forced induction basics – blown to be wild

Transcription

EP Q2-12 Cover_EP 4/20/12 8:31 AM Page 1
FORCED INDUCTION BASICS – BLOWN TO BE WILD
AN AERA INTERNATIONAL QUARTERLY PUBLICATION
APRIL-JUNE 2012
PHOTO BY
MIKE MAVRIGIAN.
Speed Read
Beyond the Flow Bench
Diesel to LPG
Understanding this engine conversion
Engine Fasteners
Correct pre-load with fasteners is critical
EP Q2-12 1-9_Layout 1 4/19/12 11:50 AM Page 1
CONTENTS
VOLUME 5, NUMBER 2
4
FROM THE PUBLISHER
6
INDUSTRY NEWS
PUBLISHER
Welcome to new AERA members,
calendar of events, news and views
8
AERA ONLINE TRAINING
By John Goodman
10 FORCED INDUCTION BASICS
By Mike Mavrigian
Supercharging and turbocharging tidbits
28 DIESEL TO LPG
10
By Clemens Ortgies
34 CONFERENCE RECAP
By Steve Fox
Sunnen & Mahle California Conference
a huge success; 2012 conference calendar
48 CHEVROLET CRUZE DIESEL WILL
BUILD ON GM’S EURO EXPERTISE
EDITOR
John Goodman
[email protected]
By Dave Hagen
40 SPEED READ
By David C. “Woody” Woodruff
AERA - Engine Builders Association
500 Coventry Lane, Suite 180
Crystal Lake, IL 60014
815-526-7600
815-526-7601 fax
Chairman of the Board
David Bianchi
Seattle, WA
First Vice Chairman
Dwayne Dugas
New Iberia, LA
Second Vice Chairman
Ron McMorris
Maple Ridge, BC CANADA
Treasurer
Dean Yatchyshyn
Cumberland, MD
President
John Goodman
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
42
Jim Rickoff
[email protected]
TECHNICAL EDITORS
44 THE ROLE OF FASTENERS IN
CRITICAL ENGINE MEASUREMENT
By Bobby Kimbrough
50 PRO-SIS CORNER
By Steve Fox
The differences between the PRO-SIS programs
54 TECHSIDE
By Dave Hagen, Mike Caruso and Steve Fox
Warranty Administration
48
Dave Hagen
[email protected]
Steve Fox
[email protected]
Mike Caruso
[email protected]
Gary Lewis
[email protected]
Mike Eighmy
[email protected]
COMPTROLLER
Ellen Mechlin
[email protected]
58 ON THE SAME PAGE
Engine building book reviews by
AERA Technical Specialist Mike Caruso
GRAPHIC DESIGN
64 TECH BULLETINS
Maria Beyerstedt
[email protected]
75 MARKETPLACE
ADVERTISING SALES
58
Jim Rickoff
[email protected]
Hal Fowler
[email protected]
PRODUCTION
Jan Juhl
[email protected]
CIRCULATION
Karen Tendering
[email protected]
Engine Professional® magazine (ISSN 1945-7634) is published quarterly by
Automotive Engine Rebuilders Association (AERA). Copyright 2012 AERA. Subscription
rates: $70 per year, outside the United States $90, single copy $20. Publication, editorial and business office: 500 Coventry Lane, Ste 180, Crystal Lake, IL 60014. Editorial:
815-526-7600, Advertising: 507-457-8975, Circulation: 815-526-7600. Send change
of address to the above. The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the various
authors in this magazine are those of the individual authors and not of the Automotive
Engine Rebuilders Association, which disclaims all responsibility for them.
2 APR-JUN 2012 engine professional AN AERA INTERNATIONAL QUARTERLY PUBLICATION
INTERNATIONAL LIAISON
Yolanda Carranza
[email protected]
CHIEF TECHNOLOGY
ARCHITECT
Richard Rooks
[email protected]
engine professional WWW.AERA.ORG/EP 3
FROM THE PUBLISHER
BY JOHN GOODMAN, AERA PRESIDENT
Golden Memories
At some point, I knew this day would
come. It happens to everyone and now,
retirement is happening to me. As with any
event you don’t want to think about, you
just bury it away and go about your
business. But I am told with age comes
wisdom and I thought it wise to move my
concentration away from career and focus
on Shirley (my wife) and grandchildren. Life
doesn’t often give one a second bite of
the apple but retirement can do just that.
So, without looking back, Shirley and I
decided that on June 30, 2012, I should
retire from a beloved industry that has
given us so many good friends and
memories. Given past history, I will stay
active and still have a few things to
contribute, but family gets the lions share.
This is also a great time for reflection.
Most of my tenure in the engine rebuilding
industry was spent on the other side of
the AERA fence and not very close to the
association’s internal workings. AERA had
always been that shining edifice among
engine rebuilders but I never got close
enough to see just how good they really
were. Nine years ago, when given the
unique opportunity to serve as AERA
president, I was humbled in the extreme!
Although my background was in the
engine rebuilding industry, technology that
drove the industry interested me most. So,
how would my past experience help AERA
become more effective?
AERA has always been a technically
oriented association and it was apparent
that I might be able to help in that
direction. We immediately began redoing
PRO-SIS, AERA’s proprietary engine
specification software, to perform better
and enlarge specification content. After a
few years and with the help of a very
talented AERA programmer, PRO-SIS was
written in a new, more robust database
language. With help from FIRM (an
umbrella association of EU engine
rebuilders), we created a new PRO-SIS
database called PRO-SIS SA. PRO-SIS
SA would better serve the EU, North
America and the rest of the world. AERA is
particularly proud that this was
accomplished 100% in house and
continues to be supported by us.
One sad note was the ending of our
Expo and New Product Showcase. AERA
had hosted these two events every year
for over 35 years but eventually ran its
course and ended in 2006. That left a big
hole in our membership but was soon
filled by several regional conferences
hosted throughout the United States.
These regionals have been a big success
and there are plans to increase them
going forward.
Engine Professional magazine (EP) is
another milestone for AERA and one of
our crown jewels. EP is now in its fifth year
of publication serving engine builders and
rebuilders worldwide. Editorial content is
focused on shop needs and introduces
new technology that every shop can use.
Each article must have shop application or
it isn’t considered for EP. We are especially
proud of Engine Professional because it is
a magazine created entirely by AERA staff
for the engine rebuilder. Anyone who has
ever picked up a copy of EP knows it is
best in class for our industry and we are
proud to enjoy that status. It also means
we must work hard to maintain and
improve it.
The depth of knowledge within AERA
is staggering! AERA members constitute a
knowledge base equal to none. To that
end, AERA launched a certificate program
based on Gary Lewis’s book, Automotive
Machining and Engine Repair that now
has 92 enrolled with 23 graduates. This
program is a rigorous 18 unit, self-paced,
online course covering all aspects of
engine tear down, cleaning, machining
and assembly. Every enrollee has up to
one year to complete the course but once
successfully completed, is awarded two
AERA certificates for Cylinder Head and
Engine Machinist. It doesn’t matter how
long you have been in the industry, you will
learn something new if you take the
course.
Other new things introduced over the
past nine years are a new and growing
Engine Component Failure Analysis
Manual now in second edition printing.
With over 128 pages of cause and effect
engine component failures, this growing
resource is fast becoming the final answer
for engine failures. We have many
manufacturers to thank for content in this
manual so be sure to see the list when
you get your copy. Other new things AERA
has engaged is the installation of new data
servers in New Zealand and the United
States to support Internet based PRO-SIS
for users around the world who would
prefer using PRO-SIS on line as opposed
to their PC. This limits the need for new
computer hardware and large storage
capacity. We see many current AERA
PRO-SIS users switching to this new
Internet format. Other new initiatives are
meaningful marketing tools for members
to better promote their businesses and
Shop Financial Analyzer, a tool used by
shops who desire to know what their
business is doing financially and where to
make positive improvements if required.
Finally, AERA has been energetic in
gathering and archiving thousands of new
engine specifications from original
equipment manufacturers worldwide and
make it available to members upon
request. Our three-man tech department
is the best in the business and getting
better every year.
This is just a sample of initiatives AERA
has been involved with to strengthen its
core values. It would be easy to write a
lengthy review of accomplishments for
each of the AERA staff and consultants;
there is just that much talent within AERA
to be able to say that. I am most proud of
what my AERA team has created over
these wonderful nine years. We may be
small but we are quality.■
Prior to becoming president of AERA, John Goodman
was director of the Advanced Technology Center (ATC)
for Micromatic-Textron. The ATC focused on
manufacturing honing solutions and studies for OEM
engine manufacturers. Testing of traditional and unique
honing abrasive systems, coolants, fixtures, tools and
software were primary responsibilities of the ATC lab.
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GM 6.5 (truck & van) .........................................$995/ea
Cummins 3.9 4BT (OEM)....................................$950/ea
Cummins 5.9 6BT .............................................$995/ea
Cummins 8.3 6CT ...........................................$1795/ea
Caterpillar 3306(DI)..........................................$2780/ea
GM 6.5 (Truck & Van) ..................$198/ea
Chevy 350 (Vortec)......................$228/ea
Chrysler 318/360........................$228/ea
Chrysler 3.9................................$180/ea
Caterpillar 3306(PC) 8N1187 ......$730/ea
Caterpillar 3306(DI) 8N6796 .......$730/ea
Caterpillar 3406(DI) NEW ..........$1580/ea
Caterpillar 3406(PC) NEW .........$1580/ea
&%
%
Cummins 4BT ....................................................$575/ea
Cummins 6CT 8.3 ..............................................$780/ea
Cummins 6BT 5.9 ..............................................$695/ea
Caterpillar 3306 .................................................$998/ea
Cummins 3.9 .....................................................$158/ea
Cummins 5.9 .....................................................$138/ea
Cummins 8.3 .....................................................$188/ea
Caterpillar 3304(PC/DI) ...............$580/ea
Jeep 4.0 (#331) ..........................$375/ea
Ford 4.0 (Early, Late)...................$138/ea
Cummins 5.9/3.9(6BT/4BT)...........$68/ea
Cummins 8.3 (6CT).......................$86/ea
GM 6.5 NEW .................................$55/ea
Cummins 5.9 (OEM)..................$5980/ea
Cummins 3.9 4BT (OEM)...........$3980/ea
Cummins 8.3 6CT (OEM)...........$6980/ea
Cummins 3.9 ................................$98/ea
Cummins 5.9 ..............................$108/ea
Cummins 8.3 ..............................$138/ea
5
6
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Cummins 3.9 Upper Kit (OEM)......$88/set
Cummins 3.9 Lower Kit (OEM) .....$88/set
Cummins 5.9 Upper Kit (OEM)......$98/set
Cummins 5.9 Lower Kit (OEM) .....$95/set
Cummins 8.3 Upper Kit (OEM)....$128/set
Cummins 8.3 Lower Kit (OEM) ...$108/set
5
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■
industry news
AERA welcomes
new members
ACTIVE
• Allisons Automotive,
Upland, CA
• Arkansas Cylinder Head
Service, Wynne, AR
• Arrow Engines,
Temecula, CA
• Auto Machine Service,
Grand Junction, CO
• Baldwin Automotive
Machining, Pontiac, MI
• Boats Unlimited Crowley, TX
• Carquest Auto Parts,
Kansas City, MO
• Daves Engine Rebuilding,
Austin, MN
• Genuine Parts Co, .
Colorado Springs, CO
• Johns Auto Machine Shop,
Olathe, KS
• Kadena Motor Service,
Roselle, NJ
• M & D Automotive Machine
Shop, Purcellville, VA
• Maces Machine Shop,
Morganton, NC
• Marine & Industrial Machine,
Pflugerville, TX
• Mikes Bump & Grind,
Webster, TX
• Motorhead Machine,
Riverton, WY
• Murtagh Automotive,
Charlotte, NC
• Neponset Valley Machine,
Walpole, MA
• Panhandle Head Exchange,
Amarillo, TX
• Performance Machine,
Manteca, CA
• Pioneer Automotive
Machine, Paso Robles, CA
• Q.A.C., Oakhurst, CA
• R & A Services, Lufkin, TX
• R Johnson & Sons Engine
Service, Warwick, RI
• Rectificadora Ibara
Lazaro Cardenas
Mich, MEXICO
• Rectificadora Italo Peruano
Balera, Edo Trujillo,
VENEZUELA
• Rectimotores Casanare
Yopal, Dept. Casanare,
COLOMBIA
• Rogers Auto Specialists,
Alamosa, CO
• Rubley Racing Engine,
White Pigeon, MI
• Strand Precision Motor
Engineers Strand, Western
Cape, SOUTH AFRICA
• TDC Engines, Kingston ON
CANADA
• The Green Machine,
Vidalia, LA
• Tom’s Garage, Danville, IL
• Vegatruck, La Vega
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
ASSOCIATE
• AMSOIL Inc., Superior, WI
• ATI Performance Products,
Baltimore, MD
• Gold Auto Parts Recyclers,
Dallas, TX
• International Automotive
Core Parts, Hampden, MA
• Kumar Bros USA LLC,
Katy, TX
• Modern Silicone
Technologies,
Bannockburn, IL
MEMBERGETTER
• Dave Monyhan,
Goodson Tools & Supplies,
Winona, MN
PRI Announces
Transition and Sale
to SEMA
Performance Racing Industry
(PRI), producers of the
motorsports business
magazine and trade show,
finalized plans to be purchased
by SEMA.
With 20-plus years of
publishing and management
experience at PRI, John Kilroy
will serve as vice president/
general manager of PRI and
assume day-to-day operations
for the group. All the
operations, employees and
offices will remain intact at
PRI’s current location in
Laguna Beach, California.
calendar
“Steve Lewis launched the
PRI concept a quarter-of-acentury ago, as an organization
totally dedicated solely to the
racing industry,” said Kilroy. “It
was Steve’s dream that PRI
continue to serve the racing
community and to ‘nest’ PRI
with an organization that clearly
understands PRI’s heritage and
the role we play in how the
racing industry conducts
business. We are pleased to
have found that strategic
partner in SEMA.”
Lewis, founder and current
CEO of PRI, will now be able
to dedicate his time and
energy to pursue his lifelong
passion for motorsports, which
includes management of his
Nine Racing midget team and
supporting the racing career of
his son Michael—2011
Formula 3 Italia Rookie of the
Year.
SEMA President Chris
Kersting said, “The
Performance Racing Industry
Trade Show and magazine are
great complements to the
SEMA mission: they help their
customers' businesses to
succeed. SEMA looks forward
to providing the PRI team the
resources and support to
continue delivering great value
to the racing and performance
segment.”
Founded in 1963, the
SEMA trade association
provides services and
resources to businesses in the
automotive specialty
equipment industry. Members
include manufacturers,
distributors, retailers and
marketers of products that
enhance the styling and
functionality of cars, trucks and
SUVs. In addition to producing
the premier automotive
accessories trade show, where
more than 100,000 individuals
come to do business, SEMA
offers education, research and
several publications specifically
targeted to the industry.
For more information, visit
www.performanceracing.com
or www.sema.org.■
MAY 19
TECH & SKILLS
CONFERENCE
Hosted by Liberty
At Liberty’s New England
Warehouse
Worcester, MA
JULY 19
TECH & SKILLS
CONFERENCE
Hosted by EPWI
Denver, CO
SEPTEMBER 27-29
TECH & SKILLS
CONFERENCE
Hosted by Rottler
Held in conjunction with the
Rottler Open House
Seattle, WA
SEPTEMBER 28-29
TECH & SKILLS
CONFERENCE
Hosted by Comp Cams
Memphis, TN
OCT. 30 – NOV. 2
SEMA SHOW
Las Vegas Convention Center
Las Vegas, NV
www.semashow.com
NOV. 29 – DEC. 1
PRI SHOW
Orange County
Convention Center
Orlando, FL
www.performanceracing.com
DECEMBER 6-8
IMIS SHOW
Indiana Convention Center
Indianapolis, IN
www.imis-indy.com
AERA
Certificate of
Completion
BY JOHN GOODMAN, AERA PRESIDENT
AERA Engine Building
and Machining
Certificate Program
With the absence of ASE machinist certification, AERA felt it
necessary to offer our industry an alternative. Rather than a
test to prove understanding, AERA has chosen to offer a
comprehensive online training program leading to diplomaquality certificates in Cylinder Heads and Engine Machinist.
Technicians who successfully earn either certificate will hold
proof that they have an elevated understanding of fundamentals of machining, measuring tools, shop safety, fasteners,
engine theory, engine diagnosis, engine disassembly, component cleaning, inspection, crack detection and repair, component reconditioning and cylinder head and block resurfacing.
This program is an online, self-paced course with up to one
year to complete. Gary Lewis’ book, “Automotive Machining
& Engine Repair,” will be included with the $150 registration fee. Everything a technician will need is contained in the
program with video clips and supplemental readings at key
locations within the program.
Benefit to the Technician: An AERA certificate of completion means you have successfully finished a difficult program
designed to teach and test detailed skills and practices of an
operating engine machine shop. It elevates your status and
chances of hire with prospective employers looking for qualified, teachable employees.
Benefit to the Shop Owner: Knowing that a prospective
employee holds an AERA certificate of completion in
Cylinder Heads and/or Engine Machinist increases your likelihood of hiring a productive and trainable shop technician.
A new hire with an AERA certificate improves your chance
of hiring and keeping qualified shop personnel.
To find out more about this exciting new certificate program,
please call the AERA office at 815-526-7600, extension 202 and
ask for Karen Tendering — or email [email protected].■
As of April 12, 2012, 92 people have
enrolled in the AERA online training
course for certificates in Cylinder
Heads and Engine Machinist. The
following is a list of those who
have completed both certificates.
• David Roland, Macomb
Community College, Macomb, MI
• Jim Connor, Automotive Training
Center, Warminster, PA
• Todd Riggs, SRC of Lexington,
Lexington, KY
• Joe Wahrer, Allen Correctional
Institute, Wapakoneta, OH
• Tom McCully, Automotive Training
Center, Exton, PA
• Joe Holthof, AIS Engines,
Paul Wiley, Welland,
Ontario, Canada —
“I am currently employed
as an Apprenticeship
Technologist at Niagara
College. The majority of my
work takes place in our
auto shop, however, I also
work in the areas of cabinet
making, general machinist
and welding.
The AERA program was
presented to me and my
co-workers as a way of
expanding our knowledge
of engine machining. This
course has been very
beneficial for me as an
individual because of my
work in the machine shop.
I really appreciated the
approach that was taken
with this training because it
not only shows the correct
methods for work, it also
explains in detail why said
methods are used.
I would strongly
recommend AERA online
training to anyone looking
to gain a more in-depth
understanding of engine
machining. To date, there
have been a few of us at
the College who have taken
the course and it’s been
beneficial to all of us.
Thanks, AERA!”
Grand Rapids, MI
• Tom Shoffner, DNJ Engine
Components, Chatsworth, CA
• Eric Bouchard, AIS Engines,
Grand Rapids, MI
• Damian Mitchel, AIS Engines,
Grand Rapids, MI
• Armando Guerrero Sr., Carquest
of Surprise, Surprise, AZ
• John Johnson, Niagara College,
Welland, CANADA
• Kevin Hachkowski, Niagara
College, Welland, CANADA
• Paul Wiley, Niagara College,
Welland, ON, CANADA
• Chris Amy, Elk Point, AB,
CANADA
• Garrett Moldoff,
Northeast Automotive Parts,
Nassau, NY
• Rob Kerr, Workman Auto Repair,
Brighton, ON, CANADA
• Randy Whaley, Workman Auto
Repair, Brighton, ON, CANADA
• Mike Beattie, Niagara College,
Welland, ON, CANADA
• Christopher Ens, Precision
Engines, Whitehorse, Yukon,
CANADA
• Matthew Tedder, MTP Drivetrain,
Many, LA
• Jeff St Peter, SPR Enterprises
LLC, Port Washington, WI
• Arthur Olivo, Allan Hancock
College, Santa Maria, CA
• Kevin Alford, MTP Drivetrain,
Many, LA
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Forced
Induction
Basics
BY MIKE MAVRIGIAN
PHOTOS BY MIKE MAVRIGIAN UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED
Supercharging and
turbocharging tidbits
While this article may be a bit simplistic
for those familiar with forced induction,
hopefully the information will be helpful
to those who are not as experienced with
this approach.
A naturally-aspirated engine uses
available (ambient) air to enter the
engine, mix with fuel and ignite in the
combustion chamber. A forced induction
system (supercharger or turbocharger)
does just what the term implies…it forces
additional air into the combustion
chamber. When mixed with the
appropriate ratio of fuel, you create
higher cylinder pressure, referred to as
boost, which makes more power. While
we certainly don’t have the room here to
delve into great detail, we’ll try to offer a
few informational tidbits that will
hopefully help you to better understand
the basics.
SUPERCHARGER BASICS
Superchargers (blowers) are offered in
three types, including the Roots type,
centrifugal and the screw type. The Roots
type is the least complex, functioning as
an air pump. Instead of compressing air
inside the unit, pressurization takes place
in the manifold and combustion
chambers (referred to as external air
compression). Centrifugal and screw type
superchargers compress air inside the
supercharger (internal compression),
pushing the compressed air into the
intake and combustion areas. A
centrifugal unit mechanically functions
much the same as a turbocharger, with an
internal impeller. Instead of being driven
by exhaust gas (as with a turbo), a
centrifugal supercharger impeller is
driven mechanically by a drive belt. The
screw type supercharger features two
FORCED INDUCTION BASICS
BY MIKE MAVRIGIAN
Especially for retro-fitting for closed-hood clearance,
Edelbrock, as one example, offers a complete low-profile
screw-type supercharger kit (pictured left) that includes
everything needed except for the celebratory pizza once
the job is finished. (Courtesy Edelbrock)
A thermal “blanket” (shown below) helps to reduce
underhood temperatures. (Courtesy DEI)
inter-meshing spiral rotors (if you’re
familiar with a twin-screw shop air
compressor, it’s easy to understand this
style). The two rotors progressively
compress the air as they spin and as air
passes through the spiral “teeth.” Because
of the precision tolerances required in the
manufacturing process, screw type
superchargers tend to be more expensive.
Regardless of the style, a supercharger
(and a turbocharger as well) packs more
air into the cylinders, effectively forcing
the air into the cylinders. This allows
(and demands) a more dense fuel/air
charge. Igniting a higher-pressure/more
dense charge makes more power.
SIZE AND SPEED
Boost is affected by both engine
displacement and driven speed of the
blower. If the blower is driven at a
constant speed ratio (between crank and
blower), a larger-displacement blower will
produce more boost than a smaller
blower on the same engine. As engine
displacement increases (let’s say going
from a small block to a big block), boost
is reduced if the blower is driven at the
same speed. If engine displacement is
reduced (and the blower runs at the same
speed), boost is increased. If the blower
runs at a higher speed, boost is increased.
At a lower blower speed, boost is
reduced.
This is a very basic overview, but
typically you should choose a smaller
blower size for smaller displacement and
a larger blower size for bigger
displacement engines. Drive pulleys can
be selected (larger or smaller diameter) to
make the blower run slower or faster, in
order to “tune” boost for the given
engine. For instance, running a larger
blower on a smallblock can be tuned by
driving the blower at a slower speed in
order to keep the boost level down to a
point where you avoid detonation. But,
running the blower too slow can reduce
boost if the blower isn’t running fast
enough to compress the air sufficiently. If
you run too-small a blower on a bigblock
engine, the blower speed would need to
increase, possibly to the point of
becoming inefficient (running at too high
a speed can create excessively heated
intake air, which would ruin air density.
In other words, you need to pay attention
both to blower size and the speed at
which it’s driven.
FUEL SYSTEM
Often, customers tend to ignore the fuel
system, which will typically need to be
adjusted to accommodate the forced
induction, in terms of delivery fuel line
diameter and richening (via jets, injectors,
ECM reprogramming, etc.). When using
forced induction (when boost is applied),
you’ll need more fuel, since it always
takes more fuel to make more power.
Plan on tuning with a richer mixture.
Retarding ignition timing also allows the
use of more boost. We’re speaking in
broad generalities here, so talk to the
supercharger/ turbocharger manufacturer
and plan to spend some time tuning both
fuel and spark.
PRESSURE RELEASE VALVES
Installing a form of adjustable pressurerelease valve (blow off/pop-off) offers a
safety margin, allowing the release of a
pre-set amount of pressure to avoid overboosting (again, lots of variables are
involved here. Talk to your forced
induction supplier for recommendations
based on your specific setup). The two
types of valves included here include a
wastegate (WG) and a blow-off valve
(BOV). In the simplest of terms, a WG
regulates pressure on the exhaust side,
while a BOV regulates pressure at the
intake side. The BOV is usually
positioned on the feed pipe between the
turbo and the intercooler. When you lift
throttle, the BOV prevents forced air
from being packed into the engine when
decreasing RPM. The WG regulates the
amount of boost from the turbo to
prevent over-boosting. Both are required.
CAMSHAFT
In order to optimize the use of forced
induction, ideally the engine will likely
prefer a lobe separation angle (LSA) in
the moderate-wide range, probably
around 112 to 114 degrees. Generally,
heavier valve springs are also required,
depending on the amount of boost being
created. The exhaust is opening against
pressure, so this isn’t a huge concern, but
with regard to the intake side, you’ll
likely need higher rate springs. We’re not
ONE supplier for any valvetrain need
ONE source of the finest technologies for
any engine, stock or performance
ONE
ON
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Valves
Rockers
Timing Sets
Camshafts
Valve Springs
Push Rods
Lifters
ZZZHOJLQLQGFRP
VDOHV#HOJLQLQGFRP
(OJLQ,QGXVWULHV$OOULJKWVUHVHUYHG
BY MIKE MAVRIGIAN
A twin-turbo
installation (during
fabrication). Note the
large intercooler.
trying to pass the buck here, but it’s best
to consult with a cam maker for a
recommendation (you’ll need all of your
engine specs and forced induction info
before you call).
SPARK PLUGS
When running a supercharger, it’s
generally recommended to run one heat
range colder than stock. According to
Kenne Bell Superchargers, a gap of
0.035” is common.
COMPRESSION RATIO
If you’re building an engine specifically
for forced induction, lowering the
compression ratio allows more boost with
the same octane.
Static compression ratio (CR) refers to
the compression ratio of your engine
without forced induction. Final
compression ratio (FCR) refers to the
compression that you’ll have when full
boost is applied.
The formula for calculating final CR
is as follows:
(Boost divided by 14.7) + 1 X Static CR =
Final Compression Ratio (FCR)
Shown above is a compression ratio
reference chart that explains how static
compression is affected by various forced
induction boost levels (courtesy
Silvolite/KB/United Engine & Machine).
Note that the higher your final
compression ratio, the higher octane fuel
you’ll need to prevent detonation. Final
compression ratios above 12.4:1 are not
recommended for use with premium
pump gasoline. Want more FCR? Then
prepare to pay for race fuel.
Digital Diamond
DDP) ttechnology:
e c h n o lo g y :
Diamond Profiled
Profiled™ ((DDP)
Digital
Digital-actuated
Digital-ac tuated diamond
diamond turning
turning process
process
produces
profiles
produces precision
precision sskirt
k ir t p
rofiles
Fully machined
c h in e d
crowns
Precision-machined
- m a c h in e d
pin bores
Next
N
ext gen
gen DUROSHIELD
DUROSHIELD® ccoating
o a t in g
Thermal
T
herm
mal Arching
Arching Compensation
Compensation™ ((TAC)
TAC)
oove g
eometr y
rring
ing gr
groove
geometry
©2011 Federal- Mogul Corporation. All right s reser ved.
CLASSIC
INNOVATI
AT
TIONS.
Digital Diamond Profiled™
pistons incorporate dozens
of advanced engineering and
machining features, including
highly precise, diamondmachined skir t profiles. Piston
skir ts are fur ther protec ted
by the nex t- generation
DUROSHIELD® moly- graphite
coating, which significantly
reduces fric tion, noise, vibration
and harshness across the entire
RPM range.
In addition, these pistons are
e n g in e e r e d w i t h T h e r m al
Arching Compensation™ ( TAC).
TAC utilizes uptilted ring grooves
to of fset thermal “arching”
distor tion. Uptilt squares the
ring face to the c ylinder for
reduced oil consumption,
b l ow - b y a n d e m i s s i o n s ,
and ex tended engine life.
sealedpowerpistons.com
BY MIKE MAVRIGIAN
A wastegate valve controls
pressure on the exhaust (output)
side of the turbo, controlling boost
to the engine.
UPGRADING THE ENGINE
TO ACCOMMODATE THE
NEW-FOUND POWER
Consider how your engine will handle the
added cylinder pressure. While “simply”
installing a forced-air induction system
(turbocharger or supercharger) onto an
otherwise stock engine may seem
tempting (and there are certainly systems
out there designed to work with stock
engines), we really need to consider the
need for a few upgrades in order to allow
the engine to withstand the extra boost,
in terms of component durability.
Remember: any forced induction system
will increase cylinder pressure. The extent
of this increase may dictate the need to
also upgrade stress-related internal
components.
While today’s commonly-used OE
hypereutectic pistons and powder-metal
connecting rods are certainly adequate
for daily and even spirited driving, when
we’re talking about increasing
horsepower levels up to about the 450+
HP range and beyond, we’re starting to
take risks in terms of durability. If you
plan to “boost” the induction system and
pack-in a tighter air/fuel mix, you should
seriously consider upgrading to forged
pistons that are designed to work with
forced induction (possibly thicker dome
area and a hardness treatment to protect
ring lands) and forged connecting rods.
By the same token (and granted, this is a
debatable area in terms of horsepower
level), consideration should also be given
to upgrading to a forged crankshaft in
place of a stock cast crank.
When you’re asking, or expecting, the
engine to produce a substantial increase
in power, you’ll place added pressures
against the pistons, and you’re increasing
the forces/stresses that will be placed on
the rest of the rotating assembly (crank
and rods). Again, depending on the level
of added power, the stock engine may
not be up to the task.
It boils down to how much power
you plan to add and at what level you
plan to abuse the engine. In some cases,
you can get away with changing none of
the engine internal components
(depending on pressure levels and
depending on how the existing engine is
already configured), while in other cases
where you plan to spit our some serious
power, you simply must upgrade certain
components if you expect the engine to
live.
Yes, upgrading the engine (parts,
machine shop labor) will add to the
A blow-off valve (also
called a pop-off valve)
“regulates” air on the
intake side of the
turbo, to prevent
cylinder packing when
engine RPM drops
(deceleration, between
shifts, etc.).
When plumbing
a turbo system,
flexible hightemp silicone
connections
allow for pipe
movement
(vibrations and
during thermal
growth).
BY MIKE MAVRIGIAN
We recently
installed this Vortec
supercharger setup onto
a 5.0L Mustang. The installation
was relatively simple, and after some
minor re-arranging, underhood clearance
and fit was excellent.
expense, but would you rather spend a
fraction of what the engine is worth for
upgrading, or do nothing and experience
the “thrill” of watching your stock engine
hand-grenade, resulting in the expense
and hassle of replacing the entire long
block?
Let’s play devil’s advocate to help
illustrate a worst-case scenario. Let’s say
that the customer purchased a new
“crate” engine (or let’s say that he’s
dealing with the bone-stock original
production engine). Now, for the sake of
argument, let’s assume that this engine
has a static compression ratio of 10:1 and
is equipped with hyper pistons, powdermetal connecting rods, stock productionline rod bolts, a cast iron crankshaft and
powdered-metal or cast iron main caps.
Now, the vehicle owner decided to install
a supercharger that will add, say, 12 lbs
of boost (which can create a compression
ratio at around 18:1 at full boost).
The engine fires up, the “tuner”
adjusts fuel, spark and timing. Everything
looks ultra-cool under the hood, and the
engine sounds downright nasty. He drives
the car to a couple of local shows, smoke
the tires now and then, and everybody’s
happy. Then, the little horns pop out of
his head and he nails the throttle on a
long stretch of country road, really
hammering it through the gears and just
plain winding it tight. All of a sudden, he
hears a big bang, coinciding with a severe
or total loss of power accompanied by a
nasty bunch of vibrations. There’s an oil
trail behind him, there’s lots of smoke,
and he coasts to a dead stop, wondering
what just happened.
Let’s cut to the chase. The car gets
towed, the engine gets pulled and torn
down, and he’s horrified to find a nice big
hole in the block, a loose/crooked crank
damper (busted crank snout), a couple of
broken rods, busted pistons, bent valves,
gouged combustion chambers and maybe
a busted cam (not to mention a chunkysoup slurry of metal particles throughout
the oiling system).
At this point, the engine’s long block
is toast, and he’s looking at an expensive
rebuild (assuming the block can be saved)
or a complete engine long-block
replacement, not to mention the downtime of the car. All of this could have
been avoided with a simple upgrade of a
few key components. Suddenly, the catchphrase “pay me now or pay me later”
starts to make sense. Remember: when a
forced induction engine blows, it can
blow in a big way, since it’s still trying to
pack in a much higher pressure to the
cylinders.
PLEASE NOTE: I’m certainly not
suggesting that the installation of any
supercharger or turbocharger system will
destroy an engine. That would be just
plain dumb. The point that I’m trying to
make is to pay attention and consider the
big picture…the existing engine’s
limitations and the potential need for a
few component upgrades. Again, it boils
down to the existing engine components
and the level of power increase being
planned.
BY MIKE MAVRIGIAN
UPGRADES TO CONSIDER
FOR DURABILITY
• Pistons (switch to forged
aluminum in place of
hypereutectic)
• Lower compression (where needed)
to accommodate added amount of
boost
• Specialty coatings (thermal barrier
and anti-friction)
• Moly-coated bearings (rods and
mains)
• Connecting rods (switch to forged
in place of cast iron or powderedmetal cast)
• Connecting rod bolts (switching to
higher tensile strength aftermarket
bolts is always a good idea)
• Crankshaft (switch to forged in
place of cast)
• Double-keyed crank snout
• Steel/high performance crank
damper
• Converting to a keyed
damper/pulley on an LS press-fit
pulley crank
• Cylinder head gaskets (switch to
MLS in place of composite)
• Cylinder head studs (in place of
bolts)
• Main caps (billet steel in place of
cast iron or powdered metal)
• Main cap studs or bolts (using
higher tensile strength)
• Main cap girdle (depending on
engine)
• Valves (potential upgrade to
higher-quality stainless valves
and/or Inconel for exhaust valves)
• Higher-rate/more durable valve
springs
• Rocker arms (more durable
aftermarket full-rollers)
• Cooling system (make sure the
existing cooling system is clean
and functions properly; and
potential need for more efficient
water pump and radiator,
especially if using an intercooler)
The turbocharger must be
sized for the engine
application. For the street,
cylinder heads typically
may require smaller intake
ports and larger exhaust
ports. A Borg-Warner T76
turbo is shown here.
There’s no debate that a big ‘ol
Roots type blower adds a macho
muscle flavor to any engine bay.
Here, a BOV
(blow-off valve)
is fitted between
the turbo and
intercooler
during a dyno
setup at Koffel’s
Place in Huron,
OH.
Depending on the existing engine
type/age/condition, there’s much
more to this subject than we have
room to discuss in this brief article,
but here, I’m pointing out the
primary areas of potential concern.
BY MIKE MAVRIGIAN
This twin-turbo drag engine
features Banks turbo
systems and a meticulouslydetailed dress-up. What a
thing of beauty.
Note the (costly) carbon
fiber air intake feeding the
turbos (right). This makes
my mouth water.
BY MIKE MAVRIGIAN
An external oil feed connected to a
supercharger housing. Individual lubrication
for the supercharger is critical.
SPECIALTY COATING
ENHANCEMENTS
While some (primarily non-enginebuilders) may scoff at the usefulness of
specialty engine coatings, there are
distinct advantages that various coatings
offer to improve either durability or
performance, or both.
While a wide range of specialized
coatings are available to suit a variety of
tasks, with regard to coatings that suit
forced induction setups, here we’re
focusing on the following coatings:
• Thermal barrier coating for piston
domes
• Thermal barrier coating for combustion
chambers
• Moly (anti-friction) coatings for piston
skirts and bearings
• Thermal barrier coatings for exhaust
valve faces and exhaust ports
• Thermal barrier coatings for exhaust
manifolds
Thermal barrier coatings (typically
involving a ceramic formula) provide
what the term implies: a heat barrier.
When applied to piston domes, this not
only helps to protect the piston from
excessive heat (generated via forced
induction, especially in turbo setups), but
this coating also helps to improve
horsepower. More specifically, it enhances
combustion efficiency, since the heat that
would otherwise be soaked into the
piston and combustion chamber is now
better contained and aids in the more
efficient burning of the fuel/air mixture.
The same holds true for thermal barrier
coating applied to the faces of the
exhaust valves and inside the cylinder
head exhaust ports. Instead of losing heat
(via soak), the combustion heat is
“contained” and scoots out instead of
hanging around and soaking into the
pistons, valves and heads. Not only is this
a heat-protective coating, but because of
the thermal efficiency, it may also
(depending on other factors) provide a
slight increase in power.
A few years ago, my race team ran
two cars with identically-prepared engines
in a 24-hour endurance race. Once engine
featured thermal barrier coatings and the
other engine did not. The coated-engine
car generated 7 additional horsepower at
the wheels (verified on a chassis dyno
prior to the race). During the race, the
coated engine provided slightly faster lap
times and used slightly less fuel.
Naturally, this isn’t a big factor for a
street engine, and my engines were
naturally aspirated, but my point is that
we benefited from the ceramic coatings.
Anti-friction coatings (typically a
moly-based formula) can be applied to a
variety of surfaces, most specifically to
cam, rod and main bearings and piston
skirts. While this won’t provide
additional power, it’s a protective film
that helps reduce frictional losses and
SOURCES
BY MIKE MAVRIGIAN
SUPERCHARGERS
The creative turbo pressure
feed plumbing passes
through the bulkhead and
back through to the intake.
• ACCELERATED RACING PRODUCTS
616-885-3626
• ALAN JOHNSON PERFORMANCE
ENGINEERING
www.alanjohnsonperformance.com
• BILL MILLER ENGINEERING
www.bmeltd.com
• BLOWER DRIVE SERVICE
www.blowerdriveservice.com
• DYERS SUPERCHARGERS
www.dyersblowers.com
• EATON
www.eaton.com
• EDELBROCK CORP.
www.edelbrock.com
• KENNE BELL
www.kennebell.net
• LITTLEFIELD BLOWERS
www.littlefieldblowers.com
• MAGNUSON PRODUCTS
www.magnacharger.com
• MOONEYHAM BLOWERS
www.mooneyham-blowers.com
• PAXTON
www.paxtonauto.com
• PROCHARGER
www.procharger.com
• POWERDYNE
• THE BLOWER SHOP
www.theblowershop.com
• VORTEC
www.vortecsuperchargers.com
• WEIAND AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRIES
www.weiand.com
• WHIPPLE SUPERCHARGERS
www.whipplesuperchargers.com
extends component life, primarily during
cold startups and during high-temp/high
stress environments (when you’re really
hammering it).
Again, I’m not claiming that you
absolutely need these coatings. But, if
you’re building an engine specifically with
forced induction in mind, it certainly
won’t hurt, and just may extend
component life. Specialty coating services
(such as Swain Tech Coatings, Polydyn,
Calico and others) can provide any of
these coatings to your existing parts, or
(due to popularity of these coatings) you
can simply purchase already-coated
pistons and bearings. If you want
combustion chambers, exhaust valves and
exhaust ports coated, you will need to
have these services outsourced.
By the way, specialty coatings are also
available for supercharger and
turbocharger components, which may
provide added efficiency as well as
extending durability. If you’re interested
in enhancing these units, contact both the
forced induction maker and the coating
specialists. They can advise you regarding
availability and benefits, and what
coatings (if any) make the most sense for
your application.■
TURBOCHARGERS
• AFI TURBO
www.afiturbo.com
• BANKS POWER
www.bankspower.com
• BORG WARNER TURBO SYSTEMS
www.turbodriven.com
• EDELBROCK CORP.
www.edelbrock.com
• FORCED PERFORMANCE
www.forcedperformance.net
• GARRETT
www.turbobygarrett.com
• INNOVATIVE TURBO SYSTEMS
805-526-5400
• PRECISION TURBO
www.precisionturbo.net
Mike Mavrigian has written thousands of technical
articles over the past 30 years for a variety of
automotive publications. In addition, Mike has written
many books for HP Books. Contact him at Birchwood
Automotive Group, Creston, OH. Call (330) 435-6347
or e-mail: [email protected].
Website: www.birchwoodautomotive.com.
• PROCHARGER/ATI
www.procharger.com
• TURBO ENGINEERING
www.turboengineering.com
• TURBONETICS
www.turboneticsinc.com
DIESEL to LPG
How to transform a truck diesel engine
into an LPG-powered engine
BY CLEMENS ORTGIES
Most ships are powered by diesel engines.
This is also true for the roughly 11,000
inland waterway vessels in Europe.
Environmental aspects have become
increasingly important for operators of
these vessels – since they are also subject to
the stricter emissions regulations, not to
mention the rising fuel prices that drive the
demand for cleaner and more economic
engines.
Engine manufacturers, however, cannot
justify the investment needed to develop
special engines for such a small market.
However, a joint R&D project of the BU
DRIVE Group and the University of
Bayreuth’s chair on “Environmental
Production / Fraunhofer Group for
Innovative Processes” does have a solution:
under the ZIM program (Central
Innovation Program for SMEs), diesel
engines would be remanufactured and
upgraded to LPG-powered main and
secondary engines for ships.
This 18-month project is funded by the
Federal Ministry of Economics &
Technology to the tune of €520,000. Its
objective is to remanufacture and upgrade
used truck or stationary engines into gaspowered main and secondary engines that
conserve resources, are environment
friendly, and suitable for ships. Such gaspowered engines are not available.
Over 3,700 engines rated between 61
and 1,500 kW operate on German
waterways alone, with a total of about
12,000 of this class in use across Europe.
Since normal re-motorization every 12
years creates a market of about 1,000
engines annually, this line of business
would be attractive for the new gaspowered engines.
A typical European inland
waterway vessel is pictured here.
DIESEL TO LPG
BY CLEMENS ORTGIES
There is a huge stock of suitable truck
diesel engines of this class. These engines
can also serve large inland waterway
vessels, which often use tandem engines
that are coupled or decoupled as needed.
Scheduled for a launch in two years, the
newly developed gaspowered engine will
cut purchase and operating costs by 30%
over that of a conventional diesel engine.
Professionally remanufactured drive
components like engines, transmissions,
and starting motors have proven to be a
success from economic, technical, and
ecological standpoints for cars, trucks, and
rolling stock. The reliability and quality of
exchange parts is comparable with that of
new ones. Moreover, remanufacturing uses
only a fraction of the energy and materials
needed for production of new components.
This is because an old part undergoes
thorough cleaning and quality control,
enabling most of it to be reused. Upgrading
involves modifying old parts to match the
new drive or developing new ones,
particularly for injectors and gas mixers.
Most diesel engine types could be useful
for a conversion project, some criteria
should be concerned:
• The OHC-design is difficult for the
conversion of the cylinder head.
Overhead camshaft could block the
space for the spark plug. Cylinder head,
exhaust components and the turbo
charger should be high temperature
resistant. Cylinder head should have
inlet with a “spin” and sufficient width.
The profile of cams on the cam shaft
must allow a grinding to reduce the
overlapping of the valve timing.
• Cylinder liners should be “wet”. The
bore for the injector will be used for the
spark plug (drilling process). The space
for the spark plug and the wall
thickness in the cylinder head must be
sufficient.
• The timing gear on the camshaft should
offer possibilities for variation. Single
cylinder unit head is better than a
complete bank. The geometry of the
piston must allow lathing and milling.
Even used vehicles or marine engines can be
remanufactured and changed into gas engines.
This takes into consideration further ecological
aspects and it enforces the sustainability.
Without loss of quality, up to 90 percent of
the energy and natural resources
consumption is saved. That has a positive
effect on the costs. When remanufacturing
engines professionally, used engines are
processed in a way that afterwards,
regarding the quality, they correspond to
brand new engines.
The environment, quality and cost
record of professional remanufacturing is
stunning: compared to new engines the
remanufacturing of used engines reuses 50
to 90 percent of the resources. The energy
consumption is 80 to 90 percent less,
compared to manufacturing a new engine.
Even the pollutant emission (CO2) is lower
and less resources are used.
The propulsion engine needs more
power and higher speed than the generating
engine. The power must be variable up to
200 KW for a small ferries with two
DIESEL TO LPG
BY CLEMENS ORTGIES
propulsion engines (twin concept). From
our experience of the conversion of LPG
bus engines we decided to take basically a
similar engine MAN D 2866. Instead of
adapting existing central LPG vaporizer, we
designed a new concept based on liquid
LPG injection into the inlet manifold close
to the cylinder head. There is no experience
with these new systems for higher
displacements up to 2 liters per cylinder.
But we already successfully converted a
Lycoming 160 hp aircraft engine with 1,2
liters per cylinder up to 2,300 rpm engine
speed. The new technology required a
complete new ECU with two major
components. The torque characteristic of
the LPG engine is different than the diesel
engine, we need more engine speed for
higher torque, so the gearbox must be
adapted.■
About BU Drive
The BU DRIVE companies operate in the
German and international market.
Customers of BU DRIVE are from the free
aftermarket, manufacturers of automobiles,
commercial automobiles and industrial
engines, as well as part wholesalers and
operators of vehicle fleets and stationary
units. Besides serial remanufacturing of car
engines and transmissions, we focus on
heavy duty diesel engines for trucks, busses,
trains and for marine, power plant and
industrial applications. We remanufacture
diesel and gas engines rating up to 4,500
kW or for that matter big assemblies, like
crankshafts, up to 8.5 metres. The BU
DRIVE distribution focuses on services for
wholesalers, workshop chains and the
automobile industry, Germany- and Europe
wide- especially based on contracts with
importers and distribution contracts with
OEM’s regarding turbochargers and diesel
technology.
Clemens Ortgies is the Managing
Director for BU Bücker & Essing GmbH
in Lingen, Germany. He has been with
the company since 2007. He has also
worked for Daimler-Benz AG, Stuttgart
(1987-88); Mercedes Benz AG,
Mannheim (1988-90); International
Management Consultants, Roland
Berger & Partner (1990-97); Kynast
AG/Kynast GmbH (member of the board
for production and R&D), later
Operations Director, Murray Germany
GmbH & Co. KG (1997-2004); and
Managing Director, Sudhaus GmbH &
Co KG (2004-2007).
CONFERENCE RECAP
BY STEVE FOX
Sunnen & Mahle
Regional Conference
at California’s Citrus
Community College
a huge success
In February, AERA had their first Tech &
Skills regional conference of 2012
sponsored by Sunnen and Mahle, held at
Citrus Community College in Glendora,
California; it was a huge success!
There were four technical presentations
that were very informative for the
attendees and everyone was treated to a
great lunch.
The day started with a meet and greet
between the attendees and the tabletop
exhibitors, where people could ask
questions of the exhibitors and enjoy some
coffee and doughnuts before the
presentations began.
The first presenter of the day was Bob
Dolder of Sunnen Products. Bob has done
presentations for AERA at these regional
conferences in the past and was a great
success; this one was no different. Bob’s
presentation was about honing different
cylinder coatings and materials on engine
blocks today. Bob covered honing
applications from NASCAR engines to
street engines and everything in between.
Other topics included — secrets for honing
Nickasil, high nickel cast iron, compacted
graphite blocks, the new aluminum
Corvette block, Sulzer Metco coatings,
bore geometry, surface finish, cross hatch
angle, the pros and cons of diamond
abrasives vs. conventional abrasives, water
based vs. oil based coolants, hot honing
and where it is used today. After the
presentation, Bob answered some great
questions from the audience and the
questions continued throughout the break
before the next session.
After a short break, Steve Fox from
AERA was next on the schedule and he
spoke about the history of AERA, as well
as the PRO-SIS engine specification
software. There were a lot of great
questions regarding AERA and what it has
to offer to a machine shop, as well as the
many benefits of PRO-SIS. (For more
information on PRO-SIS, look for Steve’s
article in this issue of Engine Professional
which discusses the differences between the
three versions of PRO-SIS.)
Once the questions were answered, it
was on to lunch, where everyone was
treated to a great Mexican meal. Citrus
Community College opened their doors
and allowed all attendees to see the shop.
The facility was fresh and new, as it was
only two years old. Everyone that walked
through the shop was impressed with the
facility and was happy they had the
opportunity to look around.
Bill McKnight of Mahle Clevite was
our next speaker after lunch and he spoke
about race engine bearings, selection and
technology. Bill talked about bearing film
thickness and how clearances influence it.
Attendees learned about crush, parting line
relief and eccentricity. Coatings, overlay
materials and bearing prep were also
discussed. Finally, Bill talked about
installation and how to identify different
factors that can cause bearing distress. Bill
was asked some very technical questions
and all the attendees walked away with a
better knowledge of engine bearings.
MAY 19
LIBERTY
Liberty’s New England Warehouse
Worcester, MA
JULY 19
EPWI
Denver, CO
SEPTEMBER 27-29
ROTTLER
Held in conjunction with the
Rottler Open House
Seattle, WA
SEPTEMBER 28-29
COMP CAMS
Memphis, TN
DECEMBER 6-8
IMIS TRADE SHOW
Indianapolis, IN
THE BUSINESS OF WINNING STARTS HERE.
IMIS 2012 is your destination to explore the newest equipment and innovative technology in the
motorsports industry. World-class exhibitors, technical seminars, endless networking, banquets,
special events, and much more promise to make your visit to this year’s IMIS 100% hardcore.
ALL MOTORSPORTS —
circle track, drag, road racing, karting and beyond
unite in Indianapolis this December for three action-packed days at this unforgettable, educational
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REGISTER TODAY: WWW.IMIS-INDY.COM
CONFERENCE RECAP
BY STEVE FOX
The final presentation of the day was
from Dave Capitolo from De Anza
Community College. Dave spoke about
something that really has not been
discussed at our regionals before, engine
analytics. Dave helped explain that
scanners are a valuable tool and what
scanners can tell you and how not to make
the mistake of heading down the wrong
path of repair. Dave also covered the
running compression tests using a pressure
transducer and lab scope and the value
that they have. The presentation was very
informative and the questions asked were
outstanding.
The next Tech & Skills Regional
Conference will be hosted by Liberty
Engine Parts at their New England
Warehouse in Worcester, MA. Information
about this conference is posted on the
AERA website, www.aera.org.
These regional conferences are a great
way to network and visit with other
machine shops, as well as vendors. I would
strongly encourage you to try to attend
one of the conferences in your area and see
for yourself the amount of valuable
information you can walk away with.
Bringing back just one good idea to your
shop could change your business. We look
forward to seeing you at a future regional
conference!■
Attend a one-day conference hosted by
LIBERTY ENGINE PARTS
$
+ "
!
R
REGISATYE!
TOLIMDITED
ANCE
ATTEND
All shops welcome!
NEED NOT BE AN AERA MEMBER TO ATTEND.
AERA Technical Specialist Steve Fox has
over 25 years experience in the engine
building industry with 10 of those years
spent working in the machine shop. Steve
is an ASE-certified Master Machinist, as
well as a longtime member of the drag
racing circuit.
All attendees receive a FREE 90-day AERA membership and a
FREE Failure Analysis Manual — plus many door prizes from several vendors!
SPONSORED BY:
500 COVENTRY LANE, SUITE 180, CRYSTAL LAKE, IL 60014
The next Tech & Skills Regional Conference will be
hosted by Liberty Engine Parts at their New
England Warehouse in Worcester, MA on May 19.
Information about this conference is posted on the
AERA website, www.aera.org.
Chevrolet Cruze Diesel will
Build on GM’s Euro Expertise
U.S. engine being co-developed with diesel center
of excellence in Torino, Italy
BY DAVE HAGEN
PHOTOS © GM COMPANY
When it comes to developing a dieselpowered Chevrolet Cruze for the U.S.
market to be introduced in 2013, General
Motors powertrain engineers have been
there and done that – half a million times
last year alone.
The Cruze diesel will leverage global
powertrain expertise that has helped
make GM’s fuel-efficient diesel engines
popular options around the world.
GM sold more than half a million
diesel-powered cars across Europe, Asia,
Africa and South America last year,
including 33,000 Cruzes. The
introduction of a diesel option for Cruze
– one of the top-selling gasoline-powered
cars in the United States in 2011 – is
expected to fuel GM’s diesel car sales
success.
Diesel engines have long been known
for their fuel efficiency and power. Due to
a higher compression rate in the engine
cylinders and greater density of energy in
diesel fuel itself, diesel-powered engines
are able to produce more power per
gallon than gasoline-powered engines.
For Cruze, powertrain engineers at
GM’s diesel center of excellence in
Torino, Italy, are working daily with
counterparts in Pontiac, Mich., to
develop a world-class engine that delivers
outstanding fuel efficiency and torque
while providing a smooth, quiet ride. In
addition, GM engineers in Russelsheim,
Germany, are supporting the program by
developing the accessory drive, acoustic
cover and other specialized components.
“The market for diesel cars in the U.S.
is small at present, but is expected to
grow due to Corporate Average Fuel
Economy requirements and expected
increases in gas prices,” said Mike
Omotoso, powertrain analyst at LMC
Automotive. “So far, the German automakers haven’t
had any diesel car competition in North America. GM
could do well with it, particularly with younger buyers
who don’t have the old prejudices against diesel.”
Future Cruze diesel engine development will benefit
from GM’s recent commitment to invest 20 million
Euros ($26.5 million) to add five new dynamic
benches at its Torino facility for climatic, noise and
vibration and chassis dynamometer testing. These
additions will speed development time.
“U.S. customers are going to be pleasantly
surprised when they get a chance to drive the
Chevrolet Cruze diesel,” said Mike Siegrist, 2.0L diesel
assistant chief engineer. “Our global team is providing
diesel engineering expertise that will give U.S. Cruze
customers great quality, torque and fuel economy in a
car that’s both fun to drive and practical at the
pump.”
Climatic tests simulate temperatures ranging from 40 degrees Fahrenheit (-40 degrees Celsius) up to (158
F) (70 C) and altitudes as high as 10,000 feet (3000
meters). Noise and vibration tests help minimize
engine vibro-acoustic response. Chassis dynamometer
tests measure emissions.
“We’re able to put the diesel engines through
rigorous testing to ensure they operate optimally under
a wide range of conditions and also can be integrated
seamlessly into the production vehicle,” said Pierpaolo
Antonioli, managing director of the Torino Powertrain
and Engineering Center. “We’ve pushed these engines
in the labs so that the customer can depend on them in
real-world driving situations.”
The latest generation of GM diesels has resolved
drawbacks associated with the previous engines.
Precisely controlled direct-injection fuel systems create
a smooth-running engine. Particulate-capturing
filtration systems dramatically reduce tailpipe
emissions.
“In terms of outward appearances, the difference
between the diesel and gasoline engine is going to be
difficult to discern,” Siegrist said. “GM’s advanced
technologies provide a seamless transition from a
gasoline to a diesel car. You get the benefits of the fuel
economy and power while preserving a smooth, quiet
ride.”■
Dave Hagen, our Senior Technician,
has over 41 years of experience in
our industry. As an ASE-certified
Master Machinist, Dave specialized
in cylinder head work and complete
engine assembly for the first 17
years of his career.
SPEED READ
BY DAVID C. “WOODY” WOODRUFF
In the October-December 2010 issue of
Engine Professional, I gave you an
oversight of CFD (Computational Fluid
Dynamics) as applied to cylinder air flow.
(An electronic copy of this article can be
found on the AERA website,
www.aera.org/ep/ep12.html.)
After that article, I was contacted by
David Vizard to speak at a couple of his
HP seminars. One of the questions I posed
there was how would you handle the
piston in your flow bench during the
overlap events? And the response was,
“Well, how would you handle it in the
virtual flow bench?”
Our cylinder filling problem is
fundamentally a timing problem. We have
a limited time to get the air going and get
it up to speed before we squish it!
Overlap is the beginning of these
events and probably even more critical
than we know! Remember air only wants
to go straight and be left alone to stabilize
its pressure! Our situation is the air has to
make a nearly 180° u-turn in a very small
time and confined space. And the dome of
the piston and the combustion chamber
become accomplices in this possibly
criminal air activity!
So what we will look at are a very high
quality set of ports and a flat top piston
with two valve notches. With CFD we
have to know the physical boundary
conditions of the event that we want to
analyze. I.E. What are the pressures in the
ports at the specific positions of the valves
and piston?
By the way: These pressures are NOT
28 in. H2O! These are driven by the
dynamic pulses in the ports. So we will
turn to an engine simulation program
(Dynomation5) to give us these values to
start our analysis.
The graph below plots all the
significant dynamic events but all we want
are the pressures in the intake and exhaust
ports at the times of interest.
The geometry of the piston dome,
combustion chamber and valve positions
will determine the flow patterns. The
pressure differentials and the flow pattern
will determine the velocities. Remember
that velocity is often used interchangeably
with speed but it is speed AND direction!
Intake ranges 4.62 ~ 67.1 in. H2O
Exhaust ranges 25.2 ~ 95.4 in. H2O
It is a dynamic event but we will take
snapshots of the beginning of overlap,
TDC and the end of overlap to get our
heads around it.
Notice the relative positions of the
valves and the piston at the three
positions. The piston is chasing the
exhaust valve up and the intake valve
down so their geometry stays relatively the
same.
So let’s position the parts in our
computer model, apply the pressures and
ask for the solutions. Then we will take a
slice through the center of the valves and
plot the flow trajectories to see what we
might see.
Overlap Run #1
Overlap Run #2
Overlap Run #3
At the start of overlap the intake port
(right side) flows across the piston dome to
the far side of the exhaust port and does
it’s u-turn. The other side of the intake
valve flows into the exhaust ports and
does another u-turn to re-enter the
combustion chamber. Going full circle!?!?
Every bend or turn represents lost
energy and an opportunity to get the flow
started quickly and in the right direction.
At TDC the exhaust flow velocity has now
increased but the pattern of reversal
continues and less than half the exhaust
port is doing what we really want!
The reversal pattern persists as the overlap
event is completed.
It appears to be greatly influenced by
the valve pockets and the combustion
chamber shape.
Now to find the best trade-off between
compression ratio and flow velocities!
If I take in more air but not squeeze it
as hard does that work better than less
air but squeezing it harder? The TFX
guys can provide you with in- cylinder
combustion pressure measurements to
give you more insight into your
decisions! Here is another tool for your
tool box!
Hey, I never said it would be easy!
But we all know that theoretical
engines only make theoretical HP! So
we still need to look at some real
world pressures from some dyno runs
and apply those to our models so we
have something real to compare to!
Intake ranges 5.88 ~ 63.7 in. H2O
Exhaust ranges 56.5 ~ 97.7 in. H2O
(continued on the next page)
SPEED READ
BY DAVID C. “WOODY” WOODRUFF
If you want to know what these flow
patterns look like for a particular cylinder
head, then you will likely have to pay
someone to find out. But there are some
other screenshots (2D & 3D) on my
webpage of the first theoretical runs to
give you a little more food for thought
before you have to ante up. (Visit
www.designdreams.biz) Also some other
CFD examples you might find of interest
as well. I like to treat CFD as a discovery
tool first and then use it as a
developmental tool.
We have all built engines that seem to
outperform or underperform the norm but
never figured out exactly why. This was
certainly the case when I was building
performance engines. But here are some
new tools that can help us decipher those
mysteries! And it’s not just for F1, Indy,
NASCAR or NASA anymore! These tools
are affordable and available to any engine
builder with an interest in using them.■
CREDITS:
Dynomation5 Professional Engine
Simulation Software
www.proracingsim.com/
dynomationmainpage.htm
David Vizard’s
“How to Build HP Seminars”
www.davidvizardseminars.com
World Class Cylinder Head Ports
www.ultrapromachining.net
TFX Engine Technology
www.tfxengine.com
David C. “Woody” Woodruff, CMfgE,
is president of Design Dreams, LLC.
For more information, call (513) 403-3165,
e-mail [email protected].
Website: www.designdreams.biz.
Tools for Cylinder Head Work From Tear-Down to Assembly
Your Cylinder Head
The 3-D Fast Cut™ Valve Seat
Resurfacing Supplies
Cutting System expands to
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perform several operations
Valve Seat Cutting
Whether you’re doing single or multi-angle valve seat cutting, the 3-D Fast Cut™
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need to cut 45˚ seats from .709" up to 2.362". Choose from the optional accessories
available from Goodson and you can expand that range to .550" up to 3.150".
Ask about our NEW Micro Tooling for Seat Cutting in Small Heads!
Valve Seat Removal
Yes, you can cut valve seat inserts to remove
them from the cylinder head with Goodson’s
dedicated tip holders and cutter tips.
Bowl Profiling
Use the Goodson Bowl Profiler Blade Holder to
remove material to recontour bowl areas and unshround
valves in combustion chambers quickly and easily.
F a s te s t
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Spring Pad Cutting
The Goodson Universal Spring Pad Cutter holder cust spring pads to size easily.
www.goodson.com
1-800-533-8010
Whatever you use to resurface cylinder
heads, Goodson’s got you covered!
Polycrystaline Diamond (PCD)
Cubic Boron Nitride (CBN)
Silicon-Carbide
Segments, Wheels
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Cutter Tips for Rotary
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Coolants, Cutting Fluids, Lubricants
Need help choosing a solution?
Contact the Goodson Techxperts™
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Performance:
Record Setting
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eet, Emmetsburg,
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.jamiso
The Role of
Fasteners
in Critical Engine
Measurement
BY BOBBY KIMBROUGH
Almost all metals are elastic and when flexed, bent or stretched,
they try to return to their original shape. Knowing that metal is
elastic is important to engine builders that deal with very tight
tolerances between parts. If metal is elastic, and engine bolts are
made of metal, you can correctly assume that engine bolts stretch
as they are tightened.
We’re going to take a look at how to correctly select, setup,
and torque engine fasteners to control critical measurements and
clearances within the engine. When it comes to fasteners, a little
knowledge goes a long way to keeping engine failures to an
absolute minimum.
All About Fasteners
The topic of fasteners is a very large and sometimes complex
subject. There is an entire industry built around fasteners with lots
of very well educated people and sophisticated equipment in labs
that work on fastener issues.
The industry’s professional association, The Bolting
Technology Council, holds routine meetings and seminars
concerning fastener technology. We are not fastener engineers and
if you are reading this article, you’re probably not either, but
having a good working knowledge of the nuts and bolts of this
business is important in building solid and dependable high
performance engines.
To help us get a handle on the subject, we enlisted the help of
Chris Raschke at Automotive Racing Products (ARP). Raschke
explains how intricate and precise race car fasteners actually are,
“Most commercial and aerospace houses don’t hold the tolerances
that we need to hold here for race car parts,” says Raschke.
Threaded fasteners allow for the removal and reassembly of
parts where other types of solid fasteners are a single use item.
With the wide range of applications where threaded fasteners can
be used, there are basically two categories that fasteners are
divided into, critical and non-critical.
High stress and high load areas like connecting rods, main
bearings and head bolts or studs are examples of critical fastener
areas. These critical fasteners generally have exact tightening
specifications and procedures whereas the non-critical fasteners
have relaxed tightening specifications. Examples of non-critical
Heat treating the bolts to increase hardness can range from an hour and a half
to over eight hours depending on the intended application.
fasteners are pan bolts, timing cover bolts and valve cover bolts.
Because non-critical fasteners do not require a detailed tightening
procedure, we will limit our focus to critical fasteners in this
article.
How Fasteners are Made
The factors involved in threaded fastener designing range from
determining the fastener load to geometric configuration that
prevents metal fatigue. In addition to design features, material
selection, testing and quality control weigh heavily into the
manufacturing of fasteners.
Raschke explained the basic process ARP Fasteners are made,
“the cold formed fasteners start with a wire coil of material, based
on the clamping requirements of the fastener, that goes into a
machine that straightens the wire and forms the fastener head.”
ARP bolts and studs have
threads that are rolled
into the material.
The ARP stamping process
1. Cut off from wire or bar stock
2. Heading – hot headed or cold headed based
on the material and spec
3. Heat Treat
4. Machining – undercut if called for in the
spec
5. Thread Rolling
6. Fillet Rolling – if specified
7. Shot Peening – to remove stress risers
8. Metal Finishing – Black Oxide coated, or in
the case of Stainless, polishing
9. Packing – bolts are coated to prevent
surface corrosion prior to packing and
storage
The material used in the wire coil can be anything from steel
to chrome moly or stainless steel.
“Some materials are coated before they enter the forming
machinery depending on the requirements of the material. For
example, stainless steel gets a copper coating to prevent galling,”
says Raschke.
After the heading operations, Raschke explained that the
fasteners may go through “aging or heat treating depending on
the hardness requirements of the fastener.”
During the heat treating process, “temperatures as high as
1550 degrees are used from a one and a half hour treatment to as
long as an eight hour heat treatment exposure.”
After the fastener comes out of heat treating or aging, the
batch of fasteners are shot peened to remove scale and make the
surface smooth, then routed through tumblers to deburr the
fastener.
Centerless grinding technique is used to prep the fastener to
get threads rolled into the fastener blanks.
According to Raschke, “rolling the threads into the fastener
blanks is forging the threads into the material, not cutting
material away to create threads. This produces a better, stronger
more uniform thread.”
Raschke calls the rolled thread pattern a “J thread” and
cautions against running a die over the fastener.
“If a thread is damaged, throw it away and get a new fastener.
Running a die over the threads weakens the clamping ability of
the fastener.”
It’s All About Clamping Force
It’s all about clamping ability for fasteners. Every procedural step
at ARP is in place to improve the ability of the fastener to provide
a specific clamping load. After the threads are rolled into the
fastener, spot checks are done on the batch for fatigue testing and
tensile testing.
Raschke explains that nothing is left to chance, “all the
calibration for the machines and testing equipment is done inhouse as well as the research and development of new fasteners.”
From the material selection all the way to the oxide coating
process, ARP fasteners are manufactured to provide consistent
load clamping to desired specs. Jeff Kibler, ARP research and
development technician, explained “consistency and repeatability
is the key in any application where fasteners are used.”
Kibler is an expert on preload in fasteners. Each ARP fastener
is designed for a specific preload, which can be undermined by the
THE ROLE OF FASTENERS
BY BOBBY KIMBROUGH
Shot peening the bolts to
relieve stress risers.
Jeff Kibler
checking main
bearing
measurements
on a Ford Coyote
engine using ARP
fasteners. (Photo
by Bill Holland)
Destructive load testing to failure is one of the many spot checks
that ARP does to ensure quality control.
method used to torque the fastener. According to Kibler, “proper
lubricant helps the torquing procedure become more consistent
and repeatable.
“We’ve done tests on different lubricants from motor oil to
moly based, and the ARP Ultra-Torque assembly lubricant is the
only lubricant that produces a consistent preload in multiple
cycles. This is true to within a plus or minus 5% for each cycle,”
he added.
Tightening fasteners to their required preload is critical for
proper performance. “If a fastener is not tightened properly, the
fastener will not apply the required preload and may become
susceptible to failure,” says Raschke, adding “if a fastener is
overtightened, it is also susceptible to failure by exceeding its
maximum yield point.”
There are three generally accepted methods employed to
determine how much tension is exerted on a fastener:
• Using a torque wrench
• Measuring the amount of stretch
• Torque angle (rotating the fastener a predetermined amount)
It’s widely accepted that measuring the amount of stretch of a
fastener is the most accurate method, however, stretch can only be
measured with the use of specialty type gauges or expensive ultra
sonic measuring equipment.
For most auto enthusiasts, measuring stretch is only practical
for measuring the stretch on connecting rod bolts where it is
possible to monitor the overall length of a fastener as it is being
tightened.
Since most fasteners are installed blind and can’t be accessed
from both ends to monitor stretch, using a torque wrench is the
most common approach for the majority of assembly work.
Simply stated, the relationship between torque and clampload
is friction. When you tighten a fastener with a torque wrench, you
are measuring the amount of friction that is generated by the
mating surfaces in the joint as the clampload is increased.
The value of the friction in the joint cannot be predicted or
measured, but it can be minimized. Using assembly lubricants like
ARP’s assembly lubrication stabilizes the torquing procedure
making it “consistent and repeatable.”
A fastener must be stretched a specific amount in order for it
to function properly. The amount of preload you can achieve
from a bolt or stud depends on the material, its ductility, the heat
treatment, and diameter of the fastener.
Every fastener has a yield point, or point where the
fastener is overtightened and stretched too much. “As a rule
of thumb, if you measure a fastener and it’s 0.0005-inch
longer than its original length, it should be replaced,” said
Raschke.
Raschke explained that “when using a stretch gauge it’s
best to measure the fastener prior to starting and monitor
overall length during installation. When the bolt has
stretched a specified amount, the correct preload has been
applied.”
Using a Torque Wrench
Kibler explains what happens during the torquing operation
with a torque wrench, “friction is at its highest value when
the fastener is first tightened. Each subsequent time the
fastener is torqued and loosened, the amount of friction
lessens. Eventually the friction levels out and becomes fairly
consistent for all following repetitions.”
Friction is affected by the surface finish of the fastener
itself, as well as the receiving threads. Black oxide behaves
differently than a polished fastener,” says Raschke, “so, it’s
important to follow the torque recommendation with each
fastener kit.”
Using a torque wrench to get the correct preload on a fastener is more
than just dialing in the preset value and tightening until the wrench
clicks.
Almost every engine builder is aware of the burrs and
debris in the bolt holes that can affect bolt and stud torque
but where the do-it-yourself garage engine builder tends to
go wrong is using cutting taps instead of thread chasers to
optimize the receiving threads before installation.
“There’s a very real problem of burrs and debris in the
bolt holes that can significantly affect the amount of torque
required to achieve the recommended preloads,” says
Raschke, “All bolt holes should be thoroughly cleaned using
special chaser taps.”
Cleaning the receiving threads with a thread chaser helps to achieve the
correct preload.
THE ROLE OF FASTENERS
BY BOBBY KIMBROUGH
Most torque wrenches used in garages
today are the click type torque wrench.
You simply adjust the wrench to a
predetermined “preset” value and use the
torque wrench like a ratchet applying
rotational force until the wrench “breaks
away.” Conventional wisdom is to use a
torque wrench within 50% to 75% of its
range.
These type torque wrenches depend on
a calibrated spring for operation and they
tend to lose accuracy when you operate
them below 20% or above 80% of their
rated range. If you take precautions to
select the right fastener, a high quality
assembly lube like ARP’s Ultra-Torque,
and cleaned all the receiving threads, you
will want to tighten the fastener with
confidence by operating the torque wrench
within its most accurate range.
Critical components rely on fasteners
providing an exact preload in order for the
assembly to work properly.
Bill McKnight, Team Leader of
Training at MAHLE Clevite, explained
how preload works on engine bearings,
“the split bearing halves are slightly larger
than an exact half, this extension is called
crush height.
When the split bearings are snapped
into place in the housing, as the bolts are
tightened the bearings compress like
springs. The resulting force holds the
bearings tight and prevents them from
spinning in the housing bore.”
Without the proper preload, it’s
possible for internal engine components to
fail quickly and destroy an engine.
Fasteners and Torquing Methods
Make a Difference
We’re pretty satisfied that selecting the
correct fastener, manufactured for the
intended clampload, and properly installed
is the difference between a professional
engine build and the amateur engine
assembly. It’s simply not enough to buy
top shelf engine components without
considering how these components are
attached to the assembly.
Professional engine builds begin at the
ground level with proper selection of
fasteners and good torquing techniques.
Overlook these fundamentals and you may
have overlooked your chance at building
an exceptional engine.■
Bobby Kimbrough grew up in the heart of Illinois,
becoming an avid dirt track race fan which has
developed into a life long passion. Taking a break from
the Midwest dirt tracks to fight evil doers in the world,
he completed a full 21 year career in the Marine Corps.
Educated at Chapman University, Syracuse University
and Palomar Community College in California, today
Bobby is the Senior Tech Editor for powerTV.
PRO-SIS CORNER
BY STEVE FOX
The differences
between the
PRO-SIS programs
Some of the AERA members who started
using PRO-SIS when it first came out have
seen many changes in the program since its
inception. Currently AERA has three
versions of PRO-SIS: Regular PRO-SIS,
PRO-SIS SA and a web version of PROSIS. An AERA member shop can access all
three of these programs and there is no
additional cost if you use one, two or all
three programs.
In this article we are going to break
down the differences that are found in
each of the three programs. Keep in mind,
all the specs, casting numbers and
technical bulletins are the same, just some
additional features or ease of use.
PRO-SIS
PRO-SIS offers nearly 7,000 engine
specifications from 120 manufacturers
covering light‐duty, agricultural, industrial
and import engines. Users can quickly
identify cylinder blocks, heads,
crankshafts, camshafts and connecting
rods by a casting number search. You can
save time by not having to search through
paperwork or call tech support for engine
specs as they are right at your fingertips on
the computer. AERA has over 34,000
casting numbers in the database. There are
remanufacturing specifications for cylinder
blocks, heads, crankshafts, camshafts and
connecting rods. AERA has produced over
2,700 AERA Technical Bulletins, which
are engine specific and are in a text
format.
PRO-SIS SA
PRO-SIS SA has all the same data as
regular PRO-SIS, but with some additional
features. The specifications for gas and
diesel engines are separated into two
groups. For a shop that works on just
Screen shot of the original PRO-SIS program.
diesel engines, now you do not have to
scroll through all the gas engines. You just
select ‘Diesel Engines’ and you can search
the database for just diesel engines. The
same applies to gas engines, you just click
on ‘Gas Engines’ and you can search for
gas engines.
When AERA redesigned the program,
one of the main features that members
wanted was the ability to search for a
technical bulletin by a key word. Well in
PRO-SIS SA, you can do that. You can
search the title of the bulletin or the text of
a bulletin for key word(s) and those results
will display. This saves time in trying to
remember what the number of the bulletin
is. All you need to do is enter some key
words and hit search and you will see the
results.
Another great feature is the engine
history drop down box. This feature keeps
track of the last ten engines that were
displayed in the program. So let’s say you
look up an engine and six people come up
after you and each look up a different
engine and you come back to the
computer and want to look up your
original engine. All you need to do is hit
the drop down box and find your engine,
click on it and it takes you to the specs.
Before you had to go through the whole
search process to find the engine again.
PRO-SIS SA has all the same data as
regular PRO-SIS, but with some
additional features. This new and
improved version of PRO-SIS will now
allow you to search for engines, specs
and bulletins more effectively and
efficiently. A new “special search”
section (bulletins, rods, blocks and
casting numbers) is just one of many
new features.
New Web PRO-SIS is the Internet version. This program has all the same data as regular PRO-SIS,
but not all of the same features as PRO-SIS SA, at this time. A few of the advantages of using Web
PRO-SIS are: No more CDs to install, rapid updates from our tech department, PC and Mac
compatible, runs on older OS versions, choose your language at login, English and Spanish
bulletins, frees up disk space on your PC, doesn’t require a high performance PC and can be
accessible from any PC in your shop. High speed internet is required.
This will save time in looking up previous
viewed engines in the program.
AERA also added some special
searches to the program. Users have the
ability to search by cylinder bore size and
connecting rod bore size. All you have to
do is enter the size into the search box and
hit search and results will come back that
will show you what engines have those
sizes for cylinder bore or connecting rod
bore. You can search in either inches or
millimeter sizes.
Users will also find a couple of tabs at
the top of the program for Counter, Shop
FA and Worksheets. The counter portion
of the program allows you to keep a
customer database. You can start an
estimate for a customer, turn it into a
work order and then when work is
completed, you can turn it into an invoice.
You will still need to have an accounting
program as PRO-SIS SA has NO
ACCOUNTING program included with it.
Shop FA (Shop Financial Analyzer) is
an easy to-use program for your PC that
will help give you a better grasp of your
profitability and what you can do to
improve it. This program allows you to
enter your financial information from your
accounting program and manipulate some
numbers to see where you can become
more profitable in the business.
Worksheets were put into the program
to allow users to print out blank sheets for
Cylinder Head, Deck Height and Engine
Build. These sheets are blank so that the
machine shop can add data to fill in the
blanks. These are handy when the engine
comes into the shop to take measurements
as well as during assembly. The builder
can write down the specs and keep a
record for the shop as well as a copy for
the customer.
PRO-SIS CORNER
BY STEVE FOX
Web PRO-SIS
The last version of PRO-SIS, and the
newest, is the Internet version called “Web
PRO-SIS. This program has all the same
data as regular PRO-SIS, but not all the
same features as PRO-SIS SA, at this time.
This program was developed to help
machine shops with older machines that
could not run previous versions of PROSIS because their machine did not have
enough disc space. The specs are still
separated into gas and diesel and you can
search casting numbers and technical
bulletins, just like in PRO-SIS SA.
One major advantage of having the
web version of the program is that it does
not take up any space on your computer.
Since it is all done over the Internet, all you
really need is an Internet connection in
your shop. Previous versions of PRO-SIS
would take up a large amount of disc space
on one’s computer which in turn would
require the shop to have a large amount of
disc space available for the program to run.
With an Internet connection, you can
access the program over the web.
Another problem that is solved with the
use of the web based program is
installation problems. Since it is all done
over the Internet, there is nothing to install;
no more discs to put into the computer and
install on your machine. Which brings us
back to the main part of the web version of
PRO-SIS, all you need is a high-speed
Internet connection.
This program will allow a shop to have
two passwords issued per company with
the same Internet IP address. This means
that two people can be on the program at
the same time, at the same shop.
Supported browsers for the program are
for PCs: 32 bit IE 7, 8 or 9, Google
Chrome, and on Macs: Safari and Firefox.
running, all that needs to be done is to pay
the annual support fee and you can
continue to use the program. If you are a
member of AERA and would like to get
access to PRO-SIS, please call the office at
888-326-2372 and ask to speak to Karen,
she will be happy to assist you in getting
PRO-SIS up and running in your shop.■
Try PRO-SIS today!
All three of these programs are available to
AERA members only, so to get access to
them, you must be an AERA member. If
you are not a member, join AERA and
they will give you a FREE 90 day trial of
the program to use in your shop. After the
90 day trial, in order to keep the program
AERA Technical Specialist Steve Fox has
over 25 years experience in the engine
building industry with 10 of those years
spent working in the machine shop. Steve
is an ASE-certified Master Machinist, as
well as a longtime member of the drag
racing circuit.
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TECHSIDE
BY DAVE HAGEN, MIKE CARUSO and STEVE FOX
Warranty
Administration
The following is an overview of correspondence between a
machine shop, equipment dealer and their customer after a
premature engine failure in a supplied diesel engine. The
preliminary inspection and analysis of the failed 4-53 Detroit
Diesel engine revealed uncommon findings. In the following
pictures and text, we show the difference between the cause of the
engine failure and the effects of that failure. To help show the
temperature differences within the engine, it is important to note
that multiple heat indicator tags are implemented by the
remanufacturing facility.
In today’s modern machine shops, failure analysis should be
an integral part of your quality control process. By understanding
how and why engines fail, you can provide a better quality
product to all your customers. Often, the end users do not
understand our best attempts to explain failures to them. By
combining technical data with pictures and explanations, we hope
to make this process easier for all parties involved.
It should be noted that all people involved with an engine
build are interested in the same end goal, which is a product that
operates and performs as good as or better than it did when it
was new. Establishing good working relationships with customers
before, during and after an engine build is crucial. To enact a
successful engine replacement, it’s important that everyone
understands their role. If a failure should occur, it is imperative
that you’re able to discuss circumstances of failures such as this
one freely. If we’re not able to determine the root cause of the
failure, we cannot prevent repeat occurrences.
On initial inspection, we know that the engine has been very hot
by the heat indicator on the oil cooler. However, as was visually
pointed out, the thermostat housing did not show signs of
excessive heat, nor did the back of the water pump. We will look
at this evidence to see if we can determine why we have different
heat ranges in different parts of this engine.
The range of the heat stickers goes from 180 to 280 degrees.
This is the sticker from the oil cooler housing. As you can see,
it shows a temperature in excess of 280 degrees.
This is the heat tag from the back of the water pump. It shows that the
temperature here has been up to 200°F. This is not enough to damage the
engine, but does show that the engine was starting to get hot. The question
that needs to be answered is why is there such a difference in the heat tags
between the oil cooler, water pump and thermostat housing. The heat tag on
the thermostat housing was 180°F.
All but three of the liner O-rings were burnt all the way
through; however, the remaining three were starting to burn.
From the pictures below, we can see heat damage on all of the Orings; most of them were burnt through. The question remains at
this point, did the O-rings fail and cause the engine to overheat,
or did the overheating cause the O-rings to fail?
These are the burnt ends of the failed liner packings. Their texture is sticky –
a sign of thermal breakdown. All of the breaks in the packings were burnt.
There were no clean cuts or evidence of twisting. There is a line in the center
of the packings where they were molded. If they were twisted on installation,
these lines would have a candy cane twist to them. Once they are exposed to
normal engine heat, this pattern would be “baked in”.
would be under pressure) and mix with the oil. This would
emulsify the oil and turn the oil gray and thick; this would also
show up in the bearings as a lack of lubrication. Antifreeze or
water in the oil will turn the lead black and quickly expose the
copper below the babbit surface.
Only three of the o-rings were not burnt in half. The worst ones appear to have
been located in the center cylinders. The ones that were still intact were
turning black 180 degrees apart, just like the ones that failed.
In this picture, you can see that the bearings show no sign of lubrication
distress. The lack of discoloration and good condition of the bearing surface
indicates that the engine has not been running with contaminated oil as would
be expected with a slow leak. All the engine bearings in this engine appeared
to be wearing normally. There is no indication of antifreeze mixing with the oil
or loss of lubricity as indicated by the appearance of the connecting rod
bearings shown here.
The pieces that remain in the o-ring lands are burnt and mushy just like the
pieces in the previous pictures.
From the apparent damage to the liner O-rings we know that
heat played a major role in the failure. So far, we have not
separated the cause of the heat from the effect the heat had on the
engine. We must look at the cooling system to determine what else
was going on. The field tech reported that the radiator was 1
gallon low on coolant when he checked it. He further reported
that the radiator was free of obstructions, the fan belt and the
water pump belts were tight and turning. There did not appear to
be any obstruction of the cooling system externally. The
thermostat was checked and it opens fully at 180 degrees as
designed. There were no obstructions inside the housing. The
water pump was removed and the impeller inspected. The
impeller is tight and turned freely: also there was no evidence on
the pulley that the belt was slipping. This indicates that the
cooling system was operating normally. However, your field tech
reported that he drained less than a gallon of coolant from the
engine block when he tore it down for inspection.
If an O-ring is cut during installation, the failure is immediate,
since a cut O-ring will not hold pressure. A cut O-ring is usually
the result of being in contact with sharp edges. Since the O-rings
are installed into the block before the liner, they would more
likely be twisted since there are no sharp edges that would cut it
on installation. This would show a spiral pattern on it as the heat
tempers the O-ring. There was no twisting evident on any of the
O-rings. A cut O-ring would not pass the cooling system pressure
test when the engine was dyno tested. If there were a slow leak at
the liner packing, the water would seep into the air box and oil
pan every time the engine was shut off (since the cooling system
Based on these observations, it is more likely that the liner Oring seal failed suddenly. The oil was just beginning to show
evidence of coolant mixing with it, but it had not been in the lube
system long enough to have any impact on the bearings. This
fact, plus the heat evidence on the liner O-rings would indicate
that the overheating was present before the O-ring failure, making
overheating the primary cause of the failure. The heat indicator
tags on the engine indicate that there was little or no coolant in
the engine when the failure occurred. If the cylinders had
overheated with the cooling system full, the heat tag on the
thermostat housing would show that the top of the engine had
been hot with the coolant still circulating.
These are the water grommets from the water ports between the block and the
head. The one in the upper left looks normal on the upper portion, but the
lower portion is showing heat damage. The one on the lower right shows heavy
heat damage. These seals are designed to withstand normal operating
TECHSIDE
BY DAVE HAGEN, MIKE CARUSO and STEVE FOX
temperatures of less than 250°F. When an engine is run low on coolant, steam
rises up the water ports and begins to break down the compounds. They begin
to swell up and split concentrically. These grommets show definite effects of
steam damage. Even after running the normal life of an engine, they will not
show this kind of stress if they have not been subjected to steam.
We know that the liner O-rings were overheated. If the heat to
do so was initiated in the cylinder itself, it would either be from
excessive fuel or from inadequate piston to liner clearance.
Overfueling is usually isolated to one cylinder, accompanied by
black smoke and will only cause a cylinder to overheat if it is run
that way over a long period of time. In this situation all liner Orings were damaged. Inadequate piston-to-cylinder wall oil
clearance will begin to fail the liner as engine temperature
increases. Lack of clearance will also seize the cylinder as soon as
the piston expands far enough. The scoring present in the liners is
heat scoring as evidenced by the stuck rings from the oil being
overheated.
For comparison, look at a picture of a cylinder head from a 3-53 engine that
was returned as a core. Even though the engine was worn out and ready for
remanufacture, there is no varnish under the exhaust ports (circled area).
From the visual created by this picture of the four piston crowns all of the
cylinders appear to be burning properly. The spray pattern is evident on the top
of the piston and the crowns show no signs of heating from the top down as
would be the case if it were chronically over fueled. There is also no sign of
coolant entering the combustion chambers, as would be the case if the engine
were run with coolant entering the air boxes.
This is a picture of the heat fuse in the head. You can see how close it is
located to the exhaust ports. With the cooling system working correctly, this
will not melt out the center. The head must be in excess of 257°F for this plug
to melt.
This photo shows more evidence of excessive heat. Note the exhaust side of
the cylinder head. You can see the exhaust manifold at the top of the picture.
The exhaust ports are on this side of the head. Under a load, the exhaust
temperature will reach 850° F. The water ports that flow through the head are
responsible for removing the heat that is generated. You can see that the area
under the exhaust ports has started to turn the oil to a varnish on the right and
has progressed to a caked on full burn in the center ports. This is a clear
indication that there was no water circulating through the head when the
engine failed. In the absence of water to remove the heat, the only way heat
will be removed is through the limited oil that is flowing through the engine.
Based on this evidence, we can conclude that there was little
or no water circulating in the engine when the failure occurred.
We have already determined that the water pump and the
thermostat were not preventing the coolant from flowing. If there
was coolant in the engine and the thermostat was stuck closed, we
would find the heat sticker on the water pump to be just as hot as
the heat sticker on the oil cooler since the overheated water would
continue to circulate through the engine. The fact that there was
no evidence of heat at all on the thermostat housing indicates that
there was no water in it to be heated. The only heat it could
receive at this point is radiant heat.
That leaves us with the oil cooler. When we removed the oil
cooler, there was still coolant in it. We were able to save a sample
of it. (It was blue coolant – I have not seen blue coolant before,
but I assume it is one of these environmentally friendly formulas).
The fact that there was water in the oil cooler accounts for the
high sticker temperature we found there. As the engine continues
to run without any coolant in it, the oil retains its heat as well.
This heat caused the water in the oil cooler to superheat and turn
the heat tags black.
We can establish the level of the water
by looking at the temperature recorded in
the heat tags in the engine as follows
(pictured right).
The heat tags will not react if there is
no water in the engine to heat them. In the
absence of water circulating they are
subject only to radiant heat. This is why
the water pump shows at least 40 degrees
hotter than the top of the engine – it was
closer to the water as it boiled and turned
to steam. We know by the burnt oil on the
head and the fuse plug that the head was
indeed hot even though the thermostat did
not show heat in the top of the engine.
From this we can conclude that the
piston seizure and liner scoring was not
the cause, but the effect. When subject to
extreme heat, the parts expand and lose
their clearance, causing them to seize.
There would be no way for a kit that was
just beginning to seize could generate
enough heat to cause this much damage
with a properly functioning cooling
system. If one cylinder failed first, the
likely scenario is that the piston would
seize in the liner. The cylinder would
generate extra heat, but the heat damage
would be secondary, not primary. Also, the
coolant enters the radiator at the top
through the thermostat housing. The
cooled water enters the engine at the oil
cooler. We should expect to see hotter
temperatures at the thermostat housing
and the cooler temps at the oil cooler
housing. In this case, the opposite is true;
the higher temperatures are at the cooler
not the thermostats. Again, this indicates
where the coolant was and more
importantly, where it was not.
Based on these observations, it
becomes clear that the failure of the engine
was not caused by a manufacturing or
parts problem. Nor was it the cause of an
installation problem, but, normal
maintenance procedures require checking
fluids routinely. This situation was not just
a case of low coolant; it is more like a case
of no coolant. If the engine had been
running low on coolant, the water pump
would still circulate the remaining coolant
and we would see signs that the engine
was beginning to overheat.
At this point, we can only speculate as
to what really happened even with our
sequence of events previously listed. There
appear to be at least two possible
scenarios. First, the engine was run low on
coolant over a period of time and
eventually overheated causing the O-rings
to melt and all the coolant to be blown
out the air box drains before it had time to
get into the oil pan. A second possible
scenario is that the engine was
inadvertently run without coolant in the
system. For the coolant to run this low
from normal operation, the operator
should have seen signs of overheating and
plus spotted the loss of that much coolant.
If the unit was used only for short periods
of time, after a point in time when the
coolant was low, the failure point would
be extended until a longer period of
operation occurred.
We did note that there was not enough
oil to get ample sample required for
analysis which would more than likely
show signs of chronic overheat. It was also
noted during inspection that it appears the
engine has been subjected to dirt entry by
the looks of the blower area. This did not
contribute to this overheating engine
failure, but should be noted to inspect and
repair during reinstallation of an engine.
Also, the vacuum pump attached to this
examined engine shows wear as the main
shaft has excessive end and side thrust. It
requires replacement as well. Failing to
repair those two items will reduce engine
durability on any subsequent engine.
It is our opinion that this evidence
needs to be presented to the customer
(final user). It would be unfortunate for
either the machine shop or garage to be
required by the customer to pay for a
failure of this nature, since it appears to
have been initiated by running the engine
with little or no coolant in it. Coolant
within an engine is the sole responsibility
of the customer or operator.
We feel very confident of our
conclusions based on observation of the
failed parts. We would be glad to discuss
these findings with you before advising
your customer to make sure we have not
overlooked some critical piece of
information before making a final
determination.
Please feel free to come and look at the
evidence personally if desired. There are
approximately 25 pictures of the failed
engine parts and we would be glad to send
copies of any or all that you would like to
see. We will hold the engine and parts
until we hear from you and want it
remanufactured again.
We look forward to hearing from you
and appreciate your continued business.■
The AERA tech team, from left to right: Steve Fox has
over 25 years experience in the engine building
industry with 10 of those years spent working in the
machine shop. Steve is an ASE-certified Master
Machinist, as well as a longtime member of the drag
racing circuit. Dave Hagen, our Senior Technician, has
over 41 years of experience in our industry. An ASEcertified Master Machinist, Dave specialized in cylinder
head work and complete engine assembly for the first
17 years of his career. Mike Caruso brings over 50
years of rebuilding and high-performance experience to
AERA. An ASE-certified Master Machinist, Mike came to
us from FEL-PRO’s high-performance R&D and tech
line, where he worked for 11 years.
ON THE SAME PAGE
BY MIKE CARUSO
Performance
Automotive Engine Math
Pro Series
By John Baechtel
Everything in the world is designed using
math. We use it rebuilding our engines
whether a full all-out race machine or
rebuilding an engine for a customer
looking for better performance. That
could be better gas mileage, more low
speed torque for towing or a
combination of these requirements.
When you know how it is done, you can
check your own engine with the math
presented in this book. After you have
done all the calculations for your engine,
you will see the big picture. Better yet by
seeing and understanding its faults you
now will know where to make changes
to improve your engine’s efficiency. This
book showcases the methodology
required to define each specific
parameter. As it is always said, numbers
do not lie. Trust the data and the good
numbers.
• Information: Chapter #1 basic math, #2
engine displacement, #3 compression
ratio, #4 piston speed, #5 brake horse
power and torque, #6 induction math,
#7 cylinder head math, #8 exhaust
system math, #9 fuel system math, #10
atmospherics and combustion math, #11
camshaft math, #12 tools and
equipment, #13 How to build and engine
math spread sheet, #14 engine simulation
and modeling software. 160 pages with
175 color photos and the debut of the
new Pro Series.
• Suggestion: Written by John Baechtel
who made the math very easy to
understand. It is edited by Scott
Parkhurst with a foreword by Jim
McFarland. This book is so good I am
buying a copy for my own library.
(Printed in 2011 by SA Design #204;
ISBN ID# 978-1-934709-47-4)
How to Install and Tune
Nitrous Oxide Systems
How To Port & Flow Test
Cylinder Heads
By Bob McClurg
By David Vizard
• Information: Chapter #1 single-stage,
single-plate system; #2 single-stage, dualplate system; #3 two-stage single plate
system; #4 single-stage supercharger
system; #5 Hidden single-stage systems;
#6 fogger system; #7 multi-stage systems
(showing installation0; #8 Merlin III 540
Nitrous engine (build-up with Wilson 14BBL intake); #9 EFI wet and dry; #10
Nitrous accessories; #11 Commonly asked
questions answered by Mike Thermos.
This is the History of Nitrous Oxide; who
used it first and why it works so well.
There are tuning tips (check out page 84
to see ignition timing retard steps), safety
tips, solenoid rebuilding, plus choosing
the correct system for your application.
Follow a Dodge Challenger SRT8 Fly-By
Wire Nitrous system install.
• Suggestion: Burning more fuel is what
Nitrous Oxide is all about. Nitrous Oxide
used in propeller-driven aircraft engines
allow them to obtain higher altitude
which gave an advantage during mid-air
combat. Because at higher altitude, air
gets thinner or has a lower percentage of
oxygen available to burn the fuel. If you
are planning to install a Nitrous system,
this is a great book to read before you
begin. If you would like to know more
about Nitrous Oxide, then you have just
found the correct book! Nitrous Oxide
aircraft engine development was stopped
when the jet engine-powered aircraft came
on the scene.
Bob McClurg has that touch with a
camera that few people have. He gets the
lighting, the angle and the content
perfectly. Most engine people are quite
visual and enjoy and learn from well-done
pictures. (Printed in 2012 by SA Design
#194; ISBN ID# 978-1-934709-34-4)
• Information: Chapter #1 What it takes
to make power; #2 Flow testing
procedures; #3 A flow bench – buy or
build?; #4 Wet-flow testing; #5 Porting
aftermarket heads; #6 Porting tools,
consumables and safety; #7 Five Golden
porting rules; #8 Developing functional
ports; #9 Valve shrouding; #10
Developing functional heads; #11 the
combustion process; #12 Maximizing
compression ratio. Other topics covered
are Source Guide Air Flow Research,
Audi Technology, Brodix Inc, Calico
Coatings, Dart Machinery, Design
Dreams, DR.J’s Performance, Edelbrock
Corp, EngineQuest, Ferrea Racing
Components, Motion Software,
Performance Trends, Racing Head
Service, Tech Line Coatings, Trick Flow
Specialties and Ultra Pro Machining.
• Suggestion: Whether you have been
porting your own cylinder heads for years
or have someone else porting with or
without a flow bench, buy them this
book! Even if your racing program is
buying completely finished CNC ported
heads, there is plenty of information that
you can still learn from this book.
(Printed in 2012 by SA Design #215;
ISBN ID# 978-1-934709-64-1)
AERA Tech Specialist Mike Caruso has over 50 years
of engine rebuilding and high-performance
experience. An ASE-certified Master Machinist, Mike
came to AERA from FEL-PRO’s high-performance
R&D and tech line, where he worked for 11 years.
PRO-SIS SA
makes finding
engine specs
as easy as
clicking your
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TRAINING
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• AERA now offers a comprehensive online training program (not just a test) leading to diploma-quality certificates in
Cylinder Heads and Engine Machinist. Technicians who successfully earn either certificate will hold proof that they
have an elevated understanding of machining fundamentals, measuring tools, shop safety, fasteners, engine theory,
engine diagnosis, engine disassembly, component cleaning, inspection, crack detection and repair, component
reconditioning and cylinder head and block resurfacing.
• Each program is an online, self-paced course with up to one year to complete. Gary Lewis’ book, Automotive
Machining & Engine Repair, will be included with the $150 registration fee. Everything a technician will need is
contained in the program with video clips and supplemental readings at key locations within the program.
The book will be used as a syllabus when not online.
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To register immediately, please fill out the form on the opposite page and return to AERA.
The information in
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presented from the
view of engine
machine shop
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procedures are
selected from those
with wide industry
acceptance and
represent wellbalanced and
competent “state of
the art” practice.
– Gary Lewis,
Instructor and Author
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tech
TB 2580
Internal Engine Noise Or Damage After Oil Filter
Replacement on 2004-2010 3.0 & 3.6L GM Engines
The AERA Technical Committee offers the following information
regarding internal engine noise or damage after oil filter
replacement on 2004-2010 3.0 & 3.6L GM engines. Oil filter
misapplication may cause abnormal engine noise or internal
damage.
There has been some copies of name brand parts in some
aftermarket parts systems. Always ensure that the parts you
install are from a trusted source.
Improper oil filter installation may result in catastrophic
engine damage. Some aftermarket oil filters share the outside
dimensions of factory equipment and AC Delco service filters.
Though they look the same, these filters do not meet GM
specification and function requirements.
The following information is supplied by GM for proper
diagnostics.
Engine Ticking Noise In Valve Train
First, the location of the tick must be determined (exhaust or
intake, front or rear engine bank). Using a suitable listening
device such as chassis ears or a stethoscope can determine the
location of the ticking noise.
1. Does the noise only come from one bank location (intake
or exhaust lifter area)?
2. If the noise is in one bank location, then the oil galley
lubrication hole may be obstructed with foreign material.
3. When the location is determined, the technician should
remove the valve cover and inspect the lifters for aeration.
Remove the stationary hydraulic lifter assemblies (SHLA) for the
suspect location / cylinder. For Example; Bank 2 Cylinder # 1 A
& B exhaust lifters are making noise. Inspect the lifters for the
presence of oil. If oil is present, SHLA will be pumped and hard
to compress. If aeration is present, the lifter will be spongy. Test
by trying to compress with your fingers or a suitable tool.
4. Spongy SHLA (lifters) mean aeration and obstruction to
flow oil to SHLA is present. Reference the oil lubrication
description document in SI for details of system operation.
Inspecting SHLA For Aeration
5. (A) Bank 1 (2, 4, 6) Reference 1-Intake oil galley for lifters,
Reference 2-Camshaft Actuator (Phaser) Oil Galley, Reference 3Exhaust Oil Galley for Lifters.
(B) Bank 2 ( 1, 3, 5) Reference 1-Intake oil galley for lifters,
Reference 2-Camshaft Actuator (Phaser) Oil Galley, Reference 3Exhaust Oil Galley for Lifters. An obstruction to oil flow is
present at the engine block deck passage under the head gasket
for lifter oil pressure. The passage is the location in the front
engine block deck. The oiling passage can be identified as a hole
with eye brows cut to each side.
TB 2580, Figure 1: Inspecting SHLA for aeration.
TB 2580, Figure 2: A Bank 1 cyls 2, 4, 6.
A Bank 1 (2, 4, 6)B Bank (1, 3, 5)
1 – Intake Oil Galley For Lifters1 – Intake Oil Galley For
Lifters; 2 – Camshaft Actuator (Phaser) Oil Gallery2 –
Camshaft Actuator (Phaser) Oil Gallery; 3 – Exhaust Oil
Gallery For Lifters3 – Exhaust Oil Gallery For Lifters.
6. One example of obstruction is shown in Figure 4. Filter
media material plugging the 2mm lubrication passage hole
creating aeration in the exhaust lifter oil galley. The obstruction
TB 2580, Figure 3: B Bank 3 cyls 1, 3, 5.
TB 2580, Figure 4: Oil filter media obstruction on right.
TB 2580, Figure 8: Failed filter media and relocated debris.
TB 2580, Figure 5: Connecting Rod Bearing welded to shaft.
TB 2580, Figure 9: Failed drainback valve (1), new (2)
can be filter media material or an orange silicone rubber material.
(The example shown is filter media.)
7. Engine oil passages will have to be cleaned of aftermarket
filter media debris or orange silicone rubber.
TB 2580, Figure 6: Orange silicone obstruction oil flow.
Engine Knocking / Piston Skirt Knock
1. One source for oil starvation is due to aftermarket oil filter
anti-drain back valves deterioration. Orange silicone rubber
material has been found in many cases of oil starvation
underneath the main and rod bearings, with material contained in
the oil lubrication galley in both blocks and crankshaft
lubrication holes. The orange silicone rubber is from aftermarket
oil filters anti drain back valve assembly, which is located under
the filter media and above the screw on the base. Orange silicone
rubber is not used in the assembly of the High Feature V6 as well
as most GM engine applications. Examples are below.
Rod Bearing Welded To Crank (1)
Orange silicone rubber obstructing the oil flow to the main and
rod bearings the engine block webbing (1). Piston Cooling Jets
(2) Silicon rubber found in the rod and main bearing and in the
piston skirt squirters (1) Squirter removed to show obstruction
material.
Example of Aftermarket Filter Failures
First do a general inspection for possible source. With the metal
can cut off, you can see detail of media failure.
This is an oil filter that is teardown. The left (1) shows a part
removed from a failed engine oil main bearing gallery. The right
one (2) is a new seal removed from a new aftermarket filter. This
is what a drain back valve looks like prior to failure.
TB 2580, Figure 7: Piston Squirter Oil Galley obstructed.
Conclusion
Repair as necessary to remove filter media/debris from oil galleys
and piston squirter sprayer in the cylinder block. Repair and/or
tech
replace damaged engine components as necessary.
Engines today require oil filters that can meet the challenges
of today’s oil filtration systems, engine oil pressure requirements
(both hot and cold) and Oil Life Monitoring systems. Improper
oil filter usage may result in catastrophic engine damage or
failure.
TB 2581
Prolonged Cranking Condition On 1998-2000 Isuzu
2.2L HEC Engines
regarding a prolonged cranking condition on 1998-2000 Isuzu
2.2L HEC engines. This condition may occur because of a timeout circuit used in the PCM software in Rodeo and Amigo
vehicles built during 1998-2000 using the Isuzu 2.2L HEC
engine.
All 1998-2000 Rodeo (UE) and Amigo (UA) models with
2.2L HEC engine, has software installed in the PCM which uses
a time-out circuit to reduce emissions and fuel soak. If the vehicle
is started cold, and shut down within 10 to 30 seconds after the
initial start-up, the timeout software does not allow injection
pulse for an extended period of time.
On 1998 and 1999 models with 2.2L 4 cylinder HEC engines,
the time-out period with no injection pulse can be up to 8
seconds. On 2000 models with 2.2L 4 cylinder HEC engines, the
time-out period can be up to 5 seconds. To confirm this
condition, disconnect any injector connector and install an
injector noid light tester across the connector and watch for an
on/off pulse. When the injector pulse width is 0 ms, the injector
noid light will not flash.
The injector pulse width is 0 ms after the startup time has
been exceeded during cold restart. It is imperative not to attempt
any repairs for this condition and to verify the condition.
TB 2582
Ticking Noise Upon Start-Up on
2006-07 Mazda 2.3L Engines
regarding a ticking noise upon start-up on 2006-07 Mazda 2.3L
engines. When the engine is first started, some vehicles may
exhibit a loud ticking noise coming from the variable valve
timing.
The cause of this problem seems to be lock pin of the variable
valve timing actuator that is not fully engaging. To cure this
problem, heat treating the locking pin has now been added
around the hole of the variable valve timing to prevent this from
happening.
To repair this problem, inspect the variable valve timing
actuator for damage around the stopper spring cap (A) or a
missing stopper pin cap (B), shown in figure 1.
Turn the crankshaft clockwise so that the notches on the
variable valve timing actuator can be checked. If the notches are
aligned together, (A) there is nothing wrong. If the notches are
misaligned (B), follow the procedure below for checking
alignment again, shown in figure 2.
TB 2582, Figure 1: Checking stopper spring cap for damage
TB 2582, Figure 2: Checking notch alignment in variable valve timing actuator
Turn the camshaft counterclockwise to align the notches on
the variable valve timing actuator. With the notches aligned, turn
the camshaft clockwise 90°. Check notches again. If they are
aligned correctly, there is nothing wrong. If the notches are
misaligned, replace the variable valve timing actuator.
Caution: If any parts are damaged or missing, remove the
front cover to inspect the timing and oil pump chains and all
related components for damage as a result of loose parts. If loose
parts cannot be located in the timing chain area, it will be
necessary to remove the oil pan to remove loose parts. Replace
components as necessary.
TB 2583
Balancer Unit Assembly Installation on
2003-08 Ford/Mazda 2.3L Engines
regarding balancer unit assembly installation on 2003-08Ford/
Mazda 2.3L engines. There seems to be some confusion on
timing of the balancer unit assembly and Mazda offers the
following information to time the balancer unit assembly
correctly.
Balancer Unit Assembly Installation
Confirm by visual inspection that there is no damage to the
balancer unit gear and verify that the shaft turns smoothly. If
there is any damage or malfunction, replace the balancer unit.
CAUTION: Due to the precision interior construction of the
balancer unit, it cannot be disassembled.
Install the SST balance shaft stop tool as shown in the
Figure 1. Turn the crankshaft clockwise the crankshaft is in
the No. 1 cylinder TDC position (until the balance weight is
attached to the SST). Install the adjustment shim to the seat
face of the balancer unit.
With the balancer unit marks at the exact top center,
assemble the unit to the cylinder block as shown in Figure 2.
After the unit timing marks are set to the top, set the SST as
shown in Figure 3 and then measure the gear backlash using
a dial gauge. For an accurate measurement of gear backlash,
insert a small pry bar into the crankshaft No. 1 balance
weight area and set both the rotation and the thrust direction
with the pry bar, using a prying action front to rear as shown
in the Figure 4.
TB 2583, Figure 1: Installing SST Tool
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TB 2583, Figure 2: Unit Mark Top Center
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TB 2583, Figure 3: Checking Gear Backlash
tech
TB 2584
Oil Pump Sprocket Bolt Removal Caution on 200710 Nissan 1.8L Versa MR18DE Engines
regarding the oil pump sprocket bolt removal on 2007-10 Nissan
1.8L Versa MR18DE engines. Improper removal of the bolt
could cause damage to the crankshaft sprocket.
TB 2583, Figure 4: Prying Back & Forth
Checking Gear Lash
If the backlash exceeds the specified range, measure the backlash
again using the adjustment shim selection table, shown below,
and select the proper shim according to the following procedure.
When measuring the backlash, rotate the crankshaft one full
rotation and verify that it is within the specified range at all of
the following six positions: 10°, 30°,100°,190°, 210°,
280°ATDC. Value range per shim 0.005 - 0.101 mm {0.00019 0.0039 inch}. Using master adjustment shim (No.50), assemble
the balancer unit to the cylinder block, then measure the
backlash. Select the proper adjustment shim according to the
measured value. Install the selected adjustment shim to the
balancer unit and then assemble the balancer unit to the cylinder
block.
TB 2583 – Adjustment Shim Selection Table
TB 2584, Figure 1: Broken oil pump sprocket from impact use.
Proper removal of the oil pump sprocket bolt is to use hand
tools; never use an impact. If an impact or other power tool is
used, the crankshaft sprocket may break as shown in Figure 1
(above).
Nissan suggests always using hand tools with a backup
wrench as described in the procedures listed below. Following the
procedures listed will not damage the crankshaft sprocket when
removing the oil pump sprocket bolt.
TB 2584, Figure 2: Use both a breaker bar and wrench.
• Use a socket and a “breaker bar” on the bolt. Always use a
backup wrench on the “Width Across Flat” (WAF) are of the oil
pump shaft as shown in Figure 2 (above).
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TB 2584, Figure 3: Closeup of backup wrench.
• Close up picture of using a backup wrench on “Width
Across Flat” (WAF) area of the oil pump shaft is shown in
Figure 3 (above) and Figure 4 (below).
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TB 2584, Figure 4: Close up of wrench on pump flat.
TB 2585
Connecting Rod Breakage on All Acura Engines
The AERA Technical Committee offers the following
information on connecting rod breakage on all Acura
engines. Connecting rods are specifically made to withstand
brutal forces and temperatures. Yet, every once in a while,
they bend or break and wind up as cool conversation pieces
for a coffee table or desk.
For a connecting rod to bend or break, either the engine
must hydro-lock or the connecting rod bearings must fail.
When troubleshooting a bent or broken connecting rod,
here’s some food for thought:
Hydro-locking is the number one culprit for connecting
rod breakage. It happens when the volume of liquid that’s
entering the combustion chamber (water or fuel) exceeds the
chamber’s volume. Since liquids don’t compress, the piston
stops before it reaches top dead center (TDC). But the
crankshaft keeps on turning from inertia, so as a result, the
connecting rod bends and gets shorter. With each
compression and power stroke, that rod flexes. You won’t
always notice anything wrong, until it finally gives out and
breaks from metal fatigue.
Hydro-locking can happen if you’re driving through
deep, standing water that’s above the level of the air intake,
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tech
or you’re driving fast enough through it to splash water over the
hood. It can also happen if you’re driving through deep, standing
water and someone driving the other way splashes water over
your hood.
Vehicles with cold air intake systems are especially vulnerable
to hydro-locking since the air filter is mounted down low to draw
air from the bottom of the engine compartment or the front of
the radiator. Water sucked into the air filter gets sucked right into
the engine.
If you suspect hydro-locking, check to see if the air cleaner
element and air cleaner housing are wet. Often times, there’ll be
dirt or mud from the road deposited on the inlet side of the air
cleaner element or even in the intake air duct.
Keep in mind, hydro-locking isn’t a manufacturing defect so
it’s not covered by warranty. If hydro-locking is the problem,
your service client needs to contact his or her insurance provider;
it’s considered accidental damage.
Although it’s rare, sometimes a bad ECM/PCM or fuel
injector can cause too much fuel to enter a cylinder, causing
hydro-locking and resulting in a bent rod. Before that happens,
though, there are usually some sort of drivability problems that
crop up and remain after the engine is fixed.
A bent connecting rod might not show any symptoms until it
actually breaks. But a sure-fire indicator is the carbon line it
leaves on the cylinder wall. A normal connecting rod leaves a
carbon line that’s about 6 mm deep. A bent connecting rod, since
it’s shorter, leaves a second carbon line that’s even deeper.
Connecting rod bearings fail for lots of reasons. To find out
what really caused a rod bearing failure, you’ve got to take apart
all of the rod bearings and main bearings and compare them side
by side. If all or most of the bearings and journals show similar
damage (scoring, exposed copper, or heat discoloration), the
likely culprit is oil starvation, poor maintenance, customer abuse,
or running the engine with an aftermarket power booster (a
nitrous oxide setup, supercharger, or turbocharger).
If just the bearing or journal for the failed rod looks bad, but
all the other ones look good (no scoring, exposed copper, or heat
discoloration) and the crankshaft journals are smooth with no
heat discoloration, then that particular bearing/clearance would
be suspect.
TB 2586
Crankshaft Removal Caution For 2008-2010 Ford
6.0L VIN P Diesel Engines
regarding crankshaft removal for 2008-2010 Ford 6.4L VIN R
diesel engines. This information should be considered any time
service work is related to the crankshaft, including clutch and
transmission work.
This engine uses additional components for the crankshaft
assembly. Those components are; a flywheel front adapter,
located between the flywheel/flexpate and crankshaft as well as a
separate bolt-on rear flange. The rear flange SHOULD NEVER
BE REMOVED from the crankshaft. This rear flanged is secured
to the crankshaft by six mounting bolts and also provides a
concentric rear main seal surface for the seal. If the flange is
removed, the orientation will be upset and reestablishing it 100%
may not be possible by simply bolting it up.
An incorrectly installed rear flange piece will be off the centerline of crankshaft, which will increase flywheel round out and
cause engine vibration. Other complications may include oil
leakage, seal damage and possible transmission front bushing
wear.
The rear flange is part of the crankshaft manufacturing
process and not intended for service replacement.
TB 2588
Steel Compression Rings with
Reduced Radial Wall Thickness
TB 2585, Figure 1: Bent connecting rod from hydro-lock.
TB 2585, Figure 2: Left side normal, right side abnormal.
The AERA Technical Committee is advising that some piston ring
manufacturers have modified the composition of their top
compression rings. MAHLE Clevite is transitioning its popular
original ring sets from a grey cast iron top ring to a carbon steel
top ring. The advantages include; 35% more strength, 30% less
weight and double the resistance to side wear which is a common
problem on late-model engines.
Since the steel is 35% stronger than cast iron, we can achieve
the same ring tension with 35% less weight. That weight savings
is made by reducing the radial wall thickness of the steel ring.
The net result is a ring that’s lighter, so it has a higher
effective RPM potential, stronger - so that it weathers the abuse
of today’s high output engines better, and actually seals better
because the reduced radial wall allows it to conform to the
cylinder wall better.
Having said all that, there’s some additional explanation
needed when it comes to back clearance - that area behind
the ring which is calculated by subtracting the ring radial
wall width from the root depth of the ring groove in the
piston. For example; if I have a ring radial wall of .170" and
a groove depth of .195" then my back clearance is .025".
Reducing the radial wall of the replacement carbon steel
rings does increase the back clearance because they are going
into piston grooves designed for the thicker radial wall of
the cast iron rings.
It’s been a well-accepted piston/ piston ring engineering
design criteria, which, for optimum performance, ring back
clearance should be minimized. This comes from the fact
that the top compression ring needs the pressure from the
combustion gases to get in behind the ring and push out on
the ring to maintain proper seal on the high pressure, or
combustion stroke. The logic was that the smaller the area
created by the back clearance, the quicker that pressure
would build to push out on the ring, and the quicker the
ring would react to its sealing requirements job. That logic is
all good but what about the reality of the concept?
Since MAHLE makes both components in this equation pistons and the rings, our MAHLE piston ring R&D lab did
some testing in conjunction with one of our original
equipment customers to see if engine testing could tell us
what the right amount of back clearance should be. What
the engine lab folks found during testing surprised
everybody! The engine wasn’t nearly as sensitive to ring back
clearance as it was to ring side clearance.
The reason was the gases have to get past the top side of
the ring in order to get around to the back of the ring to
push out on it. When we tightened up the side clearance to
less than .001", the ring went unstable even at normal
operating RPMs. Blowby, which is gas leaking past the face
of the ring, increased dramatically. Changing the back
clearance didn’t show us anything, negatively or positively
either direction. We realized it was all about having enough
side clearance to let the gases flow back to the back of the
ring not how much back clearance we had!
We came to the realization that in any cylinder, you have
hundreds of cc’s of gases available to fill that relatively small
volume behind the ring (0.4 cc’s), Those gases are at a very
high pressure, several hundred, or even thousand PSI, so
they will fill the small space behind the ring very quickly if
you give them enough room, a.k.a. side clearance, to get
there.
(continued on next page)
tech
Most original equipment and aftermarket side clearance
specs are in the .0015" - .0025" range. For our regular, nonracing, customers; changing from a cast iron top ring to a
steel top ring won’t cause any adverse effect at all from the
increased back clearance because the side clearance is
adequate to allow the gas movement. Remember, we have
hundreds of cc’s of gas to fill the very small amount of space
change.
The performance engine builders are a different story, but
they take care of the issue with custom groove specs. The
MAHLE original performance ring catalog supplies radial
wall specifications for every ring for just that reason. Many
of the true high performance engine builders specify ring
grooves with less than .001" side clearance, but they add gas
ports, small channels drilled in the piston, either from the
top or side of the piston, to give a direct path for those
combustion gasses to get directly to the back side of the ring.
The engine doesn’t care how the gases get back behind the
ring, it only cares that it does, and in enough volume and
pressure to do the job.
In summary, you can replace cast iron top rings with
carbon steel, get all the benefits we’ve talked about in this
article, and rest assured we’ve done our homework on the
engineering side!
AERA Technical
Bulletins also
available online
AERA mails Engine Professional magazine
quarterly. The technical bulletins in English
and Spanish can be found online at
www.aera.org — as always, if you have any
questions or if you need technical support
send an e-mail to [email protected].
AERA estara enviando la revista, Engine
Professional trimestralmente. Los boletines
técnicos en Español e Ingles se pueden
encontrar en la pagina web de AERA,
www.aera.org — como siempre, si tienen
preguntas o si necesitan ayuda técnica
comuníquese con Yolanda o envíe un correo
electrónico a [email protected].
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Company:
AERA ID #:
Address:
City, State, ZIP:
Phone: (
)
Fax: (
)
E-mail:
Rate $____________ x # of insertions ______ = Total $__________________
■ Visa
■ MasterCard
NOTE: Mail business card with payment to Karen@ AERA or e-mail artwork
(JPG or PDF) to AERA creative director: [email protected]
■ American Express
■■■■ ■■■■ ■■■■ ■■■■
Expiration Date (MM/YY) ________ / ________
Print Cardholder Name
Cardholder Signature
Fax toll-free 1-888-329-2372
Or, mail with your payment to: Engine Professional Magazine / AERA, 500 Coventry Lane, Suite 180, Crystal Lake, IL 60014 U.S.A.
Questions? Please contact Hal Fowler 404-427-0171 / [email protected]
Jim Rickoff 507-457-8975 / [email protected] — or, call AERA toll-free 888-326-2372 or 815-526-7600.
E-mail artwork to — [email protected]
AERA is a network of professional
engine builders, rebuilders and
installers with the expertise and
connections to provide you with the
right answers when you need them.
If you’re in the engine building
business, there’s no tool more
important than an AERA
membership.
NEW BENEFITS FOR
AERA MEMBERS
New Credit Card Processing through TSYS
Low member-only processing rates through TSYS (a top-ten
processor), electronic check services, free online reporting,
all major credit card and debit cards, gift and loyalty
programs. Any member who does a cost comparison with
TSYS by March 31, 2012 will receive a $25 gift card.
No obligation to member. Contact Kit Barret at TSYS
Merchant Solutions at 800-516-6242 ext. 4077.
An AERA membership also gives you:
New Discount Program with HP
Discounts on computer hardware and supplies, no costs
or minimum orders, free ground shipping.
• A voice in Washington, D.C.
New Online Certification Program
The only online certification program available for
engine builders.
New and Improved Products from AERA
AERA carries a variety of high-quality shop supplies, unique
items which have been selected and produced based on
input from members … new and improved temperature
recorder labels, tags, bags, and more!
• Toll-free technical support
• Specialized engine specification software
• Four engine specification manuals and
annual membership directory
• Engine Professional magazine
• Regional Tech & Skills Conferences
• Special discounts from a number of “partner”
companies to help AERA members reduce costs
on insurance, shipping, utilities, waste removal and
a variety of other services.
Join today!
Complete the membership application on the next page
and return to AERA. For more information, call AERA
toll-free 888-326-2372 or visit www.aera.org.
toll-free 888-326-2372 / 815-526-7600
fax 888-329-2372 / 815-526-7601
U.S. APPLICATION FOR ACTIVE MEMBERSHIP
ELIGIBLITY REQUIREMENTS: Applicant should be a proprietorship, partnership or corporation that has adequate automotive shop
equipment and performs either engine machining, engine modification, engine assembly or engine installation and whose principal business
serves the automotive, truck, tractor, marine, diesel and other classes of retail, industrial and commercial accounts and not primarily sell used
parts (which term does not include remanufactured parts) in their main place of business.
1. Please remit a sheet of company letterhead, company business card or company invoice with application.
2. If your business meets the above criteria, please complete the form below. (Please print legibly or type.)
COMPANY INFORMATION
Company Name
Date business started
Contact Person (one name only)
Business Address
City, State, Zip
Phone
Fax
Email
Website
How many personnel in your shop?
(include part-time personnel)
Please check the appropriate categories for listing
in the AERA Membership Directory:
■
■
■
■
■
■
■
■
■
■
AC – Custom, passenger car and light truck engine rebuilding
AD – Diesel, heavy-duty and industrial engine rebuilding
AF – Foreign, motorcycle and small engine rebuilding
AH – High-performance engine rebuilding
AL – Drive line rebuilding
AM – Marine engine rebuilding
AP – Production engine rebuilding (100+ per month)
AY – Cylinder head rebuilding specialist
AI – Engine installation
Other
AERA MEMBERSHIP DUES
Select the appropriate personnel category for your shop.
Number of shop personnel:
■ 1 - 3...........................................................$342
■ 4 - 8...........................................................$419
■ 9 - 24.........................................................$541
■ 25 or more ...............................................$639
PAYMENT MUST ACCOMPANY APPLICATION
■ Entire amount enclosed $
CREDIT CARD: ■ VISA ■ MasterCard ■ American Express
■ CHECK (please make checks payable to AERA)
Cardholder Name (please print)
Card Number
Expiration
Signature
I attest that my firm meets the above requirements and give AERA permission to verify the information.
Signature
Title
★ Recomended for membership by:
Send application and payment to: AERA, 500 Coventry Lane, Suite 180, Crystal Lake, IL 60014. Or — fax your completed application
with payment to 888-329-2372 (toll-free) or 815-526-7601. You may also apply online at www.aera.org. If you are already an AERA member,
please give this application to a friend. Call AERA toll-free 888-326-2372 (or direct 815-526-7600) with any questions.
ADVERTISER INDEX
NEW
monthly
payment
options
AERA now offers monthly installment
payment options for your
annual AERA membership and
PRO-SIS support fees.
• Credit card
• Direct withdrawl from
bank account
There will be no additional fees if you
elect to pay monthly.
Example: A small (1-3 man) shop pays
an annual rate of $342 or $28.50 per month
for 12 months (credit card or direct withdrawl
from bank account).
For more information, call Karen
at 888-326-2372 or
e-mail [email protected].
toll-free 888-326-2372 / 815-526-7600
fax 888-329-2372 / 815-526-7601
Access Industries ...........................................................5
AERA ..............................................59, 62-63, 74, 77-78
ATI................................................................................29
Comp Cams.................................................................53
CTP / Costex Tractor Parts ...................inside back cover
CWT Industries...............................................................1
DNJ Engine Components ...................outside back cover
Durabond .......................................................................7
Elgin .............................................................................13
Endurance Power Products .........................................23
EngineLabs.com (Power Auto Media)...........................67
Enginequest .................................................................49
ESCO Industries...........................................................27
Federal Mogul / Sealed Power .....................................15
Fluidampr .....................................................................71
Fowler Sales & Service.................................................48
FreightQuote.com ........................................................67
Goodson ......................................................................42
Hastings ................................................inside front cover
IMIS .............................................................................35
Jamison .......................................................................43
Joe Baker Equipment Sales .........................................52
Joe Gibbs Racing.........................................................72
L.A.Sleeve ....................................................................72
MAHLE Clevite .............................................................37
Maxiforce .....................................................................25
Melling..........................................................................21
PEP........................................................................32, 36
QualCast ......................................................................30
Quality Power Products................................................17
Regis..............................................................................9
Rottler ..........................................................................80
S.B. International............................................................3
Safety Auto Parts .........................................................33
Smith Brothers .............................................................69
Sunnen ........................................................................19
Superflow.....................................................................47
Topline ....................................................................60-61
Tracto-Parts Center......................................................73
TSYS Merchant Solutions.............................................31
Vibratech......................................................................39
ADVERTISING
OPPORTUNITIES
Get your advertising message directly into the shops who are building, rebuilding and installing engines professionally by advertising in
Engine Professional magazine.
Engine professionals worldwide will receive this full-color publication
four times per year. Each issue will be filled with highly technical and
application-driven articles from our staff of writers, as well as feature
contributions from industry professionals.
Over 15,000 copies of each issue of Engine Professional will be
mailed to an audited list of engine professionals comprised of engine
builders; custom rebuilders; production rebuilders; heavy-duty,
marine, industrial, motorcycle, Nascar, NHRA and sprint car shops.
Ad Sales • Hal Fowler: 404-427-0171
[email protected]
• Jim Rickoff: 507-457-8975
[email protected]
For ad payment, circulation, membership information:
Call AERA toll-free 888-326-2372 or 815-526-7600.

forced induction basics – blown to be wild

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