Posts Tagged ‘ Engines ’

HRR Tech Editor Mike Mavrigian Continues Pontiac 455 Engine Build

By Ashley Smissen , January 10, 2012 in Editor's Corner, Engine & Drivetrain

In August 2011, HRR Tech Editor Mike Mavrigian began work on a bored and stroked Pontiac 455 engine. The engine, which is being built at Birchwood Automotive Group, Mavrigian’s Creston, Ohio-based shop, will be built to be used in a street/strip muscle car or street rod.

Mavrigian recently updated readers of his Precision Engine website on the progress of the engine build.

“At this point, everything has been clearanced and test fitted, and the crank was just recently balanced,” he wrote last week. “Now it’s time to paint the block and assemble the long block, leaving only the task of measuring for custom pushrod length prior to completion.

Inglese Releases New EZ-EFI Eight Stack Induction System

By Ashley Smissen , December 19, 2011 in Engine & Drivetrain, Products

Inglese has introduced its new EZ-EFI Eight Stack Induction System, a self-learning fuel injection system that tunes itself as you drive without requiring a laptop. The system uses FAST EZ-EFI electronics as well as the company’s Precision-Flow Fuel Injectors, which are integrated into Inglese’s cast aluminum 50mm IDA-style throttle bodies.

The system’s EZ-EFI controller will establish the base tuning file and then “learn” as the car drives while honing in on the optimum tune, according to the company. It only requires the driver to answer a few questions before operating the unit.

Ed Pink-Built Engine Raises Money For SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund

By Ashley Smissen , November 29, 2011 in Engine & Drivetrain, News & Events

A special high-performance engine built by famed engine builder Ed Pink recently sold at auction for $8,200 to benefit the SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund, SEMA has announced. The fund provides assistance to students seeking careers in the automotive industry.

The engine was blueprinted and assembled by Pink and his technicians at Ed Pink Racing Engines and featured no factory-stock parts. It was based on the small-block Ford design and was made up of components donated by SEMA member manufacturers.

The engine included components from Dart, COMP Cams, Scat, ARP, Milodon, ATI, Crane Cams, Moroso, Fel-Pro, Champion, Edelbrock, Speed Pro, Joe Gibbs Driven, Manley Performance, Powermaster, Mahle, Total Seal and Hedman Exhaust. It produced 404 horsepower at 5,900 rpm and 403 lb. /ft. of torque on the dyno under SAE testing parameters, according to a press release from SEMA.

SEMA-Member Companies Donate Parts for Charity Engine Build

By Ashley Smissen , October 18, 2011 in Engine & Drivetrain, News & Events

A group of SEMA-member companies have donated products for a small-block Ford engine build. The engine will be auctioned off on eBay in conjunction with the 2011 SEMA Show. Proceeds from the auction will benefit the SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund.

The engine will be assembled and dyno-tested at Ed Pink Racing Engines in Van Nuys, California.

The 347-cid engine is based on the Ford small-block design, and its foundation is a Dart 302 block and Pro 1 aluminum heads. The engine will be constructed entirely out of aftermarket components, according to SEMA. It will have 9.5:1 compression and is estimated to be able to produce over 400 horsepower on pump gas.

Companies that have donated part for the charity project include ARP, ATI, Champion, Comp Cams, Crane Cams Ignitions, Dart, Edelbrock, Fel-Pro, Hedman, Joe Gibbs Driven, Mahle, Manley, Milodon, Moroso, Powermaster, Scat, Speed-Pro and Total Seal.

O’Brien Truckers Introduces Buick Nailhead Valve Covers

By Ashley Smissen , October 13, 2011 in Engine & Drivetrain, Products

O’Brien Truckers has introduced new valve covers for the Buick Nailhead engine that are an exact copy of the famous Fenton valve cover, which hasn’t been available in over 50 years, said the company. The thick-wall castings come with a highly polished finish, just like Fenton supplied them.

The valve covers will fit all Buick Nailheads from 264–425 cubic inches.

The valve covers are designed to reduce engine noises and help dissipate engine heat faster, resulting in better engine temperature and smoother operation, according to the company.

HRR Tech Editor Mike Mavrigian Continues Work on Retro LS Engine Build

By Mike Mavrigian , September 27, 2011 in Editor's Corner, Engine & Drivetrain

HRR Tech Editor Mike Mavrigian has completed another step in his Retro LS Engine build. As he wrote in a past update, his goal with this engine build is to create an LS engine that produces around 400 horsepower and has a retro appearance, and do it all on a tight budget.

“Basically, we’re taking a 5.3L (cid) LS engine, and overboring to a final 327 cid, making a new 327 Chevy that takes advantage of current technology, while stepping back in time to achieve a decidedly old-school appearance,” Mavrigian wrote.

In his first step, Mavrigian worked on the engine block. (You can read about the upgrades he made to the block here.) For his next step, Mavrigian showed how to upgrade the rocker arm trunions to ensure they would be durable enough for use in a performance vehicle.

“In the process of building any LS engine, if you plan to use OE rocker arms (whether reusing originals or using new OE rockers), you should be aware of the critical need to perform an upgrade to the rocker arms,” Mavrigian said. “Specifically, the OE trunions and trunion bearings should be replaced with an aftermarket upgrade kit.”

HRR Tech Editor Mike Mavrigian Begins Work on Pontiac 455 Engine Build

By Ashley Smissen , August 30, 2011 in Editor's Corner, Engine & Drivetrain

Mike Mavrigian, tech editor for Hotrod & Restoration, recently began his latest engine build—a bored and stroked Pontiac 455 engine at his Creston, Ohio-based shop, Birchwood Automotive Group.

“The direction of this build is to start with an OEM Pontiac 455 block, bore and stroke to 501 CID, and build an approximately 600-horsepower street performer,” Mavrigian wrote on his Precision Engine website. “The target audience [is] the street/strip muscle car and/or street rodder application.”

HRR Tech Editor Mike Mavrigian Begins Affordable Retro LS Engine Build

By Ashley Smissen , August 3, 2011 in Editor's Corner, Engine & Drivetrain

HRR Tech Editor Mike Mavrigian has started a new engine build that will be documented in detail on HRR’s sister site, PrecisionEngineTech.com.

Mavrigian will be building a carbureted 327-cid LS engine that features custom touches reminiscent of an early 1960s small-block Chevy. He’ll be doing the engine build on a strict budget.

“The goal of this build is to create an LS engine that produces around 400 horsepower, on a tight budget, and with a decidedly ‘retro’ appearance,” Mavrigian said on PrecisionEngineTech.com. “Basically, we’re taking a 5.3L (cid) LS engine, and overboring to a final 327 cid, making a new 327 Chevy that takes advantage of current technology, while stepping back in time to achieve a decidedly old-school appearance.”

Instead of running fuel injection, Mavrigian will be using a four-barrel carburetor.

“The block is painted good ‘ol Chevy orange, with a few additional appearance touches that take you back to the old classic glory days of the small-block Chevy,” he said on the site.

Dampney Co. Releases Heat-Resistant Spray Coatings

By Ashley Smissen , August 2, 2011 in Paint & Body, Products

Dampney Co. Inc. has introduced a full line of colorful, heat-resistant automotive spray coatings that can be used on engines, exhaust headers, manifolds, engine compartments and other parts typically exposed to high heat. The Alvin High Temperature Automotive Spray Coatings come in 23 different colors, including black, gold, silver and aluminum.

The coatings can withstand repeated thermal cycling up to 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit when applied properly over their primer, according to the company. They won’t blister, flake, bleach, discolor or peel.

The coatings, which come in 12-ounce aerosol cans, will dry for handling in 15 minutes. They aren’t recommended for direct contact with flames.

Editor’s Corner: Reviewing Snap-on’s New Tech Angle Wrench

By Mike Mavrigian , May 23, 2011 in Editor's Corner, Tech & Tools

HRR Tech Editor Mike Mavrigian recently put Snap-on Tools’ new Tech Angle Wrench to the test. The wrench includes a protective case and is available in several versions, including ¼- 3/8- and ½-inch drives. The digital torque wrench is capable of operating in several modes, including ft./lbs., in./lbs., Nm and angle of rotation. Below is his review of Snap-on’s Test Angle Wrench Model No. ATECH3FR250A, which features a ½-inch drive. To read his complete review and see photos, click here.

Anyone who has serviced engines (or even certain driveline and chassis components) from the early 1990s until the present is aware that many OEM threaded fastener tightening requirements call for a combination of torque-plus-angle specifications as opposed to a torque-only spec. The common applications for this procedure include cylinder head fasteners, main cap fasteners and connecting rod bolts.