flying Mile on the beach,” hesays. “I let him work on my ‘57 Chevy Fuelie. I wasreally amazed that it ran like heck and I finishedsecond in class at 129.363 mph. One thing about Jackwhen he took on a job, he’d just lay back and thinkabout exactly what he was going to do. Then he woulddo it.”

Hohl ran his shop from 1957 to 1971 with many dragracers knowing the exact way to get there. But, duringthe period, there was also another Ford engine builderof some note, one ‘Ohio George’ Montgomery. The twoFoMoCo experts worked with each other on occasion.Montgomery did machining for Hohl.

Montgomery explained, “Jack was an Old Schoolguy who worked hard at what he did. There weretimes when we shared ideas with eachother.”

Hohl didn’t just understand the innardsof an engine, he knew the completeworkings of the powertrain. Several formercustomers noted that Hohl could reallycalibrate the rear end to maximize the


Well, there it is, the 77 Sunset Strip Chrysler 300D withits pair of 6.71 blowers.

The ‘62Galaxie with‘Jack’s SpeedShop’ letteredon the rearquarters.

Building History

Another Hohl massaged Flathead.

Three two-barrel carbs sit atop this 406 Ford. With thatengine under the hood, Hohl won the Detroit DragwaySuper Stock title and was second at Indy.



35 Diamond_Layout 1 11/6/14 9:21 AM Page 35

performance in the quarter mile.One Chevy owner indicated thatHohl was able to cut a half-secondoff his ET.

When asked whether he had everthought about being a member of afactory drag team he said, “Youknow, there was a time that mighthave been. I once had anopportunity to meet a Ford rep withthe Tasca Ford Pro Stock Team.While I was waiting to see him, Iwatched some of the Tascamechanics working an engine and Ihelped them.”

“Then I told the rep that his guysweren’t too sharp, “ Hohl continued.“It made him mad and he told me totake off. I have thought about thatthrough the years and wonderedwhat might have been. I should havekept my mouth shut!” ■


Building History


That’s Jack holding aplaque he received forbeing inducted into theKil Kare Dragway Hallof Fame.



37 Modern Silicon_Layout 1 11/6/14 9:20 AM Page 35

Those oval track fans notfamiliar with the AutomobileRacing Club of America

(ARCA) are really missing somegreat racing - and on a lot ofdifferent levels. From the on-tracklevel, where else can you see fullbodied, NASCAR-style, stock carsracing on everything from Daytonato local Bull Ring, short tracks withliterally every kind of track inbetween.

There are IntermediateNASCAR tracks, road courses and

one style of track not seen racingNASCAR stock cars; dirt!

To be exact, these are formerNASCAR Sprint Cup cars with virtually the exact same rules. Andthat brings another popular element of ARCA racing; it’s thestepping stone to NASCAR’s SprintCup Series. But it’s not only driversthat are learning to move up to Cuplevel. ARCA is its own distinctiveseries that also offers a trainingground for mechanics, crew chiefsand even owners and media

people. And, they do it withNASCAR equipment and proce-dures so when moving up, there isno ‘unlearning’ to go through.

‘Yesterday’s’ RacerARCA uses older style NASCARCup cars. Specifically, they are theones used just before the advent ofNASCAR’s Car Of Tomorrow(COT) in 2007.

This means teams runningARCA can do so with a safe, well-built race car without paying topdollar. When the COT changeoverfirst occurred, the older cars in‘roller’ stage (minus engine andtrans) could be had for as little as$2,000.

After all, the new COT carspretty much ‘orphaned’ all the previous cars. The surprising fact isthat once the cars from that era


The Unique Engines off ARCA

With Bold New Options for 2015

AR

CA

Eng

ines

The engines used in the ARCA RacingSeries Presented by Menards fall intothe same category as modern dayNASCAR Sprint Cup engines.

For more than 60 years, the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards,has offered race fans a diverse brandof stock car racing on short tracks,dirt tracks, road courses and superspeedways.

BY CONTRIBUTING EDITORJOHN CAROLLO

38-50 ARCA Engines 11/6/14 10:07 AM Page 38

were accounted for, the demand con-tinued and folks had to start build-ing ‘new’ old cars. When they starteddoing that, they incorporated asmany of the newer safety modifica-tions as they could.

But it’s specifically the engines wewant to look at here.The big picture is theengines used in theARCA Racing SeriesPresented byMenards fall into thesame category asmodern dayNASCAR Sprint Cupengines.

They are mostlythe same 358 cubicinch limit enginesused in Cup onlywith the older carbinstead of the EFIused in Cup today.

ARCA Supercarsuse the 830 CFMHolley carbs the Cupcars used to runbefore they went toEFI. We say mostlybecause the other bigdifference is theseengines are notallowed to run theRPM seen in Cupaction. ARCA

mandates the use of spec electronicsignition with built in rev limiter.

Ignition SystemsTo provide a level playing field forARCA racers, the specially madeACCEL CD Pro, Endurance Racing

Ignition, a twin ignition/coil system,is used with units being assigned byARCA for races and collectedafterwards.

They’ve been using this systemsince 2005, with close to two millionmiles of racing and no problems.One big function of this system is therev limiter, which caps every engineat 8,800 RPM.

This effectively excludes some ofthe more advanced Cup engines,which are known to run at 10,000RPM and push HP ratings uptowards 1,000. The thinking is clearas there is a big presence of Cupteams using ARCA as a farm leagueto develop drivers. With the otherteams in ARCA not having thatadvantage, the ignition/rev limiterkeeps things on a broader playingfield.

Building ConnectionsAnother NASCAR connection iswhere many of these engines comefrom. A quick look reveals the logoson the valve covers of Roush Yates,Hendricks, RCR and even the oneplace most of the Toyota enginescome from, TRD.

Roush Yates, for one example, has


ARCA Engines

The Unique Engines of ARCA

ARCA is its own distinctive series thatalso offers a training ground for mechanics, crew chiefs and even owners.


builders dedicated to justthese engines and sendstuners to the track withthem.

It’s good business asthey already have theparts in house whileARCA and NASCARteams provide the mar-ket.

Sometimes, the teamsare owned by the biggerCup teams while manyare ARCA owners thatprovide the programs forthe Cup teams and get


ARCA Engines


The similarity betweenARCA and the previousgeneration of NASCAR engines is easy to see. Eventhe old Dodge powerplantsused NASCAR have found anew home in ARCA and arestill racing.



41 ACL_Layout 1 11/6/14 9:20 AM Page 41

access to cars, parts and technologyto be competitive.

Another major Cup team, JoeGibbs Racing, uses engines built byTRD for its Cup teams, but builds itsown engines for the ARCA teamsthey are affiliated with and lease to.And remember those Dodges usedin NASCAR? Well, they found a newhome in ARCA and are still racing.

New to the RaceBut ARCA’s unique engine rules willstart to change in 2015. Theyrecently announced an addition toits engine program where, alongwith the aforementioned engines, anentirely new engine will see duty onARCA tracks. The ARCA RacingSeries presented by Menards will


ARCA Engines


To provide a level playing field forARCA racers, the specially made ACCELCD Pro, Endurance Racing Ignition, atwin ignition/coil system, is used withunits being assigned by ARCA for racesand collected afterwards.



43 Quality Power Products_Layout 1 11/6/14 9:19 AM Page 43

use the new, ARCA Ilmor 396engine, a purpose-builtpowerplant developed andassembled by legendary enginebuilder Ilmor Engineering.

The major design targets arereduced RPM (read that speeds),reduced costs and has a numberof major players already involved.

Ron Drager is the president ofARCA and said it was a, “…conclusion to a long and extensivesearch to find the right strategicpartner to help us address thechallenges of rising costs in ourseries.” He went on to say, “It ismy pleasure to announce that


ARCA Engines

ARCA recently announced an addition to its engine programwhere, along with the current cropof engines, an entirely new enginewill see duty on ARCA tracks.

Circle 44 for more information Circle 38 for more information



45 Eagle_Layout 1 11/6/14 9:18 AM Page 45



ARCA Engines

Start Your Engines…Daytona International Speedway has been part of the ARCA Racing Series presented byMenards for more than 50 years, and the 2015 season won’t be any different.ARCA Racing Series officials announced in October that the series will race at Daytona for the52nd time on Saturday, February 14, 2015. It will be the ARCA Racing Series season opener. “As we discuss in the drivers meeting every year, it’s an honor and a privilege to race atDaytona International Speedway, and it carries with it great responsibility and even greateropportunity,” said ARCA President Ron Drager. “Whether you’re an eight-time Daytona winnerlike Bobby Gerhart, a 10-time ARCA champion like Frank Kimmel or a driver racing at Daytonafor the first time, that statement applies. “Daytona has meant so much to ARCA since 1964, when Bill France Sr. envisioned that ARCAcould provide unique inventory to February Speedweeks and carry the Daytona brand into theMidwest region of the country,” Drager continued. “The impact of ARCA racing at Daytona isunequaled over 50-plus years, and it continues to be the longest-running annual race on theARCA Racing Series presented by Menards schedule. The entire ARCA community is very proudand appreciative of the opportunity to race at Daytona.”The race will serve as the preamble to the same-night NASCAR Sprint Unlimited. NASCAR willhave its Sprint Cup qualifying on Sunday, February 15 and the Daytona 500 on Sunday, February22. “There’s not a better race track in America for the ARCA Racing Series to kick off their seasonthan at Daytona International Speedway,” President Joie Chitwood III said. “The ARCA Serieshas been competing at the ‘World Center of Racing’ for more than 50 years and we’re lookingforward to having the series return in 2015 and kick off the first weekend of BudweiserSpeedweeks alongside The Sprint Unlimited At Daytona.” A full season schedule will be announced later by ARCA officials.

Ilmor Engineering has partnered withus to develop the ARCA Ilmor 396engine technology, which provides along term, stable platform deliveringan economical and competitive optionto our existing engine configurations.”

The new ARCA Ilmor 396 willdeliver 700 horsepower and 500 ft. lbs.of torque, with targeted durability andperformance standards. It will be fuelinjected, with Holley EFI technologyregulating the Electronic Control Unitand the fuel injection system. “We'reproud to add ARCA and Ilmor to thegrowing list of sanctioning bodies,OEMs and professional-level enginebuilders using Holley EFI electronicsand hardware on their race engines,”said Trevor Wiggins, Holley VP ofSales. “Our EFI engineering and techgroups are gearing up to assure thistransition is seamless.”

“Holley carburetors have poweredARCA racers over two million miles in



47 Saftey Auto_Layout 1 11/6/14 9:18 AM Page 47

the last two decades alone, so it is anatural transition for Holley fuelinjection to deliver the fuel on theARCA Ilmor 396,” added Drager.

Paul Ray, President of IlmorEngineering, said, “We’ve partnered

with ARCA to construct a durable,reliable engine capable of running1,500 miles between rebuilds. Theteams will be able to use the sameARCA Ilmor 396 at short tracks or asuperspeedway, a road course or themile dirt tracks. We have begun toconduct extensive testing and ourplan calls for the first engines to beavailable for purchase by the teamsby early December,” Ray concluded.

The similarity between ARCA andNASCAR is easy to see. In fact, notlong after ARCA made its initialannouncement about the ARCAIlmor 396, NASCAR made its new

rules announcement for the enginesused in Sprint Cup racing next year.They, too were concerned withreducing speeds at all the tracks.

One example is where NASCARteams recently crested 200 MPH atMichigan International Speedwaywith the top 20 drivers in qualifyingfor one race hitting 200 or better.Prior to this, an official 200 MPH lapspeed had not been seen in NASCARin over 25 years.

And as many ARCA races takeplace in conjunction with NASCARraces and tracks, the moves are seenas another alignment of the

equipment between the twoorganizations.

ARCA teams will have the optionof utilizing the new ARCA Ilmor 396beginning in 2015, or continuing touse the open motor rules packagecurrently in place. “We haveidentified and are addressing thefinancial challenges of racingcompetitively faced by many ARCAteams,” said Drager. “Ourresponsibility as the sanctioningbody is to manage the bigger picturebusiness model for all ourstakeholders. The ARCA Ilmor 396 isthe best engine option we can


ARCA Engines

ARCA teams continue to use the olderstyle NASCAR Cup cars. Specifically,they are the ones used just before theadvent of NASCAR’s Car Of Tomorrow(COT) in 2007.


introduce for the long-term health of our series,” saidDrager.

Economic FactorsOne of the challenges Drager spoke of is the cost of usinga state of the art NASCAR Cup engine.

Teams have already been noted as spending close to$400,000 to lease Cup motors for a season. ARCA has re-ally done its homework on this engine program withmany other benefits to new users.

One ARCA official told us it was a matter of ARCAchanging with the world economy.

The new Ilmor motors will be pur-chase-only and should have a price tagof about $35,000 plus tax and shipping.

Another approximate $5,000 will beneeded for incidentals such as headers,plumbing, wiring harness and the Hol-ley Electronic Control Unit with built-in rev limiter. RPM will be reduced to7,500.

So, with this new engine, ARCA hasevolved much like NASCAR with bothEFI and reduced rear wheel horse-power for the future.

The new Ilmor is based on LSXarchitecture and will be a sealed andtamper proof engine with suggestedrebuilds at 1,500 miles.


ARCA Engines


ARCA Supercars use the 830 CFM Holley carbs the Cup cars usedto run before they went to EFI.


The rules include limitingrebuilding the engines to notbefore 80% of that 1,500 miles or1,200 miles. The cost forrebuilding is estimated at $10,000- $15,000.

The new engines will also beused for ARCA’s two restrictorplate races at Daytona andTalladega.

Right out of the box, they weredeemed fast enough to require theplates. Ilmor’s facility in Michiganis close to the home base of ARCAjust outside of Toledo, OH.

As the transition into theseengines progresses, it’s clear theyare two different motors. Keepingthem competitive, yet notallowing one to have anyadvantage is ARCA’s tough joband they are focusing there as wewrite this.

They are currently working ona few methods for averagingspeeds and motor characteristicsin the name of competition and tomake this transition as smooth aspossible.

The use of tapered spacers isalready in play at Intermediatetracks and is one such solution.Others include controlled RPM

and different restrictor plates forthe Daytona and Talladega races.All are being considered.

One area where they reallyhave to get it right from thebeginning are the short tracksARCA is known for. Thosesmaller, local bull rings are a bigplace for any ARCA team lookingto assert themselves into achampionship bid.

And even with a bigger,heavier car than is normally seenon a typical half mile paved track,the classic RPM/Horsepowermatrix still rules.

With the proliferation ofinformation on race engineperformance and how it plays outwith any chassis available today, itshouldn’t take them too long. Theinitial response from ARCA teamson the new motor is veryfavorable with many wanting inon the program.

Racing is a constant hotbed oftechnology. ARCA’s use of thisnew engine should keep the ‘new’part of racing from tradingfenders with the ‘cost’ part ofracing.■


Sooner Than You Think: The 2015ARCA Racing Series season openerwill be Saturday, February 14, 2015.Look for another exciting year of racing.


51 Speedville_Layout 1 11/6/14 9:18 AM Page 51

Getting ahead in the enginebuilding business todayrequires working on a wide

variety of different types ofcylinder heads, everything fromsmall air-cooled engines andpushrod V8s to multi-valve headsand diesels.

Most shops don't have the luxury of specializing in only onetype of engine. Most shops have towork on almost any kind of enginethat comes through the door.

Late model passenger car en-gines with multi-valve cylinderheads and overhead cams can betime-consuming and challengingto work on because of the smallervalves and guides and the com-plexities of the head itself.

There's almost no margin forerror when machining valve seatsand replacing guides.

It's the same situation with performance work. The valve workyou do has to be perfect for the headto hold up in a high heat, high RPMracing application.

Every valve seat has to beconcentric, hold compression andmake good contact with the valve toprovide proper cooling. Valve stem-to-guide clearances must be withinspecifications for proper lubricationand oil control.

Mismatched seat angles orwidths, misaligned guides, improperinstalled valve heights, chatter marksor undulations on the valve seats orseats that are too tight or too loosecan all cause problems that will hurtyour reputation and bottom line.

If you can't blame it on "operatorerror" (everybody makes mistakes,right?), it could be your equipmentisn't up to the task. Old worn outcylinder head equipment just won'tcut it (literally) with today's highprecision engines.

If high quality head work is acornerstone of your business, youshould review your current situationto see if an equipment upgrade couldimprove not only the quality but alsothe quantity of your work.

A new state-of-the-art valve guideand seat machine, cylinder headmachining center or even a multi-

purpose CNC machining centercould take your business to a higherlevel and open up new businessopportunities at the same time.

You may not need all the bells andwhistles that a high end CNCmachining center offers, but makingthe switch to digital controls and/orautomated procedures can certainlystep up the accuracy and consistencyof the work you do. Theprogrammability of a digitalcomputer allows routine operationsto be automated. This providesrepeatability that can't be matchedby a manual machine even with a


Tool

ing

Aro

und

BY LARRY CARLEY,TECHNICAL EDITOR

Upgrading Valve &Seat Equipment

Seat concentricity is important whether your cutting a traditional SB Chevy headlike this or a OHC multi-valve head. Photo courtesy of Rottler Manufacturing.

52-62 Tooling Around 11/6/14 10:05 AM Page 52


53 Centroid_Layout 1 11/6/14 9:17 AM Page 53

highly skilled human operator.CNC allows the operator to

program the rate at which themachine feeds the tooling downonto the seat, the depth of the cut,and the speed, dwell and time ofthe cut for a perfect seat everytime.

Some machines also allowmultiple seat angles to beprogrammed and cut with a singlepoint bit. Others use a multi-anglecutter to machine a traditional 3-angle valve job in one step. Notonly does this improve consistency,it also helps eliminate chatter thatcan leave marks or undulations onvalve seat surfaces that causecompression leaks.

Hard seats such as Stellite,


Tooling Around


Productivity requires equipment that is quickand easy to use. A floating powerheadallows the spindle to be easily aligned with theguides without moving the head.Photo courtesy of Serdi Machines.



55 Moduline_Layout 1 11/6/14 9:16 AM Page 55

chromium, cobalt, tungsten or nickelalloys that are commonly used inmany diesel engines can be difficultto machine consistently withoutautomated controls.

The profile of the valve seats willdepend on what you are trying toachieve. A single cut, 45-degree seatmay be all that's needed for a lowoutput stock engine.

But on a high performanceengine, a multi-angle valve job is anabsolute must to optimize thebreathing potential of the cylinderhead.

The commonly used 30-45-60degree three angle performance cutcertainly flows better than a seatwith a single 45-degree cut.

But more angles generally flow

better. Adding additional cuts underthe seat, and using steeper angles forthe lower cuts generally helps theairflow numbers even more. Seatcutters with various 3-, 4- or multi-angle or radius profiles are availableso you can cut almost any valve seatangle in a single pass.

Depending on the level of


Tooling Around


CHOOSINGEQUIPMENTIf you are considering a

particular machine, but are notsure if it’s the right machine foryour shop, talk to other enginebuilders who have hadexperience with similarequipment.

Ask them:

Do they like the controls?

Is the machine easy to set upand use?Is it quick?

Is there anything they don't likeabout the machine, the toolingor the fixturing?

Have they had any maintenanceor repair issues?

Has the equipment vendorprovided good customerservice?

Listening to what others have tosay about a particular machinecan help you make up your mindas to whether or not you shouldbuy the machine. If you like whatyou head, chances are themachine would be a goodaddition to your shop. But if youdon't like what you hear, youshould keep looking until youfind a machine that's a betterchoice.


automation, many CNC machineswill retract the tooling after a seathas been cut, reposition thepowerhead or cylinder head toalign the tooling with the nextvalve seat, and repeat the processuntil all the seats in a cylinderhead are finished – all withoutoperator supervision or control.The machine does the work whilethe operator uses his time for othertasks in the shop.

This allows the operator togenerate more billable work in an8-hour shift, and for your shop toprocess more jobs more profitablythan ever before.

Most CNC machines come withfactory training and setupassistance so you can be up andrunning fairly quickly. If you arenot doing complicated 5-axis headporting or CAD/CAM design


Tooling Around


Big heads like these require a big machine thatcan handle oversized heads. The same equipmentcan also be used on ordinary heads, too.


work with a full-blown CNCmachining center, valve work shouldbe a piece of cake. All you areprogramming the machine to do iscome down, cut the seat and moveon to the next seat.

In addition to cutting valve seats,CNC – as well as manual cylinderhead machines – can be used for a

variety of other head repairs too.This includes machining heads toaccept oversized seats or seat inserts,reaming or replacing valve guides,resurfacing spring seats, machiningthe recessed bores for overhead cambuckets, or drilling out and replacingbroken bolts and studs.

With respect to accuracy, you can

never be too accurate when it comesto valve seat concentricity withrespect to the center line of eachvalve guide.

When a valve seat is notconcentric with the valve guide,misalignment may prevent the valvefrom sealing tightly causing acompression leak.

Lack of concentricity can alsocause the valve stem to flex slightlyevery time the valve opens andcloses. Over thousands of miles, thismay lead to fatigue failure of thevalve stem. A nonconcentric seat canalso cause one side of the valve torun hotter than the other, increasingthe risk of valve burning and seaterosion.

Many factors can affect valve seatconcentricity. Many people prefer touse a dead (fixed) pilot rather than alive pilot when machining seats tominimize movement between thepilot and guide.

A live pilot turns with the toolingso there must be a little clearancebetween the pilot and guide to thepilot can spin freely. Even if there isonly 0.0001 inch of clearancebetween the pilot and guide, it mayallow the tooling to wobble slightlyas it cuts the seat resulting in an out-of-round (nonconcentric) seat.

Some cylinder head machines usea spindle design that allows a livepilot to act like a fixed pilot. Thetooling that is attached to the spindlehas a straight pilot with a spring-loaded tapered upper section.

The pilot fits into the guide tocenter the tooling, but doesn't rotatelike a live pilot when the seat is cut.Some machines do not use spring-loaded pilots while others use aball-mount mechanism for quickcentering of the pilot.

Regardless of what type of pilotsystem is used, valve concentricityshould be checked with a gauge. Asimple vacuum check can also beused with a valve installed to see ifthe seat holds a tight seal.

Many cylinder head machineshave a floating powerhead thatmakes head repositioning fast andeasy. Air pressure lifts the head andallows it to be easily tilted and slidinto position.

The powerhead floats on flat


Tooling Around




Tooling Around


TOOLING TIPSA list of other things you should consider when looking at valve guide and seat machines includes the following:

• Tooling storage;• Tooling capabilities of the machine;• Ease of changing tooling;• Ease of setting up and cutting a seat;• Tool sharpener for tooling;• Vacuum for keeping working area clean;• Front-to-back and side-to-side travel of the work head;• Work lighting (This one can’t be stressed enough!);• Air float of machine work head (Ease of floating and locking);• Make sure head can tilt +/- 15 Deg for canted valve guide work;• Ease and accuracy of leveling;• Built in vacuum tester (To test your work before you take it off the machine);• Motor RPM variation; and• Motor power, motor type, motor location.


ways, which adjust front to back andside to side. A tilting powerheadallows the spindle to be quicklyaligned to the guides in the cylinderhead, which is really handy whenworking on heads with cantedvalves.

Machines with a fixed-positionpowerhead use a floating air tablethat allows you to slide the headunder the spindle so the guides canbe aligned with the tooling. Fixturingshould allow you to easily rotate thehead 360 degrees for machining anysurface or guide angle.

A cylinder head machine that hasa floating air powerhead will befaster and easier to setup and usethan a basic "drill press" type ofmachine that has an air table toreposition the head.

The type of pilots you are using


Tooling Around


A cylinder head machine needs enough power to also beable to cut inserts for valve seats and to drill out guidesand broken fasteners. Photo courtesy of Newen.



61 NPR_Layout 1 11/6/14 9:16 AM Page 61

and how long it takes to change orreposition pilots will also be a factorthat affects productivity and workflow. The faster and easier theequipment is to use, the more workyou can get done with the limitednumber of man hours that areavailable in any given work shift.

Versatility is also important whenyou are upgrading equipment.Ideally, you want a cylinder headmachine that can handle a widevariety of shapes and sizes,everything from small one-cylinderheads to large diesel heads.

You don't need a machine that canhandle an oversized Cummins orCaterpillar head if you only work onpassenger cars and light trucks.

On the other hand, if there's a needfor heavy-duty diesel work in yourarea that is not being met by othershops, buying a machine that canhandle oversized heads may allowyou to expand your customer base.

Fleet customers pay big bucks fordiesel head work and won't haggleprices as much as your typicalautomotive customer. There's lesscompetition for diesel repair dollarsso there's more room for profitability.

Versatility may also include theability to do other kinds of work, likesurfacing heads and blocks and/orline boring.

A multi-purpose machining centeris a major investment, but it allows asingle machine to do the work ofseveral dedicated machines. Iflimited floor space is an issue, itmight allow you to replace severalolder machines with one newmachine.

This approach also works wellwith a small volume custom shop ifyou don't have to be do milling orboring work simultaneously.

You can do one process at a timeand simply change the tooling headand control inputs to proceed on to

the next process.Cost is always a factor when a

new equipment purchase isinvolved.

Whether you are buying a basicvalve guide and seat machine, amore expensive unit with a floatingpowerhead and digital controls or afull-blown CNC machining center,the equipment has to pay for itselfone of several ways: by improvingquality (fewer problems andcomebacks), by improvingproductivity (more jobs completed inless time) and/or by generating newbusiness.

Improving your reputation fordoing quality work can itself bring inmore business. Likewise, having theability to turn jobs around morequickly may bring you customerswho can't wait days or weeks foranother shop to do their heads. ■


Tooling Around



63 AVI Million_Layout 1 11/6/14 10:59 AM Page 61

The basic purpose of an oilingsystem is to providelubrication for the engine. It

doesn't matter if the system is awet sump with an internal oilpump mounted in the crankcase orfront cover, or a dry sump systemwith an external multi-stage pump.The engine doesn't know thedifference as far as where the oilcomes from – as long as the flowkeeps coming at all RPMs andunder all operating conditions.

Conventional wet sump oilsystems are usually adequate fornormal driving, and even manyforms of racing as long as theambient temperature, G-forces andengine RPMs are not too high. Oneof the weaknesses of wet sumpsystems is that they pull oil fromthe bottom of the oil pan. Keepingthe oil where it belongs can be amajor challenge in many types ofracing.

When a drag car launches off

the line, positive G-forces push theoil backwards. The oil wants toclimb up the back of the engineand away from the oil pumppickup in the bottom of the pan.Then, when the car shuts downand decelerates at the top end ofthe strip, negative G-forces pushthe oil towards the front of the pan.

Most stock oil pans can't controlthese kinds of forces, increasing therisk of oil starvation under hardacceleration or deceleration. That'swhy many performance enginebuilds need an aftermarket oil panwith additional oil capacity,internal baffles and/or trap doorsto control oil sloshing inside thepan. The oiling system should be ahigh priority rather than anafterthought to protect the engine.

With circle track applications,sideways G-forces are constantlypulling the oil towards the rightside of the pan because the car isalways turning left. The oil pan for

a circle track car also needsadditional oil control baffles, anextended side cavity or kickout onthe right side and a relocatedpickup so it can pull in oil from theright rear corner of the pan.

Road racecars face an eventougher challenge. In addition toextreme fore and aft G-forcesgenerated by accelerating andbraking, the oil in the crankcaseexperiences sideways G-forces inboth directions. This calls for evenbetter baffling, trap doors andkickouts to keep the pump pickupsubmerged in oil.

A well designed oil pan shouldallow oil to return to the pan asquickly as possible, direct oil that isflinging off the crankshaft back intothe pan (directional scraper),minimize windage (drag andaeration) by shielding the oil in thepan from turbulence generated bythe spinning crankshaft (which isworse with longer stroke cranks),


Oili

ng S

yste

ms

Racing with the FlowPerformance Oiling SystemsBY LARRY CARLEY, TECHNICAL EDITOR

64-71 Oil Systems 11/6/14 10:03 AM Page 64


65 Driven_Layout 1 11/6/14 9:15 AM Page 65

and have the right kind of bafflingand/or trap doors to keep as muchoil as possible around the oil pumppickup inlet. A “budget” pan thatfails to meet these criteria may endup costing you an engine.

With off-road vehicles and marineengines, a wet sump oiling systemmay have serious problems with oilcontrol.

There can be negative vertical G-forces when the vehicle or boat goesairborne. These kinds of racingconditions can make it nearlyimpossible to keep oil in the sump.For these kinds of applications aswell as many road race engines, adry sump oiling system is often abetter choice.

The last thing any racer wants tosee when an engine is revving hardis a fluctuating or dropping oilpressure reading – or no oil pressureat all.

Bearings won't survive very longonce the oil film is lost. Coatedbearings can provide somemomentary protection if the oil filmbetween the crank journals andbearings goes away, but not for long.So it's important to have an oilingsystem that minimizes the risk of oilstarvation.

Reserve PressureOne solution to reducing the risk ofoil starvation in wet sump systems isto install an oil pressure accumulatorin the system. The accumulatorfunctions as a pressurized oilreservoir. The accumulator builds uppressure when the engine is running,creating reserve emergency pressurefor when it may be needed.

If the oil pump sucks air becauseextreme G-forces in any direction arepulling oil away from the pickup inthe bottom of the pan, theaccumulator reacts to the drop inpressure and provides the much-needed push to keep oil flowing tothe motor.

Depending on the capacity of theaccumulator, the reserve pressuremight last for up to a minute ormore. This can make the differencebetween winning a race and blowinga motor.

An accumulator can also provideadditional oil flow and cooling forturbo motors after the engine hasbeen shut down. This can prevent oil

oxidation and coking on the turboshaft bearings.

An accumulator can also be usedto prelube the engine prior tostarting it up. Various types ofmanual and electric solenoid valvesare available for accumulators.

The manual variety has to beopened prior to starting the engine,and closed before shutting it off.Solenoid valves can be switched onand off remotely, or controlled by anoil pressure sensor at opens at apreset pressure. Either way, having ashot of reserve oil pressure ready topressurize the engine can minimizethe risks of dry starts and oilstarvation.

An accumulator can alsocompensate for any loss of oilpressure that results from oil pumpcavitation. When many spur gear oilpumps reach 5500 to 6000 RPM, thegears may be spinning faster than oilcan flow into the pump. This createstiny bubbles in the wake of each geartooth that aerates the oil and causes adrop in pressure.

The exact RPM at whichcavitation occurs and how muchpressure drop it causes depends onthe design of the pump, the size,position and contours of the inletport, the size of the pickup tube(larger is always better), the flowcharacteristics of the pickup inlet(less restrictive is always better) andoil viscosity.

A wet sump system with arelatively small pickup tube,restrictive drilled or screen meshpickup inlet, a stock oil pump and a

heavy viscosity motor oil (likestraight SAE 50 or 20W-50 multi-viscosity racing oil) will cavitate andlose oil pressure at a much lowerRPM than a system with a well-designed high flow oil pump, largepickup tube, minimally restrictiveinlet and a lower viscosity oil (like0W-30, 0W-40, 5W-20, 5W-30 or 10W-30 synthetic racing oil).

Which Oil Pump Is Best?Many replacement oil pumpsdesigned for performance use havethicker, stronger castings, or CNCmachined billet housings to reducethe risk of breakage. Close internaltolerances are essential to minimizeinternal pressure losses and tomaximize the pump's output.

Many performance oil pumps alsooffer increased flow and/or pressure.Taller gears and larger ports increaseflow while a stiffer or adjustable by-pass spring increases pressure. Ahigh volume pump is recommendedfor engines with looser bearing clear-ances. A high volume pump can alsobe used to maintain "normal" oilpressure readings with lower viscos-ity synthetic motor oils. But a highvolume oil pump should not be usedas a bandaid to make up for sloppybearing clearances inside an engine.

For an engine that will seldom revbeyond 6000 RPM, a stock flowpump may be all that's needed tokeep the engine lubed.

For higher RPMs, a high volumepump can increase flow 15 to 20percent or more over a stock pump.But to get maximum flow out of a


Oiling Systems

Circle track oil pans includebaffles to keep the oilaround the pickup inlet, anda kickout on the right sideto hold additional oil.



67 Royal Purple_Layout 1 11/6/14 9:14 AM Page 67

high volumeoil pump, youshould alsoinstall thelargest possible pickup tube that will fit the application –and make sure the inlet is as nonrestrictive as possible.The inlet also must be positioned at the right height so itdoesn't restrict flow or suck air.

Most pickup tube inlets should be positioned about1/4 to 3/8 inch above the bottom of the pan. If theposition of the inlet is too high, it increases the risk of oilstarvation when high G-forces are present. If the inlet ismounted too close to the bottom of the pan, there may notbe enough clearance for good oil flow at higher RPMs.

If you don't know how much clearance is actuallybetween the pickup tube inlet and bottom of the pan, puta small ball of modeling clay in the bottom of the pan,install the pan temporarily, then remove the pan andmeasure the thickness of the clay once it has beendeformed by the inlet.

And make sure you don't leave any clay in the pan orpickup tube inlet!

The least restrictive type of oil pickup inlet is one thatis covered by a large open honeycomb mesh or coarsescreen. Inlets that have a welded metal box on the endwith drilled holes can be restrictive if the holes are toosmall or there are not enough holes to allow good oilflow at higher RPMs.

The only thing the inlet screen or mesh does is preventbig chunks of debris from being pulled into the pump ifthe engine blows a bearing, piston or a rod. It providesno real filtration or wear protection for the oil pump.

A restrictive pickup tube inlet can also make it harderfor an oil pump to self-prime when a cold engine is firststarted. Cold oil, especially a heavy viscosity oil likestraight 40 or 50 weight racing oil, flows like molassesuntil it gets hot. This can delay the time it takes for oilpressure to build inside the engine and for the oil toreach the upper valve train components.

Multi-viscosity racing oils, by comparison, are muchthinner when cold, which makes it easier for the oilpump to pull oil up through the pickup tube. A thinnerviscosity oil will build pressure faster and lubricateupper valve train components much quicker.

Some racers are leery of multi-viscosity oils, thinkingthey are too thin to provide adequate lubricationprotection. However, once the oil gets hot, it acts thesame as heavier viscosity oil. A 20W-50 racing oil, forexample, will flow like a 20 weight oil when cold, butcling to the bearings like a 50 weight oil when its hot.

How Much Oil Pressure Do You Really Need?For many years, engine builders and racers liked to see atleast 10 PSI of oil pressure for every 1000 RPM of enginespeed. Some guys are not happy unless their oil pressuregauge is reading 60 PSI at idle! Truth is, most enginesdon't need that much oil pressure.

Oil pressure is resistance to flow, and it robshorsepower. Consequently, if you provide enough oilflow to keep a steady oil film in the bearings but nomore, you can save some horsepower that wouldotherwise be wasted spinning the oil pump.

Many performance engines can get along just finewith only 4 to 5 PSI of oil pressure for every 1000 RPM –provided the crankcase is filled with a high quality oilthat can maintain good film strength and containsenough anti-wear additive.

Oil pressure is also a direct function of bearingclearances. If you build an engine with standard bearingclearances and then fill the crankcase with a lowviscosity synthetic oil (like 0W-30 or 5W-20), you will seea corresponding drop in oil pressure.

Why? Because the oil is thinner and flows through thebearings quicker than a heavier oil such as a 20W-50 orstraight 30, 40 or 50 weight oil. Consequently, you can


Oiling Systems


An accumulator can provide backup oilpressure for a wet sump system if the oilpump sucks air or cavitates. It can also beused to prime the engine for starting andto help cool a turbo after engine shutdown.



69 Area Diesel_Layout 1 11/6/14 9:14 AM Page 69

tighten up the bearing clearances abit and take advantage of the thinnerviscosity oil to gain somehorsepower.

Or, you can stick with the wayyou've always built engines, leavethe bearings with standard orslightly loose clearances and go witha traditional 20W-50 racing oil or aheavy straight weight oil.

Dry Sump Oil SystemsFor racers who have experienced oilstarvation problems or enginefailures from loss of oil pressure, adry sump oiling system is usuallythe recommended cure. Yes, dry sump oil systems areexpensive, costing up to severalthousand dollars for a basic 3-stagesetup (and even more for multi-stage systems), but you get whatyou pay for.

A dry sump oil system uses aseries of suction pumps to pull oilvapor out of the crankcase.

Additional hoses and scavengepumps can also be used in a multi-stage setup to pull air and oil out ofthe lifter valley and valve covers.Pulling air and oil vapor out of theengine reduces windage inside thecrankcase and saves horsepower. Italso allows the use of a very shallowoil pan because the pan doesn't haveto hold any liquid oil or function asa sump.

A shallow oil pan provides moreground clearance under the engineand/or allows the engine to bemounted lower in the chassis tolower the center of gravity.

The oil vapor siphoned out of thecrankcase by the suction pumps isrouted to an externally mountedseparator/reservoir tank.

The tank separates the air fromthe oil and collects the liquid oil so itcan be fed to an externally-mountedgear or belt driven oil pump. Thetank provides a constant supply ofoil so the pump never runs dry. The

additional oil capacity provided bythe tank also helps keep oiltemperatures lower.

The amount of oil held by thetank may range from as little as 6 to 8quarts for a turbocharged four-cylinder engine to 8 to 12 quarts for atypical V8.

For a marine application, tanksthat hold 5 to 6 gallons of oil arecommonly used to compensate forall the pounding and sloshing thatoccurs in this type of racing. Someoff-road racers and rock climbershave even mounted oil tanks with agimbal arrangement to keep thetanks vertical as the vehicle tilts foreand aft or side-to-side.

With long stroke crankshafts,there can be a lot of windage anddrag inside the engine. By using amulti-stage dry sump system withadditional suction pumps, it'spossible to create and maintainvacuum inside the crankcase toreduce windage drag on the crank –


Oiling Systems


especially at higher RPMs. Thehigher the vacuum, the less drag.Vacuum in the crankcase also helpsring sealing.

A two-stage or three-stage drysump oil system with two or threescavenge pumps stacked togetherwill usually not pull enough suctionto create high vacuum inside thecrankcase.

But a four-stage, five-stage or six-stage dry sump oil system that issucking air and oil out of thecrankcase and lifter valley cangenerate high levels of vacuum, evenat high engine speeds and loadswhen blowby increases. The hotsetup these days is a six-stage systemthat uses one suction pump to pullair and oil out from under each pair

of cylinderson a V8,plus twomorepumps tosuck vaporsout of both

ends of the lifter valley under theintake manifold.

Engines equipped with a drysump oiling system have to be sealedso they don't pull in outside air. Thatmeans no open valve cover, liftervalley or crankcase vents.

Depending on the level of vacuumyou want to achieve, you may haveto install crankcase end seals withreversed lips to prevent air frombeing pulled past the seals.

As with wet sump oiling systems,you only need to feed the engine withas much oil flow as it actually needs.

Flooding it with oil pressure onlywastes horsepower. You want tomaintain minimum oil pressure andflow without over-oiling the engine. ■


Oiling Systems


Drag racing creates extreme G-forces when accelerating anddecelerating, which can starvethe engine for oil if the oil pancan't control sloshing.


Choosing a particular type ofcamshaft for an engine buildis an important decision that

has to be made before any otherparts are ordered or machined.Choosing a cam requiresanswering some basic questions,the most important of which is theengine application itself.

Are you building an engine foreveryday driving? For towing?For street performance? Forstreet/strip? For drag racing or acircle track car? Are there classrules that limit the type ofcamshaft and valvetraincomponents that are allowed?

What kind of vehicle is theengine going into (light car,heavy car, truck, race car)? Whatkind of transmission and gearingwill the vehicle have (stick,automatic, wide ratio or closeratio transmission gearing, finaldrive ratio)?

How much money is yourcustomer willing to spend on the

cam and valvetrain? Is it a budgetbuild that will require a flat tappetcam with solid or hydraulic lifters,or is the sky the limit?

The camshaft determines theengine’s horsepower and torquecurves, so the cam has to match notonly the application but all of theother components that go into thevalvetrain, the cylinder heads,

compression ratio and inductionsystem.

It is important for enginebuilders to seek out as muchinformation from the customer onthe build as they can. Sometimes,these details can come fromfamiliarity of performing enginebuilds at different levels.

“There is no substitute for


Natural SelectionChoosing the Perfect Camshaft for the Build

Cho

osin

g C

amsh

afts

BY ENGINE BUILDER STAFF

Don’t Be Afraid To AskThere may be times when selecting a specific

camshaft may just have you stumped. According to camshaft manufacturers we spoke to,

consulting the cam manufacturer’s tech personnel willget you on the right track. These tech line specialists

are in constant contact with engine builders of all types and should have a well

rounded frame of reference.

72-79 Camshafts 11/6/14 10:01 AM Page 72


73 EPWI_Layout 1 11/6/14 9:13 AM Page 73

experience when it comes tomatching the cam to the application.An engine builder who is veryfamiliar with the type of engine andapplication will have valuableinsights into camshaft selectionwhich really cannot be acquired anyother way,” said one camshaftmanufacturer.

“One specification may appear tobe optimal, but often there are otherconsiderations which will effect theon-track performance of the enginein important ways.”

Another manufacturer/supplierexplained when it comes to performance street cars, nearlyeveryone with a small block Chevywants it to be capable of at least6,000 rpm.

“That doesn’t sound too radicalbut in a car with 3.08 gears, 26-inchtall tires and a 400R4 auto trans, thatresults in an overdrive ratio of 2.16.That will equal 1650 rpm @ 60 mph.That MAY be acceptable on reallyflat land. In hilly country with some

long grades, it may nothave enough torque tostay in overdrive onthe grades. Even a 3.90ratio = 2.73 finalgearing which 60 mph= about 2300 rpm. Ifsignificant grades areinvolved 6000 rpmshould not even beconsidered.

Incidentally 6000rpm in 3rd gear, Directdrive, = 120 mph withthe 3.90 gear and 150mph with the 3.08gear.

Most cams largerthan stock are capableof 6,000 rpm, even ifpeak power is muchlower. Rarely isanyone going to spendmuch if any time over100 mph.”

Over Cam Issues When it comes to picking thecamshaft, one of most commonlymade mistake is over-camming theengine with too much lift and/orduration. Big numbers lookimpressive, and you may have acustomer who insists having thewildest cam he can find for hisengine. But is it the best cam for howhe will actually use his vehicle?Probably not.

Most street driven vehiclesseldom see the high side of 5,500rpm, and most cruise at 1,800 to2,500 rpm on the highwaydepending on how they are geared.The best all-around cam for a streetperformance vehicle, therefore,would be one that has its peakpower and torque curve in the 1,500to 3,000 rpm range.

On the other hand, if you arebuilding an all-out race motor for acustomer’s race car, you’d want a


Choosing Camshafts


A lot of development work has goneinto revamping lobe profiles in recentyears to optimize performance, andmany cam suppliers have introducednew product lines that reflect theseimprovements.


cam that produces peak power and torque in the rpmrange where the car will be running most of the time.

“When in doubt, it is almost always better to go withwhat you might think is slightly less cam than you needas opposed to slightly more. Too much cam will usuallyhurt drivability far more than too little will,” said onemanufacturer of camshafts.

As for lift, most stock and lightly modified headswon’t flow any more air once valve lift reaches about0.550˝. Pushing the valves open any further will notincrease airflow or power, and may actually hurt powerbecause of reversionary air flow. On the other hand, ifyou’re building a Pro Stock race motor with highlymodified heads and CNC huge ports that can handlegobs of air, increasing valve lift to the physical limits ofthe engine is often necessary to maximize power.

Another decision that has to be made is how muchlift do you want from the cam and rockers? For anygiven lift, you can use various combinations of cam liftand rocker arm ratio to achieve the same numbers.

According to one cam supplier we interviewed, thebest approach is to get more lift with the rocker armsand less with the cam. Why? Because higher lift camsare more highly loaded cams that experienced morewear.

Consequently, you are more apt to round off a lobeon a high lift cam that has big lobes than one whichuses smaller lobes with higher ratio rocker arms. Thevalvetrain also tends to be more stable when a higherpercentage of the valve lift is generated by the rockerarms rather than the cam lobes, lifters and pushrods.

Picking PerformanceOne camshaft manufacturer provided these tips for selecting a performance camshaft for stock cars, dragsters and road racers.• Stock Car Racing: It is imperative to know at whatrpm the car exits the corner. It is difficult for the driverto watch the tach in the corner with 5 or 10 cars close by.

They frequently don’t pay much attention on restartseither. At 1 track in Maryland, drivers in almost allclasses said 4500 to 5000 was the typical minimum rpmon restarts or during the races. We went there with acompetitive Late Model and a data acquisition systemand found the minimum rpm with no other cars on thetrack was 3500 rpm. This situation is pretty common.Most stock car racers power off the corners at a lowerrpm than they think.

Another tendency of racers that can’t keep up off thecorner is to add more gear. Very often a change insuspension geometry or driving style will yield betterresults. On dirt tracks the problem is frequently wheelspin. Paint a section of the tire with shoe polish. If thatsection becomes a blur then you have wheel spin.Remember dirt tires may still have significant forwardbite with some wheel spin.• Drag Racing: Drag Racers should gear for peak rpmat the end to be several hundred above peak power. 1/8mile racers frequently run similar gears to ¼ mile cars.

They don’t need as big a cam due to the shorterdistance even with slightly lower gears. 1/8 mile street




cars with street gears should havelots of low end and mid rangepower.• Road Racing: Road racersfrequently have more than thetypical 4 speed transmissions andthe ratios are frequently closer. Thismeans the lobe separation mayfrequently be closer than normalbecause the driver can maintain therpm to narrower range than normal.

Sometimes the rpm drop betweenshifts is 3-600 rpm. Tight lobeseparations usually make a bit morepeak horsepower but over a shorterrpm range.

This is usually not true with stocktransmissions so if the transmissionis stock you need a wider lobeseparation for a longer power band.

Contemplate on Your CalculationsComparing one cam grind toanother can be tricky becausecamshaft suppliers often measuretheir cam specifications differently.

If duration is measured at .004˝ oflift rather than .050˝ of lift, it inflatesthe numbers and makes the cam appear bigger.

Consequently, it’s important to

note at what point lift is actuallymeasured when comparingadvertised camshaft duration specs.

Generally speaking, the longerthe duration the higher the rpmrange where the cam makes power.Short duration cams are good forlow speed torque and throttleresponse while long duration camsare best or high revving engines thatneed to make lots of top end power.

Cams with durations in the 195 to210 degree range (measured at .050˝cam lift) are usually considered bestfor stock unmodified engines andthose with computerized enginecontrols.

Once you go beyond 210 to 220degrees of duration, intake vacuumstarts to drop. This upsets idlequality and affects the operation ofcomputerized engine controlsystems.

Performance cams typically havedurations ranging from 220 up to280 degrees or more. The longer theduration, the rougher the idle andthe higher the cam’s power range onthe rpm scale. A cam with a durationof 240 degrees of higher will


Choosing Camshafts


Because diesels require a lot ofcompression, camshaft durationtends to be short with minimaloverlap. Photo courtesy of Camcraft Cams.


typically produce the most powerfrom 3,500 to 7,000 rpm.

But there’s more to camshaft selection than lift and duration.Cams from two differentmanufacturers may have identicallift and duration specs, but haveconsiderably different performancecharacteristics because of the shapeof the lobes.

A lot of development work hasgone into revamping lobe profiles inrecent years to optimizeperformance, and many camsuppliers have introduced newproduct lines that reflect theseimprovements.

Some cam lobes may have steeperor shallower ramps to change the

velocity at which the valves openand close. A fast opening rate isgreat as long as the valve springsand valvetrain are stiff enough tohandle it. Closing the valves quickly

is also good, but not good if thevalves close so abruptly that theybounce when they hit their seats orthe lifters can follow the down rampof the cam lobe.

Many cams today also have“asymmetrical” grinds that usedifferent profiles for the upside anddownside ramps on the cam lobes,as well as different lobes for theintake and exhaust valves.

Some cams even feature slightlydifferent grinds for each of theengine’s cylinders, depending onwhere the cylinder is positioned inthe engine block.

The end cylinders on a V8 with asingle carburetor manifold typicallybenefit with a little more valveduration for the end cylinders toequalize airflow through the intakemanifold. It’s a trick that NASCARhas used for years and is nowavailable in some off-the-shelf

product lines.

Down the RoadWhat type of changes or technologyimprovements will engine builderssee in their cam selection comingdown the road? “One of the newerdevelopments has been the use oftool steel for roller camshaft cores,”explained one manufacturer. “Thesehigh-strength cores allow a largergun drill through the camshaft,which reduces the rotating mass,decreasing parasitic losses in poweroutput.”

Also, the trend to increasinglylarger cam bearing diameters andthe resulting increase in base circlediameter is allowing for larger lobesand greater lobe lift which reducethe rocker arm ratios and valvespring pressures required forcontrolling the valve train. ■


Choosing Camshafts



1. Lobe WearUse only the manufacturerrecommended lubricant, which isgenerally included with the cam. Thislubricant must be applied to every camlobe surface, and to the bottom ofevery lifter face of all flat tappet cams.Roller tappet cams only require engineoil to be applied to the lifters and cam.Also, apply the lubricant to thedistributor drive gears on the cam anddistributor.

2. Incorrect Break-In ProcedureAfter the correct break-in lubricant isapplied to the cam and lifters, fill thecrankcase with fresh, non-synthetic oil.Prime the oil system with a priming tooland an electric drill so that all oilpassages and the oil filter are full.Preset the ignition timing and primethe fuel system. Fill the cooling system.Start the engine. The engine shouldstart quickly and run between 1,500and 3,000 rpm.If the engine will not start, don'tcontinue to crank for long periods asthis can shorten the life of the cam.Check for the cause of the problem

and correct it. The engine should startquickly and be run between 1,500 to3,000 rpm. Vary the rpm up and downin this rpm range for 20 minutes.During break-in, verify that thepushrods are rotating, as this will showthat the lifters are also rotating. If thelifters don't rotate, the cam lobe andlifter will fail. Sometimes you may needto help spin the pushrod to start therotation process.

3. Always Use New LiftersWith A Flat Tappet CamIf you are removing a good used flattappet cam and lifters and are planningto use them again in the same (oranother) engine, you must keep thelifters in the order they were removedfrom the cam they were on. Lifters"mate" to their specific lobes and can'tbe changed. If the used lifters get

mixed up, discard them, install a newset of lifters, and break in the cam inagain. You can use new lifters on agood used cam, but never use usedlifters on a new cam.

4. Incorrect Valve SpringPressureRecommended valve spring seatpressure for most street-type flattappet cams is between 85-105 lbs.More radical street and raceapplications may use valve spring seatpressure between 105-130 lbs. Forstreet hydraulic roller cams, seatpressure should range from 105-140lbs. Mechanical street roller camsshould not exceed 150 lbs. Race rollercams with high valve lift and springpressure are not recommended forstreet use, because of a lack of oilsplash onto the cam at low speedrunning. Springs must be assembled tothe manufacturer’s recommendedheight. Never install springs withoutverifying the correct assembled heightand pressures. NOTE: Increased spring pressure froma spring change and/or increased valvelift can hinder lifter rotation during cambreak-in. Decreasing spring pressureduring break-in can be accomplishedby using a shorter ratio rocker arm tolower the valve lift and/or removing theinner spring if dual springs are beingused.

5. Mechanical Interference A. Spring coil bind. This is when all ofthe coils of the spring contact eachother before the valve fully lifts. Valve


Choosing Camshafts


The camshaft itself is rarely to blame for camfailure. When the cam core is made at the castingfoundry, all the lobes are flame hardened to adepth below the barrel of the core, allowing thecam grinder to finish grind the lobes to anacceptable shape while maintaining the correcthardness.

Here's a list of common mistakes we havedetermined to cause camshaft failure:

Reasons For Cam Failure


springs should be capable of travelingat least .060" more than the valve lift ofthe cam from its assembled height. B. Retainer to seal/valve guide bossinterference. At least .060" clearance isrequired between the bottom of theretainer and the seal or the top of thevalve guide when the valve is at full lift. C. Valve to piston interference. Thisoccurs when a change in cam specs(lift, duration, or centerline) is enoughto cause the valve and piston tocontact. Also, increased valve size orsurfacing the block and/or cylinderhead may cause this problem.Minimum recommended clearancesare .080" intake and .100" exhaust. D. Rocker arm slot to stud interference.As you increase valve lift, the rockerarm swings farther on its axis.Therefore, the slot in the bottom of therocker arm may run out of travel andthe end of the slot will contact the studand stop movement. The slot in therocker arm must be able to travel atleast .060" more than the full lift of thevalve.

6. Distributor Gear WearThe main cause for distributor gearwear is the use of high volume or highpressure oil pumps. If these types of oilpumps are used, reduced cam anddistributor gear life will result. However,you can increase the gear life byadding more oil flow over the geararea to help cool off the point ofcontact.

7. Camshaft End PlaySome engines use a thrust plate tocontrol the forward and backwardmovement of the camshaft in theblock. The recommended amount ofend play on these types of engines isbetween .003" to .008". Many factorscan cause end play to change. Wheninstalling a new cam, timing gears, orthrust plates, be sure to verify end playafter the cam bolts are torqued tofactory specs. If the end play isexcessive, it will cause the cam to moveback in the block, causing the side ofthe lobe to contact an adjacent lifter.

8. Broken Dowel Pins OrKeysThe dowel pin or Woodruff key doesnot drive the cam; the torque of thetiming gear bolts against the front ofthe cam does. Reasons for the dowel

pin or key failing are: Bolts not beingtorqued to correct specs, incorrectbolts of a lower grade stretching andlosing torque, not using the correcthardened washer which may distortand cause torque of the bolt tochange, LocTite not being used, orsome interference with the cam, lifters,or connecting rods causing the cam tostop rotation.

9. Broken CamA broken camshaft is usually caused bya connecting rod or other rotating partcoming loose and striking it.Sometimes the cam will break after ashort time of use because of a crack orfracture in the cam due to roughhandling during shipping or improperhandling prior to installation.


Choosing Camshafts



There’s a saying that a leaf neverfalls far from the tree. And inthe case of the Arfons family, a

father’s creativity and love of speedhas taken seed in a successful jetturbine business for the son.

Recently, Tim Arfons brought thesights and sounds of turbinedragsters to an entirely newgeneration of racers and fans thanksto the life-lessons and hands-onexpertise he learned from his father,the legendary Art Arfons.

Arfons has painstakingly remadethe famous Green Monster front-engine dragster to better-than-newcondition and is using it as a high-speed history lesson for today’s dragracing fans. The reconstructed carmade its initial test pass at QuakerCity Motorsports Park in Salem, OH,in October 2012, and overthe past few years, theracer went through anumber of exhibition andgrudge match racing attracks throughout theMidwest.

“Between bad weather, we wererained out twice and my NASCARwork schedule, we were only able tomake five passes this year,” saidArfons.

The Legend of the GreenMonster DragsterLike so many trend-setting race cars,the Arfons’ Green Monster #19 has acolorful story about its build andrace history. Tim recalls, “Dadalways wanted to have a competitioncar to drag race in both theInternational Hot Rod Association

(IHRA) and American Hot RodAssociation (AHRA). We knew thatthe NHRA (National Hot RodAssociation) would never allowturbines to race, but the IHRA andAHRA both gave us a waiver thatwould permit us to run a turbine-powered car.”

Turbine-powered race cars hadjust set the racing world on its earwith impressive showings at theIndianapolis 500. “Andy Granatellihad just run the STP turbine car inthe ‘67 and ‘68 races at Indy,”explains Tim. “Dad saw theperformance potential of turbines inrace cars and decided to build a topfuel-type car in 1971 and as a 15 yearold kid, I was right there with him.”

The origin of the front-enginedstyle chassis that would serve as the

foundation for the Arfons’revolutionary drag racer. “Webought the front engine chassis froma racer in Cleveland because at thattime, everyone was going to rearengine dragster chassis. No onewanted a front engine dragsteranymore, so dad was able to buy thechassis at a good price.” As it turnedout, this was to be the only front-engine drag car the senior Arfonswould every build.

Powering UpTo power the car, Arfons went with acompact General Electric T58 gasturbine. First run in 1955, the GE T58turbo shaft engine was designed foruse in helicopters and became thefirst turbine engine to receive FAAcertification for civilian helicopter


The Rebirth of the

GREEN MONSTER

Trac

k Ta

lk

Today’s Green Monster is asmuch of a show piece as it is arace car.

SUBMITTED BYMCCULLOUGH PUBLICRELATIONS

80-83 Green Monster 11/6/14 9:59 AM Page 80

use in 1959. But like so many things coming out of theArfons shop, the engine also had a story behind it.

“Dad bought the engine from Craig Breedlove,” saysTim. “We actually bought three GE-T58 turbines fromCraig,” says Tim. “So that was the engine dad decided touse in the dragster.” Always the wheeler-dealer, thesenior Arfons knew how to score a good deal. “Breedlovehad lost a lot of money on something and he neededcash,” remembers Tim. “So we were able to get a verygood deal on the engines.”

Being an eager 15-year old that enjoyed spending timewith his father, Tim learned to use many of the shop’stools by building components for the car. “I was 15 in1971. I did my best to do whatever dad told me to do. Hebuilt his own gearbox so I learned how to run the milland of course, helped him test run the turbine engines onthe test stand.”

The Arfons’ newly completed turbine dragster madeits debut in the summer of 1971 at Rockingham, NorthCarolina. “I remember that trip like it was yesterday,”says Tim. “It was me, dad and Ted Austin, our driver. Atthe track, dad held the turbine’s nose starter, I ran thegenerator in the truck and Ted drove the car.”

At Rockingham, the Arfons’ revolutionary front-engined turbine dragster ran a little faster than 180 mphin the 1/4-mile. Later that year, the Arfons’ car qualifiedfor a couple of IHRA events and an AHRA event at thebottom of the field and was never very competitive.

“The first time I got to drive the front engine T58dragster was at Thompson Raceway on my 16thbirthday,” recalls Tim. “I believe I went 170 or 180 mph. Ionly got to race it a couple of times a year while I was 16

and 17. Dad really didn’t want me running the car bymyself, so I had to give it up.”

“We ended up doing some match racing with otherturbine and jet cars,” recalls Tim. “Then in 1973 at theUnion Grove Jet, Rocket and Wheelstand Nationals, ourfront-engined dragster won top honors and wentundefeated on Saturday night.”

Never one to rest on his “mad scientist racer laurels”,the senior Arfons decided to “push the envelope” evenmore by building drag racing’s first J-85 powereddragster.

“With Ted getting the J85-powered jet dragster, thatmeant that I got to drive the front engine car,” explainsTim.

In 1975, Tim qualified the Green Monster for the IHRANationals at Dragway 42 in West Salem, Ohio. “It was somuch fun to race against the ‘big guys’ like Don Garlits,Shirley Muldowney, Don Prudohmme, TV Tommy Ivo -all of them were there,” recalls Tim. “Here I was, just akid... about 19 at the time. My pit crew was dad and

Mike Weicht, a high school buddy whowas my best friend at the time.”

The Last of its Kind“We raced it off and on for a couple ofyears. Then, much to mydisappointment, dad decided to pull


Track Talk


In 2012, Tim Arfons decided toresurrect the Green Monsterfront-engined turbine dragsteroriginally driven by his fatherArt in the early 1970s.

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the engine and the gearbox out of thefront engine dragster to build apulling tractor instead. I really didn’twant him to do it – I really wanted tokeep running the dragster, but dadwanted me to go tractor pulling.Being the good son, I did as I wastold.”

Eventually, the Green Monster’sfront-engine chassis was sold to atractor puller who then converted itinto a mini tractor puller. “Today,that chassis would be worth a lot ofmoney,” notes Tim.

Looking back, Tim is happy withthe direction that his father took thefamily business with the switch totractor pulling in the mid-1970s. “Ihonestly believe that I wouldn’t be

where I am today if it wasn’t forswitching to building andcampaigning turbine-poweredpulling tractors.”

As it turns out, the front-enginedGreen Monster #19 was the last ofthe Green Monster dragsters to makea pass on the drag strip – making itslast pass in 1975.

The Green Monster ReturnsFast forward to 2012. “I’ve alwayswanted to get back into drag racing,”says Tim. “So we set out to resurrectthe Green Monster front-enginedturbine dragster.”

“A few years ago, I built a J85dragster that I sold to Darren Bay.That brought back so manymemories and especially, how muchI enjoyed racing that first front-engine turbine car from back in theday.”

Tim then made the consciousdecision to pick up where he left offwith the front-engine car. “I’vealways had a feeling that the T58dragster car was way capable ofmore performance and I took it as apersonal and professional challengeto see if I could build one and goeven faster than the original car.”

“When we started building it, Imade everything in it absolutelyperfect. In fact, I went overboard,”hesaid.

“It’s as much of a show piece as itis a race car. Every piece on theengine is polished. It has a beautifulSCS gearbox, a Dustman Brotherschassis, with a body from Roomanfrom Indianapolis – the same guywho does the metal work on all ofthe top nostalgia drag cars you seetoday. Everything we could chrome,we chromed, and then of course, ithad to be finished off with alegendary Arfons green paint job.”

As a final tribute to the car that heand his father built and campaignedin the early 1970’s, Tim named thenew car Green Monster #19.

The Same, Only BetterPeople who saw the original GreenMonster #19 race back in the daywant to know what’s different aboutthis recreated car. “The original carwas always slow to come off theline,” explains Tim. “I alwaysthought it needed a drive-line braketo get a better launch off the line. So,to get a better ET, that feature wasincorporated in to the SCS gearbox.Also, the original front engine T58car never had a reverser, so weadded that as well. Now we can dosome awesome burnouts and get thecar back to the line under its ownpower.”

“The turbines themselves havecome a long way since the late1960s,” notes Tim. “We’ve selected amuch better engine – essentially anewer style General Electric T58 thathas 300 more hp. Now we’re lookingat 1,325 total horsepower. But, thatalso means that we had to have amuch better rear end. When you getdown to it, it’s really the same car,only better and truly built for heavyduty fun.”

The new Green Monster #19made several test passes in the fall of2012 at Quaker City Motorsports


Track Talk


Check out a video of the dragster at:

http://youtu.be/7fiOTkAwXcY.

The new Green Monster #19 madeseveral test passes in the fall of 2012at Quaker City Motorsports Park inSalem, OH. Due to Arfons’ job responsibilities, the dragster sawlimited track appearances in 2013, aswell as this year.


Park. “The car worked perfect,” saysTim. “On its second run, it had abetter E.T. than the original car... andI even shut off at 700 feet.” The carthen went 170 mph at Quaker City inOct. 2012, with Tim shutting it downjust past half track.

“It’s been more than 40 yearssince I last drove a dragster,” saysTim. “I was a bit apprehensive aboutgetting back onto the track…it was alittle more than what I expected. Theride was more intense than what Iexpected. But, when I got to theother end of the track, I felt great. Weaccomplished what I set out to do –come back to the drag strip 40 yearslater with basically the same type ofcar that I made my first ever turbine-powered pass in.”

Green Monster SightingsDue to Tim’s track dryingcommitments, the Green Monster#19 had a limited number ofappearances in 2014. And sincegetting the dragster back on thetrack, he’s added a “fire show” sonow it has 30’ of flames at thestarting line before he takes off.

Arfons said he plans to run thevehicle next year, hoping to pass that200 mph mark.

“Main changes to the car were animproved electronic governor, a newintake screen, improved fuel deliveryand of course the fire show,” Arfonssaid.

“The last race (in October thisyear) was only a thousand feet, butwe have picked up five mph at thatpoint so we will definitely be over200 mph next year,” he said.

Nostalgia With Technology“People who do come out to see thenew Green Monster can expect to see

a little slice of racing historyrecreated with some new technologyand a driver that’s still as passionateas ever about using turbine powerfor as many cool, go-fast vehicles aspossible.”

What should spectators expect ata Green Monster appearance?Surprisingly, the crowd can expectnear silence. “Just like the turbinecars that ran at Indy back in the day,it’s really pretty quiet,” explains Tim.“People in the stands say they can

actually hear the tires chewing at thepavement, trying to find traction andthey can hear the parachute popopen at the end of the track. Peoplelook at it in wonderment, it’sdefinitely one of a kind,” he said.

“People also tend to wonder whyI sit behind a jet engine. Well, this isexactly how dad and I had the carconfigured back in the day – and thisis my way of sharing a little bit of myfather and my history with today’sdrag racing fan.”■


Track Talk


Tim Arfons, (RIGHT), son of the racing legend ArtArfons, said he plans to run the second-generationGreen Monster again next year, with a goal ofpassing the 200 mph mark.


Auto racing enthusiasts Bob Sutherland, DavidUihlein and Chuck Davis started the Millersat Milwaukee Vintage Indy Car Event at the

Wisconsin State Fair Park in 1995. At that time, the three never dreamed that it would

become an annual event drawing cars from across thecountry and showcasing in retrospect the ideas thatsprung from auto racing to advance auto engine tech-nology.

It is one step short of amazing to visit Milwaukeefor the meet and peek under the hoods of racing carsthat competed from about 1912into the middle 1960s.

The pits at the State Fair’sfamous Milwaukee Mile arefilled with the hottest cars oftheir eras with their hoodsopen and men gawking at earlyrace engine configurationsranging from a tiny StudebakerChamp six to a Duesenbergeight.

Double overhead cam engines made in the Teens gen-erate surprise, as do the beautiful Miller eights that dis-

placed only 91 cu. in. and put out 250 hp! A Miller-powered racer could do over 170 mph. After his death, David Uihlein’s Miller 110

engine sold at auction for $72,500 and his 1931Miller Bowes Seal Fast Indy 500 winner brought $2million at auction in Monterey, CA.

He had apassionate love ofthe early history ofAmerican motorsports andcollected andrestored manyimportant racingcars.


Magnificent Millers in ‘Milwaukee Mile’

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR John [email protected]

Talk

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This Offy racing engine wasstuffed into the enginecompartment of a “ttraditional”hot rod seen in the vendingarea at the Miller Meet. Younever know what you are goingto find at the Milwaukee racingcar event.

The F. DavisEngineering-HillegassStudebaker is a prewarfull midget dirt trackracer with a 169-cidChampion flathead in-line six of 1940 vintage.It features a high-compressionStudebaker aluminumcylinder head and isgood for about 140 hp.Fuel-injection has beenadapted to the engine.

The Miller/Offy four-cylinder engine under the hood of WilliamMiller’s 1938 Indy “Big Car” seen at the 2013 Millers atMilwaukee Meet now has this beautiful motor in place of theMiller 8 it started out with.

84-86 Millers Crossing 11/6/14 9:57 AM Page 84

They ranged from hisIndy 500 winner to a sportscar special bearing his name.He was the founder of theHarry A. Miller Club(www.harrymillerclub.com)that honors the famousengines and racing cars

made by Miller in Indianapolis.The 2014 gathering on July 11-12 was the 20th

edition Millers at Milwaukee meet. It brought 53historic racing cars to the Midwest and in thepaddock area, the focus was definitely on what

ticked under the hoods of each entry. For most of theafternoon, if a car was in the pits, it had its bonnet openeither for a little wrench turning or to show off thepowerplant that made it tick.

The vintage engines were treasures. There wereOffys, Millers, flathead Fords from Indy’s “junkformula” days, Duesenberg eights, Chrysler eights,Miller 91s, Fords with Frontenac conversions, Ford“flatties” with Zora Arkus-Duntov’s famed Ardun

cylinder heads, Hudson eights,Miller V-16s, a Chevy big car, ablown Bentley and a 1926 BugattiiType 37 with its piece-of-art fourbanger.

Equally fascinating was the arrayof speed equipment from a span ofover half a century. There werecarburetors crafted by hot rodpioneer Ed Winfield, finned andpolished Studebaker Six cylinderheads, all manners of superchargers,ancient free-flowing exhaustsystems, a 1913 Peugeot with a 3-

liter double overhead cam four with four valves percylinder, finned side covers, ancient magnetos, dualsingle carb intakes and high-performance hardware thatmost people only get to see in boneyards or dustymuseums.

“This is a milestone event for our group and it bringsout the best racing cars from all over the country,” saidDana Mecum, the Wisconsin-based classic carauctioneer who now serves as president of the Harry A.Miller Club that Uihlein started. “There are only 60


Talking ShopIn the early ‘30s, Augie Duesenberghad already started building this car forthe 91-cid class when new racingengine formulas upped maximumengine displacement to 366 cu. in. orsix liters and outlawed superchargers.So the car was built with the engineshown here.

Board track racingimpresario HarryHartz bought theDuesenberg next.He had it fitted witha 142-cid engine.Then, Hartz hireddriver Fred Frame topilot the car in the1931 Indianapolis500-Mile Race whereit placed second.

This four-cylinderBentley engine musthave had a chance offouling the spark plugs,since provisions weremade to carry an extraset under the hood.

Vintage speed equipment is common to see on the racing cars atthe Miller’s in Milwaukee meet. This beautiful overhead cam eighthas finned side covers and lots of high-polished parts.


entry spots,” Mecum pointed out.“So it is important to getapplications in early.” He said thatMiller Meet participants get moretrack time than drivers get atsimilar events.

In addition to track time, themeet featured a vending area.

The vendors included BrianJohnson and Ken Walton, whoboth sell racing car parts.

Racing car historian GordonWhite was also set up sellingcopies of his books.

Some historic racing cars at themeet included Mick Anderson’s1960 Dowgard Special fromWisconsin, Mike Bauman’s 1952John Zink Special from Illinois.Miles Collier’s 1913 Peugeot,Dennis Holoway’s 1926 KoukolSpecial from Iowa, Tony Parella’s1934 Chevy Big Car from Texas,Larry Pfitzenmaler’s 1959 Watsonroadster from Arizona, PhilReilly’s 1960 Bowes Seal FastSpecial from California and SteveTruchan’s Speedway MotorsChamp car from Indiana. ■


Talking Shop


This is an original old photo of the a1913 Peugeot with a 3-liter doubleoverhead cam four with four valves percylinder owned by Miles Collier and hisREVS Institute for automotive research.



Oil System

s

New ProductsSchumann "ER-VAC" Oiling SystemSchumann Sales & Service has developed a new "hybrid" oiling system that combines its "Energy Recovery" internal oilpump with a vacuum pump and oil separator for both street and performance applications. Like a dry sump system, the ER-VAC system pulls oil vapor and air from the crankcase. This allows the use of a sealedcrankcase to reduce emissions. The oil vapor is then routed through a separator to remove air so the liquid oil can befed back to the engine's internal oil pump.Schumann says the new ER-VAC oiling system can be adapted for use on any car or truck engine to meet future EPArequirements for reduced pollution and extended converter life. The reduced windage inside the engine combined with improved pumping efficiency improves horsepower, fueleconomy and emissions.According to Schumann, the new system is still under development and we will provide photos on these componentswhen they are available.563-381-2416Circle Number 134

Melling "Shark" Oil Pump for SB ChevyMelling is introducing a brand new oil pump with asymmetrical helical cut gears for small block Chevys at thePerformance Racing Industry Show in Indianapolis this December. The “Shark” pump offers smoother output than a traditional spur gear oil pump, along with reduced powerrequirements and higher volume output. The pump has a cast iron housing with steel helical cut gears.Product photos of this pump are not yet available, but we will run them online at www.enginebuildermag.com followingthe PRI show.www.melling.comCircle Number 135

Aluminum Oil Pumps for 429-460 Big-Block Fords One of the main problems that beset tuners of big-block Ford engines is oil pump failure. The casting develops afracture at the section change around its mountings, which rapidly propagates like a sound wave and the oil pump fallsinto the oil pan without warning. It is a sobering,unwelcome drama that’s best avoided.Though the stock oil pump behaves reliably within itsstock environment, for engines that are tuned ormodified, oil pump failure is almost inevitable. Tosurvive this hazard Jon Kaase Racing Enginesintroduced cast iron oil pump in April 2009.Recently, the performance parts supplier released avastly lighter aluminum version to supersede theirearlier iron units. Available for front sump or rear sumpapplications, these Kaase pumps retain their sturdy,long section mountings and use the same impellermechanism employed on their championship-winningKaase 820 CID Pro Stock engines.Equipped with dual oil feeds to the rotor to improve idle and high-rpm oil pressure, they are supplied with thenecessary gaskets and the highest grade ARP mounting studs and 12-point nuts.Sharing the same main body, the front-sump pump suits earlier muscle cars and can be recognized by the angled flangeat its inlet port. The rear sump pump, the more common of the two, accepts the long pick-up tube that takes its oil feedfrom the back of the engine.These new pumps accommodate stock and aftermarket oil pickup assemblies and are bench-tested before shipping.JonKaaseracingengines.comCircle Number 136

For more on Performance Oil Systems, see the tech feature beginning on page 64 of this issue.

87 Oil systems products 11/6/14 9:56 AM Page 87

1. More FE Stuff.Being an FE Ford fan, and havingraced them, and still owningseveral, I enjoyed BobMcDonald's article about FEFords. “Out With The Old and InWith the New/Or Keep the Old”in the April Issue of EngineBuilder. I have been in love withFE's since my brand new 63 Rcode I special ordered when Iwas 22.

Along with all the otherAmerican brands of engines Ibuild, I still do some FE's.

There has been a bigresurgence of the 427s, especiallywith aftermarket aluminumblocks, heads, even tunnel rams,and stroker kits out the whazoo.

Warren Shafer, ownerof Shafer's Classic ReproductionParts in Tampa, FLjust left my shopwith a 406 Tri PowerFE I built for him.Warren is finishinga rotisserie 63 BoxTop Galaxie G codeof his own.

(The 5th character in ‘60sFord’s VIN numbers is aletter. It describes the engine.G is 406 tripower 405HP. B isa 406 4V, 385 HP. R is 427 8V425 HP and Q is a 427 410HP). Older motor manualsand Google are gooddecoding sources.

My 64 Galaxie show car isan R code. It is the epitomeof the big Ford era. I raced a406 and several 427s from1963 to 1979.

And, here I go again. I amfreshening my 427 FE Tunnel Portengine right now. That sewerport engine powered my firstserious drag race effort, the BigAnimal ‘57 Mercury, till Octoberof ‘79.

Big A is a gasser type drag car.It made its debut powered by a406 FE Tri Power on July 20, 1969.The very day Neal Armstrongstepped on the moon, I won atrophy in 1D Hot Rod class.

By ’72, I ran several 427 FE 8VLow Risers. Then in ‘75, I went toa 8V Tunnel Port 427. That switchshaved half a second off my ETand gained 10 mph. Trans is a topLoader 4 speed and HurstCompetition plus shifter.

Yes, it is true. I am getting myBig Animal ready for a few “Fun

Runs” in 2014. This will be thefirst time it will be run since 1979.

2. Big AMy intention is to have fundriving that car again, andaugment some wonderfulmemories.

Big A was one of the last carsdown the famed Oswego, IL dragstrip. In October of ‘79, my friendBubba Thurlby, the Oswegotrack manager, requested me tobring the Big Animal that last dayfor a couple “Goodbye Runs.”There were tears. I never ran thecar again.

I had been Oswego RTE (RunTough Eliminator) trackchampion in ‘73 and ‘74 with thatcar. And won RTE countlesstimes. That big orange ‘57


Five Points toPonder Prior to PRI

CONTRIBUTING WRITER Animal Jim [email protected]

Fast

Lan

e

Animal Jim's Big Animal ‘57 Mercury in 1975, Oswego, IL.The Big Animal, which Jim still has, is powered by a FE 427Ford Tunnel Port. Left lane is Frank Marshall in his Daddy'sThing ‘58 Chevy, 427 powered. From the book “Lost DragStrips/Ghosts Of Quarter-Miles Past.”Photo by Brent Fregin.

88-91 Fast Lane 11/6/14 9:55 AM Page 88

Mercury is synonymous withOswego history and lore.

There is a great book called “LostDrag Strips/Ghosts Of Quarter-Miles Past.”

I'm one of the ghosts. That 2013book includes the Oswego DragStrip. On page 92, it features apicture by Brent Fregin of my BigAnimal and Frank Marshall'sDaddy's Thing ‘58 Chevy, side-by-side, wheels up with the OswegoSign in the foreground. The book isa masterpiece by Tommy Lee Byrd.The foreword is written by DonGarlits.

My FE experience started inMarch of 1963, when I took deliveryof a special order, brand new, allblack R code Mercury two-doorsedan. It was ordered radio delete,black walls and rims, with dog dishhubcaps, bench seat, no creatureconveniences, and no badging. Itwas rumored it had no heater. Nottrue. I live in the Midwest.

It was a real sleeper. Who wouldexpect a ‘63 Mercury Breezewayentry level plain Jane would harborwell over 425 horses under thehood? That rare car is on a HP FEMercury registry.

The marketing people at Fordthen were such comedians. LOL!!You could not believe anything theysaid. First, a 427 is only a 425.9 ci.Do the math! 4.2328 bore with a3.784 stroke.

Ford also under rated its FEhorsepower. An 8V 427 Low Riserand an 8V 427 High Riser and an8V427 Medium Riser were all ratedat 425HP? Duh?!

The Tunnel Port and High Riserwith Two four barrels, were both

pretty close to 600 HP.

3. The Tunnel Port I was involved with areastock car racers whoinspired me to try bothHigh Riser and TunnelPort. After using aTunnel Port in my owndrag car, I favor theTunnel Port.

The Thunderbolts hadhigh risers. But, ifTunnel Ports hadsurfaced in ’64 and not‘66, they might havebeen used in the T-Bolts.

NASCAR let the HighRisers run in ’64 andthen outlawed thembecause of a flat hoodrule. The high riserneeded a hood bubble.NASCAR also outlawedthe 427 OverheadCammer. But, NASCARdid let the Ford racers usethe Medium Riser withtwo Four barrels and a flat


Feurer

This is a picture of the early 1958-1962 flange, springretained type cam. Also, the special steel springpocketed front cover and spring. Above the flangedcam is a ‘63 and later type plate retained cam. The twotypes of timing gears, one on left is a later gear withcam spacer molded in the rear. The gear on right isearly type, flat on back, and uses that remote spacer.Never mix the remote spacer with the late moldedspaced gear. It will create an additional verydestructive .222 end play. If the early flat backed gearis tried with out the remote spacer, the engine will notturn after cam bolt is tightened.

A closer view of the early 58 to 62, springheld, flanged cam on the right. The newplate retained the type on the left.


88-91 Fast Lane 11/6/14 9:55 AM Page 89

hood. They ran fair.In ’66, the Tunnel Port came on

the scene, which was a Cammertype port compromise. NASCARallowed the two fours. The TunnelPort is what Fred Lorenzen, CaleYarborough and David Pearsonused to terrorize NASCAR.

It was also used to win atLeMans 1,2,3, in 1966. Number 1was driven by co-drivers, BruceMcLaren and Mark Donahue. Crewchief Max Kelly, in the later years,

became one of mytreasured friends. Max'swinning car is in the IndySpeedway Museum.

With the new interest inthe FE engine, I amcompelled to offer someFE tips to share, especiallyif getting involved withreal old vintage FE stuff.

The FE engine was aunique design with someoddities, and several needto know changes from1958 to 1976. One is thatthe 1958 332 and 352 onlyhad solid lifters. In ‘59,came the hydraulics.

Pre-1963, half the FEsused a flanged camshaftwith a special steel frontcover with a cavityharboring a retainingspring, similar to the MEL383 and 430.

In ‘63, half the FEs werechanged to what I call anormal cam and retainingplate held with two short7/16 button head Philipsfasteners with lockwashers. (I swap those forAllen button heads andLoctite).

The early retainersused a slotted .222 thickspacer that nestled in thecenter cavity of theretainer with the slotastraddle the uppertiming gear pin. Thetiming gears used withthat spacer were flat onback. Soon, Ford decidedto mold the spacer intothe back of the uppertiming gear.

4. Spaced OutI had customers bring me destroyedengines, because they used a newerintegral space stepped gear and the.222 spacer gave the cam an extra.222 end play. The cam lobes, liftersand their bores did not dig that. Thecam bearings were not fond of iteither.

If an old style flat upper timinggear was tried without the spacer, itwould be found, because the camwould lock up when the top timing

90 November 2014 | EngineBuilderCircle 90 for more information

1958-1962 FE engines had cams, like the onepictured, just above the front cover. That bigflange rode on front of the block. The cam wasretained with spring in special steel front cover aspictured here. In 1963, Ford switched to a non-flanged cam and retaining plate with a moremodern timing gear. An important note. The cam spacer is molded inthe gear on the left. The right gear is flat and useda remote spacer. Never ever use the remotespacer with the later already space formed gear.

Another important note — The rear cam plug onFE Fords is faced with cup inward to give it cambutt clearance.

88-91 Fast Lane 11/6/14 9:55 AM Page 90

gear bolt was tightened.Those earlier pre ‘63 blocks could easily be modified

to use the newer retainers and cam. Remove the twosoft oil galley plugs and tap to 7/16 course. And, makesure you acquire needed hardware. And use a timingset with the integral cam gear spacer.

Another common mistake was the retainer was notsymmetrical and would get put on cockeyed.

And here is a biggie!!! The most common error – therear cam plug has to go in with the cavity facing IN tomake room for the butt of the cam. With the plug put inlike a conventional Welch plug, it will cause lackof cam end play, or even bind, and usually will breakthe retainer plate, even if the retainer plate is installedcorrectly.

I had a customer with a ‘66 GT 390 in the early ‘70s,that had all the above wrong. Somewhere in its life, anearly timing set and spacer was used. Then mycustomer put in a new timing set that had the .222 stepbuilt in, and installed the damn spacer too. Plus theyhad the retainer cockeyed, and cam plug with thecavity facing out, pounded in deep.

Number 4 cylinder had water in it. As a bonus, thewrist pin keeper got loose and the pin had sliced intothe cylinder wall. What a mess. But I was young andup to challenges.

Miraculously, I saved that block, which was notusually the case. I sleeved number 4 cylinder, and

sleeved and dressed a couple of chewed lifter boresand bosses. I used a post ‘63 1/2 stock Ford .500 lift,324 duration, 427 solid lifter cam, with Crane shelllifters and push rods.

The early ‘63 Cams in the 427s, like my ‘63 Mercury,came with only 306 duration. There was a notable

difference when I put the later cam in.

5. Rotating ElectricFlywheels and starter combos changed in 1965. 1958through ‘64 had the long bendix on the rear and a 163tooth Flywheel. The Bell housing pocket was deeperthan the ‘65 and later, to accommodate that long earlytype starter drive. The ‘65 and later starter was shorterand had a lump type cover over the starter drive leverassembly. The later flywheel has 184 teeth. Do not mixthem.

FE’s alternator and generator brackets mount to thewater pump differently. Sixty-three and ‘64 used both.My 390 Y code ‘63 Mercury has an alternator, my ‘64Ford R code 427 has a generator. Who knows?

In ‘64, Top Loader 4 speeds were used instead of theBorg Warner's that ate its own second gear and clusterfrequently.

There is much more to know about FEs, but we areout of time again. Contact me if desired.

This writing I tribute to an FE fanatic andcollaborator friend. The recently late Joe Kozol fromJoliet, IL. The flanged cam and cover pictured wereJoe’s. I will miss him.

The FE – True Love. You never need to say yoursorry! ■


Fast Lane


Good view of the early flat rear, upper timing gear on theright, with the needed remote .222 thick steel spacer. Thelater upper timing on left has the spacer molded on theback. Do not mix these up. Never use the remote spacerwith the late spacer step molded gear. The steel retainerwas used on both types from 1963 on.

88-91 Fast Lane 11/6/14 9:55 AM Page 91

Whether their purpose isgoing to be repairing anOE application or to go

all out in the restructuring of theengine block, liners and sleeveshave to be able to perform anumber of tasks. Here are sometips to help you with theirinstallation:

Cast Out: Most cast ironautomotive engine blocks do notrequire sleeves because the iron ishard enough to resist piston ringwear. This is important because thepurpose of the cylinder is to sealthe piston rings. Over time, as theengine components become worn,a rebuild will be inevitable. But castiron engine blocks allow thecylinders to be bored and oversizedpistons installed.

Need a Sleeve: A sleeve isrequired is when the cylinder iscracked or there is not enoughmaterial in the engine’s casting forthe cylinder to be bored. In either situation, the cylinder thatis in need of repair can bemachined for a sleeve that will beinterference fit, which means that it

will need to be pressed into thecylinder block.

Diesel Dilemma: Diesel blocksare usually thick enough to bemachined, so the only time a sleeveshould be needed is when thecylinder is cracked. But, dieselengines are also more expensive torepair. Most of the time, when adiesel is in need of repairs, it isbecause there is a problem with oneor more of the cylinder bores.

Why Wet: Wet sleeves, or linersas they are often called in heavy-duty engines, are different than drysleeves. A wet sleeve is essentially astand alone cylinder, supported atthe top and bottom by the block,and surrounded by the waterjacket. The coolant is in directcontact with the outside of thesleeve. There is no supporting borestructure around the sleeve, so thesleeve has to be thick enough andstrong enough to withstand theforces of combustion all by itself.

Wet Sleeve Advantages:The main advantage of a wet sleeveis that it allows any or all of the

cylinders to be easily replaced ifone or more cylinders are worn outor damaged, which greatly extendsthe potential service life of theengine.

Coming Back for More: Inlarge (and expensive) heavy-dutydiesel engines, wet sleeves makesense because they allow a block tobe rebuilt over and over again.

Round and Round: Whethera sleeve is being installed in analuminum or iron block,dimensional accuracy is anabsolute must. The cylinders in theblock should be machined asround and straight as possible for agood fit.

Size Matters: Sleevemanufacturers offer a wide rangeof bore diameters ranging from 2”to 8.5” that can range up to 24” inlength. Sleeve thicknesses areavailable from 3/32” and 1/8” forbores up to 5-1/8”. For somespecial applications, sleeve wallthicknesses of 1/16” and 2mm canbe achieved.


‘Lining’ Up Sleeve & Liner Work

Tech

Tip

s

BY ENGINE BUILDER STAFF

92-93 Liner Tips 11/6/14 9:48 AM Page 92

Fortified with Iron: Special iron alloys are used foreach manufacturer’s castings. Each has been formulatedto provide the supplier’s ideal blend for ease ofinstallation with trouble-free boring. The sleeves containalloys found in today’s plated cylinders that will not peelor flake. These alloys offer superior tensile strength withefficient and quick heat transfer.

Tight Fit: Pay attention to thermal efficiency of asleeve and the type of block into which it is installed. Itall comes down to interference fit. Because sleeves areflangeless, a tight fit keeps the sleeve from moving upand down in the bore when the engine reaches operatingtemperature.

Cast Iron Blocks: When pressing a sleeve into aniron block, there needs to be an interference fit between.0015” to .002”. As the engine operates under normalconditions, the cast iron sleeve can transfer heat from thecylinder into the cast iron of the engine’s block. Coolantis circulated through the engine block and surrounds thecylinders to effectively remove heat from the installedsleeve.

Aluminum Blocks: Aluminum and cast irondissipate heat differently, due to a different rate ofexpansion. For an aluminum block, there needs to be aninterference fit of .003” to .004”.Concentricity Concerns: It’s very important tounderstand when installing a sleeve, that the engineblock must be machined as round and straight aspossible. Concentricity is very important to eliminatebore distortion. Most sleeves are very accurate in outsidebore dimensions. If the block is not truly accurate bybeing bored round and straight and the sleeve is pressedin, piston clearance and ring seal will become a problem.

Watching for Liner Material Breakdowns:Liner fractures can be caused by one of two things.Vertical fractures are usually due to impact damage,while horizontal fractures are due to fitment issues – orweakness or defects in the liner metal.

Erosion on Wet Liners: One of the problems withwet liners in diesel engines is cavitation erosion on theoutside of the liners. Harmonic vibrations produced bycombustion inside the cylinders cause tiny air bubbles toform in the coolant on the outer surface of the liners.When the bubbles collapse, the implosions create shockwaves that chip away at the metal. Over time, this canlead to severe erosion and surface pitting that mayeventually cause the liner to leak or fail.

No Cavities: In diesel engines, cavitation damage ofwet liners can be reduced or avoided by eliminatingoperating conditions that cause unwanted engineharmonics. This includes making sure fuel injectiontiming is correct, and that engine speed is kept within the

specified rpm range. Cavitation damage can also bemitigated by using supplementary coolant additives, asspecified by the engine manufacturer. Following theOEM coolant recommendations is important for longliner life.

Performance Conversions: Converting a GM LSengine to a wet sleeve configuration takes about sixhours of machine work, and should be done with CNCequipment. But the results are well worth the effort. Thewet sleeve configuration can handle significantly morepower while improving reliability in high outputengines.

End Gap Check: Keep in mind the end gap on thepiston rings when liners are replaced. The ring end gap isspecified by the engine manufacturer and depends on thebore diameter. Ring end gaps can be checked by placingthe rings in the liner and measuring the end gap with afeeler gauge. On a 5.400˝ bore liner, the end gap on thepiston rings will change approximately .003˝ (0.08 mm)for every .001˝ (0.03 mm) change in bore diameter. ■


Tech Tips


92-93 Liner Tips 11/6/14 9:48 AM Page 93


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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

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Motor State DistributingFilters/Airflow AIRAID Filter Company offers acomplete line of premiumperformance filters, cold air intakesystems, modular intake tubescomputer designed for maximum airflow producing additionalhorsepower, torque and improvedperformance. The complete AIRAIDproduct line is available at MotorState Distributing for immediateshipment. www.motorstate.com800-772-2678Circle Number 114 Circle 115

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94-97 Spotlights 11/6/14 10:33 AM Page 94


Product Sp

otlights

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High Volume Oil Pumps

Orbit performance oil pumps are designedwith high output and volume capabilitiesrequired for high RPM engines. The gero-tors are precision machined from steel-copper alloy (FCO205), an exceptionallydurable metal that assures dependabilityand durability. Tight housing and gerotortolerances provide optimum pressure andflow requirements. Housings are die castDC-12 aluminum and are anodized to pre-vent corrosion. All pumps are individuallyinspected and tested. Passenger carpumps are equivalent to OEM design, en-gineering and metallurgy to meet or ex-ceed original equipment specifications.Present applications include nine applica-tions (three performance and six passen-ger car); new applications will be added.

ACL DistributionPhone: 800-847-5521www.orbitoilpumps.comCircle 116

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SV-20 Cylinder HoneThe Sunnen SV-20 cylinder hone incorpo-rates the high-end features that satisfy bothproduction engine builders and perform-ance shops, but at a cost that won’t break thebank. SV-20 features include:

•True linear stroking system for consistentdiameter from top to bottom of the bore,cylinder after cylinder

•Powerful 5.5 Hp spindle motor drives Sun-nen’s two-stage diamond hone heads forshorter cycle times and super accuracy

•Rotary servo tool feed system allows auto-matic 2-stage honing with both rough andfinish stones

•Advance PLC control with color touchscreen for easy operation and optimum con-trol of honing parameters

•Full bore profile display to quickly see andcorrect tight spots

Sunnen Products CompanyPhone 1-800-325-3670www.sunnen.com

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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

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Ford 5.0L & 5.8L HydraulicRoller Camshafts

Elgin Industries has introduced three newElgin PRO-STOCK® hydraulic roller per-formance camshafts for Ford 5.0L and 5.8Lengines. Each cam is manufactured frompremium billet steel.Now available through Elgin PRO-STOCKdistributors are:p/n: E-1835-P Adv. Dur.: 285/292 Dur. @ .050:220/226 Valve Lift: 499/.510 Lobe Sep.: 112p/n: E-1836-P Adv. Dur.: 286/289 Dur. @ .050:224/232 Valve Lift: 542/.563 Lobe Sep.: 112p/n: E-1837-P Adv. Dur.: 299/327 Dur. @ .050:236/248 Valve Lift: 574/.595 Lobe Sep.: 110

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

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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 valvetrain parts for close to 3,000 applications divided among late-modeldomestic and import passenger car, lighttruck, performance, marine, agricultural,heavy-duty and forklift/industrial. Thecatalog also features listings of K-LineBronze Bullet-brand valve guide linersand miscellaneous K-Line tooling stockedby SBI, Exclusive Master Distributor forK-Line. Based on SBI’s CD-ROM catalog,the SBI Web-based catalog allows theuser to search the database by parttype/part number, vehicle type, enginemanufacturer, or specific engine andmake codes.

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

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Cla

ssifi

ed/C

ores

PublisherDoug Kaufman, ext. [email protected]

EditorEd Sunkin, ext. [email protected]

Managing EditorGreg Jones ext. [email protected]

Graphic DesignerNichole Anderson, ext. 232 [email protected]

Tech EditorLarry [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 RepresentativesBobbie [email protected], ext. 238

Roberto [email protected], ext. 233

David [email protected] ext. 210

Jennifer [email protected] ext. 224

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

Jamie [email protected], ext. 266

Dean [email protected], ext. 225

Jim [email protected], ext. 280

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, CFOJohn DiPaola, Vice President

Beth Scheetz, Controller

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

Founder of Babcox Publications Inc.

Tom B. Babcox (1919-1995)Chairman

Call now to order or to receive a free 2014 catalog 1-800-434-5141www.autobodysupplies.com

COMPANY NAME PAGE #Access Industries Cover 3

ACL Distribution 41

Area Diesel Service, Inc. 69

ARP/Automotive Racing Products Inc 89

Atech Motorsports 83

AVI 63

Avon Automotive Products 59

BlueDevil Products 58

Brad Penn Lubricants 44

Brock Supply 20

Camcraft Cams LLC 79

Canton Racing Products 82

Centroid Corp. 53

Clemco Industries 62

Cloyes Gear & Products Inc. 18

Comp Performance Group 29

Crane Cams 77

Dakota Parts Warehouse 7

Darton International 22

Diamond Racing Products/Trend Performance 35

DNJ Engine Components 1

Driven Racing Oil, LLC 65

Eagle Specialty Products 45

Edelbrock Corp 42

Egge Machine Company 24

Elgin Industries Cover 2

Engine & Performance Warehouse 11

Engine Parts Group 15

Engine Parts Warehouse 73

EngineQuest 23

ESCO Industries 86

Federal Mogul Motorparts 33, 50

Federal Mogul/Fel Pro 48

Federal Mogul/Fel Pro 49

GRP Connecting Rods 26

Henkel Corp 19

Howards Cams 75

Hypermax Engineering Inc 46

Injector Experts 7

IPD 93

Liberty Engine Parts 5

Los Angeles Sleeve 76

Lunati LLC 28

Mahle Motorsports 10

Manton Pushrods & Rockers 91

Mobil 1 Racing 40

Modern Silicone Technologies, Inc. 37

Moduline Cabinets 55

Motor State Distributing 27

Motovicity Distribution 31

NPR of America, Inc. 61

Packard Industries 36

Performance Trends 78

PRI Show 12

Pro Cam/Baker Engineering 71

Pro-Filer Performance Products 81

QualCast 13

Quality Cutter Grinding 60

Quality Power Products 43

Rottler Manufacturing Cover 4

Royal Purple Ltd 67

Safety Auto Parts Corp 47

SB International 25

Scorpion Racing Products 90

Spectro Oils Of America 68

Sunnen Products Co 3

T & D Machine Products 54

TI Automotive 9

Topline 44,56,57

Trac-Pro 74enginebuildermag.com

Advertiser Index

98-99 Class-Cores 11/6/14 9:35 AM Page 98


Classified

/Cores

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

FLOW BENCHES

Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation(Act of August 12, 1970; Section 3685. Title 39. United States Code.)

Publication Title: Engine Builder Publication Number: 1535-041X Filing Date: September 19, 2014Issue Frequency: Monthly Number of Issues Published Annually: 12 Annual Subscription Price: $69Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication: 3550 Embassy Parkway, Akron, OH 44333-8318, Summit County. Contact Person: Pat Robinson Phone: 330-670-1234. Complete Mailing Address ofHeadquarters of Publisher: Same as above. Publisher: Doug Kaufman (address same as above). Editor:Ed Sunkin (address same as above). Managing Editor: Greg Jones (address same as above) Owner:Babcox Media, Inc., 3550 Embassy Parkway, Akron, OH 44333-8318; William E. Babcox (owner),3550 Embassy Parkway, Akron, OH 44333. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees and Other Security HoldersOwning or Holding 1 Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages or Other Securities: None. Issue Datefor Circulation Data Below: August 2014.

Extent and Nature of Circulation: Average no. copies each issue Actual no. copies of single during preceding 12 months issue nearest to filing date A. Total Number of Copies (Net Press Run) 16,330 16,035B. Legitimate Paid and/or Requested Circulation — Individual Paid/Requested Mail

Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541 14,753 14,763C. Total Paid and/or Requested

Circulation 14,753 14,763D. Non-Requested Distribution— Non-Requested Copies Stated on PS Form 3541 1,029 665— Non-Requested Copies Distributed Outside the Mail 276 152E. Total Non-Requested Distribution 1,305 817F. Total Distribution 16,058 15,580G. Copies not Distributed 272 455H. Total 16,330 16,035I. Percent Paid and/or Requested

Circulation 91.9% 95.1%

Publication of Statement of Ownership will be printed in the November 2014 issue of this publi-cation.

I certify that the statements made by me above are correct and complete.Pat Robinson, Circulation Manager September 19, 2014

98-99 Class-Cores 11/6/14 9:35 AM Page 99

Engine Builder publisher DougKaufman and managingeditor Greg Jones headed to

Akron, OH, to visit R&R Engineand Machine for its 48thanniversary celebration.

R&R Engine and Machine wasstarted in 1967 with three employ-ees and a 2000 sq. ft. building. The

original name was R&R Tool andMachine, which manufacturedand machined specialized toolingfor the automotive industry. In1978 the fuel shop and a four baygarage was added making a partsdepartment, truck shop, machineshop, and fuel shop all under oneroof. With a recent expansion of

7800 sq. ft., the shop now has 16drive-in service bays and an enginedyno, bringing the total sq. ft. to30,000. The company is an authorized OEM engine dealer for19 different manufacturers and currently has 31 employees. Wegot the shop tour from Al Roth, a35-year R&R employee. n


On

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R&R Celebrates 48 Years

R&R Engine and Machine celebrates 48years of business with its employeesand a few vendors.

This is a Cat 3508 diesel engine typically used in earth-movers. It produces 950 hp and 3300 lb. ft. of torque.On the dyno, the engine is checked for water, fuel and oilleaks.

R&R Engine and Machine keeps many parts around theshop. Here is a rack of crankshafts for existing and futureprojects.

This is the crankshaft used in the Cat 3508 seen on thedyno.

This is the engine block used in the Cat 3508 engine.

BY GREG JONES, MANAGING EDITOR

100 On The Road 11/6/14 9:34 AM Page 100


C3 Access Industries_Layout 1 11/6/14 9:13 AM Page C3


C4 Rottler_Layout 1 11/6/14 9:12 AM Page C4

Documents

Engine Builder, November 2014