NOVEMBER /DECEMBER 2023 / EngineBuilderMag.com IN THIS ISSUE ■ SHOP SOLUTIONS ■ FUEL TYPES ■ CLEAN EQUIPMENT ■ CNC MACHINING ■ BILLET BLOCKS ■ CRANKSHAFTS MACHINE & EQUIPMENT ISSUE 2023AWARDS ENGINE OF THE YEAR | DIESEL OF THE YEAR AMERICA’S BEST ENGINE SHOPS RACE | DIESEL | VINTAGE
WE GOT YOU COVERED LV3, L83, L8B ENGINES L86
2 ENGINEBUILDERmag.com | NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2023 NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2023 REVVED UP ...................................................................................4 BY GREG JONES, EDITOR SHOP SOLUTIONS......................................................................6 BY ENGINE PRO THE IMPACT OF FUEL TYPE ..................................................10 BY JOE KEENE, CONTRIBUTOR CLEANING EQUIPMENT .........................................................16 BY EVAN LAUX, ASSOCIATE EDITOR ENGINE OF THE YEAR ..............................................................22 BY GREG JONES, EDITOR CNC MACHINING ....................................................................28 BY GREG JONES, EDITOR BILLET BLOCKS AND HEADS VS CAST IRON .................34 BY STEFAN ROSSI & LAURA PUGH, ACE RACING ENGINES AMERICA’S BEST ENGINE SHOPS ....................................40 THE 2023 RACE, DIESEL AND VINTAGE SHOP WINNERS DIESEL OF THE YEAR ...............................................................46 BY EVAN LAUX, ASSOCIATE EDITOR COUNTERWEIGHTED CRANKSHAFTS ..............................52 BY ERIC GARBE, TECHNICAL EDITOR Greg Jones Brand Manager & Content Director [email protected] RJ Pooch Art Director [email protected] Evan Laux Associate Editor [email protected] David Benson Multimedia Sales Manager [email protected] Eric Garbe Technical Editor [email protected] Kelley Holleran Ad Services Coordinator [email protected] BUSINESS LEADERSHIP Bill Babcox CEO Greg Cira President Mike Maleski Executive Vice President Brandi Gangel Vice President of Audience Data & Marketing Jim Merle Vice President/Group Publisher Dean Martin Vice President/Group Publisher 3550 Embassy Parkway Akron, OH 44333-8318 330.670.1234 CREATIVE Nichole Anderson Director of Corporate Design [email protected] ADVERTISING SERVICES Kelly McAleese Ad Services Director [email protected] DIGITAL Michael Madej Executive Director of Digital Development & Sales Kelley Holleran Digital Ad Services Coordinator [email protected] SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES Pat Robinson Audience Development and Production Manager [email protected] AUDIENCE & DATA SERVICES Brandi Gangel Vice President of Audience Data & Marketing [email protected] David Ramos Market Research Analyst [email protected] REGIONAL SALES MANAGERS Bobbie Adams; Brian Ankney; David Benson; Don Hemming; Karen Kaim; Cathy Kulwicki; Kelsey Mayer; Sandy Murphy; Scott Schumacker ACCOUNTING Bryan Hess Controller Kathy Bogdan Accounts Receivable [email protected] IN MEMORIAM Edward S. Babcox Founder (1885-1970) Tom B. Babcox Chairman (1919-1995) Randy Loeser Group Publisher, Power & Performance Group Executive Director, Video [email protected]
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4 ENGINEBUILDERmag.com | NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2023 REVVED UP Greg Jones|Editor Well folks, here we are approaching yet another year coming to an end. However, if you’re anything like me, it’s always this time of year that gets me most excited about our industry and the things that are to come. Why is that you ask? Well, for starters, we get a chance to refl ect on the year gone by. For us here at Engine Builder, it’s been an eventful year to say the least. We once again got to see and spend time with many folks in this great industry, from engine builders and racers to industry professionals and manufacturers. Whether we saw you out on the road, visited in person, or extended an invite to come visit us here in Akron, we always cherish those moments throughout the year. We also did our fair share of traveling for a number of diff erent races, events, conferences, expos, and visits to engine shops around the country. All that travel materializes into excellent content seen here in the pages of Engine Builder magazine, or website features, social media fodder, or exclusive YouTube videos. In 2023, we got to spend a week in Florida, a week in Indianapolis, a week in Charlotte, and a week in Houston, capturing content with numerous engine builders in and around each location. That time spent at shops in person is invaluable to us as members of the industry and helps us showcase what makes each and every shop unique and special, while also providing valuable content to engine builders and enthusiasts as a whole. It’s those eff orts that help us continue to move the needle on content such as Engine of the Week, Diesel of the Week, Mild vs. Wild, Intellectual Horsepower, Industry Insiders, and our shop tour series EB Takeover. What also excites me about this time of year is the PRI show. We always get excited for PRI, as do most folks making the trek to Indy, because we get to see all of you gearing up for another year of building great engines and trying to beat records and win races next year. We also throw our annual Pre-PRI Party to celebrate our readers and customers, and honor our annual award winners for Engine of the Year, Diesel of the Year and America’s Best Engine Shops. That content can be viewed in this issue on pages 22, 46, and 40, respectively. It’s those shops holding themselves to such high standards that keep amazing me. The never-ending eff ort to keep pushing the boundaries of what’s possible within an engine shop will always be the coolest aspect of this industry, in my opinion, and that eff ort comes from everyone – not just the shop owner. The hard work this industry puts into reaching peak performance never ceases to amaze me. I hope you enjoy this fi nal issue of Engine Builder in 2023. We’ll see you in 2024! EB Things That Never Cease to Amaze Me Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation (Act of August 12, 1970; Section 3685. Title 39. United States Code.) ENGINE BUILDER (Publication Number 387-20) is published bi-monthly by Babcox Media, Inc., at 3550 Embassy Parkway, Akron, Ohio 44333. Headquarters and general business offi ces are also at 3550 Embassy Parkway, Akron, Ohio 44333. The group publisher of ENGINE BUILDER is Randy Loeser; editor is Greg Jones and the technical editor is Eric Garbe. The staff is located at 3550 Embassy Parkway, Akron, Ohio 44333. ENGINE BUILDER is owned by William E. Babcox, located at 3550 Embassy Pkwy., Akron, Ohio 44333. There are no known bondholders, mortgagees and other security holders owning or holding 1 percent or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages or other securities. Issue date for circulation below: September 28, 2023 Extent and nature of circulation is: Average no. copies each issue Actual no. copies of single issue during preceding 12 months nearest to fi ling date A. Total Number of Copies 9,630 9,583 B. Paid and/or Requested Circulation 1. Paid/Requested Outside-County Mail Subscriptions Stated on Form 3541 8,270 8,120 3. Sales through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales, and Other Non-USPS Paid Distribution 20 20 C. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation 8,290 8,140 D. Non Requested Distribution 1. Outside County Nonrequested Copies 1,037 1,199 4. Nonrequested Copies Distributed Outside the Mail 153 94 E. Total Nonrequested Distribution 1,190 1,293 F. Total Distribution 9,480 9,433 G. Copies not Distributed 150 150 H. Total 9,630 9,583 I. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation 87.44% 86.29% I certify that the statements made by me above are correct and complete. Pat Robinson, Associate Director of Circulation September 28, 2023
ENGINE BUILDER SHOP SOLUTIONS 6 ENGINEBUILDERmag.com | NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2023 LIFTING HEAVY CRANKSHAFTS SAFELY We found placing cranks, whether light or heavy, can be difficult to do in a hot tank pressure washing stand. This can be even harder to lift after the crank is washed and hot. To protect the machined surfaces and make it safer, pick up and move crankshafts in an upright position. We use pieces of pipe or tube with the inside diameter needed as a safe locking devise along with a small serpentine belt. You can have one for dirty cranks and one for the clean cranks. Perry Redeker, RPM Racing Engines, Wausau, WI SINGLE EXHAUST VACUUM CHECKING If you’re like me, you test all the valve-to-seat seals with a vacuum test. It’s not possible when you have a single exhaust system. What I use is plumber’s putty on the valves of the chambers not being tested to assure a good seal. It also doubles as a way to find any existing leaks. Luis Guzman, Technomotors, El Paso, TX OIL BOTTLE We modify small plastic bottles, purchased online, for cutting oil, tapping fluid, assembly lube, etc. We’ve tried bottles with dispenser tips, however those with metal “needle tips” can scratch parts, while the plastic tips are usually too short, or dispense too much and cause excess usage and waste. Instead, we drill the plastic bottle lids so the “straw” from a spray-lube can fits tight. It dispenses the perfect amount, has a safe reach for use on the lathe or mill, and won’t scratch parts. Tom Nichols, Automotive Machine & Supply, Inc., Joshua, TX MODIFY AS NEEDED Many times, the flange diameter of the rod nuts will contact the radius around the nut seat on some rods. Some jobs may not warrant the expense of spot facing the nut seat on the connecting rods. In that case, it can be quicker and more effective to just machine a chamfer on the ARP rod nuts. Randy Torvinen, Torvinen’s Machine, Menahga, MN www.enginepro.com EnginE Pro Brand EnginE Products Engine Parts Group, Inc. • Engine Paint • Assembly Lubes • Bolt Boots • Engine & Head Bags • Heat Tabs • Honing Oil Shop Supplies From Engine Pro
www.enginepro.com 1.800.ENGINE.1 To submit a Shop Solution simply mail your entry to Engine Builder Magazine, Shop Solutions, 3550 Embassy Parkway, Akron, OH 44333; or email to Shop [email protected]. Shop Solutions may also be emailed to [email protected] must include your name, shop name, shop address and shop telephone number. Submitted Shop Solutions not published will be kept on file and reevaluated for publication with each month’s new entries. If you include your email address you will be emailed notification of publication if your Shop Solution is chosen. ENGINE BUILDER SHOP SOLUTIONS Shop Solutions – The Power of Knowledge Engine Builder and Engine Pro present Shop Solutions in each issue of Engine Builder magazine and at enginebuildermag.com. The feature is intended to provide machine shop owners and engine technicians the opportunity to share their knowledge to benefit the entire industry and their own shops. Those who submit Shop Solutions that are published are awarded a prepaid $100 Visa gift card. Engine Pro is a nationwide network of distributors that warehouse a full line of internal engine components for domestic and import passenger car, light truck, heavy duty, industrial, marine, agricultural and performance applications. They also produce engine parts under the Engine Pro name that offer premium features at an affordable price. NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2023 | ENGINEBUILDERmag.com 7 NARROWING BEARINGS When I need to narrow a set of rod bearings, I have bucks that I’ve turned to the size of the crank pin. Then, I wrap a single layer of masking tape around them to protect the bearing. I hold the bearing to the spud with a couple hose clamps attached end-to-end and use two seems to snug up better than a single one. If the buck is a specific width, it’s easy to use that in conjunction with where the tool bit touches it to get the bearing width dead on. Ron Flood, Cedar Machine, North Branch, MN NOISY, BUT NOT ALWAYS DEFECTIVE LIFTERS Hydraulic valve lifters are the most precision machined part inside any engine. It does not take much to cause one to operate incorrectly. In this case, we’re talking about lifter noise and or a lifter that does not hold oil pressure and is unable to carry the pushrod properly through the full rotation around the cam lobe. Noise from the lifter or valvetrain can come from something as simple as low oil level in the engine. Momentary lifter noise when an engine is started up is normal if the noise goes away in a few seconds. If the noise persists, oil level may be low in the engine allowing the oil pump to pump air into the oil galleys and into the lifters. An overfilled crankcase can also cause noise. The crankshaft counterweights can churn the oil into foam. When foam is pumped into a lifter it will be noisy. A damaged oil pan, or a loose or cocked pickup screen can also cause an oil pump to pump air to the lifters. Noisy operation at higher engine speed and little or no noise at low speed can be a sign of air in a lifter. A noisy lifter at idle to 1,500 rpm, may be caused by a worn or scuffed valve tip or rocker arm face, excessive valve-stem-to-guide clearance, excessive valve seat or valve face runout, or a valve spring that is out of square. Worn pushrod tips or rocker ball seats can cause a continuous noise no matter what the rpm. This is very common on roller lifter engines where the pushrods and the lifters are not rotating. An intermittent noise that goes away with increased engine speed is usually caused by dirt. This may be due to poor maintenance, or from a newly rebuilt engine not cleaned properly before reassembly. There can be such a thing as a defective lifter, but there are several conditions that can lead to lifter noise, and these should be checked before just throwing another set of lifters at any noise problem. Engine Pro Tech Committee with thanks to Federal Mogul Corp.
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10 ENGINEBUILDERmag.com | NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2023 JOE KEENE | CONTRIBUTOR You may already be aware that the type of fuel you put into your vehicle can have a significant impact on its performance. By understanding the details of how fuel interacts with the engine, you will be better equipped to make informed decisions about which fuel to choose for your vehicle. For starters, one crucial aspect of fuel that afi ects engine performance is its octane rating. ff e octane rating is a measure of a fuel’s ability to resist knocking or pinging during combustion. Higher octane fuels have a greater resistance to knocking, making them suitable for highperformance engines or vehicles with a high compression ratio. On the other hand, lower octane fuels are more prone to knocking, which can lead to decreased engine performance and potential damage in certain engines. When fuel with a lower octane rating is used in an engine designed for higher octane fuel, the engine’s computer system may detect knocking and adjust the ignition timing to prevent it. However, this adjustment can result in reduced power output and overall performance. ff erefore, it is crucial to use the recommended octane level speciffl ed by the manufacturer for your speciffl c vehicle to ensure optimal engine performance. ff e combustion process itself is also an important factor in understanding how difi erent fuels burn inside the engine. When fuel is injected into the combustion chamber and mixed with air, it undergoes a chemical reaction resulting in combustion. ff e effi ciency and speed at which this combustion occurs can vary depending on the fuel type. “ff e burn rate of these fuels and the fl ame speed, that’s what’s the difi erence today,” says Lake Speed Jr. of Total Seal Piston Rings. “People throw octane at something and assume they’re going to have more power. No, in fact, it’ll actually make less horsepower if you didn’t tune the engine for that octane.” Gasoline, for example, burns relatively quickly and provides a high amount of energy release per unit of fuel. Ethanol-based fuels, such as E85, have gained popularity due to their renewable nature. ff ese fuels have a higher oxygen content, which promotes more complete combustion and can result in increased engine performance. However, it is important to note that ethanol-based fuels typically have a lower energy content compared to gasoline, which can lead to reduced fuel effi ciency. Ethanol-based fuels, such as E85, have become a viable alternative to gasoline in recent years. ff ese fuels are derived from renewable sources, making them more environmentally friendly. From an engine performance standpoint, ethanol-based fuels have some advantages and disadvantages to consider. One advantage of using ethanol-based fuels is a higher-octane rating compared to gasoline. ff is higher-octane rating allows for increased engine compression ratios and can result in improved performance in certain engines. Additionally, ethanol has a higher heat of vaporization, which can help cool the intake charge, leading to better combustion and increased power output. “Over the last 15 years or more, the oxygenated fuels have become more popular,” says Fred Turza of VP Racing Fuels. “We have developed and designed oxygenated fuels that have become game changers – both leaded and unleaded.” However, there are also drawbacks to using ethanol-based fuels. As mentioned earlier, ethanol has a lower energy content compared to gasoline. ff is means that vehicles running on ethanol-based fuels may experience reduced fuel effi ciency, as more fuel is required to generate the same amount of power. Additionally, ethanol is more corrosive than gasoline and can potentially damage certain engine components, if not properly addressed. Of course, gasoline and ethanol-based fuels are one thing, but race fuels are another, and race fuels can signiffl cantly enhance the performance of engines due to a unique set of advantages. Used in various forms of motorsports, race fuels such as nitromethane and methanol have become popular. Race fuels are speciffl cally formulated to provide maximum performance and reliability in extreme conditions. ff ese fuels often have a higher-octane rating than regular gasoline and are designed to resist detonation, allowing for more aggressive ignition timing and increased power output. “ff e average racer, either drag racer or circle track, is always looking for a consistent style of fuel,” Turza says. “Conventional style race fuels (non-oxygenated fuels) are normally the most consistent because they are made with high-quality components and have a longer shelf life than, say, an oxygenated fuel. “We continue to develop new fuels for performance advantages all over the world. However, there are many constraints with rules and regulations. ff is makes fuel development more expensive and more diffi cult.” One of the primary beneffl ts of using race fuels in high-performance engines is the ability to handle higher levels of boost and compression. ff e higher-octane rating and improved resistance to detonation enable engines to run at higher levels of power without the risk of damaging internal components. ff is can result in signiffl cant performance gains, especially in turbocharged or supercharged engines. However, it is important to note that race fuels are typically not suitable for everyday driving conditions. ff ey are typically more expensive than regular gasoline and may not provide any noticeable performance improvements in non-high-performance engines. THE IMPACT OF FUEL TYPE ON ENGINE PERFORMANCE
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12 ENGINEBUILDERmag.com | NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2023 FUEL TYPES aclperformance.com.au ACL Race Series aclraceseries OUR PASSION YOUR GUARANTEE Additionally, the increased octane rating of race fuels may lead to carbon buildup in engines not designed to handle such fuels, potentially causing long-term damage. “fi e wrong fuel or changing the fuel could totally make your engine a dog,” Speed says. “What you’re doing with either the carburetor or the injectors is you’re trying to deliver the fuel and atomize the fuel, but engines don’t burn atomized fuel, they only burn vaporized fuel. fi e more you can completely vaporize the fuel, the more you can burn. “Every atom of fuel that I put into the engine is displacing an atom of oxygen. If I put in fuel that I don’t vaporize, that I don’t burn, I actually traded off space that could have been there for air that could have made it a more powerful explosion to be more effl cient. “You want to make sure you have the right vapor pressure fuel, because if a fuel has a very low vapor pressure, it’s not going to convert to a vapor very good in atmospheric conditions. You’ll probably have to put more fuel in to get the proper air-fuel ratio in the cylinder, which means you’re going to have more liquid fuel laying around in the combustion chamber. “If I can go to a fuel with a higher vapor pressure, that fuel vaporizes easier, and I can actually begin to lean it out without actually changing the chemistry in the combustion chamber. Now, I can put more air in and make more power that way. It’s all about knowing the operating temperature of the engine. If I’m running dead cold like a Pro Stock guy, I need a fuel with real high vapor pressure. If I’m endurance racing, where it’s going to be really hot, I want one of the low vapor pressure fuels. Deffi ne the application and deffi ne your intention. fi e better you have a picture of where you’re trying to go, the roadmap to get there becomes way easier.” Of course, we can’t talk fuels without also covering diesel fuel and biodiesel. fi ese fuels also diff er in the eff ect on engine performance. Diesel fuel diff ers from gasoline in several ways, including its composition, combustion process and energy content. One signiffi cant diff erence between diesel fuel and gasoline is the absence of spark ignition in diesel engines. Instead of using spark plugs to ignite the fuel-air mixture, diesel engines rely on compression ignition. fi e high compression ratios in diesel engines cause the air-fuel mixture to heat up to the point of spontaneous combustion, resulting in a more effl cient combustion process. Biodiesel, on the other hand, is a renewable fuel that can be derived from vegetable oils or animal fats. It is often blended with traditional diesel fuel to reduce emissions and improve lubricity. Biodiesel has similar combustion characteristics to diesel fuel but with some diff erences. It has a higher oxygen content, which can lead to cleaner combustion
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14 ENGINEBUILDERmag.com | NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2023 06EB_19JoeBaker50.qxp 6/4/19 3:29 PM Page 1 FUEL TYPE and reduced emissions. However, biodiesel also has a lower energy content compared to diesel fuel, resulting in slightly reduced power output and fuel efi ciency. When it comes to choosing the right fuel for your vehicle, several factors should be taken into consideration. ff ese factors include the vehicle’s engine design, manufacturer recommendations, intended usage, and personal preferences. First and foremost, if you have a vehicle for everyday use, it is essential to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations regarding fuel type and octane rating. ff e manufacturer has extensively tested the vehicle with speciffl c fuels to ensure optimal performance and reliability. Deviating from these recommendations can potentially lead to decreased engine performance and even engine damage. If you have a high-performance vehicle or participate in motorsports, exploring higher-octane race fuels may unlock additional performance gains. Personal preferences and priorities play a role in fuel selection. If you prioritize fuel efi ciency and environmental sustainability, ethanolbased fuels or biodiesel may be worth considering. On the other hand, if maximizing performance is your primary goal, exploring higher-octane gasoline or race fuels might be more suitable. “VP has over 80 fuels in our arsenal for this very reason,” Turza points out. “Most other race fuel companies may not have as many and have a diffi erent perspective on how this should be done. We believe in our current strategy to keep the fuels somewhat specialized. ff ere are reasons why certain fuels are more expensive than others. It all goes back to the components used and the quality of those components in the fuel – not necessarily the power advantage or engine protection those fuels provide.” Looking to the future of fuel, there are always emerging alternatives with a potential impact on engine performance. As the world continues to grapple with environmental concerns and the ffl nite nature of fossil fuels, researchers and engineers are actively exploring alternative fuels to power our vehicles. Some of these emerging alternatives show promise in terms of their potential impact on engine performance. ff e impact of fuel type on engine performance should not be overlooked. By understanding the octane rating, combustion process, and speciffl c characteristics of diffi erent fuel types, you can make informed decisions to maximize performance. EB
16 ENGINEBUILDERmag.com | NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2023 COMPONENT CLEANLINESS EVAN LAUX | ASSOCIATE EDITOR Building horsepower is an inherently dirty endeavor. Whether it’s gas or diesel-powered engines and parts, this industry’s men and women see their fair share of grease, grime, oil, rust, paint, and more. While they’re completely okay working within that environment, cleanliness is arguably the most important piece of the pie when it comes to getting a finished engine ready for the customer. Whether building a brand-new engine or rebuilding an existing engine, cleaning is the fi rst step in the process. Contaminants can easily harm both the component and the equipment when it comes time to machine and assemble. In engine building, every detail matters. ff e most minuscule impurities or irregularities can mean the diffl erence between a powerhouse of performance and a premature engine failure. As engine builders relentlessly pursue perfection, the quality of the components they assemble becomes a non-negotiable benchmark. As such, engine shops are spending more time than ever before on the cleaning process. Unfortunately, there isn’t just one machine that can do all the cleaning work required for an engine shop – most shops have a number of cabinets, tanks, ovens – all with diffl erent functions and cleaning methods. Using an engine block, for example, there are typically three stages to cleaning an engine component. “We’ve got our cleaning processes down,” says Jesse Warren of Warren Diesel Injection. “Every block that comes in goes in the oven fi rst to get offl the excess crud and such.” ff e baking process helps to burn out the oils, carbon and other contaminants out of raw castings and cores, loosening the materials so they will come offl easier in the subsequent processes. With cast iron, the oven can go to 700 degrees F. Next, the block will go through a media blasting machine. Media blasting machines combine compressed air, small abrasive materials (media) and specialized equipment to quickly prepare a surface for refi nishing or other purposes. Media blasting is a very effi cient way of removing debris from the surface of parts or preparing a surface for painting or other fi nishes. ff e team at Warren Diesel Injection uses an ARE Industries HB-41 head and block blaster, which uses tiny S-230 steel beads for media. As mentioned, diffl erent machines can use a variety of diffl erent media, which have diffl erent purposes and results in how they clean. Steel shot media is used for cast iron engine components, while glass beads are used for aluminum components. Media such as baking soda can be used on any surface to remove a plethora of substances. After components get done with a media blast cabinet cleaning, parts usually get some sort of water-based cleaning method. Drew Pumphrey of D&J Precision Machine uses a Renegade parts washer machine for his fi nal, water-based cleaning routine for large parts like blocks and heads. According to Drew, the Renegade parts washer saves the shop the most time before fi nal assembly. ff ese machines use high-pressure
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18 ENGINEBUILDERmag.com | NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2023 COMPONENT CLEANLINESS water jets and heat to clean ofi the ff ne contaminants left on the block or other components. ffl ese machines typically rotate the parts while they are sprayed so that debris will fall out and water won’t stand still in certain areas and crevices. After the wash, shop owners can air dry the part and begin the painting or assembly process. Another popular cleaning method for both large and small components is the use of ultrasonic cleaning machines. Ultrasonic LLC ofi ers tabletop, mobile and lift table machines, which ofi er difi erent capacities depending on the size of the component you are looking to clean. Just as with anything else in engine building, the right machine will do the job better. Lift table machines are designed for large and/or heavy parts like blocks, and largecapacity parts cleaning. ffl ey are built low to the ground, so they’re not only easy to use, but they’re easy on the back. ffl ese machines are much larger, with 115-gallon and 210-gallon volumes for the Ultra 3800FLT and Ultra 6000FLT, respectively. Tabletop machines are used for smaller parts and mobile units are handy if you need to move in and out of difi erent areas of the shop. While an ultrasonic cleaner might share similarities with a hot tank, its distinguishing feature lies in the generation of cavitation, involving the formation and collapse of bubbles in the cleaning solution. Ultrasonic systems employ a transducer to transform electrical energy into sound waves, consequently producing cavitation bubbles responsible for cleaning the components. ffl ese bubbles swiftly form and collapse across the surface, efi ectively accessing small crevices and galleys. As these bubbles implode, they draw contaminants and particles away from the surface, relocating them to the upper layer of the solution. Companies like Safety-Kleen ofi er several options for cleaning equipment, from ultrasonic machines to spray washers and blast cabinets, as well as both automated and manual varities. Spray washers deliver highly effi cient cleaning with a smaller footprint and are ideal for in-line cleaning applications www.arp-bolts.com 800-826-3045 New for 2024 Your customers will recognize “ARP” stamped on the head of a fastener and appreciate the extra quality that is built into your engines. VALUE ADDED • Fully 20% stronger than Grade 8 hardware • Manufactured in-house at ARP’s California facilities to the industry’s highest standards • Available by engine, application or size. Put the finishing touch on your engines with polished stainless steel or black oxide finished 8740 chrome moly bolts and studs. Your customers will recognize “ARP” stamped on the head of a fastener and appreciate the extra quality that is built into your engines.
20 ENGINEBUILDERmag.com | NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2023 COMPONENT CLEANLINESS or areas with less available fi oor space. Parts rotate on an automated, friction-drive turntable to get complete 360-degree coverage for precise and eff ective parts cleaning. Top-loaders are equipped with automatic oil skimmers and fi uid-level shut off s to protect the heater elements. In an aqueous cleaning process, it’s very important to choose the right chemistry for the job. Safety-Kleen off ers an exclusive line of ArmaKleen chemistries, which are multi-metal safe and can handle a variety of soils. ffl ey’re also rust prohibitive and have a variety of pH ranges. For example, the ArmaKleen M-100 BCR (Baked on Carbon Remover) is a low pH, caustic-free cleaner designed to attack and remove baked on carbon and other tough soils from steel and soft metals like aluminum engine blocks and other aluminum alloy components. M-100 is designed to not only clean parts, but also brighten them to like-new conditions. No matter what cleaning method you employ, it’s likely not just one. And, it can’t be overstated how important the cleaning machines are in the modern engine shop. Shop owners who prioritize eff ective and effi cient cleaning techniques will fl nd success in a more streamlined process. EB
Distributed by Our 2023-24 engine parts & accessories catalog is here! Packed with 672 full-color pages and over 21,000 stocking performance parts, the catalog is organized by engine family to make navigation and parts look-up quick and easy. Find parts from hundreds of leading performance brands, including those shown above. www.motorstate.com 800.772.2678
Engine: Supercharged 500 cid Billet Hemi Shop: DMX Demon Motorsports Engine Builder: Doc Baker Location: Bryant, AR Features: a 500 cid billet Hemi block, Hemi heads, new valves, new springs, a Bryant billet 4.500” crankshaft, Diamond billet pistons, BME billet aluminum rods, a dry sump oiling system, and a supercharger. Performance: 3,200 hp Application: 1971 Dodge Demon methanol drag car Engine: Twin-Turbo 427 cid LS3 Engine Builder: Jason Pickett Location: Fort Collins, CO Features: 427 cid Dart block, a Callies Magnum crankshaft, Callies Enforcer connecting rods, Diamond pistons, Frankenstein LS3 cylinder heads, a Frankenstein Freakshow intake, Crower valvetrain components, twin 80mm Forced Performance turbos, and Turbosmart wastegates. Performance: 2,000 hp and 8-second 1/4-mile passes Application: 1993 Buick Roadmaster Hearse drag-anddrive car Engine: Blown 526 4.900” Chevy/Hemi Shop: Bullet Racing Engines Engine Builder: Nick Bacalis Location: House Springs, MO Features: a CN billet aluminum block, a 1” raised cam, a Bryant crankshaft, R&R rods, custom Ross pistons, Total Seal rings, Calico-coated Clevite bearings, keyway Jesel lifters, a custom Bullet camshaft, Manton rockers and Manton pushrods, a PJS manifold, a PSI screw blower, a Bohr blower hat, a Dailey dry sump oiling system, and a Wyo Motorsports balancer pulley. Performance: 3,500-plus hp to run 3.50s-3.60s in the eighth Application: Pro Mod drag racing or Truck Pulling Engine: Hilborn-Injected 421 cid Small Block Chevy Shop: Knowlton Thunderheads and Racing Engines Engine Builder: Travis Knowlton and David Senderhauf Owner: Joshua Norris Location: East Bethel, MN Features: a Dart Little M block, 245cc AFR heads, a Hilborn EFI intake manifold, a Scat 4.185” stroke crankshaft, 6.000” Eagle connecting rods, JE pistons, and T&D rockers. Tuning done by Andy Starr of Starr Performance and Consulting Performance: 9.60s-9.70s in the quarter mile Application: 1967 Chevy Nova drag-and-drive car Engine: Twin-Turbo 400 cid LS Next Shop: ACE Racing Engines Engine Builder: Stefan Rossi Location: Torrance, CA Features: a 400 cubic inch Dart aluminum LS Next block, a Callies crankshaft, GRP aluminum rods, custom pistons, Brodix cylinder heads, titanium intake valves, Inconel exhaust valves, a solid roller camshaft, Crower rockers, Crower lifters, and twin 86mm Precision turbos, all controlled by a FuelTech FT600. Performance: mid-to-low-6-sec quarter mile passes Application: Michael Westberg’s Chevy S10 and his Doorslammer drag car Engine: F1X ProCharged 427 cid Small Block Ford Shop: Flying J Racing Engines Engine Builder: Jamey Swanson Owner: Jeremy Mifflin Features: a Dart Iron Eagle block, a billet crank, aluminum rods, aluminum pistons, some very low compression Trick Flow high-port 240 heads that have some hand porting on the exhaust, Jesel rockers, a mechanical fuel pump, an F1X ProCharger, and FuelTech engine management Performance: 1,200 horsepower Application: 1986 Mustang drag car 22 ENGINEBUILDERmag.com | NOVEMBER /DECEMBER 2023 Engine of the Year Top 10
NOVEMBER /DECEMBER 2023 | ENGINEBUILDERmag.com 23 Engine: 731 cid Outlaw 4.840 Bore Space Nitrous Engine Shop: Pat Musi Racing Engines Engine Builder: Pat Musi Location: Mooresville, NC Features: a 731 cid billet aluminum CN block, Dart billet cylinder heads, a 70mm Bullet camshaft, a Jesel belt drive, Jesel lifters, Jesel rocker arms, GRP connecting rods, Victory valves, a Musi Racing Engines intake manifold, a Dailey Engineering dry sump oiling system, a Moroso oil pan, three stages of nitrous, and fuel injection from EFI Technology. Performance: 1,600 horsepower normally aspirated Application: Outlaw 4.840 drag racing class Engine: Turbocharged 540 cid Big Block Chevy Shop: Harrell Engine & Dyno Engine Builder: Pete Harrell Location: Mooresville, NC Owner: Stefan Gustafsson Features: a Brodix block, a Callies billet crankshaft, aluminum rods, T&D steel rockers with oilers, BAM lifters, 1/2” pushrods, a mild camshaft, and a 118mm Gen II Precision turbo. Performance: 2,100 hp Application: 1989 C4 Corvette drag-and-drive car Engine: 427 cid Ford V8 Shop: Prestige Motorsports Engine Builder: Doug Aitken Location: Concord, NC Features: an aftermarket Dart or World Products block, AFR CNC’d cylinder heads, DSS, SRP or JE pistons, H-beam connecting rods, an Eagle or Scat crankshaft, a solid roller camshaft, PAC springs, Scorpion roller rocker arms, and Borla induction. Performance: 600 horsepower Application: 1968 Shelby Mustang 2023 Engine of the Year Engine: Twin-Turbo 5.0L Coyote Shop: Fast Forward Race Engines Engine Builder: Joe Irwin and Brett LaSala Location: New Port Richey, FL Features: a factory Ford 302 cid Predator block, custom sleeves, Manley pistons, MGP aluminum connecting rods, a factory Ford crankshaft, Ford race bearings, production GT350 Voodoo cylinder heads, Ferrea valves and springs, custom COMP Cams camshafts, factory Ford lifters, followers and timing chains, a Plazmaman intake and intercooler, a dry sump oiling system, twin 76mm Precision Next Gen R turbos, Turbosmart wastegates, and MoTeC engine management Performance: 2,500 hp at 9,500 rpm, and mid-6-sec quarter miles Application: 2012 Mustang drag car Full story on page 24
2023 Engine of the Year Fast Forward Race Engines Twin-Turbo 5.0L Coyote Joe Irwin and Brett LaSala | New Port Rickey, FL and Sanford, FL 24 ENGINEBUILDERmag.com | NOVEMBER /DECEMBER 2023 WE TAKE EXPERIENCE SERIOUSLY! Elring has been established as one of the leading producers of OE parts for European vehicles since 1879. We now bring that expertise to working class vehicles on all continents. • Pick-up Trucks • Gas/Diesel • High Horsepower • Turbo and Boosted • Big block/Small block Experience the excellence of German engineering with Elring – Das Original. Trust the Original! Domestic • Import • Heavy Duty • Fleet • Marine www.elring.com 12EB_23ElringExperience50.indd 1 10/27/23 9:35 AM We spoke to Brett LaSala about his twin-turbo 5.0L Coyote-powered 2012 Mustang nicknamed Snot Rocket during Sick Week 2023. He made his Sick Week debut and fi rst pass a special one by setting a new PR of 6.52 at 212 mph. That ET also happened to be the fastest radial pass in all of drag-and-drive. Brett LaSala is the shop lead at Real Street Performance in Sanford, FL, and they have an engine program through Fast Forward Race Engines located in New Port Richey, FL. Brett and engine builder Joe Irwin have been working together on Ford Coyote stuff for fi ve years. “I’ve basically been his guinea pig and he supports me racing,” LaSala says of Irwin. “If I break something, he builds me a new one, and when we don’t break it and we’re doing great, we’re looking for the next way to improve it.” The current engine in Brett’s car is a Predator factory block right from Ford. It has custom sleeves and Joe’s sleeving process done to the block. It has Manley pistons, MGP aluminum connecting rods, a factory Ford crankshaft and race bearings. “The cylinder heads are production GT350 Voodoo cylinder heads,” LaSala told us. “Joe and the guys have done their port work. We also have Ferrea valves and matching springs for the custom COMP Cams camshafts. The lifters, followers and the timing chains are all factory for the Voodoo. We’ve got upgraded secondary chains and some guide work. We also have a Plazmaman intake and intercooler. “The engine runs on a dry sump oiling system and a factory cooling system. It’s still a wet deck block and it’s got a copper head gasket with an o-ring and receiver groove. That’s
NOVEMBER /DECEMBER 2023 | ENGINEBUILDERmag.com 25 PennGrade 1® has a specially-selected high-zinc, high-phosphorus formulation that’s been known and trusted by high-performance engine builders and vehicle owners for decades. Ordinary actions. Extraordinary results. @penngrade @penngrade @penngrade1 PennGrade 1 Motor Oil PennGrade 1 Motor Oil @penngrade1 801 Edwards Drive, Lebanon, IN 46052 317-923-5321 • 1-800-645-5823 • Fax: 765-482-3065 www.dalube.com • www.penngrade1.com The perfect choice for winning engine builders. SCAN TO ORDER what allows us to be able to do this drag-and-drive stufi . There’s nothing super race orientated or top secret in it. It’s basic in the sense of an engine making 2,500 horsepower at 9,500 rpm at 302 cubic inches.” Helping the engine make that kind of horsepower are twin 76mm Precision turbos that sit low at the front of the car. “We’ve got them down low for weight placement of the car and good air,” he says. “They’re Precision 76mm Next Gen R turbos. We run them at about 48-lbs. of boost at their current power level and they’re awesome. They’ll keep making power to 60-lbs. We just don’t know when the engine is not going to hang in there anymore, so we just up it a little bit at a time. We also use Turbosmart wastegates and blowofi valves to control everything.” Brett’s Mustang also features TBM brakes, Rife sensors and MoTeC engine management. Additionally, helping the Coyote engine put power to the ground is an M&M 3-speed transmission with a lockup. It also has a Ford 9” in the rear and a 25.2 roll cage, double frame rail inside. Another aspect of Snot Rocket that usually catches folks ofi guard is the car’s weight. It looks 2,200-lbs., but Brett says it actually weighs 3,000- lbs. with him in it. “The weight is because of the things we added for the drag-anddrive such as the big radiator, the big fuel cell in the back and a cable drive fuel pump,” he says. “It’s got weight you don’t necessarily need to have on it for racing, but it works so good we just keep rolling with it.” The combo is working well indeed! The twin-turbo Coyote engine dyno’d at 2,509 horsepower back in December 2022, and it fi nished Sick Week with a 6.74 average at 213 mph, giving Brett a class win in Modifi ed and third place overall. In the months since Sick Week, Brett has continued to have strong showings at drag race events. He recorded a 6.45 at 215 mph and a 6.33 at 224 mph at FL2K on his way to winning his class. He also won his class at the World Cup Finals – Import vs. Domestic race in Maryland. Now, Brett and Fast Forward Race Engines can add Engine of the Year to their accolades as well. Engine of the Week is sponsored by PennGrade1, Elring – Das Original and NPW Companies.
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Call us today about Turn-Key applications for all your block machining needs. Make profit a priority! Several machine sizes and options available for your specific business. 800-248-5062 or visit our website www.rmcengine.com What makes your Best Industry Choice? Combined with 66 years of serving the Engine Rebuilding Industry and 24 years of offering Turn-Key CNC machine solutions packaged with the best tooling and components the Industrial Manufacturing Industry has to offer. In the 24 years of CNC’s RMC continues to innovate and to be on the cutting edge of the latest needs of our customers and our industry. We have also never left a customer behind, always giving them the ability to update their machine, fixturing and tooling to the latest RMC has to offer. CNC CONTROLS RMC’s latest 9000 "INSPIRE" Control is now utilizing the latest motion control technology with "Ether CAT" communication and a new graphics engine for advanced 3D simulation while still keeping an open architecture environment. NIKKEN ROTARY TABLE RMC’s 4th Axis Rotary is world renowned for its accuracy and rigidity. RMC continues to build off of this with all of our Purpose Built Fixturing. Shown here with our 4 position cylinder head machining fixture. TOOLING and AUTOMATION RMC equips your tooling packages with high quality Industrial tools & holders also as manufacturers we adapt custom tooling when needed. This in consideration with the 24 pocket toolchanger standard on all machining centers is the key to success to processing your machining jobs quickly. 500 OPT TOOL PRESETTER When working with the best, RMC leaves nothing behind when it comes to working with the tooling. Set your tool diameters quickly and with confidence and get your desired result the first time.
28 ENGINEBUILDERmag.com | NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2023 YOU DREAM IT, CNCS CUT IT The CNC Landscape Continues to Grow Inside Engine Shops GREG JONES | EDITOR If there is anything the recent pandemic brought to light in the engine building indu make, but the real value is in what these machines allow a shop to do once they have them. During a time when shop employment was, and still is, tough to come by, engine parts had record-setting long lead times, and plenty of customers still needed engines to go race, it was CNCs that often came to the rescue. In the past few years, more and more engine shops have adopted CNC equipment of all difi erent capabilities and sizes. While some shops may have added to, or upgraded their CNC capabilities, others made the leap into CNC for the ff rst time. Whether it’s to add new machining capabilities, to make things more effl cient, to produce parts, or a combination of it all, CNC manufacturers continue to cater to the needs of machinists through further innovation and automation. “ffi e CNC world has changed dramatically, and it’s become more approachable,” says Mazak Application Specialist, Mike Kerscher. “It’s easier to get involved in CNC machining in terms of education and price points for machines. ffi ere are certain machines where the prices really remained constant for the past 25 years, which means infl ation wise, they’ve gotten cheaper. From an education standpoint, people can go to classes and are coming out of schools or technical schools with some knowledge of CNC equipment and some knowledge of CAD systems to know how to create their own programs.” Of course, as CNC equipment becomes more afi ordable, more approachable and more desirable, the engine building industry will continue to push the limits of what can and can’t be done with these machines. Trends Several manufacturers named automation as one of the biggest continuing trends surrounding CNC equipment these days, and it’s clearly a key contributor to a CNC machine’s ability to do more without human interference. “Automation continues to be a big thing in our industry, probably even bigger than machine innovation is the innovation that we’ve had with the machines being essentially self-attended or with minimal manpower to attend them,” Kerscher says. Wade Anderson, Okuma’s general manager of the Factory Automation Division agrees, saying, “Automation is the most prominent trend. I’m seeing more people adopt pre-engineered automation solutions than ever before. For larger components, customers are utilizing pallet pools more and more for their HMCs (horizontal machining centers) and 5-axis machines. ffi is allows them to set up work to be recalled for fast customer turnaround speed.” Hand-in-hand with automation is the software these CNCs utilize to operate
NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2023 | ENGINEBUILDERmag.com 29 properly. Software enhancements have allowed controls to become more powerful with more connectivity to third-party items, allowing customers to have the fi exibility needed to create their own custom solutions. “ff e great part about our machines is you aren’t limited to the programming RMC provides,” says RMC’s Matt Napolitano. “Our CNC machines have a built-in conversational programming system with pages to ffl ll in with graphical explanations of how to enter the data. If that doesn’t suit their needs, you can always use a CAD/ CAM system to post out programs and load them directly into the control with a thumb drive.” Similarly, Mazak utilizes programming called Mazatrol to give its customers increased customization with the machines. “Mazatrol is a conversational programming language,” Kerscher says. “ff at is hugely beneffl cial for those smaller shops that don’t have a programming department or don’t have somebody who’s skilled in CAD/CAM, where the operator himself can create the program. If a guy knows what he’s doing and knows something about tooling and metal cutting, he can program the CNC control right there at the control and can handle variations. ff at makes the machines very approachable for smaller shops.” Going a step further removed from human interference is the increased use of robotics. In this industry, the use of robotics is still very speciffl c to certain tasks, such as loading and unloading a machine, but it’s something on the rise that allows shop employees to be doing something else. “It is only a matter of time before this becomes more commonplace in the engine building market, both for performance engines and standard engine rebuilding,” says Sunnen’s Phil Hanna. “ff ese co-bots are simple to use and easy to program.” One thing only humans have a direct impact on is what exactly they decide to machine using CNCs. For instance, due to the long lead times of many engine components recently, a good number of shops have begun to manufacture and machine their own components in-house as a means to regain control over their engine building processes. “We just couldn’t get parts at one point and it forced us to manufacture it ourselves so we had control,” says Jamie Noonan of Noonan Race Engineering. “We might have $80,000 worth of parts here and we can’t ship the engine because we’re waiting on a set of $400 retainers that are holding this whole engine program up. We just decided to do that sort of stuffi in-house. At the end of the day, it’s just another part ffl xture that’s getting put into a machine, so that sort of stuffi isn’t complex machining compared to what we’re used to.” Shops with CNC capabilities are more and more transitioning into making billet parts and whatever components they need to keep projects in-house. “Rottler saw this coming several years ago and introduced our higher horsepower spindles, tool changers and our Rottler CAM programming for making it easier to manufacture parts, not to mention ability to read G code or use other G code programs like Fusion 360,” says Rottler’s Ed Kiebler. “More customers seem to be realizing that in order to stay in business they need to move into the CNC area. Not only are they more accurate, but can be running while you are at lunch or dinner or home playing with the kids.” While the trend has been more parts being produced by shops in-house, the pandemic deffl nitely brought to light the expertise element needed to do some of those higher-end parts. “You still have to have good processing expertise and good machining skills, and so ffl nding people who are capable of doing that is always an issue,” Mazak’s Kerscher says. “It’s not uncommon that our salespeople could sell the machine if they could ffl nd an operator for it. Sometimes the issue is not whether they can buy a machine or not, it’s whether they can ffl nd the proper skill sets to make that machine productive for them. Manpower is still an issue.” In this regard, more shops are beginning to look for multipurpose machines that can perform several diffi erent operations. “ff e more operations they can perform on the same machine using the same zero points equals a more precisely machined product,” says RMC’s Napolitano. “We are always ffl nding a way to take care of any of our customers’ needs in regards to special machining processes.” CNC Landscape Today Today, CNC has found its way into many diffi erent kinds of equipment, from hones to lathes to mills and even grinders, so what’s been popular among engine builders recently and why are they opting for a CNC
30 ENGINEBUILDERmag.com | NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2023 CNCLANDSCAPE machine? “For Centroid, the company’s A560 and A560XL port and block combination systems have been popular,” says Centroid’s John Cowher. “A large majority of shop owners gravitate toward a CNC machine because of efi ciency and accuracy, but also because it takes out the human factor of an employee.” Yes, it is very hard to replace a tenured, skilled, hardworking employee, but for those shop owners who have to deal with underskilled, money hungry, unreliable employees, a CNC machine can be a business saver. “ff e idea is the CNC puts our customer in control of the shop, so no outsourcing or minimal outsourcing is needed,” Cowher says. “Also, they likely are increasing their services, so the CNC is more justiffl able, therefore a faster ROI. To say replace an employee may be a bit far-fetched as the employee may very well be running the CNC.” For the folks at Rottler, 4-axis CNC honing machines have been the most popular machines followed by 4-axis block machining centers and the combination 5-axis porting and block machining centers. “It isn’t a matter of actually replacing an employee, but purchasing a new CNC machine will actually generate enough additional billable hours to act as an additional employee they couldn’t ffl nd,” Rottler’s Kiebler says. “I am constantly amazed at what customers can do with these machines.” In the world of honing, Sunnen’s Cylinder King line remains a popular choice among shops, and the latest version is the PLC-controlled Model SV-15. However, larger race teams and production builders often opt for the new PC-controlled SV-35. “ff is hone can be ordered with a full range of options such as automatic bore-tobore honing,” Hanna says. “We have found that most of our customers want to make their current staffi more productive with these machines, and these new versions make it easier to train new machine operators who typically do not have the skills found in previous generations.” At RMC, they are ffl nding that shops are purchasing machines to cover employee issues and to increase engine machining speed, have higher accuracy, more capability, and increase proffl tability. “Currently, and for the last few years, the enclosed CNC machines seem to be the most popular,” Napolitano says. “ff ey have more powerful spindle motors, a 24-pocket
Small Footprint, Big Capacity! TM CENTROID CentroidPerformanceRacing.com (814) 353-9256 x101 See videos and brochures online email: [email protected] Call for your personalized demo Port to Block with No Fixtures to swap or realign! - Heads & Blocks on the same fixture! - Nothing to change or re-indicate. - Super Low RA’s - Big work envelope for Diesels - Cut Steel, Cast Iron, Aluminum and Composites - 24 pocket auto tool changer - Auto Tool Length Measurement - Automatic Block CNC Blueprinting Turn-key package - Comprehensive Training - Digitizing Probe & Software - Windows OS & Touch screen - Unmatched factory support - Remote access support - Conversational programming - Mastercam X w/Port Expert - Automatic Port & CC Digitizing - Powerful control yet operator friendly Billet CNC Machining Patent Pending Heads, Blocks and Parts One Machine, One fixture • On-Machine Digitizing • MasterCam w/Port Expert • Rigid, Super Duty Machine • 24 Tool Auto Tool Changer • 27 HP, 20,000 RPM, CAT 40 Spindle “One minute we are doing a cylinder head and 10 minutes later we have a block in the machine” - Billet Cylinder Heads and Blocks - Engrave logos, serial numbers, deck heights, letters - Machine: pistons, manifolds, covers, impellers, adapters, spacers throttle body, injecter rails & more - Drilling, Tapping, Threadmilling - T-slot table to clamp any job - Use Conversational or CAD/CAM Tony Salloum, VAC Motorsports
32 ENGINEBUILDERmag.com | NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2023 CNCLANDSCAPE tool changer for performing multiple operations with multiple tools without operator intervention… Also, the enclosed machines provide good chip containment and coolant capability for a cleaner shop environment. All the engine machining processes we perform have been designed and tested to cut dry. However, if the customer wants to get into any other types of machining, fi uid coolant is a standard feature of our machines.” When we asked Okuma about its most popular machine options, Wade Anderson told us that their MA-600HIII, Multus U machines, grinders, lathes, and 5-axis platforms have all been selling well. “Our machines and automation are very fi exible, and we expect customers to get creative,” Anderson says. “Horizontals and 5-axis machines are well suited for the large components. When you are getting into high-performance modiff cations for airfi ow enhancements, our multitasking machines (Multus series) are utilized for being able to articulate the milling head in a rotary axis combined with part rotation via the C-axis. Brackets and covers are good applications for 5-axis mills, but depending on volume and part costs, the Genos series mills can be a great approach for a budget-friendly solution.” Speaking with Mazak about its popular CNCs, Kerscher pointed toward the vertical machining centers and 5-axis CNCs. “Most of the machines we provide are what I’d call general purpose,” Kerscher says. “Our vertical machining centers are still probably the most prevalent at most smaller shops. A number of larger shops that might be machining an engine block out of one billet piece of aluminum, those guys are buying a fairly sophisticated, 5-axis capable CNC. We also have Integrex-style machines, which are multitasking and quite popular as well. It all depends on how sophisticated the shop is and what they’re trying to make.” While shops may be purchasing CNCs for a number of diffl erent reasons, at the top of the list is making the shop more effi cient, more capable and more proff table. “CNC features allow that to happen,” Kerscher says. “Shops get into CNC to get the consistency that CNC provides. fl ey can trust the parts coming offl the machine to be accurate instead of leaving it to the skill of the operator. fl at’s the huge advantage. We’re trying to help shops get more productive with the same number of people and improving the quality and predictability of the parts.” CNC Upkeep Of course, like many tools and machines within an engine machine shop, CNC equipment needs to be properly taken care of. Manufacturers recommend following maintenance guidelines, but also using commonsense to keep equipment running well. With proper maintanence, such as wiping down cabinets, removing metal, cleaning and lubricating ball screws, ways and other components, a key thing with today’s machines and the electronics is a need for consistent power without large fi uctuations in voltage. Following those good maintenance practices is a must, but not putting your machine at risk of failure is also important. “Engine builders must understand the applications thresholds or limitations, and don’t ‘hammer’ the machine with excessive speeds and feeds and depths of cut,” Centroid’s Cowher says. “Follow good maintenance practices, do daily spindle warmups and try to keep the shop temperature controlled. You must be on your game all the time when telling the CNC what to do.” Something else that will help keep your CNC running well is choosing the right CAD/CAM partner. “Choose a CAM partner that has a key expertise in the type of work you do,” Okuma’s Anderson says. “Not everyone is created equal. Esprit has a unique area of expertise, while Hypermill has another. You’ll save money in the long run choosing a system that specializes in your area of interest.” Be patient to build a robust process that will help you remove the operator or remove human intervention. “fl at’s key to making great quality parts consistently,” Mazak’s Kerscher says. “It’s a learning curve that sometimes takes years.” Of course, if you ever need additional help or assistance, don’t hesitate to call the CNC manufacturer for advice. Future of CNC Where does the future of CNC go from here? Clearly, automation will continue to advance, as will software and the machines’ capabilities, but some believe further innovation will happen slowly rather than in leaps and bounds. “We will see continuing trends to automate,” Kerscher says. “fl ere will always be more sensors and things coming out to help people understand what’s going on inside the machine tool. I don’t know that there’s any big revelations coming, but I do think there will be a lot of slow innovation towards more complete understanding and more data-driven solutions. We can gather a lot of data from the machines, which can help make the next part.” All-in-all, the future is looking bright for CNC. Manufacturers continue to develop more robust hardware, software, and control systems, to make products more user friendly, for more applications, with better accuracy, rigidity, speed, and safety. EB
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34 ENGINEBUILDERmag.com | NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2023 BILLET BLOCKS AND HEADS VS CAST IRON STEFAN ROSSI AND LAURA PUGH | ACE RACING ENGINES It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that the rising cost of raw materials and supply chain disruptions over the last few years would transform our industry. However, we never envisioned the sudden demand for billet blocks to surpass that of cast iron or aluminum. The cost of cast aluminum blocks are creeping ever closer to that of their billet counterpart, therefore the additional expense is now a reasonable and practical upgrade for our racers. Besides the obvious visual difi erence of billet blocks looking like a piece of art or jewelry, the beneff ts of billet aluminum over cast aluminum are highly advantageous for end users and engine builders alike. Billet aluminum has a lower yield strength or higher modulus of elasticity, meaning it will ffl ex, or absorb energy easier under tension or stress than cast aluminum, without incurring permanent damage. ffi is stronger, more pliable material is ideal for racers ramping up boost and running on the edge of detonation, which is where cast blocks fall short. In the unfortunate case of the load limit being reached and resulting in a cracked block, billet aluminum is much easier to weld and repair than cast aluminum. Cast iron on the other hand, is completely unsalvageable and immediately deemed scrap. As an engine builder predominantly focused on race applications, our cast and billet builds all receive the same treatments, though the machining operations difi er slightly. A touch align hone is usually always enough for a billet block, if needed at all, whereas some cast blocks usually need much longer in the line hone, and a little more ff ne tuning when it comes to decking too. A major advantage with most billet blocks is not having to machine the block to clearance for aluminum rods. Ninety percent of our engine builds are using aluminum rods. If they are going in a cast block, that can be hours of clearancing, de-burring and mocking up the rotating assembly. Not only are these aspects of billet blocks advantageous for the engine builder in terms of the time and expenses involved, such as stones and ffl uids for the machines, but the decrease in additional labor also reduces the costs for the customer. If you look at it from the other angle, the added expenses towards machining a cast block narrows the cost margin compared to the billet alternative. Combined with the material strength and maintenance beneff ts, a billet block, while always more appealing, now becomes a more feasible option. From an engineering perspective, the options when working with billet in a CNC machine are endless. Manufacturers can get creative when designing elements such as improved oil drain back, bore centers, lifter locations, etc. We’ve also seen more innovative main cap designs from our billet vendors, in addition to better tolerances and overall ff nish of the main tunnel. Making changes to a cast block design isn’t a straightforward or fast process, whereas a program change for a billet block can be implemented within minutes. A brilliant example of an upgrade we never knew we needed, is the change of head stud pattern in Noonan’s 4.9 Hemi. ffi is simple and small shift of the head stud location allows cylinder heads to be removed without having to take the intake or blower ofi , thus maximizing racers’ efl ciency at the track if needing to service the engine. ffi e addition of two extra head studs for each cylinder head also greatly improves the clamping ability at the ends of the decks, and the 1.250” raised cam strengthens the block and enables for a shorter pushrod, therefore
36 ENGINEBUILDERmag.com | NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2023 To see everything we offer go to: killdevildiesel.com Cummins Diesel cylinder heads • 100% NEW Genuine Cummins castings • Heavy duty valve seats • Screw in freeze plugs • O-ringed and fire ringed available • No core charge, no return shipping CASTED BY A GENUINE CUMMINS FOUNDRY 11EB_23KillDevil.indd 1 10/19/23 9:57 AM BILLETVS CAST IRON stifi ening the valvetrain for added durability. ff e additional machining that can be undertaken by a billet vendor at the time of manufacturing the block or heads in a CNC machine is also a positive factor, which eliminates additional steps or user error down the line. For instance, we recently machined some cast heads for top fuel hoops and found that too much material was removed during the hand-ffl nishing of the exhaust valve area on some of the chambers. ff is caused the chamber to be slightly ofi set, and unfortunately resulted in the hoop groove cutting into the chamber. ff is is an untimely setback for us and our customer. ff ankfully, this is not something we come across all too often with cast heads and is nearly impossible to experience during a billet build. When ordering a cast aftermarket block, the machining options tend to stop at the head studs, whereas a billet block can be made to order with additional machining, such as accommodating a Jesel belt or RCD gear drive, machining and installing for speciffl c lifter bushings, and machining the block and heads for top fuel hoops, to name but a few. Having this done by the manufacturer reduces our workload once we receive the block and heads, and frees up our CNC machines for other tasks, like parts manufacturing. You can have a complete block and heads ready to assemble from a billet manufacturer if that works for you. While the convenience and fast turnaround is a great bonus for race shops, we still like to do our own honing. We are very speciffl c with the “R” numbers we want to achieve using our Sunnen CNC vertical hone and have narrowed down our processes for difi erent ffl nishes according to the fuel and power adder types being used by our customers. In comparison to cast blocks, we’ve noticed that the cylinder sleeves in billet blocks require a coarser diamond. We show our build stages daily on social media and often get asked about the stones we use because there are so many variables when it comes to honing. We use an 8-stone head with 16 points of contact. It takes time to narrow down your processes for each type of block. Honing is the one machining process we like having full control over. Other than that, the advantages of the machining processes being carried out by the manufacturer are considerable. Of course, we are talking about our own experiences based on the type of builds we do and the machines we use. What’s important for us might not be as important for the next machine shop or engine builder based on their customers’ race classes or type of engine.
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38 ENGINEBUILDERmag.com | NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2023 Jacksonville, FL (844) 621-4242 Louisville, KY (855) 621-4242 Worcester, MA (877) 621-4242 Pennsauken, NJ (800) 621-4242 Charlotte, NC (888) 621-4242 THE POWER RIGHT WHERE YOU WANT IT THE POWER R T I H GHT WHERE E POWER TH OW RI Y G OU WANT IT HT WHERE R T W R THE NEW LIBERTY ENGINE PARTS 2024 CATALOG AVAILABLE NOW! Follow us on Facebook SEE US AT PRI BOOTH #115 12EB_23LibertyCtalog50.indd 1 10/31/23 1:08 PM BILLETVS CAST IRON Our customers do very well in 1/8th and 1/4-mile racing, both with cast blocks and billet blocks. However, we will run less timing in the back half of the track with the cast combinations versus a billet combination. fi e insurance of billet aluminum is not only the power it can hold, but the alleviation of cast material issues such as porosity, which as we know can weaken the block in any area. fi e biggest drawback with billet options for most customers is ultimately the cost involved, though as we mentioned earlier, the cost of cast aluminum blocks and the additional machining required does sway many of our customers towards a billet block. We joke that a billet block will be a block for life (usually), whereas an iron block is good until it breaks. As with anything though, there are limits and there’s always someone inadvertently willing to ff nd those limits! Maintenance and repairs with a billet block are a lot easier to do at the track, if ever needed. Most customers will have spare sleeves, pistons, rods, etc. in their trailer. We can pull a sleeve out and change it in the pits ready for the next race, keeping the racer in competition. If you have an iron block, that would be impossible. You would have to head home and get the block machined ready for the next event, and most likely need to order bigger pistons to ff t the new bore size, potentially delaying your return to the track that season. fi e consistency in precision and ff nish is far more uniform in billet blocks and heads, which means we can use the same program, or base ff le at least, to hone and cut hoops in our CNC machines. It grants us a more deff nite time frame for building the engine. Overall, we ff nd that the structure and integrity of a billet product, alongside the machining operations and assembly processes that we go through as a race engine builder, to be less demanding than that of cast blocks and heads. fi at doesn’t mean our workload decreases or it’s an easier feat to use a billet block over a cast one. We continue to check, measure and log every measurement we take, but we ff nd less, if any, anomalies with a billet block that would need to be adjusted in a machine. EB
Celebrating 100 Years in Automotive Honing Sunnen Products Company has been a global leader in the manufacture and distribution of engine building equipment since 1924. The manual, hand-held hone Joe Sunnen introduced in 1928 has evolved into Sunnen’s line of automatic CNC honing systems, complete with PC touch screen controls, real-time/full- profile bore displays, ball-screw servo stroking systems and two-stage diamond hone heads. The design principles which made the first Sunnen hone so successful are still basic to the modern honing systems now manufactured by Sunnen. For more information visit www.sunnen.com or contact your Sunnen sales & application engineer at 1-800-325-3670. © 2023 Sunnen, St. Louis, MO USA A23-02 New SV-35 Vertical Honing Machine Contact Us Today For More Information: 1-800-325-3670 | sunnen.com
America’s Best Engine ShopsRace Winner 40 ENGINEBUILDERmag.com | NOVEMBER /DECEMBER 2023 Imagine relocating a successful engine shop and component manufacturing business to the other side of the world. It’s an extremely daunting undertaking in and of itself. Then imagine, because you’re now in a new country, your entire business history prior to the move doesn’t matter in the eyes of banks, so you can’t secure loans. This was the exact scenario Noonan Race Engineering found itself in when the engine shop made the move from Australia to the U.S. in 2016. Finding a new home in Spartanburg, SC, owners, and husband and wife, Jamie and Renee Noonan, had to work hard to re-establish their shop here in the States. “When we got to the U.S., we didn’t know our business history in Australia meant zero in America, so we couldn’t borrow any money,” says Renee Noonan. “We couldn’t even get a $2,000 credit card,” Jamie Noonan quips. With the challenges Noonan Race Engineering had to overcome, seeing where the business is today is quite remarkable, but more on that in a minute. We can’t get to present day without looking at where Jamie and Renee have come. Jamie’s entire life has been racing, thanks to a father who raced Top Alcohol dragsters in Australia. Jamie was just 10 when his dad began to race, and by the age of 14, Jamie was building his dad’s engines. That experience led to a job opportunity with a V8 Supercar team in Australia. “The opportunity was to be an engine builder’s assistant for Stone Brothers Racing, which was a Fordbacked team,” Jamie says. “It was 1995, and I was 19 years old. Two months in, the main engine guy quit… they couldn’t find a replacement, so I stood in that position for a full season. They did really well that season and I maintained that position for the next eight years. In that span we won four championships.” In 2005, Jamie left Stone Brothers Racing for a GM/ Holden team, thinking a different platform would allow him to start his engine development program. It took some convincing and some personnel shake-ups, but Jamie got his way and full control to supply engines to the team. Along with the change, they built a brand-new engine shop. The new engine shop brought added capabilities, and with the uncertainty of how the Supercar series would keep changing, Noonan decided to go back to his roots and manufacture drag race components – Noonan Race Engineering was born. Jamie started the business in 2007 with his dad and another business partner. “We started off manufacturing cylinder heads,” he says. “We flooded the market in Australia… but we also sold to the European and U.S. markets.” It was around 2013 that Renee entered the business. The couple bought out Jamie’s dad and the other business partner and got to work moving Noonan Race Engineering to the next level. “We started making valve covers and manifolds, and to really step up the program, we needed to manufacture our own block to house our own cylinder head design,” Jamie says. “It was a big task doing that. There was a lot of R&D, programming and trial and error.” That hard work paid off and Noonan came up with its 4.8 bore space Hemi engine program. That knowledge learned soon translated into an LS platform, as well as a water-jacketed engine program, all within a 12 to 18-month period. “In Pro Mod, the rules showed that the best combination was a 4.9 [bore space] Hemi,” Renee says. “We wanted to capture the majority of that market space. That’s how the 4.9 evolution came about. Pro Mod racers were our biggest customers, so we wanted to give them something we could continue to develop for a long period of time, and it couldn’t be easily copied or replicated by any competitor.” With the continued development of those engine platforms came another big change – the initial move to the U.S. in 2016. Noonan decided to start manufacturing all the blocks in the U.S. and keep all the cylinder heads and manifolds running in Australia. To do that, Jamie spent the next year in Spartanburg, SC while Renee led the Australian shop. Due to the time zone difference and communication becoming difficult, plus having to run two separate Noonan Race Engineering Jamie and Renee Noonan | Spartanburg, SC
NOVEMBER / DECEMEBR 2023 | ENGINEBUILDERmag.com 41 shops, Jamie and Renee decided to shut the Australian shop down in 2017 and move everything to Noonan Race Engineering’s new home in Spartanburg, SC. As mentioned, the move to the U.S. was tough on the business and tough on the Noonans themselves. Jamie’s love of engine development had to go on hold as the business needed to focus on manufacturing components. As things began to settle and the manufacturing production got more streamlined, it was time to look at new products and get engine development up and going again. To help with that growth, Noonan planned to add space for an Engine Technology Facility, so Jamie could continue his engine development and separate the manufacturing side of the business from the engine side. Rather than build out a space in the existing facility, as originally planned, the property next door became available, so the Noonans purchased it to build what is now the Engine Technology Facility. Today, Noonan Race Engineering sits on 6.5 acres and has an 18,000 sq.-ft. manufacturing shop and a 16,000 sq.- ft. engine development shop, both of which are absolutely stunning, and the shop employs 13 full-time people. Noonan Race Engineering has truly become a go-to shop for the likes of numerous drag racing applications such as Top Alcohol, Funny Car, Top Dragster and Pro Mod. Every complete engine and every billet component is absolutely top-notch quality, done to the highest standards, and is among the most beautiful, and wellperforming, engine parts you can find. For all these reasons, Noonan Race Engineering has been named Engine Builder’s 2023 America’s Best Race Engine Shop. “It’s definitely a great honor for me,” Jamie says. “It means so much to me to be quite honest. The journey that we’ve come on from the other side of the world to here, it’s an honor to take this award.” “We’re a mom and dad who have probably done it the hardest out of the majority of big business over here,” Renee says. “Our families and our kids and everything they’ve sacrificed as well. To be renowned in the U.S. as the best – that’s pretty badass.” Looking toward the future, Jamie and Renee hint that more components will be added to the list of in-house products, and a new engine is also being developed that is sure to impress for 2024! EB
America’s Best Engine ShopsDiesel Winner 42 ENGINEBUILDERmag.com | NOVEMBER /DECEMBER 2023 Do we even need to give an introduction? If you follow the diesel engine community at all or at least diesel motorsports, you’ve likely heard of Jesse Warren and Warren Diesel Injection (WDI). It’s the kind of name that pops up from time to time and you hear about sporadically in different situations. It could be on the leaderboard of a pulling or drag race competition, when your buddy is describing his wild new truck build, or maybe you’ve just been reading Engine Builder magazine too much. Yes, builds from WDI have been featured in our Diesel of the Week series multiple times: in 2021 we took a look at Jesse’s 6.0L/6.4L hybrid Powerstroke F-350 he’d been campaigning for over a decade, and just a few months ago, we checked out his newer 6.0L Powerstroke Pro Mod Ford Ranger. Both make around 2,000 horsepower! Suffice to say, he’s known around the diesel community. Even outside of his own builds, you’ll see Jesse’s name all over our website due to the components from his shop that appear in our other featured builds. Our article on Connor Wagner’s truck featured WDI 331/150 injectors, Travis Keyser’s F-350 has a set of WDI 430/200 7mm injectors, Tyler Hewett’s wild Cummins Mustang boasts WDI 205/30 injectors, Kodie Boden’s wicked Ford Country Squire has WDI 331/58mm injectors, and even our Diesel of the Year winner, Jared Alderson of Kill Devil Diesel, utilized a billet aluminum block, high-pressure oil pump kit, and massive set of injectors equivalent to 800% over, all from WDI for that awesome billet Powerstroke build. Injectors are Jesse’s bread and butter, and primarily how he’s built out his diesel namesake over the years. “I’ve always been a gearhead, even when I was a kid,” Warren says. “My dad ran a construction business, so we were into that sort of stuff a little, but mainly we were tinkering on gas engines like Mustangs and some older Ford trucks. We got into competition type stuff, and then diesel performance started becoming a thing in the late 2000s, so one thing led to another.” Jesse, his family and friends began doing injector work around this same time, mainly on their personal vehicles. That led to helping some friends and others in the community, and naturally they began selling their work once they were getting more and more requests. In 2010, Jesse realized it was time to make a business out of it. “We had an SCT dealership prior to that where we were doing tuning on gas engines, but we’ve more or less got away from tuning in these later years with the EPA and the murky water there,” he says. “But 2010 is when we officially started WDI and that was when the change started to happen.” All of WDI’s injectors are remanufactured, flow tested and put through a series of tests to provide high-quality components. With Jesse’s knowledge and years of testing and research, today, WDI offers some of the largest competition fuel injectors on the market for the 6.0L Powerstroke platform, and they’ve since expanded their offerings to cover the 6.4L, 6.7L, and 7.3L Powerstroke, as well as the 6.6L LB7 Duramax. For some categories, like the 7.3L Powerstroke, WDI outsources its products to other reputable diesel companies. Its 7.3L injectors, for example, come from Full Force Diesel, a shop that Jesse gives high praise to in that category. “The biggest thing in the beginning was this gap in the market,” he says. “Elite Diesel and RCD were pretty big back then and they still are, but generally hybrid injectors were very overpriced back then. Our prices and availability helped in the early years, but I think it was the mid-2010s when we really started to take off. “We went to the Diesel Power Challenge in 2015 and brought two of our 6.0L trucks, and even back then I got a ton of flak for it. People were telling me I was bringing a knife to a gunfight, basically. We ended up posting some pretty decent numbers and a lot of those guys came up to me after and apologized. I think that competition in particular gave a lot of credit with the 6.0L.” A year later, Jesse was invited to the inaugural Ultimate Callout Challenge in 2016 and ended the weekend with the highest finishing Ford Powerstroke truck with a sixth-place finish overall. “A lot of people were walking away from the 6.0L at that time, and I feel like we kind of showed them the potential of what these diesel engines could do with the proper fueling,” Warren says. “We’ve put a lot of time and money into that world trying to prove its worth and I think we’ve done a good job.” Of course, anyone in the pulling world will likely recognize his iconic “Shark Bait” truck. For years, he campaigned it at UCC and other diesel events, proving how far the HEUI system could take the Shark in an ocean of common rail competitors. A combination of dual tractor turbochargers, among the largest HEUI injectors ever designed at the time, and a robust 6.0L engine capable of enduring the stress Warren Diesel Injection Jesse Warren | Guys Mills, PA
NOVEMBER / DECEMEBR 2023 | ENGINEBUILDERmag.com 43 generated by a remarkable 150 psi of boost, creates striking performance. When Warren accelerates from the starting line, the engine consistently reaches a rapid 4,500 rpm. Upon engaging the throttle aggressively, the engine’s rpm would surge to 6,000 before gradually settling down to 5,000 rpm toward the end of the track. No wonder he was one of the biggest names in diesel pulling at the time. Just in the last few years, WDI has expanded its product catalog even further to encompass short and long blocks for the 6.0L and 6.4L platform, although Jesse notes that they’ve recently been behind on taking new orders. They do full race builds as well, spec’ing out rods, pistons and each component to the customer’s needs. Remarkably, WDI has been able to expand its production, product catalog, and services even while being smaller than most large diesel operations. The facility in Guys Mills, PA sits at around 12,000 sq. ft. in total. As for the workforce, Jesse employs 18 full-time employees. “The market’s pretty tight right now, so it’s hard to find good guys,” he admits. “A lot of our employees have been here for quite some time and they’re all really talented, although we are looking to add one more person to round everything out.” Despite being so occupied with current endeavors, Jesse is already looking to the future in terms of what his business can offer next. On the fueling side, WDI might attack the commonrail segment and some of the higher-demand injectors for the early problematic Duramax engines. But, before that happens, Jesse says he’ll be prioritizing getting caught up in inventory currently on the shelves and eliminating long lead times on engines. “We have staff meetings around here every so often like any place, and we’re always trying to find ways to be more efficient in these regards,” he says. “Once we get on top of everything here, we can start looking at growing in other areas.” Without a doubt, when that happens, there will be lines waiting to get into Jesse’s product catalog. For 13 years, Jesse and the team at WDI have been putting out stellar fuel system products and compete engines to the diesel community, and that’s why we believe Warren Diesel Injection is worthy of being our 2023 America’s Best Diesel Engine Shop. EB
America’s Best Engine ShopsVintage Winner 44 ENGINEBUILDERmag.com | NOVEMBER /DECEMBER 2023 When we first spoke with Jason Ore, owner of 955 Automotive in Erie, PA, it was 2018, and he had just completed a full restoration of a 1968 Mickey Thompson 3-valve Chevy V8 IndyCar engine. That build was so cool and unique, it made it into our Top 10 engines of the year in 2018, and the subsequent video on that engine build remains our most-viewed video to date! We’ve kept up with Jason and his work at 955 Automotive over the years because his shop is always doing something interesting, whether it’s a circle track race engine, a restoration build, a nostalgia build, or something totally one-off, his passion for engine building always shines through. For those reasons, Engine Builder has named 955 Automotive its America’s Best Vintage Engine Shop for 2023. We recently sat down with Jason to discuss his engine business, how it all came to be and what he’s been up to lately. For starters, Jason Ore first got into automotive work through his father’s restoration business, Bob Ore’s Restoration. However, Jason quickly realized he didn’t have the patience to do body work, so he ended up leaning towards the mechanical side of things. Between the time he spent working for his dad, then working at several other shops and then attending the School of Automotive Machinists in 1997, Jason built up his fair share of engine experience. When he was ready to open his own engine business, he decided to add the machine shop and engine shop onto his dad’s business to have all those capabilities in one place. “I started 955 Automotive in 2004,” Ore says. “We put an addition on the restoration shop because we needed room for that, and we figured we might as well start a machine shop too at the same time. Our first year in business was 2005, and it’s been going well ever since.” Operating out of roughly 3,500 sq.-ft. of space, 955 Automotive can handle anything that comes in the door, but the focus is on automotive restoration jobs and circle track engine work. “For circle track work, we do everything from street stock two-barrel stuff all the way up to big block modified and dirt late-model engines,” Ore says. “The crate engine stuff kind of took over in this area, so we do a lot of crate engine rebuilds for the RUSH series too.” 955 Automotive has two full-time employees including Jason, and is capable of doing all machine work in-house with the exception of crank grinding. Those capabilities come in handy, especially on the kinds of engine builds Jason often sees. “My favorite thing is the nostalgia builds,” he says. “We’ve built a 1910 white firetruck engine, a 1916 Oldsmobile V8, Model As, Model Ts, a 1958 Cadillac Brougham, but we’ve done a bunch of different Cadillacs, Packards, Duesenbergs, Cords, and Auburns. I’ve had my hands on all of it at one point in time. I just keep plugging away doing what I would do.” While Jason remains modest regarding his work, he is a very capable machinist and engine builder, and he has to be to ebb and flow between the different engine jobs his shop specializes in. Despite his level of professionalism, Jason says he was shocked to hear 955 Automotive was being recognized. “I was surprised when I got that email,” he says. “There’s way more people doing way cooler stuff than I am. I just get up in the morning and do this every day. I was kind of flabbergasted, but I’m also very honored.” EB 955 Automotive Jason Ore | Erie, PA
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Engine: Compound Turbo 5.9L Cummins Shop: LinCo Diesel Performance Engine Builder: Jeff McCord Location: Troy, MO Features: a 5.9L Cummins block bored .040” over, cast pistons, Total Seal rings, Boostline forged connecting rods, Clevite H-series bearings, a steel Hamilton 178/208 camshaft, Hamilton pushrods, a Beans Machine 12mm girdle, a LinCo Diesel reman’d cylinder head, Inconel valves, Fleece billet valve bridges, D&J valve springs, a Fluidampr harmonic damper, ARP 625 head studs, a Kingspeed billet timing cover and intake horn, a LinCo Diesel billet intake plate, a JEGs electric water pump, a Diesel Power Source Turbonator, a DPS T3 manifold, a Stainless Diesel 5-blade 362/68 high pressure charger and a 5-blade S480/93 charger, S&S 200% over injectors, and an S&S 12mm CP3 pump. Performance: 1,200 horsepower Application: Mercedes Unimog Engine: Twin-Charged 3.0L EcoDiesel Shop: Freedom Racing Engines Engine Builder: John Benshoof Location: Brownsburg, IN Owner: Scott Birdsall Features: Dynamite Diesel Super Mental injectors, an S&S CP4 fuel pump, a Chuckles Garage manifold, a Banks Power racing intake manifold, S&S Diesel / MoTeC tuning, TiAL Sport MVR wastegates, a custom Armstrong Race Engineering dry sump system, Diamond pistons, Wagler connecting rods, ARP hardware, Vibrant Performance AN lines, tubing, and HD clamps, a Garrett G45-1125 turbocharger, and a Magnusson TVS1900 supercharger. Performance: High horsepower and torque Application: Scott Birdsall’s Pike’s Peak Hill Climb LMP-1 racecar Engine: Single-Turbo 3.0 Limited Pro Stock Cummins Shop: Apex Diesel Performance Engine Builder: Dustin Harrison Location: Atlantic, PA Features: a sleeved Cummins block, 3.0 smooth bore turbo, a ported and polished factory Cummins cylinder head, a Wehrli 24v billet runner intake manifold, mechanical fuel injection, a Scheid Diesel 16mm P7100 injection pump, a 14mm girdle, 1”-longer connecting rods, custom Diamond pistons, Total Seal rings, a custom LSM Engineering flat tappet camshaft, and ARP hardware. Performance: 1,600 horsepower Application: 3.0 Limited Pro Stock Engine: 6.7L Powerstroke Shop: Choate Engineering Performance Engine Builder: Cass Choate Location: Bolivar, TN Features: upgraded machine work on both the block and cylinder heads, new bearings, tig-welded gears, stronger connecting rods, and billet main caps. Performance: 550 horsepower Application: a work truck or tow vehicle Engine: Turbocharged 12-Valve Cummins Shop: HDP Performance Engine Builder: Cody Helms Location: Chesterfield, SC Features: the factory Cummins block, factory Cummins crank, an o-ringed and ported cylinder head, Manton pushrods and valve springs, Wagler Street Fighter connecting rods, Mahle forged pistons, ARP 625 studs, a 13mm Farrell injection pump, Industrial Injection R6 fuel injectors, a Stainless S485 turbo, and a Steed Speed T6 manifold. Performance: 5.90 index class Application: ODSS diesel drag truck 46 ENGINEBUILDERmag.com | NOVEMBER /DECEMBER 2023 Diesel of the Year Top 10 sponsored by
NOVEMBER /DECEMBER 2023 | ENGINEBUILDERmag.com 47 Engine: Turbocharged 7.3L Powerstroke Shop: CNC Fabrication Engine Builder: Corey Hurtts Location: Bryan, OH Features: a tool steel bed plate, Carrillo connecting rods, 450/400 hybrid injectors, fire ringed cylinder head, a large camshaft, a Fuelab Prodigy pump, and a Harts turbo. Performance: 1,000+ horsepower Application: ODSS diesel drag racing Engine: Single-Turbo 6.8L Cummins Shop: Freedom Racing Engines Engine Builder: John Benshoof Location: Brownsburg, IN Owner: Jen Pushlar Features: a 6.7L factory Cummins block that has been filled, a factory Cummins crankshaft, Wagler connecting rods, Diamond pistons, a 1” deck plate, a solid double iron cylinder head, a Fleece Performance billet intake manifold, a Fleece front cover, a Waterman lift pump, two CP3 fuel pumps, Dynomite Diesel injectors, and a Harts turbo with 3” inducer. Performance: 2,000+ horsepower Application: truck pulling Engine: Single-Turbo 5.9L Cummins Shop: New Performance Automotive Engine Builder: Steve Burton Location: Rural Retreat, VA Features: a 12-valve 5.9L block, a 24-valve cylinder head, a factory Cummins crankshaft, billet rods, a Northeast Diesel P7100 P-pump, a Stainless Diesel T6 manifold, and an Apex Turbo 2.6” smooth bore turbocharger. Performance: 1,200 horsepower and 2,200+ lb.-ft. of torque Application: Pro Street diesel truck Engine: Turbocharged LML Duramax Drag Engine Shop: Wagler Motorsports Engine Builder: Jeremy Wagler and Matt Hatfield Location: Odon, IN Owner: Paul Vasko Features: a filled stock Duramax block, Wagler ductile iron cylinder heads, a Wagler intake, a Wagler rotating assembly, S&S 500% over injectors, twin 12mm CP3 pumps, MoTeC engine management, a Stainless Diesel GT55 102mm turbo, and two kits of nitrous from Nitrous Outlet. Performance: 1,600-1,700 horsepower Application: diesel dragster 2023 Diesel of the Year Engine: Billet 6.0L Powerstroke Shop: Kill Devil Diesel Engine Builder: Jared Alderson Location: Poplar Branch, NC Features: a Warren Diesel Injection billet aluminum block bored to 7.0L, Mahle pistons, Total Seal rings, Wagler connecting rods, a stock cryo-treated crankshaft, a KDD solid roller camshaft, Jesel solid roller lifters, Jesel adjustable rocker arms, chromoly pushrods, KDD CNC-ported Icon series cylinder heads, a Rudy’s Diesel Performance sheet metal intake and intercooler, a Peterson dry sump oiling system, a Warren Diesel high-pressure oil pump kit, 800% over Warren Diesel injectors, a KC Turbo’s single turbo, and nitrous. Performance: 1,500 hp on turbo and 2,00-2,500 on nitrous Application: Charlie Fish’s / KC Turbo’s race truck Full story on page 48
2023 Engine of the Year Kill Devil Diesel Billet 6.0L Powerstroke Jared Alderson | Poplar Branch, NC 48 ENGINEBUILDERmag.com | NOVEMBER /DECEMBER 2023 It’s always a treat to see the range of engines that can be built by a single machine shop. Some guys opt to revolve their builds around a particular engine platform or even within a particular horsepower range, and others tend to put out something difi erent each and every time an order comes in the door. Jared Alderson and Kill Devil Diesel fall somewhere in the middle of those two. Alderson, owner of Kill Devil Diesel, a diesel engine and machine shop based in the Outer Banks region of North Carolina in Poplar Branch, does everything from manufacturing their own parts to machining services, powder coating, and complete engine builds. We’ve worked with Kill Devil a few times over the years for various Diesel of the Week articles and other diesel content, as well as an Instagram Takeover inside the shop. Alderson and the team do all sorts of builds, including Cummins, Duramax and Powerstroke. However, a major portion of Kill Devil’s business comes from their 6.0L, 6.4L, and 7.3L Powerstroke builds. They create complete packages for all sorts of applications, though their most popular 6.0L “workhorse” options make for around 425 horsepower and a solid setup for a work/tow vehicle. Way nastier engines have come out of Alderson’s shop too, and we were able to check out a serious competitionlevel, billet aluminum 6.0L Powerstroke engine build when we visited the shop in early 2023. “This is actually for the KC Turbo race truck,” Alderson told us. “They’ve been a part of the Ultimate Callout Challenge and other diesel events that really continue to push the boundary for what’s possible with diesel engines, so we wanted to be a part of that.” With the limitations of a factory cast iron block, a billet aluminum block was sourced from Warren Diesel Injection. Then, Kill Devil Diesel (KDD) handled all the fi nal machine work, including adding the sleeves and line boring and honing to fi t their particular tolerances. This engine uses forged Mahle pistons sized to fi t the increased 4.055” bore, which makes the 6.0L actually 7.0L. The Mahle pistons are fi tted with gapless Total Seal rings. This engine confi guration also features Wagler connecting rods, a stock cryo-treated crankshaft, a KDD solid roller camshaft with Jesel solid roller lifters, Jesel adjustable rocker arms, KDD’s own CNC-ported Icon series cylinder heads with oversized valves, chromoly pushrods, and a sheet metal intake manifold from Rudy’s Diesel Performance. The intake has a built-in intercooler that helps with cooling air temperature and helps support better cylinder distribution of water injection and nitrous. “This engine has our dry sump kit, which is a Peterson pump with a custom pan,” Alderson says. “This one is a fi ve stage, and it gives us a lot better control over the whole oiling system. We can put more oil to the engine or more oil to the turbos – some of these secondary highpressure oil pumps don’t always love being fed with 150- lbs. of oil pressure. “This will get Warren’s dual, high-pressure oil pump kit. It will have a massive set of injectors that are equivalent to 800% over. As for the turbo, Charlie at KC will be testing a bunch of difi erent things, but drag racers tend to favor a big single, while sled pulling and dyno guys go for compounds, which help with better cylinder pressure and producing more torque.” Alderson couldn’t give us any concrete numbers as of yet, but without nitrous, he expects this 7.0L Powerstroke to be making within the realm of 1,500 horsepower. With nitrous, the number will be closer to 2,000-2,500 horsepower. The engine made its debut during the 2023 Ultimate Callout Challenge this past summer. Since then, the KC Turbos truck, Haunter, and the race team went on to be NHRDA Pro Street World Champions, while also setting a new record for the quickest 6.0L Powerstroke in the world and new world record for NHRDA Pro Street with an ET of 5.12 at 134 mph. Diesel of the Week is sponsored by AMSOIL. If you have an engine you’d like to highlight in this series, please email Engine Builder Editor Greg Jones at [email protected]. sponsored by