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>Engine Bearings
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2013 MARCH
STROKER ENGINE Resource Guide PG 56 EngineBuilderMag.com
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Contents 03.13
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Features
ON THE COVER
‘Reviving’ Chryslers
Bearing Clearances
Is it better to build an engine with tighter bearing clearances and run it on low viscosity synthetic motor oil, or is it better to build an engine with more traditional or even looser bearing clearances and use heavier viscosity oil? The short answer is, it depends. Technical Editor Larry Carley investigates your burning questions about bearing clearances ..............................17
Contributing Editor Doug Anderson gives an overview of all the changes Chrysler has made since 2007, and there are many, along with some detailed information on a couple of them that we haven’t discussed before including the 4.0L SOHC V6 and the dual plug 4.7L. You'll want to file this one for reference as some of the engines have been completely redesigned. Follow along as he takes you through them all ....................33
17 Tuning In To EFI
When it comes to electronic fuel injection (EFI), there are many variables that need to be calculated and calibrated, and flow is just the beginning. With the number of systems and components on the market today, what is the right system and components you need without being overkill for your customer’s application? Senior Editor Brendan Baker talks to suppliers of EFI for their take on the market. ......................26
26
33 Columns
Profitable Performance ................14 By Contributing Editor Dave Sutton The Crate Is Dead, Long Live Diversity
Performance Notes ......................65 By Contributor Jeff Drum World’s Smallest V8 Engine Comes To Life
Business Savvy ............................70 By Contributor Joy Gendusa Direct Marketing’s Big Three – Size, Design and List are Key
Capturing a Raptor Stroker
When the new Raptor engine first appeared, Livernois Motorsports took some time to develop its own version of this 6.2L beast. It started off strong to begin with, but with Livernois’ help, it gets better. Contributing Editor Bob McDonald takes a look at Livernois' development of the 6.6L Raptor stroker engine and today’s trend of taking a performance vehicle and incorporating a forced induction system to boost the numbers, literally ............................................................50
50 COVER DESIGN BY NICHOLE ANDERSON
DEPARTMENTS Events ..................................................................4 Industry News......................................................6 Shop Solutions ....................................................12 NASCAR Performance ..........................................72 2013 Supplier Spotlights ......................................73 Supply Line [New Products]..................................77 Cores/Classifieds/Ad Index ..................................78 On The Web..........................................................80 ENGINE BUILDER founded Oct. 1964 Copyright 2013 Babcox Media Inc..
ENGINE BUILDER (ISSN 1535-041X) (March 2013, Volume 49, Number 03): Published monthly by Babcox Media Inc., 3550 Embassy Parkway, Akron, OH 44333 U.S.A. Phone (330) 670-1234, FAX (330) 670-0874. Periodical postage paid at Akron, OH 44333 and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to ENGINE BUILDER, 3550 Embassy Parkway, Akron, OH 44333. A limited number of complimentary subscriptions are available to individuals who meet the qualification requirements. Call (330) 670-1234, Ext. 275, to speak to a subscription services representative or FAX us at (330) 670-5335. Paid Subscriptions are available for non-qualified subscribers at the following rates: U.S.: $69 for one year. Canada: $89 for one year. Canadian rates include GST. Ohio residents add current county sales tax. Other foreign rates/via air mail: $129 for one year. Payable in advance in U.S. funds. Mail payment to ENGINE BUILDER, P.O. Box 75692, Cleveland, OH 44101-4755. VISA, MasterCard or American Express accepted. Publisher reserves the right to reject any subscription that does not conform to his standards or buying power coverage. Advertising which is below standard is refused. Opinions in signed articles and advertisements are not necessarily those of this magazine or its publisher. Diligent effort is made to ensure the integrity of every statement. Unsolicited manuscripts must be accompanied by return postage.
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Events
Industry Events March 21-23 Mid America Trucking Show Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center, KY www.truckingshow.com or 502-899-3892
March 23-24 Goodguys 31st All American Get-Together The Fairgrounds in Pleasanton, CA www.good-guys.com/aagt
April 14-15 SAE 2013 High Efficiency IC Engine Symposium Detroit, MI www.sae.org or 877-606-7323
April 16-18 2013 SAE World Congress Cobo Center, Detroit, MI www.sae.org or 877-606-7323
May 1-3
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AAIA Spring Leadership Days Bonita Springs, FL www.aftermarket.org
May 16 AERA Tech & Skills Regional Conference Hosted by MAHLE and Driven Racing Oil Childress Racing, Welcome, NC www.aera.org or 888-326-2372
May 21-22 Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium (GAAS) Hyatt Regency, Chicago, IL www.globalsymposium.org
June 8 AERA Tech & Skills Regional Conference Hosted by Liberty Engine Parts Pittsburgh, PA www.aera.org or 888-326-2372
September 18-20 68th Annual PERA Conference Dallas, TX www.pera.org or email: nancieboland@pera.org
For more industry events, visit our website at
www.enginebuildermag.com or subscribe to
www.aftermarketnews.com. 4 March 2013 | EngineBuilder
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Industry News
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PRW Announces New Hires, Moves HQ to Perris, CA PRW Industries, Inc. recently announced some new additions to its staff. Chris Roberts has been named product manager. He is a 17 year veteran in the automotive aftermarket and is responsible for new products and quality control. Roberts has an extensive background in the performance aftermarket in product man-
agement, research and development as well as sales. He is passionate about racing in all forms, and has participated in off-road racing as well as more than 30 years riding and racing motorcycles. “I look forward to my new responsibilities here at PRW,” says Roberts. “We are a strong team, producing products that enthusiasts use both on and off the track.” In addition to Roberts, PRW also announced the hiring of Erin Post as the new marketing manager and graphic designer. Post earned her
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Bachelor’s Degree in Communications/Advertising with an emphasis in Marketing in 2009. She also has a certification in Web Design at Golden West College. She previously worked in the aerospace industry and was involved with part production flow, purchasing and marketing. She is also a marketing coordinator with one of Autodesk’s biggest re-sellers in the West Coast region. Earlier last year, PRW promoted Jerid Suchy as its new western regional sales manager to replace Jamie Adkins, who retired. Adkins worked closely with Suchy over his last few months so he was up to speed in his new role. Suchy, too, is a racer and enthusiast, which has helped him gain experience in the automotive world when it comes to the network of performance aftermarket distributors, dealers, and engine builders. Suchy has a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and Business from California State Polytechnic University at Pomona. On a final note, PRW also announced it has moved its corporate headquarters to 1722 Illinois Avenue, Perris, CA 92571. The new location is effective as of February 15th. For more information, visit www.PRW-USA.com.
Engine Parts Group, Inc. Develops Performance Scholarship at UNOH In an effort to prime the “talent pump,” Engine Parts Group, Inc. and the University of Northwestern Ohio have announced the creation of the Engine Pro Performance Scholarship Fund at UNOH. The initial funding is coming from the donation of a 500 horsepower small block Chevrolet project racing engine that was professionally built using Engine Pro parts by the Cope Brothers Automotive Machine Shop in Tacoma, WA. UNOH’s College of Applied Technology will be raffling off the engine this spring with hopes of raising more than $15,000 to kickstart the scholarship program. In addition, EPGI has committed to donating additional money on an ongoing basis to sustain the program. Circle 9 for more information 6 March 2013 | EngineBuilder
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encouraged to choose engine technology as a career. “The University of Northwestern Ohio is the perfect place to establish the scholarship fund,” says Weber. “The university features the largest facility in the EPGI donated this Chevy 604 crate country engine that Cope Brothers Automotive dediMachine rebuilt with Engine Pro parts Upon donating the cated to and added nearly 100 hp. It'll be raffled engine, EPGI president learning off by UNOH this spring. Don Weber said, “The the scifuture of our company ence of and that of engine builders across high performance vehicles.” the country is only as strong as the Within its seven-acre performinterest of young people who want ance motorsports complex, students to come into our industry. The inare trained on all brands of perdustry needs to do all that it can to formance cars using state-of-the-inensure that the next generations are dustry machines and equipment.
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Steve Farmer, UNOH’s Vice President of Business Development said, “It’s not all classroom training at UNOH. Students actively participate as pit crew in NASCAR and ARCA sanctioned races including working with top racers at Daytona Speedway. Graduates from this program routinely step into positions in the performance racing industry and immediately begin making a contribution.”
Bill Introduced to Stop Sale of E15 Gas Pending Scientific Analysis SEMA-supported legislation (HR 875) has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives directing the National Academies to conduct a scientific assessment on how gasoline blended with 15 to 20 percent ethanol (E15 and E20) may impact gasoline-powered engines, vehicles and related equipment. HR 875 potentially protects millions of vehicles and engines that
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THIS ISSUE: PG 12 >> Shop Solutions PG 14 >> Profitable Performance
can be harmed from E15. The bill states that the EPA was premature in permitting the sale since it is still unclear how E15 impacts tailpipe and evaporative emissions, OBD systems, materials compatibility and fuel efficiency. The analysis would consider a variety of issues including tailpipe and evaporative emissions, impact on OBD systems, materials compatibility and fuel efficiency. The National Academies would have 18 months to conduct an analysis, during which time sales of E15 blended gas would be halted. HR 875 has been assigned to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology for consideration. The Committee passed a similar bill last year but no further action took place. The U.S. Senate is currently considering another SEMA-supported bill (S.344) to ban sales of E15. HR 875 acknowledges that E15 causes corrosion with incompatible parts. Ethanol increases water formation which can then create formic acid and corrode metals, plastics and rubber. The EPA allows use of E15 in 2001 and newer vehicles, but agreed to make it “illegal to fuel pre-2001 vehicles” with E15. Supporters of the bill say that a required warning label on the gasoline pump will not protect consumers from accidentally misfueling these vehicles/engines. For more information on how to support this bill, visit www.sema.org.
PG 17 >> Bearings
website that makes learning about high performance oils and lubricants easier than ever. The logo and website each provide a bolder look that will stand out against all competition. Driven has worked with a wide variety of talented research chemists to intro-
Industry News
duce 12 new products in the past year, all of which are available at www.drivenracingoil.com. “Both the new logo and website embody the DNA of the company – Driven To Win,” says Lake Speed, Jr., general manager and certified lubrication specialist at Driven Racing Oil. “We are competitors, so we are always looking for ways to improve our company. We strive to offer the best technical support and customer service in addition to the very best products.” The visual updates are the only changes to the company that customers will notice. The same knowledgeable staff will continue to develop the wide variety of Driven Racing Oil products out of its Huntersville, NC, location. Coach Joe Gibbs has long believed that the key to winning is people, and the core personnel at Driven have been together for nearly a decade. The product line of full-synthetic race oils, engine break-in oils, gear
Driven Racing Oil Unveils New Logo and Redesigned Website Driven Racing Oil has unveiled a new modern logo and updated its website to recognize the company's continued commitment to a “technology first” approach. Born from Joe Gibbs Racing, one of the most successful NASCAR teams of the past two decades, Driven Racing Oil utilizes cuttingedge lubricant technology and ontrack research for maximum performance gains from all of its product offerings. That commitment to innovation has led to a new, simplified and sleek logo, as well as a redesigned EngineBuilderMag.com 9
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Industry News
oils and more will also remain untouched. High performance oils for race cars, sports cars, street rods, diesels, motorcycles and marine applications will all continue to be readily available. Driven supports Engine Builder’s “Performance Engine Builder of the Year Contest,” about which more information will be introduced soon at www.topperformanceshop.com.
NAPA Ironclad Engines by ATK Receives ‘Supplier of the Year’ Award NAPA Ironclad Engines by ATK has received the “Supplier of the Year 2012” award from the NAPA Under Hood Sales Group in recognition of its outstanding support and service. The award was presented to Jerry Register, director of sales for NAPA Ironclad by ATK, and Stephen Ponticelli, account executive, by Tracey Ahart, general manager for the NAPA Under Hood Group.
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“We are honored to be named NAPA Under Hood Sales Group’s 2012 ‘Supplier of the Year’,” said Register. “I would like to thank everyone who worked so diligently to make this distinguished and prestigious award a reality: Tracey Ahart, general manager for the NAPA Under Hood Group; Alan Woll, senior market manager; Blake Andrews, product manager; Stephen Ponticelli, account executive; Steve Gamble, vice president sales for ATK; Doug Ross, ATK sales manager; Mark Smith, ATK sales manager; The NAPA Under Hood Group regional managers and district managers and the dedicated support staff at ATK.” NAPA Ironclad by ATK received the award for NAPA program support, regional promotion support and customer-first flexibility. “The NAPA Under Hood Group has been representing NAPA Ironclad product lines to the NAPA Distribution Centers, NAPA Auto Parts
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Stores and NAPA Auto Care Centers since 2005,” Register added. “NAPA Under Hood Group and NAPA Ironclad work closely together to build a sales strategy and promotions designed to create sales growth for the NAPA system. The NAPA Under Hood Group and our team at NAPA Ironclad provide a network of customer support throughout the NAPA system to help make the NAPA Auto Parts Store the designation for NAPA Ironclad Engines & Rear Differentials related products in their market.” ■
Got news you want to share with the industry? Send it to Editor Doug Kaufman at dkaufman@babcox.com. For more news, visit EngineBuilderMag.com or aftermarketNews.com
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Safe Valve Spring Break-In Most engine builders are well aware of the fact that high performance valve springs should be compressed to coil bind through several cycles before being installed. The problem with this procedure is that it can be time consuming, costly and even dangerous. It is time consuming if each spring is compressed in a valve spring pressure tester and costly due to the fact that compressing many valve springs through several cycles accelerates wear and reduces the life span of the spring tester. Compressing springs in a vise or arbor press can be dangerous if the compressed spring escapes, thus becoming a projectile careening throughout the shop. We have solved these problems by making a fixture which holds four valve springs and is compressed in our 20 ton shop press. The fixture is made of two 3˝ x 6˝ aluminum plates with spring seats machined into them. Each of the four spring seats has a .375˝ diameter steel rod through the center to retain the spring if one should become dislodged during the procedure. Each steel rod is attached to the bottom plate and has enough clearance to move through the top plate. A recess is also machined into the top plate to accommodate the shaft on the shop press. Bill Riordan Riordan Engineering Twin Lake, MI
Extra Grip for Your Phillips Head Screwdriver Have you ever had a Phillips head screw that was kind of worn out and slipping as you tried to unscrew it? Take some valve lapping compound and put it on the tip of the screwdriver. This will give you some extra “bite” as you turn it. Jeff "Beezer" Beseth Beezer Built, Inc. Newtown Square, PA
Put a Trash Compactor in Your Shop We all know how fast a trash can fills up with bearings, piston rings, paper 12 March 2013 | EngineBuilder
and small cardboard boxes. Install a trash compactor in your assembly area and you'll be amazed how much it will hold before emptying, and it will cut down on the time needed to empty trash. Popular in upscale kitchens years ago, some compactors were used very little, or not at all. They can be found in the ads of local papers sometimes for little or nothing, usually after kitchen remodels. They take up little space, fit under benches, and run on 110 volts. As a side benefit, if you have a recycling service, the contents can be picked up for nothing, cutting your waste costs. Lewis Barr LA Engineering Glen Allen, VA
Connecting Rod Bore Standards To help me quickly set up my rod machine bore gauge for common connecting rod reconditioning I machine up some “standards” from good old rod cores. I size most to midspec and then paint the rod with a color code to help me quickly identify it and keep it from getting confused with the set I am working on. By machining a rod big end to the size I want, I can use it time and again to adjust my bore gauge to the proper size before dong a run of that particular rod. This saves me time and money. Terry Kiehnau Terry’s Engines Green Bay, WI
How to Combine Work and Play The next time you attend a car show, cruise night or “show ’n shine,” invite some enthusiasts to visit your shop. There is no better way to increase your business than by befriending custom car enthusiasts. This tip requires you to print a business card that you’ll hand out at custom car events. The card should include a free offer such as: FREE OIL ADDITIVE or
FREE BENCH RACING or FREE COFFEE printed on one side of the card with your company information listed on the other. It should also invite the car owner to your shop to receive the offer and while he is there it’s a great time for a tour, a FREE quote and a cup of coffee (or two). If space permits, include a list of services specific to your target audience. And keep your coffee pot filled with premium roast! Steve Rich Sterling Bearing, Inc. Kansas City, MO
Manufacturer Shop Solution:
Which Piston Rings to Use 7.3L Ford V8 Diesels? Your customer has a 1994 Ford 7.3L turbocharged diesel powered truck and needs piston rings. No problem? Not so fast! It will take asking more questions and perhaps examining and measuring some components to identify the correct rings. Between 1988 and 2003 Ford produced three versions of diesel V8 engines, all with the same engine displacement of 7.3 Liters. All of these engines had the same 4.110˝ cylinder bore. In 1994 all three engines were available. Each of these engines used a unique ring pack. The engines, their identifying characteristics and the rings for each are listed below. The 1988-94 naturally aspirated engines were great candidates for turbocharging. Companies such as ATS, Banks and Hypermax have sold a large quantity of turbo kits to enhance the performance of these engines. However, this can add to the confusion
FACTOID OF THE MONTH THE PHILLIPS HEAD SCREWDRIVER WAS INVENTED IN 1934, NOT BY SOMEONE NAMED PHILLIPS, BUT BY JOHN P. JOHNSON, WHO SOLD THE SELF-CENTERING DESIGN TO HENRY E. PHILLIPS IN 1935 AFTER BEING UNABLE TO SELL HIS DESIGN TO MANUFACTURERS. PHILLIPS REFINED AND PATENTED THE DESIGN, AND IT WAS QUICKLY ADOPTED BY INDUSTRY. ONE OF THE FIRST CUSTOMERS, IN 1937, WAS GENERAL MOTORS FOR ITS CADILLAC ASSEMBLY LINES.
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when it comes to overhaul time as to whether the engine was originally turbocharged or it was converted. Refer to the chart below to make sure you are ordering the correct piston rings and other replacement parts for the engine you are working on. ■ Ray Falkenrath Director of Product Development Hastings Manufacturing Company Hastings, MI
Year Range
Engine Model
Ring Designs - Widths
Piston Pin Diameter
Reference Hastings Set Number
1988-94
7.3L IDI Indirect Injection Naturally Aspirated
Top Ring - Rectangular 3.0mm 2nd Ring - Rectangular 2.0mm Oil Ring - 3.5mm
1.11˝
1993-94
7.3L IDI Turbo Indirect Injection Factory Turbo
Top Ring - Keystone 3.16mm 2nd Ring - Keystone 2.52mm Oil Ring - 3.5mm
1.30˝
2M4873
1994.52003
7.3L DI Power Stroke Top Ring - Keystone 3.0mm Direct Injection 2nd Ring - Rectangular 2.0mm Turbocharged Oil Ring - 3.5mm
1.30˝
2M4882
2M4741
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.
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Profitable Performance
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The Crate Is Dead Help your customers choose a different road than everyone else. Long live diversity!
W
ell, maybe not yet. But can Customize it with some one-off mayou think of anything more chined parts or some repaired, polboring than the same old ished and re-plated swap meet 350 Chevy motor in every hot rod at treasure. Let them ask, “What is it?” the burger joint on a Friday night? I Sure you want to update the ignimean really? I was in a shop recently tion and the generator. We need deand commented about the Chrysler pendability, but with today’s vast Hemi heads on the bench. The shop array of suppliers, this is not hard. Inowner said, “Yeah, they’re going on a take manifolds can be a little harder, 354 that will be in a ‘32 Dodge.” My but in the case of the Hemi today, his heart soared. customer is building his own. A log A Ford in a Ford, a Mopar in a manifold set up with a half dozen Chrysler product, but no more deuces, just like in the day. Even a Chevys in everything. I can’t take it! more modern and dependable carb is It’s like having everyone paint their OK here, just get the look right. Hey, car the same shade of red, along with maybe they don’t all have to functhe same beige interior. It shouts out, tion. Or for a more dependable com“I care about nothing, including the bination go with a fully power plant!” programmable EFI that looks like a Give me a Flattie, a Hemi, a Nailcarburetor, but hide it all under a rehead, a Poncho or a big Mopar, but popped Caddy air cleaner. leave the small block Chevy in your Dealerships and online suppliers Chevelle. It just looks boring in your give the car builder an easy way out ’29 rat rod. How about The standard GM 350 crate enan old “Studie” V8 or gine brings a lot of anguish to enan early Olds? Then gine builders who try to compete there is something against it. But by offering someabout those three exthing unique and special, you haust pipes sticking may have a fighting chance. out of the side of that 331 Caddy. Make this your mantra and it will help prolong the industry and your business. It takes some effort to create a good looking early V8. Not just another cookie-cutter, I’m talking special machined parts, scrounging through swap meets and getting your hands dirty. It takes some old time knowledge or the pure heart of a true hot rodder to get into some old engine you may never have rebuilt and not just take it apart, but also set it apart.
14 March 2013 | EngineBuilder
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Dave Sutton dsutton@enginebuildermag.com
by supplying new and remanufactured Chevys and Fords for everyone. The price looks attractive and maybe there is some reference to a warranty. But when it is all said and done, you’d wish you had built an engine that was engineered for your kind of driving, with a better look and you know you should not put one manufacturer’s engine under the hood of another’s car. It is just not right if you ask me. Here’s what you say, “You’ve been dreaming of this ride for 30 years since you sold the original one you had in high school – the car you raced outside of town along the tracks, you piled your buddies in the trunk to save a few cents at the drivein, you used to park in up at the dam with that bombshell that ‘got away’ (something about the ‘submarine races’) – you put the effort into find-
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THIS ISSUE: PG 17 >> Bearing Clearances
ing the same year, make and model. But then you cut corners and buy someone else’s engine from some mail order place that will never have that same hot rod sound from under the hood. It won’t have the wheeze of a Flathead or the clatter of solid lifters. And it will forever look like 1968.” Like I said, this is your mantra, your sales pitch to someone who might just walk out the door and drive down to the local dealer and buy the latest ZZwhatever. Frank Freakin’ Bore-man! I remember when a guy had a engine, than started looking for a car to build around it. Now, you buy a frame and it is all welded-up and pretty. Ready to go with its Chevy motor mounts and a crossmember for a Turbo 350 transmission. This is often why good cars, not great cars, but good cars are often mistaken as “Kit Cars.” Pay your money and pick the color. That’s all you get. For hot rods, ’50s and ’60s street rods and muscle cars there is so much opportunity – more than ever before – to build a period-correct engine.
PG 26 >> Today’s EFI
PG 33 >> Chrysler Engines
And what’s going on in racing? Now they want to tell us that the same crate motor, with a slightly different camshaft, is a race motor. Powdered metal rods, hypereutectic pistons and all. Plug in and go racing. We’ll seal the motor with these special bolts that only our sanctioning body (and a handful of guys on the Internet) will have. We will equalize the playing field. Just make them all the same. Now racing is affordable for the masses. Except when you break. Than you must take the crate motor to a licensed and bonded shop that we have chosen to allow to take your money. Plus, to insure there is no cheating, we need to make sure the same aftermarket parts go back in these motors and we need you to pay extra so they can be distributed through a dealership and have the O.E.M. part number on the box. Oh, don’t worry that many have the idea that, “It’s not racing if you’re not cheating.” And that the aforementioned sealed bolts can be bought online. Or that folks have gone as far as trying to disguise an aftermarket block
Performance
and heads to look like the O.E. Or that someone with enough time can turn the motor on end and shake the stock hydraulic lifters out of it and with great patience replace them with racing hydraulics or even solids through the distributor hole. Let’s be honest. Once the bolts can be obtained, the sky-is-thelimit. And than there’s that argument that the Tech guy who works the track Saturday night doesn’t have the ability to check a variety of engines to make sure they are all complying to the rules. He’s now an expert on sealed bolts and unmodified crate motors? The truth is, rules only apply to the winner. If something seems to be unfair, there is always the tear-down. And this is true whether it’s a real race motor or a crate motor. Don’t get me wrong, I like the idea of making the sport a little more competitive and a little less expensive. But just like anything the government gets involved with, beware of unintentional consequences that arise. And when was it ever fun to go to the races and
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Performance
not have a favorite manufacturer’s brand to root for? You show up with an AMC V8 and you get my support. Give me the underdog every time. At bare minimum I want to see Fords, GMs and Mopars mixin’ it up. The importance of these ideas can’t be overlooked. Today’s grocery getter might last 11 years, get 300,000 miles on the clock and with good maintenance, the motor will never be touched. This is not an indicator of good things to come for our industry. From what I see, the vast majority of smaller shops’ engine builds are for restorations and race cars. Now they want to take that away from us as well. And make no mistake about it, the guys wearing the black hats in this drama have a lot larger checking accounts to market and promote their plain vanilla crates than we have to promote good old American diversity. This is an industry problem and the industry needs to address it. Many performance parts manufacturers are just
as upset with the trend that is circulating around the country as the machinists who install their parts. Parts distributors are just as unhappy and from what I hear, many of the racers who have tried racing with the crate aren’t always that happy either. Especially when they find out the motor they were planning on running is illegal this year. That bites twice. I’m no expert, and I know less about race track promotion. But if ticket sales are any indicator, the fans may not appreciate crates under the hood either. Unfortunately the only places I see to put any pressure to fight back against this trend would be on the promoter, sanctioning body or tracks, and the racer. These are the pressure points because this is where the money is. Unlike a street motor where we can sell a certain amount of “sex appeal,” in racing we have to go for the dough. It might hurt for a while, but if no machine shop supports the crate engine programs, if the racer can’t find a place
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to fix his motor and if track owners and promoters get complaints from the racers and fans we can hope to stem the tide and return to a more traditional form of racing. One with variety, diversity and yes, a certain amount of stretching the rules. Smokey Yunick once said something like this when asked about a potential rule violation. He stated, “Because it didn’t say I couldn’t.” And this to me ladies and gentleman defines racing. As usual, I’m not the bearer of good news, yet I know for the most part that I’m preaching to the choir. So see this as a friendly reminder that yours is not the only business affected by crate motors. This is an industry problem that will need to be addressed by all aspects of the industry. To turn our backs on it any longer will only mean acceptance and another piece of the pie taken from from everyone’s plate. If diversity is king, then “Long Live The King!” As for the crate? RIP. ■
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Feature
Bearing Clearances How Much Is Enough?
TECHNICAL EDITOR Larry Carley lcarley@babcox.com
I
s it better to build an engine with tighter bearing clearances and run it on low viscosity synthetic motor oil, or is it better to build an engine with more traditional or even looser bearing clearances and use heavier viscosity oil? The short answer is it depends on the engine, the application and the type of oil used. Tight bearing clearances and relatively thin synthetic multi-viscosity motor oils work well in many performance applications from NASCAR and circle track racing to drag racing. Keep in mind, however, that most of these engines are purpose-built engines that are machined with exacting tolerances. Crankshaft journals are precision ground to be as round, flat and true as possible, the journals are micropolished to a mirror-like finish of a couple microinches Ra or less, the bearings are precision fit to exact tolerances using a bore gauge and micrometer (not deformable plastic gauge), and the engines are run on high quality synthetic racing oil, not ordinary motor oil. The oil clearance is the gap between the inside diameter of an installed bear-
ing and the outside diameter of the crankshaft or camshaft journal. The clearance is measured 90 degrees to the bearing parting line, which is the thickest part of the bearing (bearing thickness tapers slightly toward the parting line). Reducing the oil clearance between the rod and main bearings and the crankshaft has a number of advantages. A smaller gap spreads the load over a wider area of the bearing surface and distributes pressure more uniformly across the bearing. That’s good, provided the
bearing is strong enough to handle it. A smaller gap also decreases the volume of oil that has to flow into the bearing to maintain the oil film between the bearing and shaft. That’s also good, provided the oil is thin enough (low viscosity) to flow well into the bearing. This also reduces the amount of oil pressure the engine needs, so some extra horsepower is gained by reducing the load on the oil pump. Reducing the oil clearance between the rod and main bearings and the crankshaft has a number of advantages. A smaller gap spreads the load over a wider area of the bearing surface and distributes pressure more uniformly across the bearing.
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Feature Tri-metal bearings handle high engine loads
In a NASCAR engine, well and have good fatigue resistance. Alurules limit the minimum minum bi-metal bearings, by comparison, have high wear and corrosion resistance. diameters of the rod and Some engine builders use coatings for extra main journals on the protection in case of contact with the jourcrankshaft. The rods are nal, but others say it is not necessary. 1.850˝ in diameter while the mains are 1.999˝. Most of these engines are running rod and main bearing clearances of .001˝ or less, and they are doing it with low viscosity racing oils such as 0W5, 0W30 and 0W50. These racing oils are as thin as water and are highly friction modified. They also contain extra anti-wear additives such as ZDDP (phosphorus levels up to 1,850 ppm or higher) to protect the cam lobes and flat tappet lifters. These are race-only oils and are not recommended for street use because they do not contain the same detergents, dispersants and corrosion inverters. hibitors as ordinary motor oils. With fuel injection, many Ordinary motors have to handle exNASCAR engines are now making tended oil drain intervals while racclose to 900 horsepower without a ing oils do not. Also, the level of restrictor plate, and are turning 9,500 ZDDP is too high for late model verpms for 500 miles. The bearings hicles equipped with catalytic con-
Circle 18 for more information 18 March 2013 | EngineBuilder
take quite a pounding but hold up extremely well (when was the last time you heard of a NASCAR engine blowing because of a bearing failure?). But what works great for NASCAR may not work in other
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forms or racing or on the street. One of the disadvantages of closer bearing clearances is that it can increase both bearing and oil temperatures. That’s no problem as long as the bearings and oil can handle the heat, but if they can’t it increases the risk of lubrication breakdown and bearing failure. That’s why high quality synthetic motor oil is absolutely essential if you are building an engine with tighter than normal clearances. The old rule of thumb is to provide .0007˝ to .001˝ of bearing clearance for every inch of shaft diameter in a stock engine. Consequently, if the crankshaft has two-inch diameter journals, the rod and main bearings should be assembled with about .0015˝ to .002˝ of clearance. For performance applications, some bearing manufacturers recommend adding an extra half a thousandth of clearance. Why? Because the rod bores don’t stay round in a performance engine at high rpm. When the piston reaches top dead center on the exhaust stroke, inertia stretches the rod and elongates the bore on the big end of the rod. This, in turn, deforms the bearings and reduces bearing clearances on the lower rod bearing while increasing it on the upper rod bearing. For high revving performance engines, some bearing manufacturers recommend rod bearing clearances of .002˝ to .003˝, with an absolute minimum clearance of no less than .0015˝. The tighter the clearances, the tighter the geometry requirements are for the crank journals (as round, straight and smooth as possible with little or no taper). Street engines can benefit from tighter tolerances and thinner oils for everyday driving. But when power adders such as nitrous oxide, turbocharging or supercharging are used, or the engine’s power output gets up in the 450 to 500 plus horsepower range, looser bearing clearances are probably safer to accommodate crankshaft flexing, main bore and rod bore distortion. The same reasoning applies to drag motors, truck pull engines and other performance engines that produce serious horsepower. Many of these engines are built with rod and main Circle 20 for more information 20 March 2013 | EngineBuilder
bearing clearances in the .0025˝ to .003˝ range. For the Saturday night dirt track racer, clearance is your friend because of the contaminants that often get into the crankcase. Looser is usually safer. Rod and main bores should be as round as possible with no more than plus or minus .0005˝ of variation for a performance engine (.001˝ is close enough for stock). You also have to take into account the fact that the bearings themselves may not be perfect. Manufacturing tolerances of up to plus or minus .00025˝ are not unusual in some bearings, while others may vary only .00015˝ or less. Main bore alignment is also critical. Some bearing manufacturers say adjacent main bores should have no more than .0005 inch of misalignment (.001˝ overall) if you are using tri-metal bearings, and no more than .002˝ of misalignment between adjacent bores (.002˝ overall) with aluminum bi-metal bearings. One of the advantages of looser bearing clearances is that it allows more room for “slop,” which is important if the crankshaft isn’t machined to near perfection or there is some misalignment in the main bores. Wider bearing clearances do require a heavier viscosity oil (such as a 20W50 multi-viscosity oil or a straight 30, 40 or 50 oil). The heavier viscosity oil is absolutely necessary with wider clearances to maintain the oil film between the bearing and shaft so the bearing isn’t starved for lubrication. This also requires more oil pressure from the oil pump and/or more oil volume. The amount of oil that is actually between the bearing and shaft surface at the point of highest load isn’t much. Though the installed gap between the bearing and shaft may be .001˝ to .0015˝ or more, the oil is displaced when the bearing is loaded. At its thinnest point, the oil film may only be .00002˝ thick (1/100th the diameter of a human hair!). That’s not much oil between the metal surfaces, but it doesn’t take much to maintain hydrostatic lubrication. When the shaft starts to turn, an oil wedge forms between the shaft and bearing that lifts the shaft up and away from the bearing surface. The shaft then glides on the oil with minimal fric-
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PG 26 >> EFI Systems
PG 33 >> Chrysler Engines
PG 50 >> Stroker Guide
tion. If a crankshaft grinder wobbles If a crankshaft grinder while a crankshaft is being wobbles while a crankground, it can leave lobes shaft is being ground, it around the circumference of the journal. These may be invisible can leave lobes around the to the naked eye and very difficircumference of the journal. These may be invisible cult to detect with a micrometer. But if there’s any distortion to the naked eye and very on the surface, it may interfere difficult to detect with a with the formation of the oil micrometer. But if there’s wedge under the shaft if the any distortion on the surbearing clearances in the engine face, it may interfere with are too tight. the formation of the oil wedge under the shaft if the bearing clearances in the engine are too tight. Polishing the crank can reduce surface roughness on the journal but it won’t get rid of the lobes or ribbing. Another factor to consider is that the upper Babbitt layer on a tri-metal bearing is very thin, typically .0005˝ to .0008˝ thick. The top layer of Babquickly wiped away if the engine bitt acts as a dry film lubricant when starves for oil when it is running there is no oil between the shaft and under heavy load or at high rpm. bearing. That’s fine for a dry start And once the protective upper layer that may only last a couple revoluof Babbitt has been destroyed, the intions of the crankshaft, but it is
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termediate layer of copper/lead alloy will quickly seize if there’s no oil film to keep it separated from the shaft. One of the reasons why many performance engine builders use tri-
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Feature metal bearings is because they want bearings that have good seizure resistance in high rpm applications. Trimetal bearings also handle high engine loads well and have good fatigue resistance. The Babbitt surface layer also provides embedability if dirt or debris gets past the oil filter. Tri-metal bearings are typically recommended for use with forged steel crankshafts. Aluminum bi-metal bearings, by comparison, have high wear and corrosion resistance. With harder aluminum/silicon alloys, they can also handle higher loads while providing good antiseize properties. Aluminum bearings are often recommended for cast iron cranks because they have a polishing effect on the journal surface. What’s more, according
to some bearing manufacturers, a high silicon alloy aluminum bi-metal bearing will actually resist seizure longer than a tri-metal bearing if the protective oil film goes away. That brings us back to the oil and bearing clearances. The oil doesn’t care what kind of bearing and shaft it is lubricating. It only needs to maintain enough oil film between the two surfaces to provide hydrodynamic lubrication and prevent Regardless of what type of bearings you put in an engine or how close you set the bearing clearances, always use plenty of assembly lube to coat the bearings. And use proper break-in oil when you run the engine for the first time for extra anti-wear protection.
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PG 26 >> EFI Systems
metal-to-metal contact. There has to be enough oil pressure and flow to keep the bearings lubricated and cooled, and the oil itself has to have enough shear strength so it isn’t pushed out of the gap between the bearing and shaft at the point where the load is greatest. Multi-viscosity synthetic motor oils flow more easily than conventional straight weight oils at both low and high temperatures. So they can handle cold starts as well as elevated operating temperatures (which is really important with turbochargers). To reduce friction and improve fuel economy, most late model stock engines are factory-filled with 5W20 or even 0W20 oil. Combined with tighter engine assembly tolerances, these oil and bearing combinations work relatively well for everyday driving and even mild performance use. For racing applications, though, the oil needs to be formulated specifically for racing – especially if the engine has a flat tappet cam that requires plenty of
PG 33 >> Chrysler Engines
PG 50 >> Stroker Guide
ZDDP in the additive package. You can get oil viscosities ranging from 0W5 to 120W60, with 15W40 being a popular viscosity for stock car racing, road racing and spring cars. For wider bearing clearances, some prefer to use a heavier 15W50 or 20W50 oil. In drag racing Top Alcohol and Pro Mod classes, AHDRA Nitro Bikes and blown alcohol tractor pulling, 20W60 may be the lubricant of choice. For NHRA Top Fuel dragsters and Funny Cars, a 70WT oil might be used. So the type of oil that’s used will depend on the application and the bearing clearances inside the motor. An additional layer of protection can be achieved by installing coated bearings. Various types of proprietary coatings are available that provide scuff resistance where there is no oil between the bearing and shaft. Such coatings cost extra, but are good insurance against dry starts and may save a crank if the engine loses oil pressure in a race. Finally, regardless of what type of
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bearings you put in an engine or how close you set the bearing clearances, always use plenty of assembly lube to coat the bearings. Also, use the proper break-in oil when the engine is run for the first time. Break-in oils are typically a straight 30W oil without friction modifiers for fast ring seating. But they also contain extra ZDDP anti-wear additives to protect the cam and lifters. The break-in oil can then be drained and replaced with the type of oil (conventional or synthetic) that will be used from that point on. Be sure to tell your engine customer how important it is to use a high quality oil and that it has the correct viscosity to match the bearing clearances and lubrication requirements of the engine and application. ■ For more information and articles about engine bearings, visit our website and use the search feature. For information on bearing suppliers, visit our Buyers Guide at http://bit.ly/XvnTOT.
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Tuning In To Thhe Whether you use a self-tuning system or dyno tune each l every skill level. Good, skilled tuners are more in demand
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here are many variables that need to be calculated and calibrated when it comes to electronic fuel injection (EFI), but simple fuel flow is just the beginning. EFI goes far beyond a replacement for a carburetor, and the electronic part of the equation is where these systems seem so complicated. Many EFI systems give you the ability to control a wide range of parameters of the vehicle, so it’s more involved than simply controlling fuel flow. It comes down to being able to completely control the engine and the vehicle’s systems by carefully calibrating fuel and timing at specific load levels. While there are several self-tuning systems on the market today, the ability to accurately map an engine and make it driveable in your cus-
26 March 2013 | EngineBuilder
tomer’s application is becoming inwe highly recommend reading up creasingly important. Self-tuning on the subject. A variety of books are has come a long way, according to available through online bookstores industry experts we surveyed for (e.g., Engine Management: Advanced this article, but a good engine tuner Tuning, by Greg Banish; Performance or, as some prefer “calibrator,” will Fuel Injection Systems, by Matt always be in demand. Cramer and Jerry Hoffmann; BuildA competent tuner should be able ing & Tuning High-Performance Electo improve the engine’s characteristronic Fuel Injection, by Ben Strader – tics, making it more powerful or just to name a few). But for a more more efficient, depending on the hands on approach, some manufaccustomer’s needs. For instance, a turers offer classes and training as it street tune with its calibrations and applies to their specific systems. many different load points will be a There is also a school dedicated to much different looking map than a teaching the ins and outs of tuning race tune, in which the vehicle is called EFI University mostly run at WOT (wide open (www.efi101.com), that will take you throttle). from theory to practice in a matter of Without enough space or time to a few days. You don’t need to have discuss everything you need to any experience with calibrating, and know about tunthere’s something to ing EFI systems, learn for everyone, Tuning an EFI system on the dyno requires paying close attenno matter what your tion to detail to get as close to experience level is. 100 percent volumetric efficiency We talked to top as possible. (Photo from Pro Car EFI suppliers and Associates EFI University Class) manufacturers to get to their thoughts on these ever evolving engine management systems. Matt Wright of Haltech (www.haltech.com) says they design and manufacture all of their own ECU’s and wiring harnesses as well as supply fuel injection hardware such as fuel injectors, sensors and fuel system components – in addition to the fuel system they also supply ignition components such as coils, igniters and CDI’s. Wright says that he’s seen a definite evolution of EFI over the past 3-5 years, “We have started to see a lot more direct injection engines hit
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The EFI Market h load cell, today’s EFI systems offer something for nd than ever.
SENIOR EXECUTIVE EDITOR BRENDAN BAKER BBAKER@BABCOX.COM
the market (where fuel is injected directly into the combustion chamber similar to a diesel engine), we are seeing a lot more variable cam timing engines and The MegaSquirt line of engine of course emissions con- management systems are capable of full standalone engine trol components are bemanagement at a fraction of the coming more and more cost of other systems. They restrictive. On the perwere designed with education formance side of things and performance in mind, so we are starting to see a that the do it yourselfer could lot more electronic intelearn the ins and outs of engine gration over the whole management and tuning. vehicle. Data acquisition systems are linking into engine management systems and powertrain control systems – with the myriad of electronic controls on a modern engine all the systems have to start talking and working together.” Holley Performance Products’ (www.holley.com) Blane Burnett says a wide range of EFI systems is available, depending on what the engine builder/tuner needs. “We offer selflearning EFI systems for those who want to upgrade from carburetors to EFI, units for street performance, and we also have units capable of full race setups. These units are better known as our Avenger, HP, Dominator EFI and Terminator EFI systems (soon to be released in 2013).” The largest difference with EFI in the last 3-5 years, according to Burnett, has been with the utilization of the wide band O2 sensor and the faster EFI University offers extensive processor that Holley training and hands on experihas in its ECU. He says ence for those who wish to you can now target the learn the ins and outs of EFI. air/fuel ratio and that (Photo from Pro Car Associates cuts your tuning time Advanced EFI 101 Class) in half. EngineBuilderMag.com 27
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Matt Cramer of DIYAutoTune.com, says they sell the MegaSquirt line of engine management systems. These are available in everything from the old-school solder it yourself kits to polished plug and play systems. The latest addition to the company’s lineup is the MS3-
Pro, a sealed control unit aimed at a somewhat higher end market than its previous version. Cramer says that these systems can be used with either throttle body injection or multi-port systems. The biggest changes Cramer says he has seen in the past few years is
Circle 28 for more information
Circle 26 for more information 28 March 2013 | EngineBuilder
that the OEM systems continue to grow in complexity, driven primarily by emissions and CAFE standards. But he says the aftermarket tends to catch up pretty quickly. “The biggest change I’ve seen in the aftermarket world is price,” says Cramer. “Our MS3-Pro sells for $1,199 with a wiring harness, and even a year ago you would’ve had to spend around three times that to get the sort of features it offers.” Our experts say that for old-school carburetor guys, there can be some perceived challenges at first dealing with the intricacies of an electronic fuel injection system but if you have a good understanding of how a carb and engine work, the transition will actually be seamless. “Like anything, learning a new skill takes time,” says Wright. “If a guy genuinely understands how an engine works and how to tune a performance carb then the transition to EFI is a lightbulb moment in their career and it’s really quite a joy to experience. On other hand, if your knowledge of carbs is limited to ‘look up what the manufacturer suggests and bolt it on,’ then the transition to EFI will be more turbulent.” Some experts suggest that the biggest obstacle a “carb guy” may face is the fear he’s installed in his own mind. “I break the EFI system into three parts,” says Andrew Starr of Hilborn (www.hilborninjection.com). “The fuel system requires the correct placement of the components, which is detailed in our supplied schematic. The electronics are supplied with a schematic while the wiring is easily modified to fit the vehicle and, yes, a solder gun is mandatory (no butt-connectors, please). And if you’re installing an individual runner (IR) intake manifold the technique of tuning the butterflies is presented in video form on our website. So any old school carburetor guy can do EFI once they get over their initial anxiety. Most people find tuning an EFI system easier than a carburetor when they’ve had a chance to work with it.” Erik Brock of MSD Performance (www.msdperformance.com) says instructional videos can help answer basic installation and setup questions. “We also make it a point to visit many
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Feature engine builders in order to answer questions and take feedback.” Eric Blakely of Edelbrock (www.edelbrock.com) says they have made it a priority to get their customers more comfortable with EFI by eliminating the computer from the equation and offering EFI systems with a simple-to-use handheld calibration module.
“Our E-Street system has a simple to use E-Tuner. These handheld modules simplify the setup process by asking basic questions in order to get the right information for the system. They also make it convenient to tune right at the vehicle, instead of using a laptop computer and loading a modified tune,” Blakely says. “Our new EStreet EFI system will take this one
Circle 30 for more information 30 March 2013 | EngineBuilder
step further by eliminating the cables and will communicate directly with the ECU wirelessly.” Aftermarket EFI systems are available in many formats from throttle body TBI to multiport, but it depends on what your customer needs to determine which system is best for your application, say our experts. Cramer says that DIYAutoTune’s control units can be used with both types of setups, although most of the fuel delivery hardware they sell is geared to multi-port. “Throttle body injection is cheap and straightforward to install and we’ve had thousands of customers go that route and they’re very happy. At the same time however, it will never perform to the level that a good MPFI setup will, which is exactly why OEMs quit using it. Multi-port injection tends to get better fuel distribution from the start, and sequential systems let you tune the fuel on each individual cylinder as well if you want to get it perfect. There’s a reason OEM throttle body injection seldom showed up in high performance applications.” When NASCAR switched to EFI at the start of the 2012 season, some said that it wouldn’t offer fuel savings because a carb atomizes the fuel better than EFI. Our experts pointed out that the carb may make more peak power but it is not as efficient throughout the whole rpm range. The carburetor, with its booster, is a much more efficient mixer of the air and fuel than the typical EFI system. According to Brock, in some cases, a carburetor may atomize fuel better than EFI. “Across a wide range, port fuel injection will have better cylinder-to-cylinder distribution and atomization at much less development cost,” he says. “The problem with carburetors is tuning fuel use efficiently throughout the operating range,” says Hilborn’s Starr. “NASCAR engines spend most of their time at WOT and are tuned accordingly.” Cramer says the biggest disadvantage of EFI is that all those features can give you enough rope to hang yourself if you don’t know what an engine needs and just start smacking buttons. The power to tune the engine perfectly also gives you the power to tune it imperfectly.
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Still, Cramer says horsepower and torque are easy enough to see in a dyno pull. And with EFI engines, all else being equal, will generally make more power all across the rpm range on average, where carbs tend to be a little peakier. Holley’s Burnett says that while basically getting the same job done, the carburetor and EFI units do so a bit differently. “Some racing classes only allow carburetors to be used and will continue to do so for many years to come. Other types of car restoration professionals will continue to put what came on the car originally on their vehicles and that will sustain the carburetor in the same manner. Our EFI systems allow a customer to control many different functions all within one unit and to do so easily.” Tuning an EFI system REALLY does require the engine tuner know about engines, say our experts. “That’s a big challenge these days in the EFI world actually,” explains Haltech’s Wright “You have a bunch
32 March 2013 | EngineBuilder
EFI systems such as this one from Holley come equipped with 4 programmable inputs and 4 programmable outputs and is billed as the replacement for a 950 carb. It fits most vehicles with up to a single power adder.
of tech-savvy computer geeks tuning engines that they know very little about.” The best tuners have a foot in both camps, say our EFI experts. “No doubt, the guys who you’re looking for as a tuner know cars and com-
Circle 32 for more information
puters,” Wright concludes. “As far as computer skills are concerned, if you can use Windows you can probably learn most EFI systems. The true professionals understand engines and they can operate a laptop.” ■
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CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Doug Anderson danderson@enginebuildermag.com Photography by Nancy Swafford
C
hrysler made some major changes in their engine lineup starting in ’07. They replaced their four cylinder engines in everything but the PT Cruiser in ’07, updated the 4.7L V8 in ’08, added variable valve timing to the Hemi in ’09 and replaced their V6 motors with a new 3.6L DOHC beginning in ’10, so all of their engines were either new or improved by 2013. With that in mind, here’s an overview of all the changes they made along with some detailed information on a couple of them that we haven’t discussed before including the 4.0L SOHC V6 and the dual plug 4.7L. Let’s start with their four cylinder engines. Chrysler teamed up with Mitsubishi and Hyundai to design a whole new family of four cylinder engines that were used by all three companies, although each one modified the basic engine design to fit their needs. They created the Global Engine Manufacturing Alliance with five factories in the US, Japan and Korea that built about 2,000,000 en-
34 March 2013 | EngineBuilder
gines a year. These were usually called the “GEMA” motors by people in the industry, but Chrysler named theirs the “World Engines” and installed them in most of their front wheel drive vehicles beginning in ’07. There were three different engines in this family including a 1.8L, a 2.0L and a 2.4L with an aluminum block along with an aluminum DOHC head that had “dual electrohydraulic VVT” on both the intake and exhaust cams. They all had a crank driven module inside the pan that incorporated the oil pump and two counter-rotating balance shafts, too. There weren’t very many of the 1.8L motors built because they were only available in the base model of the ’07-’09 Caliber that usually came with the optional 2.0L that was standard in the small 2WD Jeeps. The most popular “World Engine” was the 2.4L that was installed in all of their mid-sized cars along with the 4x4 Jeep Compass and Patriot. There were a few of the turbo 2.4L
motors installed in the Caliber SRT4 in ’08-’09, but they were pretty rare. These “World Engines” were often criticized because they were a bit rough and noisy and they didn’t make much power at the low end, but they were cheaper to build than the original 2.0L/2.4L motors and they got better fuel economy, so Chrysler was happy with them for awhile. The chart on page 36 includes the applications, dates and VIN codes we found for each engine. This is our best take on these engines based on the information we found in a variety of sources that didn’t always agree, so consider it an overview and proceed with caution. We have included it to make sure you know about the “World Engines” that replaced the Chryslerbuilt 2.0L and 2.4L motors in everything but the PT Cruiser beginning in ’07 (Chrysler continued to use their old 2.4L motor in the PT
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Updating the CHRYSLER ENGINES
Chrysler ‘World Engines’ 1.8L Caliber
’07-’09
’07-’09/C
2.0L Caliber Compass (4x2)
’07-’12 ’07-’12
’07-’08/B ’09-’12/A ’07-’08/O ’09-’12/A
’07-’12
’07-’08/O ’09-’12/A
’07-’10 ’11-’12 ’07-’12 ’07-’12 ’07-’12 ’07-’12 ’08-’12 ’08-’09
’07-’08/K ’09-’10/B ’11-’12/B ’07-’08/K ’09-’12/B ’07-’08/W ’09-’12/B ’07-’08/W ’09-’12/B ’07-’08/K ’09-’12/B ’08/K ’09-’12/B ’08-’09/F
Patriot (4x2) 2.4L Sebring Chrysler 200 Caliber R/T Compass Patriot Journey Avenger Caliber SRT-4
Chrysler teamed up with Mitsubishi and Hyundai to design a whole new family of four cylinder engines that were used by all three companies. These were usually called the “GEMA” motors by people in the industry, but Chrysler named theirs the “World Engines” and installed them in most of their front wheel drive vehicles beginning in ’07.
through ’10). Rebuilding the GEMA motors at a reasonable cost may be a challenge because the parts, including the balance shaft/oil pump module that has to be replaced because it can’t be rebuilt (you can’t even take it apart), are pretty expensive. Chrysler and Hyundai have better access to parts and cores than we do and they’re both selling their rebuilt GEMA engines for around $3,000, so that’s probably a pretty good benchmark to keep in mind. I personally know of one rental car company that spent nearly $5,000 apiece to install five of the remanufactured 2.4L engines in some 2011 Hyundai Sonatas that ended up with the wrong oil filters. That makes me wonder how many customers will be in the market for one of these engines when the time comes. But that’s not the end of the story for the four cylinder motors. Chrysler bought out their partners in the Global Alliance in September of ’09 and announced that they were going to replace their GEMA engines with a new family of four cylinders that would be better than the existing engines and incorporate the latest technology from Fiat. 36 March 2013 | EngineBuilder
They’re replacing the 1.8L with either a 1.4L or a 1.8L from Fiat, but they’ve updated their 2.0L and 2.4L with a die-cast aluminum block that has a cast iron bedplate along with a new head that has roller cam followers and comes with a sophisticated intake manifold. Both of these Chrysler engines will have four valves per cylinder, but the 2.4L will be a SOHC motor that incorporates the Fiat “MultiAir variable-valve timing technology” for the first time in a Chrysler-built engine.
This next generation of their World Gas Engines – called the “Tigershark” family – will be installed in the new Dodge Dart in 2013, but the 2.4L engine is scheduled for “late introduction” so we haven’t seen any of them yet. All the rest of their front wheel drive cars and the mini-sport utilities will continue to use the existing 2.0L and 2.4L “World Engines” through 2013.
V6 Engine Modifications Chrysler made another major change in their engine program with the introduction of the new 3.6L aluminum DOHC “Pentastar” motor in 2010. It replaced all six of their existing V6 engines including the 2.7L, 3.3L, 3.5L, 3.7L, 3.8L and the 4.0L in all of their cars and trucks by the end of 2012. We knew that all of these existing engines were “lame ducks,” but we didn’t know exactly when they were replaced or what might have been changed since our last update in ’07, so we spent a lot of time in the Hollander manual, Mitchell Online and the Chrysler parts book to come up with some answers. With that in mind, let’s take a look at them, one at a time, starting with the 2.7L V6: •The 2.7L/167 CID DOHC engine was used up through 2010. The VIN was changed from ‘R’ or ‘T’ to ‘D’ in ’09 and ’10, but the engine was pretty Chrysler used a link chain (front) instead of a roller chain to drive the intake cams beginning in '09 or '10.
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much the same. •The block that was modified for starter clearance in ’01 was used up through ’10 along with the new “lightweight” head castings that came out in ’06. You can identify the lightweight heads visually or by the 4892064AA/4892068AA casting numbers. There’s only one difference in the engine after ’07: Chrysler changed the width of the primary chain and used two link chains instead of the roller chains to drive the intake cams beginning in ’09 or ’10, but we don’t know exactly when they made the change because they’ve superseded all of the original timing sets to the later design that requires new gears and chains along with all four cams and a different water pump. The bad news is that none of these late model timing components are available in the aftermarket, so you better make friends with your Chrysler dealer if you decide to rebuild one of these engines with all the latest parts. •The 3.3L/201 CID OHV engine was used in the minivans up through ’10 before it was discontinued. The VIN code was changed to an ‘E’ in ’09 and ’10. This engine got new heads in ’01 and a new block casting (4666031AB) in ’07, but nothing was changed after that so the engine stayed the same up through ’10. •The 3.5L/215 CID SOHC engine was used in both the front and rear wheel drive cars up through ’10. The VIN codes can be a little confusing in ’09-’10 because the FWD cars were a VIN ‘V’, just like the RWD cars, even
though the engines weren’t interchangeable. The long block remained the same as an assembly, but the short block had new, heavy duty, forged steel rods that had a cracked cap and a tapered small end that used a unique pin bushing. The piston was changed to a lightweight design that helped offset the additional weight of the new rod, so the combined weight of the early and late piston/rod assemblies is nearly the same. Knowing that allowed us to use the early rods and pistons in the later engines until DNJ began supplying the late, lightweight piston. The bad news is that there aren’t any pin bushings available for either rod, so we’re having them made for both applications. •The 3.7L/226 CID SOHC motor was used up through ’11 in the Dodge Dakota and the Nitro and up through ’12 in the Jeep Liberty and the Dodge pickups. It was always identified as a VIN ‘K’ from ’02 thru ’12. The 3.7L used the same short block from ‘02 through ’12 except for the change to the NGC tone ring in ’04. The heads got new kidney–shaped chambers in ’05 and EGR was added to the left head in ’07, so there’s a 53020984AC head casting on the right side and a 530200983AD casting WITH EGR on the left side. Nothing was changed after that, so the ’07 verThe crank for the 4.0L has '4 0' forged on the counterweight that's right behind the third rod journal.
sion of this engine that came with the NGC short block and the lightweight heads that had EGR on the driver’s side was used for everything up through ’12. •The 3.8L/231 CID OHV pushrod engine was used in the minivans through ’10 and installed in the Ram Cargo Vans (minivans without windows) along with the Jeep Wrangler up through 2011 before it was replaced by the new 3.6L Pentastar engine. Watch out for the VIN codes when selling one of these engines, because they vary from year to year and both the front and rear wheel drive applications share the same VIN code in ’10. The Wrangler was always a VIN ‘1’, but the minivan was an ‘L’ in ’07, a ‘P’ in ’08-’09 and a ‘1’ in 2010. •The 3.8L was usually updated when the 3.3L was revised because they’re both part of the same family, so the 3.8L got the new heads in ’01 and the 4666031AB block casting with the extra bolt holes for the RWD Wrangler in ’07. Nothing was changed after that, so the same long block was used for everything up through ’11, although the complete engine assemblies came with different pans and front covers, depending on the application. •The 4.0L/241 CID SOHC is the last V6 motor on our list. It’s a stroked version of the 3.5L so they share a lot of common parts, but there are some important differences, too. The 4.0L showed up in the Pacifica Limited and Touring editions along with the Dodge Nitro R/T in ’07 and it was used in the Chrysler Limited minivans from ’08 through ’10. The new 3.6L Pentastar engine replaced the 4.0L in everything except a few of the Dodge Nitros in 2011. Be careful when cataloging these engines, because the VIN codes overlap again. The FWD applications were always a VIN ‘X’, but the RWD Nitro that was a VIN ‘6’ in ’07 and ’08 became a VIN ‘X’ from ’09 through ’11. That can create a problem if you sell an engine based on the VIN code without knowing the application, because they have different front covers so they’re not interchangeable. •It took us a while to figure out how to catalog the 4.0L engines because Chrysler says there are four different short blocks including early EngineBuilderMag.com 37
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Updating the CHRYSLER ENGINES
and late versions of both the front Connecting Rods and rear wheel drive motors, but The 4.0L uses the exact same rod that there’s actually only one short block showed up in the 3.5L beginning in along with two long blocks. Chrysler ’07, even though it has a longer changed the oil coolers and the pans stroke. It’s easy to identify because on all the 4.0L motors in ’09, so they it’s a forged steel rod with a cracked have to list the early and late part cap that has “4AA” on it along with a numbers for both applications betapered, cause they include the oil pan small end The cams for the 4.0L can be with all of their short blocks. that has a identified by the raised cast ring With that in mind, here’s that's located behind the fifth what you need to know about lobe. these engines in order to rebuild them.
special bushing in it. Oversize OD rod bearings are available, but no one offers the special pin bushings so we’re having them custom made for this application.
Pistons The piston for the 4.0L looks a lot like the one that was used with the new rod in the 3.5L beginning in ’07, but
Rebuilding The 4.0L: Blocks There are two block castings, a 4593586AA and a 4593586AB, but they’re both the same and they’re identical to the late 3.5L except for the big mains. They’re easy to tell apart because there’s a small ‘3.5L’ or ‘4.0L’ on the block right below the casting number.
Crankshaft The 4.0L motor has a forged steel crank that looks just like the one that’s used for the 3.5L, but the mains are bigger they’re 2.717” instead of 2.5202” - and the stroke is 10mm longer so it measures 3.58” instead of 3.189”. This crank is easy to identify because it has “4 0” forged on the counterweight right behind the third rod journal. The big main bearings for the 4.0L are available in the aftermarket now.
The 4.0L has a forged steel rod with a cracked cap. The small end is tapered and has a bushing. The piston for the 4.0L (right) looks like the one for the late 3.5L (left), but the compression height is 5.0mm lower to compensate for the longer stroke.
the compression height is 5.0mm shorter because the stroke is 10.0mm longer. Modifying the compression height of the piston allowed Chrysler to use the late rod from the 3.5L along with a common deck height so they could install the same heads and timing components on both engines. This piston is available from DNJ, too.
Rings The 4.0L uses the same 1.2mm/1.5mm/2.50mm rings that were used for the late 3.5L beginning in ’07. Good luck assembling the short block with the narrow oil rings.
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Updating the CHRYSLER ENGINES increased performance” and that the “intake lobes are splayed for reduced NVH.” Both cams can be identified by the raised cast ring around the barrel behind the fifth lobe. The right hand cam is a PN4593616AA and the left hand one is a PN4593618AA. Chrysler recommends replacing the bolts for the cam sprockets any time they’re removed. The front cover for the FWD 4.0L engines has a flat pad in the middle with three bolt holes for the torque axis motor mount.
Timing Components All of the timing components used on the 4.0L
Heads The 4792728AA or 4663894AC head castings that came on the 4.0L are the same ones that were used on the 3.5L beginning in ’04. Both of these heads have provisions for EGR so we always plug the holes to make sure that the customer doesn’t forget to plug the one that isn’t needed for his application. Everything else that’s up topside, including the cam followers and rocker assemblies, is the same except for the cams.
Camshafts The cams for the 4.0L are unique to this application. Chrysler says “they have a higher lift/profile for The 4.0L block looks identical to the one for the late 3.5L except for the bigger mains, but it's easy to tell them apart because there's a '4.0L' cast right on the block under the casting number.
The front cover for the RWD Nitro is unique to this application. The 'loop' in the middle of the 'AA casting was missing on the 'AB and 'AC castings, so we don't think it was needed, especially since Chrysler superseded them all to the 'AC casting that doesn't have it.
are the same as the ones found on the late 3.5L including the sprockets, tensioners, pivots and timing belt.
Front Covers The only difference between the front and rear wheel drive long blocks is the inner front cover. The one for the FWD cars is a 4892137AA/AB/AC that has a flat pad on the top with three bolt holes that are used for the torque axis motor mount. There are three different castings with AA/AB/AC suffixes and Chrysler still lists two different part numbers, but we’ve seen all three of them and couldn’t find any difference, no matter what Chrysler says. There are three different castings for the front cover that’s used for the RWD motors, too, with a 4892266 casting number that has AA/AB or AC suffixes. There are some subtle differences between them, but Chrysler has superseded all of them to the latest version with the AC suffix, 40 March 2013 | EngineBuilder
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The chamber for the '09 Hemi with VVT is no longer shaped like a hemi, but at least it has the bigger intake seats that won't fall out.
so they can all be interchanged.
Final Thoughts On The 4.0L The 4.0L is easy to catalog because there’s only one short block along with two long blocks that have different front covers, depending on the application. It’s easy to build now that all the parts are available, because it’s just an overgrown 3.5L with a different block, crank, pistons and cams. There are plenty of the 4.0L motors out there in cars that are worth fixing, so you should get some calls.
The 3.6L Pentastar Meanwhile, the new 3.6L Pentastar motor that replaced all six of the “old” Chrysler V6 engines is very impressive. It’s available in almost everything Chrysler builds including their RWD cars, all of their minivans, the Jeep Grand Cherokee, the Dodge Durango and the Ram pickup and it performs well in all of them. In fact, it’s so versatile that the engine that’s in the pickup trucks is the same one that’s used in
the cars except for the the head to create the same flow as a intake manifold. These traditional exhaust manifold without engines make 90% of having to bolt an external manifold their peak torque from on the head, so it’s just as efficient 1600 rpm all the way to and it’s easier to package the engine 6400 rpm while makin a variety of applications, according ing over 300 horseto Chrysler. power and getting 25 The original engine has 3.6L/220 miles per gallon in the cubic inches, but the architecture was pickups and full-sized designed to allow Chrysler to build cars. bigger or smaller versions ranging So what makes the from 3.0L to 4.0L and everything in 3.6L so special? Here’s between, so you can expect to see what we know about some different combinations includthis new motor: ing a 3.2L that is due out next year. The block is a lightThis engine family was designed to weight, aluminum diesupport MDS, direct injection, ‘Multicasting that weighs 20 Air’ and twin turbos, so there’s defipounds less than the nitely more to come. The word on the aluminum 3.6L GM street is that there will be a twin turbo block. It has forged rods and cast pistons that are cooled by the oil nozzles that are located in the crankcase. The variable displacement oil pump that reduces oil pressure below 3000 rpm under the right conditions is in the front cover. The DOHC aluminum heads have 24 valves and dual independent cam phasers. There’s just one pair of heads and there’s only one pair of cams used for all of these engines. The single exhaust outlet that’s integrated into the The crank for the 4.7L dual plug motor has head has “flow '288AA' on the front counterweight. paths” cast inside
The counterweights on the late 4.7L crank are bigger because the rods and pistons are heavier. You can see the difference in the size and shape of some of them on the new crank on the right compared to the early one on the left.
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Updating the CHRYSLER ENGINES The heavy duty rod for the dual plug motor (right) is forged steel with a cracked cap and a tapered small end that has a press fit pin. It weighs 50 grams more than the earlier ones and it has a balance pad because it's not forged 'net to shape' like the powdered metal rods.
lists five different engines for ’11 –’12 and we know that there’s at least one more in ’13 because the engine in the Ram pickup has a unique intake manifold, so getting the right takeout engine could be a bit of a challenge. Now that we have updated all the Chrysler V6 motors, let’s take a look at a couple of the V8s, starting with the 4.7L engine that came with dual spark plugs in ’08. All of these engines are still either a VIN ‘N’ or ‘P’, depending on the year and the application.
THE DUAL PLUG 4.7L V8
The piston for the dual plug motor (right) is unique because it has two valve reliefs and a trough in the middle.
motor making 420 horsepower in 2015! Chrysler has installed the 3.6L in nearly a third of the vehicles that they have produced since 2011 and it’s been nearly trouble free since day one. There were a handful that had phaser problems and a very small percentage that had a slight machining error that affected the heads according to my sources, but the engine has performed well with a minimum of problems in a wide variety of cars and trucks since the beginning. They’re all VIN ‘G’ motors and they all share the same short block, heads and cams, so they’re virtually identical as far as the rebuilders are concerned, but they have different intakes, sheet metal and accessories, depending on the application, so 44 March 2013 | EngineBuilder
Chrysler updated the 4.7L with a new pair of heads that have slightly different intake ports and noticeably bigger exhaust ports that are squared off on the top along with a revised combustion chamber that has dual spark plugs, just like the Hemi. The dual plug 4.7L makes a very respectable 300 horsepower, so it’s become the standard engine for the Ram pickup. It appears that one long block fits everything from ’08 through ’12 according to the information we found on the Hollander interchange site and in the Chrysler parts book. There may be different oil pans, intake manifolds, front covers and accessories used, de-
the complete engine assemblies aren’t always interchangeable, in spite of their simiThe cams for the dual plug 4.7L (in back) have powdered metal lobes larities. pressed onto a solid bar that's been machined for this application. NoHollander tice the difference in the diameter of the bar compared to the size of the hollow tube that was used before.
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Blocks
Con Rods
Chrysler continued to use the same block that’s been around since ’04 for the dual plug motor. It’s the 53022033AA casting that has the three extra bolt holes on the driver’s side that were originally used to mount the front differential on the 4x4 Durango way back then.
The connecting rods are real, old time forgings instead of the powdered metal ones that are used in most engines today, but they have a cracked cap and there’s no notch for a tang! The small end is tapered like the one on the 3.5L/4.0L rod, but it has a
Crankshaft
The beehive spring for the dual plug motor has a one piece, unitized, plastic base that incorporates a damper and includes the stem seal. The plastic base is starting to melt under the exhaust springs on our original cores, so you may have to buy some new springs for about $5 a piece.
pending on the vehicle, but the block, heads and all the internal parts stayed the same year after year in every application, so we’re going to catalog one long block for everything.
Chrysler used an allnew crankshaft (look for “288AA” forged on the front counterweight) for the dual plug motor. The pistons and the rods are considerably heavier, so some of the counterweights are longer and they have square ends instead of the bull-nosed ones found on the original cranks. The early and late crankshafts can’t be interchanged without some serious modifications, so don’t mix them up. The dual plug engine uses the NGC computer so it still has the tone wheel with 32 notches.
The lifter for the dual plug motor (right) is slightly different on the outside, but the real difference is the addition of a check ball inside the lifter to meter oil to the cam follower. Don't mix them up with the early ones.
press fit pin. These rods look a lot different than the original powdered metal rods so they’re easy to tell apart, but they can be identified by the number ‘213AB’ that’s forged on the big end of the rod, too. Our samples all weighed 508+/- grams which is about 50 grams more that the old powdered metal rods, so they’re definitely not interchangeable with the early ones, even in sets.
Pistons The pistons for this motor are unique and they weigh about 25 grams more than the original flat tops. They have a small dome with two valve reliefs and a single trough across the top so there’s not much room left in the chamber at The dual plug heads (right) are all new. top dead cenThe exhaust ports are squared off and ter with the there are four additional holes for the 9.8:1 compressecond set of spark plugs. sion ratio. It EngineBuilderMag.com 45
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Updating the CHRYSLER ENGINES fact, the cam followers appear to be the only parts that are carried over from the earlier heads
Camshafts
looks like Chrysler is using the piston to help manage the combustion process along with the shape of the chamber and the location of the dual spark plugs.
Heads Both of the dual plug heads are all new. The one on the right is a 53022128AA casting and the one on The EGR valve is on the driver's side on the new heads. The crack is optional.
The cams were updated, too. Chrysler machined the journals on a solid, steel bar along with some splines that were used to locate the powdered metal lobes that were pressed onto the bar. These cams are physically interchangeable with the old ones because the bore spacing is the same and the valves are all still in the same place, but we expected to see some differences in the new cams – until we ran them through the ‘Cam Doctor’ and discovered that they’re absolutely identical to the hollow ones in every spec and dimension. Chrysler hasn’t superseded part numbers for the original cams to the new ones, The chamber for the dual plug head is but they have shipped us similar to the early one because the the new, solid cams packvalves are still in the same location, but aged under the old part the addition of the second spark plug numbers, so apparently makes it considerably different overall. they’re the same in spite the left of the new heads and the that has slightly higher compresa pad for the EGR valve is the sion ratio that’s used for the dual 53022129AA casting. plug engine. The right hand cam is a All the intake and exhaust ports PN 53021984AA that has have been modified and the cham53021980AA etched on the barrel and bers are unique to this application. the left cam is a PN53021983AA that Most of the parts used for the heads has 53021979AA etched on the barincluding the valves, springs, retainrel. By the way, the new cams cost ers, stem seals and lifters were reless if you order them under the old vised to fit these new heads, too. In part number.
Other Parts There are only a few other parts that are common to both engines. The cam sprockets, tensioners, oil pump and lower gasket set are all the same, but that’s about all that appears to be interchangeable between the ’07 and ’08 engines.
5.7L HEMI And then there’s the 46 March 2013 | EngineBuilder
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Chrysler is still using the shallow intake seats in the new heads for the 4.7L and they're still falling out.
’09 Hemi with VVT. It’s really an all new engine with a different block, crank, rods, pistons, cams, heads and timing set. The block is a 53021319DK casting and the crank is a 53021300BB. The heads appear to be identical, but one of them is a 53021616DD and the other one is a 53021616DE casting and Chrysler lists them separately, so there must be a difference of some kind. We don’t know much more about these engines except that there are five different cams including the one for the hybrid motor that was supposedly built in ’09. Here’s the list of all the different cams along with their applications:
1. VVT only with a high performance profile for the Challenger with a manual transmission. 2. VVT only for the 2500/3500 pickups with a profile that’s designed for the heavy-duty trucks. 3. VVT plus MDS for the RWD cars with automatic transmissions, all the Jeeps and the ’11-’13 Dodge Durangos. 4. VVT plus MDS along with the “short runner valve” (SRV) for the “active intake” that’s installed on all of the Ram 1500 pickups and the ’09’10 Dodge Durangos. 5. VVT plus MDS for the ’09 hybrid Durango. They didn’t build many of them so there isn’t even a part number for the cam in the parts book, but it’s probably a special cam that came with a unique phaser that was designed The 4.7L used three different cam followers that came with and without the oil hole in the socket. The late cams don't have oil holes in the lobes, so be sure to install the latest follower that has the oil hole to lubricate the cam.
for “late intake closing,” just like the one that was used for the hybrid LS motors in the GM pickups. None of the cams are interchangeable, but they’re easy to tell apart because there’s an ID ring in front of the fifth journal that has a varying number of grooves that are machined in different locations so you can identify each cam by type and application, according to Chrysler. Be sure to use the right cam when you build one of these engines or you will have a comeback. The bad news is that they’re all VIN ‘T’ motors, so you will have to know the exact application and find out whether or not the vehicle has MDS or/and an “active intake” in order to supply the right engine.
Conclusion So that’s the story. Chrysler has simplified their vehicles by eliminating three engine families since ’07 while adding the four cylinder “World Engines” along with the all new DOHC 3.6L V6 and updating both the 4.7L and 5.7L V8s with new technology that improved fuel economy, performance and emissions. And, there’s more to come, because they will have to continue to improve their engines with more new technology in order to meet the higher CAFE standards that are yet to come, so you can expect smaller engines with lightweight blocks, sophisticated heads, new rods and pistons, narrow rings, direct injection and a high tech valve train like MultiAir along with superchargers and turbochargers. With all that in mind, it will be interesting watch the evolution of the Chrysler DOHC family and their new four cylinder “Tigershark” engines along with the Hemi.` It’s time for everyone to “buckle up in lane two” as they say at the racetrack. ■ Doug Anderson is Manager of Technical Services for Grooms Engines, located in Nashville, TN. He has authored numerous technical articles on engine rebuilding for Engine Builder magazine for more than 20 years. Anderson has also made many technical presentations on engine building at AERA and PERA conventions and seminars. To find Doug’s other articles for Engine Builder magazine, visit www.enginebuildermag.com.
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The Raptor Takke Ford’s New Modular Engine Proves a Worthy Stroker
I
n an age when kids would rather hot rod their computers than their cars, it’s kind of amazing that old fashioned hot rodding still exists – even thrives in today’s society. While computers certainly have their place, the younger generation is still looking for entertainment and thrills – whether captured in HD or in real life. And there are more ways than ever for people to get their kicks on a race track: from go-karts to golf carts, Indy cars to lawnmowers, diesel trucks to snowmobiles, the list goes on and on. It’s all about competition and who is in the lead. For crying out loud, it’s a race to see who can have the fastest smart phone! The awesome thing about computers and technology is the fact that the internal combustion (IC) engine continues to reach for higher plateaus. Over the past ten years, the IC engine has been resurrected to reach new heights of horsepower and torque – and it only keeps going. As soon as a new engine is released into the consumer market, hot rodders have figured out a way to make it faster. Look at the development that the aftermarket has put into latemodel engines such as the late-model Hemi, LS Chevrolet, Modular Ford, Honda, Subaru, Diesel trucks, etc. Ingenuity with whatever has the potential to make power only continues to
50 March 2013 | EngineBuilder
become more refined. The most effective way to upgrade an engine is to increase the cubic inches. Back in the day, most gearheads would look for performance by giving the engine an overhaul, which would include oversized pistons followed by some decent cylinder heads and a bigger carburetor. Then, they developed the art of swapping bigger crankshafts and connecting rods to achieve more stroke for more cubes. I remember when the Chevrolet
guys used to find old 400 cranks and turn the main journals down .200” to fit them into a 350 block to make 383 cubic inches. Since the 400 engine was no longer in production and there were a ton of 350 blocks this innovation naturally led to trying to find a good set of cast iron cylinder heads to feed the additional cubic inches. Later, head porting became Livernois Motorsports 400 cid stroker rotating assembly includes forged crank and custom spec billet rods for its beastly 6.6L Raptor build.
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CONTRIBUTING EDITOR BOB MCDONALD BMCDONALD@ENGINEBUILDERMAG.COM
akes Flight popular along with installing bigger valves and finding more aggressive camshafts. Some of yesterday’s engines, unfortunately, offered the exact opposite of
excitement. Take for instance, the smog era of the late 1970s followed by the technology of the 1980s. You know as well as I do that we were living in the dark ages. Instead of creating new en-
Circle 51 for more information
gine designs to be more emissions compliant, the manufacturers simply bolted on the emissions garb to existing power plants and killed all performance. It was like living in the dark ages, with no horsepower in sight and aftermarket offerings such as aluminum cylinder heads and custom pistons were nothing more than a dream. Such creativity is a far cry from what’s required today. Aftermarket companies now specialize in stroker kits for just about any application you can think of. The kits are complete rotating assemblies that are balanced and ready for installation. These stroker kits are not only available for yesterday’s classics, but also for today’s latemodel powerhouses. Aftermarket engine blocks are also available, completely machined and clearanced for bigger stroke applications and ready for the rotating assembly. Aluminum cylinder heads are now offered in many different engine combinations and if heads aren’t available (the latemodel Hemi, for example), then some aftermarket companies offer CNC porting for your castings. This means more efficient camshaft and valvetrain designs are available to get the most out of your stroker project, whatever your application may be.
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Long story short, making horsepower today should not be a problem. Just being able to put the correct pieces together is were it counts. Phoenix-like, technology has helped engine excitement rise from the ashes of the past. And one of the newest additions to the stroker engine communty is found in the new F150 Ford Raptor truck. In 2010, this truck debuted as an F150 with all of the features to be called a truly sophisticated off-road vehicle. Along with such necessities as wide body and fenders and 12” of suspension travel with unique wheels and
awesome creature comforts came the introduction of the 6.2L Raptor engine. The engine, a modular design, includes some technological features that set the engine apart from earlier designs offered by Ford. The engine is a single overhead cam, variable valve timing design with a semihemi combustion chamber. Right out of
Livernois developed a rocker brace system that is designed to improve valvetrain geometry and offer increased durability.
the box, the engine produces 410 horsepower and 440 ft. lbs of torque. These are great numbers, so when looking at the pics of the truck or even possibly passing by one on the highway, could you possibly imagine any necessary engine modifications? Of course you could – you’re a car crazy gearhead like the rest of us! Even though the truck has only been in production for three years, it continues to grow in popularity and has become a vehicle of choice for those who prefer a hot rod truck instead of a car. If you’re interested in what can be done to improve the engine’s performance, prepare to be fulfilled. There are a lot of things you can do to meet the needs of your cutomers. Of course, speed costs money; we’re all familiar with this statement. But, with the effiCircle 52 for more information
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PG 56 >> Stroker Guide
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The Raptor stroker starts with a
ciency of today’s engines, your new 6.2L OEM block and then customers won’t have to spend gets 4.080 JE Piston, AP as much as they might expect to ringset, Manley H-Beam Rods, get an awesome return. In addiARP 2000 rod bolts, Livernois tion, the engine will still be main stud kit, factory 6.2L crankshaft and factory main emissions compliant for everybearings. day use. So, just when you think it’s good, it only continues to get better. Of course, today’s trend is to take your performance vehicle and incorporate some kind of forced induction system. In the aftermarket, there are plenty of resources to bolt-on a supercharger or turbocharger to just about any application. When the Raptor appeared, Livernois Motors, Detroit, MI, took some time to develop an updated version. Most of their 6.2L Raptor engine upgrades are for those who are going to incorporate forced induction. To do so, upgrading the internals is critical. The cylinder heads flow 310 cfm on When incorporating forced inducthe intake @ .650” of lift and the extion, it pays to have premium parts. haust flows 198 cfm @ .650˝ lift. For The 6.2L stock platform comes with a around 378 cubic inches, 410 horse4.015˝ bore and a 3.74˝ stroke with a power and 440 ft. lbs of torque is pretty compression ratio of 9.8:1. awesome. This gives a rear wheel
horsepower rating of around 320 to 330, about double of what the flightless birds known as F150s in the ’80s could do. To get the ball rolling for its internal Raptor upgrades, Livernois starts with
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50-55 Raptor 3/21/13 2:02 PM Page 54
Feature
improvements to the block. Thanks to its thick cylinder walls the block can be bored and honed .065”, resulting in a final 4.080” bore size. The new pistons are manufactured by JE with a ceramic
The crankshaft is then offset ground to achieve a stroke of 3.82”, giving the new Raptor version a 6.6L or 400 cubic inch displacement. The rotating assembly is then balanced to +/- 1 gram. The block undergoes several other machining processes such as deburring of the casting on the inside and outside of the block, the oil passages are radiused and smoothed for better oil flow, along with decking to ensure At Livernois, special care is proper quench and taken to ensure that the piston to wall clearance will be besquareness with correct tween +/- .0001˝, the main bearsurface finish. ing clearances will be between After the block is +/- .0002˝, and the rod bearing machined, the rotating clearances between +/- .0002˝. assembly is installed. Thanks to modern day technology, precision machining is a given. At Livernois, special care is taken to ensure that the piston to wall coating and offered by Livernois in a clearance will be between +/- .0001”, choice of two compression ratios: 9.5:1 the main bearing clearances will be beor 11:1. The connecting rods are made tween +/- .0002”, and the rod bearing by Manley in a stock length forged Hbeam design.
Livernois: Made In Detroit
Circle 72 for more information 54 March 2013 | EngineBuilder
Livernois Motorsports of Detroit has been very active in late model performance for around 15 years but its real history goes back much further. Originally started in 1949 as Livernois Engineering, the shop designed aluminum radiators for automotive use. In addition to designing radiators, they also produced the tooling and machines to make the radiators. Their facility is located on Livernois Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. In 1999, Livernois Motorsports was created to develop products for high end demands of automotive enthusiasts. Livernois Motorsports now develops and tests new products along with adding product lines from hundreds of vendors to provide the latest technology. In addition to developing, testing, and retailing, Livernois is a supplier to GM, Ford, and Chrysler through the OEM level and the performance parts business. ■
50-55 Raptor 3/21/13 2:02 PM Page 55
Feature clearances between +/- .0002”. The block is fitted with ARP main studs with special modifications to the front main bearing for blower drive applications and modified thrust bearing for improved wear and durability. The cylinder heads are then prepped to undergo some major modifications. I always thought the cylinder heads from the factory were pretty good, but Livernois seems to have some added features which really bring them to life. First of all, the cylinder head is fully ported with a proven CNC program which brings head flow to 356 cfm @ .650” on the intake and 232 cfm @ .650” on the exhaust. They install a set of upgraded valve springs with special ground billet camshafts. Other improvements include a rocker brace system designed by Livernois along with cam phaser limiters for more variable valve timing control. To put these modifications into perspective, the conversion from the stock 6.2L Raptor to the stroked 6.6L version with 11:1 compression, results in 150 more rear wheel horsepower. Most of
the Raptor builds at Livernois are done using the 9.5:1 compression version. As mentioned earlier, these modifications are for forced induction add-ons. In twin turbo applications, the 6.6L Raptor conversions can produce over 800 rear wheel horsepower. A raptor, of course, is a “bird of prey,” and the Raptor F150 was Ford’s answer to the demand for an off-road application. Produced to compete with the Chevrolet Z71 Silverado and Dodge Power Wagon, this unique vehicle has a very different Ford appearance and definitely offers all the character and power for off-road supremacy. From the factory, the trucks are equipped with Fox Racing shocks, massive skid plates, an electronic locking rear differential, a Torsen front differential, high performance all terrain tires, seven more inches of track width, front and rear cameras, and “Hill Descent Control.” Obviously, we’re not looking to help increase sales for Ford, but this article may give a perspective on what
technology can do. If your racing customers were to be invited to upgrade their stock Raptor engines with some machine work and some parts changes, they could gain 150 rear wheel horsepower. This is why hot rodding has become so popular. Twenty years ago, such modifications would have been a major undertaking. Now, the technology lies at your fingertips. Technology has brought new designs, new machining processes and new parts built with better materials and tighter tolerances. And technology can help tune for maximum power and efficiency. Thanks to all these achievements, we can employ the new era of hotrodding into the cars of yesterday as well as the excitement of yesterday into the vehicles of today. Now we can enjoy drivability along with creature comforts such as air conditioning and power steering with power that would double what we could acquire twenty years ago. ■
Circle 55 for more information EngineBuilderMag.com 55
56 March 2013 | EngineBuilder
3.766
4.030
4.030
4.155
4.155
4.155
4.125
4.030
4.030
3.905
4.030
4.030
4.155
Eagle Specialty Products www.eaglerod.com
Liberty Engine Parts www.libertyengineparts.com
Liberty Engine Parts www.libertyengineparts.com
Liberty Engine Parts www.libertyengineparts.com
Lunati Power www.lunatipower.com
Scat Enterprises www.scatenterprises.com
Engine & Performance Warehouse www.epwi.net
Eagle Specialty Products www.eaglerod.com
Eagle Specialty Products www.eaglerod.com
EPW/PBM www.pbm-erson.com
Lunati Power www.lunatipower.com
Lunati Power www.lunatipower.com
Liberty Engine Parts www.libertyengineparts.com
334
358
358
358
377
377
377
383
383
383
383
383
383
BORE
SUPPLIER/WEB SITE
3.875
3.750
3.750
4.000
3.750
3.750
3.500
3.500
3.480
3.875
3.480
3.480
3.750
STROKE
LPC Forged
Lunati Signature Forged
70237501 Forged
PBM Forged
Eagle Forged
Eagle Cast
Scat Forged
Scat Cast
Lunati Signature Forged
LPC Forged
LPC Forged
LPC Forged
Eagle Cast
CRANKSHAFT
6.000 LPC H-Beam
King Alecular Pro Series Uncoated King Alecular Pro Series Uncoated
Mahle Clevite H-Series, Uncoated
King Uncoated
King Uncoated
Clevite Uncoated
King Uncoated
King Uncoated
PISTONS
ICON Series Forged Flat Top
6.000 Scat Forged I-Beam, 1.7 Rod Ratio
6.000 LPC H-Beam
Lunati Signature Forged, I-Beam
Lunati 70157001-8 Forged, H-Beam
Mahle/SRP Forged
Lunati Forged
Lunati Voodoo Forged
Mahle Forged
Mahle 8.2:1 Forged
5.700 Eagle Forged, H-Beam, Rod Ratio 1.52 PBM H-Beam
Speed-Pro 10.5:1 Hypereutectic
5.700 Eagle Forged, I-Beam, Rod Ratio 1.52
SRP Forged Dome
Lunati Forged
Mahle/SRP Forged
Mahle/SRP Forged
Mahle/SRP Forged
Keith Black 10.1:1 Hypereutectic
Lunati Signature Forged, I-Beam
Engine Pro Uncoated 6.000 EPWI Forged I-Beam
King Uncoated
King Uncoated
5.700 LPC H-Beam
5.700 LPC H-Beam
King Uncoated
Mahle Clevite H-Series, Uncoated
5.700 Eagle Forged, I-beam, Rod Ratio 1.52
BEARINGS
PINS
Lunati Straight
Lunati Voodoo Straight
Mahle
Mahle Steel, Straight
Federal-Mogul Steel, Straight
SRP Straight
ICON Straight Tool Steel 132 gms
Lunati
Keith Black Steel, Straight
LPC Plasma Moly
Lunati Moly
Lunati Voodoo
PBM Moly
Mahle Moly, Ductile Iron
Hastings Moly, Ductile Iron
Engine Pro Moly Steel
ICON Moly
Lunati Moly
LPC Plasma Moly
LPC Plasma Moly
LPC Plasma Moly
Hastings Moly, Ductile Iron
RINGS
8000
7000
7000
BK-1383-XI
38301SRK
38302VRK
83861I
B12006030
B13405E030
1-90610
37701SRK
BK-1358-XI
BK-358-X-6
BK-358-X
B13102E030
MAX RPM PART NO. AS LISTED
How To Use This Resource Guide
CID
RODS
Admittedly, we couldn’t get everything in these charts as we’d like, however, this should give you a good idea of what kind of kits are available and from which suppliers. We have organized the data by manufacturer and then block type, whether it's a small block or big block or something else. GM’s LS platform, for instance, has it’s own section because, well, there are just so many variations. Our “Other” section includes mostly import kits but is hopefully a growing section to be filled with sport compact kits in the future. If you want to find a specific kit for, say, a Small Block Chevy 350, then you could look under the appropriate heading and scroll down the left hand column to find the stroker displacement you wish to build. We included as much information as we could fit on the page and sent forms out to every major engine parts supplier for their feedback. Of course, not everyone chose to participate and we didn’t want to make anything up for them. We also included sections in the form for identifying timing components, whether it was a timing chain, belt or gear included with the kit and the manufacturer. Unfortunately, this information was incomplete so it was not included. However, many stroker kits do come with timing sets and oil pans (also an incomplete section). We suggest that you select a kit and then call the supplier listed for further information on each of their kits. This information is as accurate as we could make it but there may be other features and components available. Furthermore, you may be able to swap out components for other brands if that is your preference, but, again, give your supplier a call to see what you can do with your kit selection. ■
GENERAL MOTORS Small Block Stroker Kits
56-63 Stroker Charts 3/21/13 1:54 PM Page 56
4.125
4.155
4.155
4.125
4.155
Lunati Power www.lunatipower.com
Eagle Specialty Products www.eaglerod.com
Liberty Engine Parts www.libertyengineparts.com
Scat Enterprises www.scatenterprises.com
Scat Enterprises www.scatenterprises.com
427
434
434
434
434
4.155
Scat Enterprises www.scatenterprises.com
4.155
Scat Enterprises www.scatenterprises.com
421
434 Pontiac
4.155
Liberty Engine Parts www.libertyengineparts.com
421
4.185
4.155
Liberty Engine Parts www.libertyengineparts.com
421
Eagle Specialty Products www.eaglerod.com
4.155
Eagle Specialty Products www.eaglerod.com
421
495
4.155
Motor State Distributing www.motorstate.com
420
4.155
4.125
EPW/PBM www.pbm-erson.com
415
Coast High Performance www.coasthigh.com
4.155
Liberty Engine Parts www.libertyengineparts.com
407
488
4.125
Engine & Performance Warehouse www.epwi.net
406
4.155
4.155
Lunati Power www.lunatipower.com
406
Motor State Distributing www.motorstate.com
4.030
EPW/PBM www.pbm-erson.com
395
434
4.030
BORE
383
SUPPLIER/WEB SITE
Scat Enterprises www.scatenterprises.com
CID
4.000
4.500
4.500
4.000
4.000
4.000
4.000
4.100
4.000
3.875
3.875
3.875
3.875
3.875
3.875
3.750
3.750
3.750
3.875
3.750
STROKE
Scat Forged
Eagle Forged
Scat Forged
Eagle Forged
Scat Forged
Scat Forged
LPC Forged
Eagle Forged
Lunati Voodoo Forged
Scat Forged
LPC Forged
LPC Forged
Eagle Forged
Eagle Forged
PBM Forged
LPC Forged
Scat Forged
Lunati Signature Forged
PBM Forged
Scat Cast
CRANKSHAFT
RODS
Clevite Uncoated
King Uncoated
Clevite Uncoated
Clevite 77
Clevite Uncoated
Clevite Uncoated
Mahle Clevite H-Series Uncoated
King Uncoated
King Uncoated
Clevite Uncoated
6.800 Scat Forged, H-Beam/1.7:1 Rod Ratio
6.800 Eagle Forged, H-Beam Rod Ratio 1.51
6.700 Scat Forged, H-Beam
ICON Series Forged, Flat Top
Mahle 10.6:1
Probe Forged
JE Forged, Dome
Mahle Forged, Flat Top
6.000 Scat Forged, H-Beam/1.5 Rod Ratio
Mahle/SRP Forged
Mahle 10:1, Forged
SRP Forged, Flat Top
6.000 Eagle Forged
PINS
SRP Straight, Tool Steel, 130g
Mahle Steel, Straight
JE
PBM
SRP Straight
Lunati Straight
PBM
ICON Straight, Tool Steel, 132 gms
Mahle Moly, Ductile Iron Total Seal Ductile Moly
ICON Straight Steel, 163g
Perfect Circle Moly, Ductile Iron
Probe 86L20, Straight, 150g Mahle Steel, Straight
Perfect Circle Plasma Moly
Mahle Ductile Moly
Total Seal Ductile Moly
LPC Plasma Moly
Mahle Moly, Ductile Iron
Lunati Voodoo Moly
Total Seal Ductile Moly
LPC Plasma Moly
LPC Plasma Moly
Mahle Moly, Ductile Iron
Perfect Circle Plasma Moly
PBM Moly
LPC Plasma Moly
Engine Pro Moly Steel
Lunati Moly
PBM Moly
ICON Moly
RINGS
JE
Mahle Straight, Tool Steel, 130g
SRP Straight, Tool Steel, 130g
Mahle Steel, Straight
Lunati Voodoo Forged Lunati Voodoo Straight
SRP Forged, Flat Top
6.000 Scat Forged, H-Beam/1.5 Rod Ratio
6.000 LPC H-Beam
6.000 Eagle Forged, H-Beam, Rod Ratio 1.50
Lunati Voodoo Forged, H-Beam
6.000 Scat Forged H-Beam/1.55 Rod Ratio
Mahle/SRP Forged
6.000 LPC H-Beam
Mahle Clevite H-Series Uncoated
Mahle/SRP Forged
6.000 LPC H-Beam
King Alecular Pro Series Uncoated
Mahle 11.3:1, Forged
JE Forged Dome
6.000 Eagle Forged, H-Beam, Rod Ratio 1.55
6.000 Eagle Forged H-Beam
PBM Forged
Mahle/SRP Forged
SRP Forged
Lunati Forged
PBM Forged
ICON Series Forged, Dish Top
PISTONS
King Uncoated
Clevite
PBM H-Beam
5.700 LPC H-Beam
King Alecular Pro Series Uncoated Clevite Uncoated
5.700 EPWI Forged, I-Beam
Lunati Signature Forged, I-Beam
PBM H-Beam
5.700 Scat Forged, I-Beam/1.52 Rod Ratio
Engine Pro Uncoated
King Uncoated
King Uncoated
King Uncoated
BEARINGS
GENERAL MOTORS Small Block Stroker Kits
6500
7500
8000
8000
1-41650
B51501065
14856-SCA-376-P488
1-41565
1-40902
BK-1434-XI
B12055030
1-40901 Chevy 350 1-41564 Chevy 400
BK-1421-XI
BK-421-X
B12032030
41560D
BK-407-X
40602SRK
39560F
1-90355
MAX RPM PART NO. AS LISTED
56-63 Stroker Charts 3/21/13 1:54 PM Page 57
EngineBuilderMag.com 57
3.905
3.905
3.905
3.905
3.903
3.905
4.070
4.000
4.005
4.030
3.030
4.030
4.070
4.070
4.070
4.125
4.125
4.070
4.130
4.155
SUPPLIER/WEB SITE
Eagle Specialty Products www.eaglerod.com
Eagle Specialty Products www.eaglerod.com
Lunati Power www.lunatipower.com
Scat Enterprises www.scatenterprises.com
K1 Technologies www.k1technologies.com
Atech Motorsports www.atechmotorsports.com
Livernois Motorsports www.livernoismotorsports.com
Lunati Power www.lunatipower.com
Livernois Motorsports www.livernoismotorsports.com
Eagle Specialty Products www.eaglerod.com
Scat Enterprises www.scatenterprises.com
Atech Motorsports www.atechmotorsports.com
Coast High Performance www.coasthigh.com
Scat Enterprises www.scatenterprises.com
Livernois Motorsports www.livernoismotorsports.com
Livernois Motorsports www.livernoismotorsports.com
K1 Technologies www.k1technologies.com
Eagle Specialty Products www.eaglerod.com
Livernois Motorsports www.livernoismotorsports.com
Lunati Power www.lunatipower.com
CID
383
383
383
383
383
383.25
388
402
404
408
408
408.18
416
416
419
427
427
429
429
434
BORE
58 March 2013 | EngineBuilder 4.000
4.000
4.125
4.000
4.000
4.000
4.000
4.000
4.000
4.125
4.000
4.000
4.000
3.720
4.000
4.000
4.000
4.000
4.000
4.000
STROKE
Lunati Signature Forged
Manley Forged
King Uncoated
Clevite Coated
King Uncoated
Clevite Optional
K1, Forged 3464000 RB6F
Eagle Forged
Clevite Coated
Clevite Coated
Clevite Uncoated
Clevite Uncoated
Clevite
Clevite Uncoated
King Uncoated
Clevite Coated
King Uncoated
Clevite Coated
Manley Forged
Manley Forged
Scat Forged
Probe Forged
Esp Forged
Scat Forged
Eagle Forged
Manley Forged
Lunati Voodoo Forged
GM cast
Clevite
Clevite Optional
K1, Forged 3464000 RB6F
Eagle Forged
Clevite Uncoated
King Uncoated
King Uncoated
King Uncoated
BEARINGS
Scat Forged
Lunati Voodoo Forged
Eagle Forged
Eagle Forged
CRANKSHAFT
GENERAL MOTORS LS Stroker Kits
Ross Forged
Mahle Flat Top Forged
Wiseco, Forged, K464x3903
RINGS
Ross H-13, Straight, 118g
Wiseco Straight 5115, 105g
Auto Tec Straight Tool Steel 130g
Lunati Voodoo Straight
Mahle Steel, Straight
Total Seal Steel
Plasma Moly File fit
Wiseco GFX Steel Nitride Napier
Total Seal Ductile Moly
Lunati Voodoo Moly
Mahle Moly, Ductile Iron
Mahle Moly, Ductile Mahle Steel, Straight Iron
PINS
Ross Forged
6.125 Lunati Signature Forged, I-Beam
6.125 Manley Forged, H-Beam
6.125 Eagle Forged, H-Beam Rod Ratio 1.48
6.125 K1 CH 6125 ALLBLS8A Forged H-Beam
Lunati Forged
Ross Forged
Mahle 11.0:1 Forged
Wiseco, Forged, K395x125
Ross Forged
Ross Forged
6.125 Manley Forged, H-Beam 6.125 Manley Forged, H-Beam
SRP Straight Tool Steel 106g
SRP Forged Flat or Dished Top
6.125 Scat Forged H-Beam/1.53 Rod Ratio
Lunati Straight
Ross H-13, Straight, 118g
Mahle Steel, Straight
Wiseco Straight 5115, 105g
Ross H-13, Straight, 118g
Ross H-13, Straight, 118g
Probe 86L20, Straight, 118g Probe Forged
6.125 Probe Forged, H-Beam
Race Tec Tool Steel 110g
Mahle Forged
Race Tec Forged Dish Top
Mahle Steel, Straight
Ross H-13, Straight, 118g
Eagle Forged, H-Beam
6.125 Scat Forged H-Beam/1.48 Rod Ratio
6.125 Eagle Forged, H-Beam Mahle 10.8:1 Forged Rod Ratio 1.53
6.125 Manley Forged, H-Beam
Lunati Moly
Total Seal Steel
Mahle Moly, Ductile Iron
Wiseco GFX Steel Nitride Napier
Total Seal Steel
Total Seal Steel
Total Seal Ductile Moly
Total Seal Moly, Ductile Iron
Plasma Moly File fit
Total Seal Ductile Moly
Mahle Moly, Ductile Iron
Total Seal Steel
6.125 Lunati Voodoo Forged, Lunati Voodoo Forged Lunati Voodoo Straight Lunati Voodoo Moly H-Beam
6.125 Manley Forged, H-Beam
Eagle Forged, H-Beam
6.125 K1, Forged, H-Beam, CH 6125 ALLBLS8A
Auto Tec Forged Flat Top
Lunati Voodoo Forged
6.125 Lunati Voodoo Forged, H-Beam 6.200 Scat Forged H-Beam/1.55 Rod Ratio
Mahle 10.8:1 Forged
6.125 Eagle Forged, H-Beam Rod Ratio 1.53
PISTONS Mahle 11.0:1 Forged
RODS 6.125 Eagle, Forged, H-Beam Rod Ratio 1.53
7500
7000
8000
7500
7500
7500
7000
7500
7500
8000
7000
7000
New
LMELSX429
B129524070
R-KD20147 (LSx)
LMEBB
KIT 26
1-41912-070 Flat Top 1-41912-070 Dished Top
15000-PS-C416
ESP- 129104030
1-41921 (LS2)
B129104030
KIT 24
New
LMESSLS3
ESP- 129123905
R-KD20123 (LS1)
1-41902
New
B128043905
B129123905
MAX RPM PART NO. AS LISTED
56-63 Stroker Charts 3/21/13 1:55 PM Page 58
4.125
4.125
4.155
Lunati Power www.lunatipower.com
Scat Enterprises www.scatenterprises.com
Lunati Power www.lunatipower.com
454
454
499
4.600
4.250
4.250
4.125
STROKE
Lunati Signature Forged
Scat Forged
Lunati Signature Forged
Eagle Forged
CRANKSHAFT
King Uncoated
Clevite Uncoated
King Uncoated
King Uncoated
BEARINGS
4.500
Scat Enterprises www.scatenterprises.com
496
540
4.310
K1 Technologies www.k1technologies.com
496
4.500
4.310
Scat Enterprises www.scatenterprises.com
496
Liberty Engine Parts www.libertyengineparts.com
4.185
Dick Miller Racing www.dickmillerracing.com
496
540
4.310
Eagle Specialty Products www.eaglerod.com
496
4.250
4.310
Eagle Specialty Products www.eaglerod.com
495
Dick Miller Racing www.dickmillerracing.com
4.185
Eagle Specialty Products www.eaglerod.com
511
4.280
Scat Enterprises www.scatenterprises.com
489
4.310
4.155
Scat Enterprises www.scatenterprises.com
488
Eagle Specialty Products www.eaglerod.com
4.155
Atech Motorsports www.atechmotorsports.com
488
511
4.185
Eagle Specialty Products www.eaglerod.com
468
4.280
4.155
Scat Enterprises www.scatenterprises.com
461
Scat Enterprises www.scatenterprises.com
4.250
Engine & Performance Warehouse www.epwi.net
460
504
BORE
SUPPLIER/WEB SITE
CID
4.250
4.250
4.500
4.375
4.375
4.250
4.250
4.500
4.250
4.250
4.500
4.250
4.500
4.500
4.250
4.250
4.000
STROKE
Scat Forged
LPC Forged
Olds Forged
Eagle Forged
Scat Forged
K1 454-4250 DC6F Forged
Scat Forged
Olds Forged
Eagle Forged
Eagle Cast
Eagle Cast
Scat Cast
Scat Forged
Eagle Forged
Eagle Cast
Scat Forged
Scat Forged
CRANKSHAFT
6.385 Scat Forged, H-Beam/1.50 Rod Ratio
6.385 LPC H-Beam
Mahle Clevite H-Series Uncoated Clevite Uncoated
7.000 Oliver Forged
6.385 Eagle Forged, H-Beam, Rod Ratio 1.46
6.385 Scat Forged, H-Beam
6.385 K1 CH 6385 APRBLS8A Forged, H-Beam
6.385 Scat Forged H-Beam
7.000 Oliver Forged
6.385 Eagle Forged, H-Beam, Rod Ratio 1.50
6.385 Eagle Forged, I-beam, Rod Ratio 1.50
7.100 Eagle Forged, H-Beam Rod Ratio 1.58
SRP Forged, Dome Top
Mahle/SRP Forged
Diamond Forged
Mahle 10.5:1, Forged
Mahle Forged Dome
Pro Tru PT119H3 Forged
SRP Forged Dome
Diamond Forged
Mahle 10.2:1, Forged
Mahle 10.2:1, Forged
Mahle 10.0:1, Forged
UEM ICON Series Forged Dome
ICON Series Forged Dished Top
6.700 Scat Forged, H-Beam/1.48:1 Rod Ratio 6.385 Scat Forged, I-Beam/1.5:1 Rod Ratio
Mahle Forged
Mahle 10.2:1, Forged
ICON Series Forged, Flat or Dished Top
SRP Forged
PISTONS
Lunati Forged
Mahle Forged Flat Top
Lunati Forged
Mahle 11.3:1 Forged
PISTONS
6.800 Eagle Forged
6.800 Eagle Forged, I-Beam Rod Ratio 1.60
6.800 Scat Forged, H-Beam/1.6:1 Rod Ratio
6.135 /6.385 Engine Pro Forged, H-Beam
RODS
6.300 Lunati Signature Forged, I-Beam
6.250 Scat Forged HBeam/1.47 Rod Ratio
6.300 Lunati Signature Forged, I-Beam
6.125 Eagle Forged, HBeam/Rod Ratio 1.48
RODS
Clevite Coated
King Uncoated
Clevite
Clevite Optional
Clevite Uncoated
Clevite Coated
King Uncoated
King Uncoated
King Uncoated
King Uncoated
Clevite Uncoated
Clevite Uncoated
King Uncoated
Clevite Uncoated
Engine Pro Uncoated
BEARINGS
GENERAL MOTORS Big Block Stroker Kits
4.125
BORE
Eagle Specialty Products www.eaglerod.com
SUPPLIER/WEB SITE
441
CID
GENERAL MOTORS LS Stroker Kits
JE Pistons Straight, Tool Steel, 150g
Diamond Straight
Mahle Steel, Straight
Mahle Straight, Tool Steel 145g
Wiseco Straight, 5115 156g
JE Pistons Straight, Tool Steel, 150g
Diamond Straight
Mahle Steel, Straight
Mahle Steel, Straight
Mahle Steel, Straight
UEM Straight, Tool Steel, 141g
ICON Straight, Tool Steel 163g
Mahle Steel, Straight
Mahle Steel, Straight
ICON Straight, Tool Steel 163g
SRP Straight
PINS
Lunati Straight
Mahle Straight Steel 118g
Lunati Straight
Mahle Steel, Straight
PINS
Total Seal Ductile Moly
LPC Plasma Moly
Total Seal Moly
Mahle Moly, Ductile Iron
Mahle Ductile Moly
Hastings Ductile Moly
Total Seal Ductile Moly
Total Seal Moly
Mahle Moly, Ductile Iron
Mahle Moly, Ductile Iron
Mahle Moly, Ductile Iron
Total Seal Ductile Moly
Total Seal Ductile Moly
Sealed Power Moly
Mahle Moly, Ductile Iron
Total Seal Ductile Moly
Engine Pro Moly Steel
RINGS
Lunati Moly
Mahle Ductile Moly
Lunati Moly
New
1-41935 (LSx Tall Deck)
45408SRK
B129194125
7000
7500
7000
7000
7000
6500
6500
6500
1-42380
BK-1540-X
DMR-4002-5467
B11014060
1-42365
R-PT10199
1-42360-060
DMR-4002-5467
B1113060
B18022060
B42105060
1-91605
1-41671
ESP-51503030
B52403030
1-41660 Flat Top 1-41661 Dished Top
MAX RPM PART NO. AS LISTED
7000
MAX RPM PART NO. AS LISTED
Mahle Moly, Ductile Iron
RINGS
56-63 Stroker Charts 3/21/13 1:55 PM Page 59
EngineBuilderMag.com 59
4.560
4.560
4.500
4.600
4.600
4.500
4.600
4.600
4.600
4.500
4.600
4.600
4.600
4.600
4.600
4.600
4.155/ 4.181
4.155/ 4.181
4.181/ 4.211
EPW/PBM www.pbm-erson.com
Eagle Specialty Products www.eaglerod.com
EPW/PBM www.pbm-erson.com
Liberty Engine Parts www.libertyengineparts.com
Lunati Power www.lunatipower.com
EPW/PBM www.pbm-erson.com
Lunati Power www.lunatipower.com
Liberty Engine Parts www.libertyengineparts.com
Lunati Power www.lunatipower.com
Eagle Specialty Products www.eaglerod.com
EPW/PBM www.pbm-erson.com
Lunati Power www.lunatipower.com
Lunati Power www.lunatipower.com
Liberty Engine Parts www.libertyengineparts.com
Scat Enterprises www.scatenterprises.com
Butler Performance www.butlerperformance.com
Butler Performance www.butlerperformance.com
Butler Performance www.butlerperformance.com
555
557
565
565
572
598
598
598
604
632
632
632
632
632
632
461-467
461-467
494-501
BORE
EPW/PBM www.pbm-erson.com
SUPPLIER/WEB SITE
555
CID
60 March 2013 | EngineBuilder 4.500
4.250
4.250
4.750
4.750
4.750
4.750
4.750
4.750
4.750
4.500
4.500
4.500
4.500
4.250
4.250
4.375
4.250
4.250
STROKE
Eagle Forged
Eagle Forged
Eagle Cast
Scat Forged
LPC Forged
Lunati Signature Forged
Lunati Voodoo Forged
Callies Forged
Eagle Forged
Lunati Signature Forged
LPC Forged
Lunati Voodoo Forged
PBM Forged
Lunati Signature Forged
LPC Forged
PBM Forged
Eagle Forged
PBM Forged
PBM Forged
CRANKSHAFT
Speed Pro
Speed Pro
Speed Pro
Clevite Uncoated
Mahle Clevite H-Series, Uncoated
King Uncoated
Lunati Voodoo
Clevite
King Uncoated
King Uncoated
Mahle Clevite H-Series, Uncoated
Lunati Voodoo
Clevite
King Uncoated
Mahle Clevite H-Series, Uncoated
Clevite Uncoated
King Uncoated
Clevite Uncoated
Clevite Uncoated
BEARINGS
GENERAL MOTORS Big Block Stroker Kits
6.800 Eagle or Scat Forged
6.800 Eagle or Scat Forged
6.800 Eagle or Scat Forged, H-Beam
6.700 Scat Forged, H-Beam
6.660 Eagle H-Beam
6.700 Lunati Signature Forged, I-Beam
Lunati Voodoo Forged, H-Beam
6.700 PBM H-Beam
6.660 Mahle Forged, H-Beam, Rod Ratio 1.40
6.700 Lunati Signature Forged, I-Beam
6.535 LPC H-Beam
6.535 Lunati Voodoo Forged, H-Beam
6.535 PBM H-Beam
6.700 Lunati Signature Forged, I-Beam
6.385 LPC H-Beam
PBM H-Beam
6.385 Eagle Forged, H-Beam, Rod Ratio 1.46
PBM H-Beam
PBM H-Beam
RODS
Ross Forged
Ross, Butler Exclusive Forging
Ross, Butler Exclusive Forging
Mahle Forged Dome Top
Mahle/SRP Forged
Lunati Forged
Lunati Voodoo Forged
JE Forged
Mahle 10.3:1 Forged
Lunati Forged
Mahle/SRP Forged
Lunati Voodoo Forged
SRP Forged
Lunati Forged
Mahle/SRP Forged
SRP Forged
Mahle 10.5:1 Forged
SRP Forged
SRP Forged
PISTONS
PBM Moly
Lunati Moly
LPC Plasma Moly
PBM Moly
Mahle Moly, Ductile Iron
PBM Moly
PBM Moly
RINGS
PBM Moly
Mahle Moly, Ductile Iron
Lunati Moly
Ross 5150 ChromeMoly, Straight, 128g
Ross 5150 ChromeMoly, Straight, 128g
Ross 5150 ChromeMoly, Straight, 128g
Mahle Straight Tool Steel 145 gms
Lunati Straight
Total Seal Moly
Total Seal Moly or Gapless Optionall
Total Seal Moly or Gapless Optional
Mahle Ductile Moly
LPC Plasma Moly
Lunati Moly
Lunati Voodoo 8620 Lunati Voodoo Moly Steel, Straight
JE
Mahle Steel, Straight
Lunati Straight
LPC Plasma Moly
Lunati Voodoo 8620 Lunati Voodoo Moly Steel, Straight
SRP
Lunati Straight
SRP
Mahle Steel, Straight
SRP
SRP
PINS
7000
7000
6500
6500
7500
BPI-461-300F
BPI-461-300C
1-42398
BK-1632-X
63204SRK
63204VRK
63267F
New
BK-1598-X
59804VRK
59865D
New
BK-1565-X
56563D
B116174500
55563F
55563D
MAX RPM PART NO. AS LISTED
56-63 Stroker Charts 3/21/13 1:56 PM Page 60
3.553
3.572
3.572
3.572
3.700
3.700
4.030
4.000
4.030
4.030
4.030
4.030
4.030
4.000
4.030
4.030
3.700
4.125
4.125
4.030
4.000
Eagle Specialty Products www.eaglerod.com
Eagle Specialty Products www.eaglerod.com
Eagle Specialty Products www.eaglerod.com
Livernois Motorsports www.livernoismotorsports.com
Livernois Motorsports www.livernoismotorsports.com
K1 Technologies www.k1technologies.com
Engine & Performance Warehouse www.epwi.net
Eagle Specialty Products www.eaglerod.com
Lunati Power www.lunatipower.com
Liberty Engine Parts www.libertyengineparts.com
Liberty Engine Parts www.libertyengineparts.com
Scat Enterprises www.scatenterprises.com
Engine & Performance Warehouse www.epwi.net
Motor State Distributing www.motorstate.com
Motor State Distributing www.motorstate.com
LIvernois Motorsports www.livernoismotorsports.com
Lunati Power www.lunatipower.com
Lunati Power www.lunatipower.com
Liberty Engine Parts www.libertyengineparts.com
Engine & Performance Warehouse www.epwi.net
301
301
301
323
323
327
331
347
347
347
347
347
347
347
347
358
374
388
393
393
BORE
LIvernois Motorsports www.livernoismotorsports.com
SUPPLIER/WEB SITE
298
CID
3.850
3.850
3.625
3.500
4.165
3.400
3.400
3.400
3.400
3.400
3.400
3.400
3.400
3.250
3.250
3.750
3.750
3.750
3.750
3.750
3.750
STROKE
Scat Cast
Eagle Cast
Clevite Uncoated
Mahle Clevite P-Series Uncoated
King Uncoated
King Uncoated
Lunati Signature Forged Lunati Signature Forged
Clevite Coated
Clevite Uncoated
Clevite 77
Clevite Uncoated
Clevite Uncoated
Mahle Clevite H-Series Uncoated
Mahle Clevite H-Series Uncoated
Lunati Voodoo
King Uncoated
Clevite Uncoated
Clevite Optional
Clevite Coated
Clevite Coated
King Uncoated
King Uncoated
King Uncoated
Clevite Coated
BEARINGS
Ford Forged
Eagle Forged
Eagle Cast
EPWI Cast
Scat Forged
LPC Forged
LPC Forged
Lunati Voodoo Forged
Eagle Forged
Scat Cast
K1, Forged 302-3250GB6F
Kellogg Forged
Kellogg Forged
Eagle Forged
Eagle Forged
Eagle Forged
Kellogg Forged
CRANKSHAFT
FORD Small Block Stroker Kits
Mahle 10.0:1, Forged
5.400 Eagle Forged, H-Beam, Rod Ratio 1.59
H-Beam
5.955 Scat Forged I-Beam
5.956 Eagle I-Beam
6.200 Lunati Signature Forged, I-Beam
6.200 Lunati Signature Forged, I-Beam
6.657 Manley Forged, H-Beam
SRP Forged
KB Hypereutectic
Lunati Forged
Lunati Forged
Ross Forged
SRP Forged, Flat Top
SRP Forged, Flat Top
5.400 Eagle Forged, I-Beam 5.400 Eagle Forged, H-Beam
SRP or Keith Black Hypereutectic
SRP Forged
Mahle/SRP Forged
Mahle/SRP Forged
5.400 Eagle Forged, I-Beam
5.400 Eagle Forged, H-Beam
5.400 LPC H-Beam
5.400 LPC
Lunati Voodoo Forged
SRP
5.400 Scat Forged, I-Beam
5.400 Lunati Voodoo Forged, H-Beam
Pro Tru PT070H3
Ross Forged
Ross Forged
Arias 11.2:1 Forged
5.400 K1 FH 5400A1168-A Forged, H-Beam
5.850 Manley Forged, H-Beam
5.850 Manley Forged, H-Beam
5.950 Eagle Forged, H-Beam Rod Ratio 1.59
Arias 10.8:1 Forged
Mahle 10.9:1 Forged
5.950 Eagle Forged, H-Beam Rod Ratio 1.59 5.950 Eagle Forged, H-Beam Rod Ratio 1.59
Ross/Diamond Forged
PISTONS
5.850 Manley Forged, H-Beam
RODS
SRP Straight
Lunati Straight
Lunati Straight
Ross H-13, Straight, 111g
SRP Straight
SRP Straight
SRP or Keith Black Straight
SRP Straight, Tool Steel, 130g
Lunati Voodoo straight, 8620 steel
Mahle Steel, Straight
SRP Straight
Wiseco Straight, 5115, 117g
Ross H-13, Straight, 111g
Ross H-13, Straight, 111g
Arias Steel, Straight
Arias Steel, Straight
Arias Steel, Straight
Ross H-13, Straight, 111g
PINS
E-Direct EPWI Moly Steel
Hastings Moly Rings
Lunati Moly
Lunati Moly
Total Seal Steel
Perfect Circle Plasma Moly
Perfect Circle Plasma Moly
E-Direct EPWI Moly Steel
Total Seal Ductile Moly
LPC Plasma Moly
LPC Plasma Moly
8000
7000
8500
8500
8000
8000
8000
8500
RK-393-W
New
New
KIT6-4VB
1-45310
RK-347-IXD
RK-347-IX
34705VRK
B14003030
R-PT10242
KIT31-BOSS
KIT13-3VBB
B14413020
B14423020
B14403020
KIT13-3VB
MAX RPM PART NO. AS LISTED
Lunati Voodoo Moly
Mahle Moly, Ductile Iron
E-Direct EPWI Moly Steel
Hastings Ductile Moly
Total Seal Steel
Total Seal Steel
Arias Moly, Ductile Iron
Arias Moly, Ductile Iron
Arias Moly, Ductile Iron
Total Seal Steel
RINGS
56-63 Stroker Charts 3/21/13 1:57 PM Page 61
EngineBuilderMag.com 61
62 March 2013 | EngineBuilder
4.030
4.030
4.030
4.030
4.000
4.030
4.030
4.030
4.125
4.125
Eagle Specialty Products www.eaglerod.com
Atech Motorsports www.atechmotorsports.com
Lunati Power www.lunatipower.com
Scat Enterprises www.scatenterprises.com
Engine & Performance Warehouse www.epwi.net
Liberty Engine Parts www.libertyengineparts.com
Eagle Specialty Products www.eaglerod.com
Scat Enterprises www.scatenterprises.com
EPW/PBM www.pbm-erson.com
EPW/PBM www.pbm-erson.com
408
408
408
408
408
408
418
418
427
438 4.100
4.000
4.100
4.100
4.000
4.000
4.000
4.000
4.000
4.000
3.750
STROKE
4.080
4.160
4.390
4.390
4.440
Eagle Specialty Products www.eaglerod.com
Scat Enterprises www.scatenterprises.com
Atech Motorsports www.atechmotorsports.com
Scat Enterprises www.scatenterprises.com
Eagle Specialty Products www.eaglerod.com
445
462
520
520
557
4.500
4.300
4.300
4.250
4.250
3.825
STROKE
Cast
Eagle Cast
Scat Forged
Scat Cast
Scat Cast
Eagle Cast
Ford
CRANKSHAFT
PBM Forged
PBM Forged
Scat Forged
Eagle Forged
Eagle
Scat Cast
Scat Forged
Lunati Voodoo Forged
Eagle Cast
Eagle Forged
Lunati Signature Forged
CRANKSHAFT
3.920
3.940
4.060
3.930
Hughes Engines Inc. www.hughesengines.com
Coast High Performance www.coasthigh.com
Livernois Motorsports www.livernoismotorsports.com
390
392
392
BORE
Scat Enterprises www.scatenterprises.com
SUPPLIER/WEB SITE
366
CID
4.050
3.795
4.000
3.795
STROKE
Manley Forged
Scat Forged
Engine Builder Selects
Scat Forged
CRANKSHAFT
CHRYSLER Small Block Stroker Kits
4.080
BORE
400
SUPPLIER/WEB SITE
LIvernois Motorsports www.livernoismotorsports.com
CID
FORD Big Block Stroker Kits
4.125
BORE
401
SUPPLIER/WEB SITE
Lunati Power www.lunatipower.com
CID
FORD Small Block Stroker Kits
Clevite Coated
Clevite Uncoated
Clevite 77 Uncoated
Clevite H-Series
BEARINGS
King Uncoated
Clevite Uncoated
Uncoated
King Uncoated
King Uncoated
Clevite Coated
BEARINGS
Clevite Uncoated
Clevite
Clevite Uncoated
King Uncoated
Mahle Clevite P-Series Uncoated
Clevite Uncoated
Clevite Uncoated
Lunati Voodoo
Clevite Uncoated
King Uncoated
King Uncoated
BEARINGS
RODS
Probe Forged
Probe Forged
Ross Forged
6.125 Scat Forged, H-Beam 6.125 Manley Forged, H-Beam
6.123 Engine Builder Selects Engine Builder Selects Rod Ratio 1.53
6.125 Scat Forged H-Beam
PISTONS
Mahle 10.5:1 Forged
6.700 Eagle Forged, I-beam Rod Ratio 1.49
RODS
Mahle Forged
Probe Forged
Mahle Forged
Mahle 10.2:1 Forged
Ross Forged
PISTONS
SRP Forged
SRP Forged
SRP Forged
Mahle 9.9:1 Forged
Mahle/SRP Forged
SRP Forged
SRP Forged
Lunati Voodoo Forged
Keith Black Hypereutectic
Mahle 10.2:1 Forged
Lunati Forged
PISTONS
6.800 Scat Forged H-Beam
Scat Forged, I-beam
6.700 Scat Forged H-Beam
6.635 Eagle Forged, HBeam Rod Ratio 1.56
6.200 Carillo Forged, HBeam
RODS
6.200 PBM H-Beam
PBM H-Beam
6.200 Scat Forged H-Beam
6.200 Eagle Forged, H-Beam Rod Ratio 1.51
6.200 Eagle I-Beam
6.250 Scat Forged H-Beam
6.200 Scat Forged H-Beam
6.250 Lunati Voodoo Forged, H-Beam
Eagle Forged, I-Beam
6.000 Eagle Forged, H-Beam Rod Ratio 1.50
6.200 Lunati Signature Forged, I-Beam
Ross H-13, Straight, 118g
Probe 86L20, Straight, 118g
Supplied w/pistons Straight
Probe Straight Steel 149 gms
PINS
Total Seal Steel
Perfect Circle Moly, Ductile Iron
Total Seal Moly
Total Seal Ductile Moly
RINGS
Mahle Moly, Ductile Iron
Mahle Ductile Moly
Mahle Straight Steel 145 gms Mahle Steel, Straight
Total Seal Moly, Classic Race
Mahle Ductile Moly
Mahle Moly, Ductile Iron
Total Seal Steel
RINGS
PBM Moly
PBM Moly
Total Seal Ductile Moly
Mahle Moly, Ductile Iron
LPC Plasma Moly
E-Direct EPWI Moly Steel
Total Seal Ductile Moly
Lunati Voodoo Moly
43862FBK
42762FBK
1-47460
B14126030
B15108080
1-47604
SCA-1-94955BE
1-94652
B157164080
LME-RAPTOR6.6
7000
7500
8000
LME392
14372-SCA-729-M6.1
1-48101 5.7L Hemi
MAX RPM PART NO. AS LISTED
6500
7000
7000
MAX RPM PART NO. AS LISTED
7000
RK-408-W
1-47355
40806VRK
ESP-16524030
B14702-030
Mahle Moly, Ductile Iron Keith Black Moly, Ductile Iron
New 7000
MAX RPM PART NO. AS LISTED
Lunati Moly
RINGS
Probe
Mahle Straight Tool Steel 145 gms
Mahle Steel, Straight
Ross H-13, Straight, 118g
PINS
SRP
SRP
SRP Straight Tool Steel 130g
Mahle Steel, Straight
SRP Straight
SRP Straight Tool Steel 130g
Lunati Voodoo straight, 8620 steel
Keith Black Steel, Straight
Mahle Steel, Straight
Lunati Straight
PINS
56-63 Stroker Charts 3/21/13 1:59 PM Page 62
A/R
4.030
4.030
4.030
4.070
3.917
4.080
4.030
4.070
4.080
4.080
4.160
4.390
4.390
4.440
Hughes Engines Inc. www.hughesengines.com
Scat Enterprises www.scatenterprises.com
K1 Technologies www.k1technologies.com
Hughes Engines Inc. www.hughesengines.com
Livernois Motorsports www.livernoismotorsports.com
K1 Technologies www.k1technologies.com
K1 Technologies www.k1technologies.com
Eagle Specialty Products www.eaglerod.com
Eagle Specialty Products www.eaglerod.com
LIvernois Motorsports www.livernoismotorsports.com
Eagle Specialty Products www.eaglerod.com
Scat Enterprises www.scatenterprises.com
Atech Motorsports www.atechmotorsports.com
Scat Enterprises www.scatenterprises.com
Eagle Specialty Products www.eaglerod.com
408
408
408
426
426
392 Hemi
426 Hemi
408
416
400
445
462
520
520
557 4.500
4.300
4.300
4.250
4.250
3.825
4.000
4.000
4.080
4.080
4.050
4.180
4.000
4.000
4.000
3.795
Eagle Cast
Scat Forged
Scat Cast
Scat Cast
Eagle Cast
Ford
Eagle Forged
Eagle Cast
K1 3454080SA6F Forged K1 3454080SA6F Forged
Manley Forged
Molner Tech Forged
K1 360-4000FF6F Forged
Scat Forged
Engine Builder Selects
Scat Forged
4.350
4.350
4.350
4.350
4.350
4.375
4.500
4.280
4.360
4.375
EPW/PBM www.pbm-erson.com
Hughes Engines Inc. www.hughesengines.com
K1 Technologies www.k1technologies.com
Hughes Engines Inc. www.hughesengines.com
Eagle Specialty Products www.eaglerod.com
Scat Enterprises www.scatenterprises.com
Scat Enterprises www.scatenterprises.com
Eagle Specialty Products www.eaglerod.com
Eagle Specialty Products www.eaglerod.com
440
493
493
505
541
572
426 B
493
499
BORE
EPW/PBM www.pbm-erson.com
SUPPLIER/WEB SITE
440
CID
EngineBuilderMag.com 63 4.150
4.150
3.750
4.500
4.500
4.250
4.150
4.150
4.100
3.750
STROKE
Eagle Forged
Eagle Forged
Scat Forged
Scat Forged
Eagle Forged
Engine Builder Selects
K1, Forged, 440-4150JC6F
Engine Builder Selects Forged
PBM Forged
PBM Forged
CRANKSHAFT
CHRYSLER Big Block Stroker Kits
4.060
Scat Enterprises www.scatenterprises.com
393
King Uncoated
King Uncoated
Clevite Coated
Clevite Coated
King Uncoated
Clevite Optional
Clevite 77 Uncoated, Full Groove
Clevite Uncoated
Clevite Uncoated
BEARINGS
King Uncoated
Clevite Uncoated
Uncoated
King Uncoated
King Uncoated
Clevite Coated
King Uncoated
King Uncoated
Clevite Optional
Clevite Optional
Clevite Coated
Clevite 77 Uncoated
Clevite Optional
Clevite H-Series
Clevite 77 Uncoated
Clevite H-Series
6.760 Eagle Forged, H-Beam Rod Ratio 1.63
6.760 Eagle Forged, H-Beam Rod Ratio 1.63
6.760 Scat Forged H-Beam
7.100 Scat Forged H-Beam
Mahle 10.8:1 Forged
Mahle 10.7:1 Forged
SRP Forged
ICON Forged
Mahle 11.2:1 Forged
7.100 Eagle Forged, H-Beam Rod Ratio 1.58
7000
Mahle Moly, Ductile Iron Mahle Steel, Straight
7000
8000
Total Seal Ductile Moly
SRP Straight Tool Steel 150g
Mahle Moly, Ductile Iron
8000
Total Seal Ductile Moly ICON Straight Steel 141g
Mahle Steel, Straight
B15108080
1-47604
SCA-1-94955BE
1-94652
B157164080
LME-RAPTOR6.6
B20106030
B20502030
R-KD20249
R-KD20245
LME426
R-PT10231
1-48035
1-48107 6.1L Hemi
B21103030
B21201030
1-48081
1-48065
B21205055
R-PT10240
44067F
44068F
MAX RPM PART NO. AS LISTED
6500
7000
7000
7000
7000
7000
8000
8000
6500
Total Seal Moly, Nodular Iron
Hastings Ductile Moly
Total Seal Moly, Nodular Iron
PBM Moly
PBM Moly
RINGS
Mahle Moly, Ductile Iron
Mahle Ductile Moly
Total Seal Moly, classic race
Mahle Ductile Moly
Mahle Moly, Ductile Iron
Total Seal Steel
Mahle Moly, Ductile Iron
Mahle Moly, Ductile Iron
Wiseco GFX Steel Nitride Napier
Wiseco GFX Steel Nitride Napier
Total Seal Steel
Total Seal Moly, Nodular Iron
Hastings Ductile Moly
Total Seal Ductile Moly
Total Seal
Total Seal Ductile Moly
Mahle Moly, Ductile Iron
Mahle Steel, Straight
Supplied W/Pistons Straight
Wiseco Straight 5115, 156g
Pro Tru PT091H3 Forged Engine Builder Selects Forged
Supplied W/Pistons Straight
SRP
SRP
PINS
Mahle Steel, Straight
Mahle Straight Steel 145g
Probe
Mahle Straight Tool Steel 145 gms
Mahle Steel, Straight
Ross H-13, Straight, 118g
Mahle Steel, Straight
Mahle Steel, Straight
Wiseco Straight 5115, 108g
Wiseco, K465X5, Straight 5115, 117g
Ross H-13, Straight, 118g
DSS Aluminum, Straight
Wiseco Straight 5115, 117g
ICON Straight Steel 190g
Supplied w/Pistons Straight
Probe Straight Steel 149g
ICON or Diamond Forged
SRP Forged
SRP Forged
PISTONS
Mahle 10.5:1 Forged
Mahle Forged
Probe Forged
Mahle Forged
Mahle 10.2:1 Forged
Ross Forged
Mahle 10.8:1 Forged
Mahle 9.9:1 Forged
Wiseco Forged K470x05
Wiseco Forged
Ross Forged
DSS Forged
Pro Tru PT036H3 Forged
ICON Forged
Engine Builder Selects
Probe Forged
Engine Builder Selects H-Beam
6.670 K1 DH6760APRB8-A Forged H-Beam
Engine Builder Selects H-Beam
6.760 PBM H-Beam
6.760 PBM H-Beam
RODS
6.700 Eagle Forged, I-Beam Rod Ratio 1.49
6.800 Scat Forged H-Beam
Scat Forged, I-Beam
6.700 Scat Forged H-Beam
6.635 Eagle Forged, H-Beam Rod Ratio 1.56
6.200 Carillo Forged, H-Beam
6.123 Eagle Forged, H-Beam Rod Ratio 1.53
6.123 Eagle Forged, I-Beam Rod Ratio 1.53
6.125 K1, Forged H-Beam DH6125AHGB8-A
6.125 K1, Forged H-Beam DH6125AHGB8-A
6.125 Manley Forged, H-Beam
6.123 Molner Tech Forged, Billet, Rod Ratio 1.46
6.123 K1, Forged H-Beam DH6123ANPB8-A
6.123 Scat Forged H-Beam
Engine Builder Selects
6.125 Scat Forged H-Beam
56-63 Stroker Charts 3/21/13 2:00 PM Page 63
56-63 Stroker Charts 3/21/13 2:00 PM Page 64
2013 STROKER STROKER KITKIT & & COMPONENT COMPONENT SUPPLIERS Allied Motors Inc. www.strokerkits.com
Dick Miller Racing www.dickmillerracing.com DSS Competition Engines www.dssracing.com
Livernois Motorsports www.livernoismotorsports.com Late Model Engines www.latemodelengines.com
Eagle Specialty Products www.eaglerod.com ATECH Motorsports 800-517-1040 www.atechmotorsports.com Bessel Motorsports www.strokerkits.com Best Machine Racing Engines www.bestmachineracing.com
Ross Racing Pistons 310-536- 0100 www.rosspistons.com RPM www.rpmmaxx.com
Lunati LLC 662-892-1500 www.lunatipower.com Edelbrock Corp. 310-781-2222 www.edelbrock.com
Manley Performance 732-905-3366 www.manleyperformance.com Marsh Performance www.marshperformance.com
Bill Mitchell Products www.theengineshop.com
Reher-Morrison Racing Engines www.rehermorrison.com
Engine & Performance Warehouse 303-572-8844 www.epwi.net Flatlander Racing www.FlatlanderRacing.com Ford Performance Solutions www.f-p-s.com
Butler Performance www.jbp-pontiac.com
Ray Barton Racing Engines www.raybarton.com Speed-O-Motive www.speedomotive.com Smeding Performance www.smedingperformance.com
MAS Performance www.masperformance.com Mast Motorsports www.mastmotorsports.com
SCAT www.scatcrankshafts.com
Motor State Distributing 800-772-2678 www.motorstate.com
TRE Racing Engines www.treracingengines.com
Muscle Motors www.musclemotorsracing.com
Wiseco Piston Co. Inc. www.wiseco.com
NoAngstPerformance.com www.noangstperformance.com Callies Performance Products www.callies.com Campbell Enterprises www.campbellenterprises.com
Canton Racing Products 203-481-9460 www.cantonracingproducts.com
Cloyes Performance Products 479-646-1662 www.cloyes.com
GRP Connecting Rods 303-935-7565 www.grpconrods.com
Ohio Crankshaft www.ohiocrank.com
Howards Cams www.howardscams.com
Pacific Performance Products www.pacificperf.com
Hughes Engines www.hughesengines.com Indy Cylinder Heads www.indyheads.com
K1 Technologies www.k1technologies.com Keith Craft Racing Engines www.keithcraft.com
Coast High Performance www.coasthigh.com Diamond Racing Products www.diamondracing.net
64 March 2013 | EngineBuilder
All stroker kit specifications were provided by suppliers. PBM Performance Engine Parts Warehouse 800-588-9608 www.pbm-erson.com Performance Automotive Warehouse www.pawenginparts.com Powerhouse Engine Components www.enginekits.com Probe Industries www.probeindustries.com Pro Power Performance Parts www.propowerparts.com
Liberty Engine Parts 800-621-4242 www.libertyengineparts.com
• For additional suppliers of stroker kits and rotating assemblies, including specialized, miscellaneous and import-specific kits, visit enginebuildermag.com. Utilize our exclusive on-line Buyers Guides to search by company name or product category.
Race Engineering www.raceeng.com
65-69 Small V8 3/21/13 1:53 PM Page 65
World’s Smallest V8 Engine
Performance Notes
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR JEFF DRUM JDRUM@ENGINEBUILDERMAG.COM
Perseverance over setbacks pays off as collectors and gearheads around the world clamor for this unique 1/4-scale engine
G
ary Conley’s 30-year quest to manufacture a true production V8 engine in quarter-scale almost went up in smoke twice, once in 2001 when a foundry fire claimed all his critical molds, and later when oil smoke proved a stubborn problem during run-offs of the engine. Conley overcame the first setback with years of sheer determination. The second issue required using his Sunnen MB 1660 honing machine, abrasives and some expert honing advice. Today, the man for whom “perfection is almost good enough” has a business building his Stinger 609 V8, with a long backlog of orders from collectors and hobbyists around the world, and he credits honing as the process that helped him come up with a smokin’ hot product. Conley’s Stinger 609 is no toy or novelty, but a serious engine built for high performance and durability. Modeled on a Viper V10 and available in naturally aspirated or supercharged versions, the Stinger has a dry-sump, pressurized lubrication system, elec-
tronic ignition, electric starter, split main and rod bearings, steel valve guides and seats. The bore is about one This awesome T bucket is really a quarter-scale version from Gary Conley. Far from just a model, it uses a fully functioning V8 engine!
inch, with a .952˝ stroke. The crank and cam are 4140, casehardened to 20 microns deep and then ground. The engine uses freestanding, full-wet, cast-iron liners. On the cosmetics side,
EngineBuilderMag.com 65
65-69 Small V8 3/21/13 1:53 PM Page 66
Perf. Notes
investment casting gives exceptional detail to parts cast in 356 aluminum and hardened to T6, such as the pan, heads, valve covers, crankcase and timing cover.
The Stinger 609 is no toy or novelty, but a serious engine built for high performance and durability. It is modeled on a Viper V10 and available in naturally aspirated or supercharged versions.
Genesis of The Stinger 609 Conley began pursuing his dream – with ample support from his wife – after completing his master’s degree and doing a five-year stint as a teacher. In 1996, his reputation led Chrysler to request that he build a quarter-scale Viper V10. Soon after, a full-size V10 engine arrived at his shop to be “reverse engineered” to the quarter-scale size. After five years of development, with the V10 ready to go into production, disaster struck, when his molds were destroyed in a foundry fire. More than $350,000 in molds and five years of time vanished. However, Conley retained the mold masters from the V10, and realized he had plenty of knowl-
Circle 66 for more information 66 March 2013 | EngineBuilder
Circle 65 for more information
65-69 Small V8 3/21/13 1:53 PM Page 67
THIS ISSUE:
PG 70 >> Business Savvy
PG 72 >> NASCAR Performance
edge to build on. With steely determination over a period of additional years, he carefully redesigned his tooling to produce V8 components, and thus was born the Stinger 609.
Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
PG 80 >> On The Web
about the nuances of crosshatch, including the proper angle and depth required to create valleys to retain the oil. “At the time, I did not associate Sunnen with a
Perf. Notes
solution to the problem,” Conley said. “I was honing with the MB 1660, but came to learn my surface finish was too smooth. So, I got a very coarse, 80grit, 5-hardness J25 silicone carbide
The parts can be made as small as needed – but oil molecules won’t scale down. The solution to blowby? Attention to surface finish on the cylinder walls.
According to Conley, the first units of the Stinger engine burned oil so badly they filled a room with smoke in seconds. He discovered the problem was too much oil being pushed up into the cylinders, and though he did not realize it at the time, his honed cylinder surface was too smooth. “The problem was that the molecular size of oil does not scale down,” he explained. “I thought this was caused by the rings, and spent months assembling engines, making new liners, honing and decking the liners, re-designing the rings and pistons, and testing to no avail.” Digging deeper into the science of ring and cylinder design, he learned
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Perf. Notes
honing stone. This produced nice surface valleys for the oil to be retained, but I had not accounted for the surface peaks. After installing rings with an end gap of .003-.004˝ and running the engine, the end gap suddenly increased to .012˝, because the rings were abrading the peaks off the cylinder finish, and the oil issue returned. Bear in mind, we are using stepped cast iron rings only .062˝ thick, without an oil control ring because there's no space for one.” After consulting with his equipment supplier, Conley determined that plateau honing was the answer. Plateau honing – a second pass with a brush or milder abrasive – removes the surface peaks left by the initial pass. It creates a surface profile that resembles a series of plateaus, providing a much greater bearing area, while maintaining the cross-
“The normally aspirated Stinger produces about 4.5 hp, while the supercharger version hits 9.5 hp at 10,000 rpm” hatch valleys for oil retention. “I once ran a set of new rings in a cylinder that had been plateaued and one that was not,” Conley added. “The plateaued cylinder had no ring wear after run-in. The end gap did change slightly, but this is probably cylinder wear rather than ring wear, because so much happens so fast in these small engines.”
Honing Used On Many Bores Today, honing continues to be an important step in the creation of Conley’s quarter-scale beasts, and he attributes much of his honing knowledge to his equipment supplier. “I learned decades worth of information about honing from them,” he said. “Learning how to line hone an engine block straight and true was quite an achievement. We could not get the tandem cam and crank bores on the same centerline without this. Using a three stone mandrel, I can hold .001”, end to end, on a six-inch workpiece. After the investment cast aluminum block is machined and the main bearing is torqued down, we line hone the bores for the crankshaft and the camshaft. The 4140 camshaft rides on the T6 aluminum, just like a real Viper engine. The crank and cam bores are about .875” and .625” respectively. We machine the 7075 connecting rods and install a bearing insert that allows the engine to start dry, without oil pressure, and we experience no wear on the crank or con rods. The smallest bores we hone are the tops of the con rods – about .248” – and the piston pin bores. I stack a set of rods on a ground pin using the large end of the rod, then hone the pin bores to ensure they are all at the exact same height and straight.” Conley stresses he designs for longevity. “Our use of 6-bolt mains makes our lower almost bulletproof,” he said. “We also have crankcase ventilation and split keepers on the valves to keep them in place. Oil filtration is critical on a small engine, too. It’s amazing what comes out of the filter system. “ Conley sources the parts that he doesn’t create himself, including quarter-scale spark plugs from miniature model engine builder Paul Knapp in Payson, AZ, rings from Dave McMillan at D.A.M. Good Engineering in San Jose, CA and castings from Invest Cast, Inc. in Minneapolis, MN. “I’ve been very fortunate to find people who share my passion for creating these engines,” said Conley. “Bill Walker, Sr. at Invest Cast assured me that his group could cast the parts I needed, and they delivered.” In terms of output, the normally aspirated Stinger produces about 4.5 hp, while the supercharger version hits 9.5 hp at 10,000 rpm. Today, Conley sells the engines with a test stand for collectors, or as crate motors Circle 68 for more information 68 March 2013 | EngineBuilder
65-69 Small V8 3/21/13 1:53 PM Page 69
Perf. Notes for builders of model boats or other adult toys. “A customer in Austria recently purchased two suAfter consulting with his honing percharged engines for an 8-foot supplier, Conley was able to offshore boat,” he said. He also overcome some difficult chaloffers the engines in a quarterlenges with his Stinger engines. scale 1934 Ford or 1923 T-bucket roadster, and has his own 7-foot dragster. Conley was named the Joe Martin Foundation’s 2012 “Metalworking Craftsman of the Year” and enjoys an air of celebrity as he makes appearances at trade shows, signing autographs and holding court with gear heads. “I’m an overnight success that took 30 years,” he mused. And his backlog grows as people find new ways to put the mini engines to work in quarter-scale vehicles of all types. ■ For additional information on honing with Sunnen tools and abrasives, visit www.sunnen.com. To learn more about Gary Conley and his engines, visit www.conleyprecision.com.
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Business Savvy
70-71 Bus Savvy 3/21/13 1:51 PM Page 70
Direct Marketing’s Big Three Size, design and list are the keys to a successful postcard marketing campaign
J
ust like an engine, there are a lot of moving parts when it comes to marketing, and postcard marketing, in particular, is no exception to that rule. There is a definite amount of strategic planning, skill, and coordination that goes into creating a perfect direct mail campaign, but if you get it right, it can propel your business to new heights. You cannot just snap your fingers and produce an effective design and targeted mailing list, but I know a few tricks of the trade that can help you construct a winning campaign right from the beginning. That way you can forego the trial and error setbacks many of us in the marketing industry, myself included, experienced on the road to direct mail marketing expertise. I won’t lie to you; there are many nuances that go into creating a fullyoptimized postcard marketing campaign. HOWEVER, that’s not what we need to discuss right now. Instead, let’s focus on the Big Three; because once you know the Big Three, you can create excellent results with your postcards, even if you haven’t yet mastered the more nuanced strategies designed to wring every last cent out of your marketing investment. By nailing the Big Three, you will see big-time results from your marketing. Then, you can focus on finetuning later. The Big Three are: Size, Design and List.
Postcard Size “What size postcard do I need? Can I get away with a smaller card? What is the benefit of a bigger postcard anyway?” 70 March 2013 | EngineBuilder
The size of your postcard directly and immediately affects the response to your mailing. Of course, there are many variables when comparing direct mail campaigns, but you would be hard-pressed to find someone who disagreed with the following statement: “A larger postcard is easier to see.” It is simply a fact. A large postcard IS easier to see than a smaller one, and that means more people will notice a large card, read it, and engage with your advertise-
The size of your postcard directly and immediately affects the response to your mailing. There are many variables when comparing direct mail campaigns.
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Joy Gendusa jgendusa@enginebuildermag.com
ment than they would with a smaller card. Most direct mail postcard companies have options when it comes to the size of your card. If the company you choose doesn’t give you options, choose another company. Usually, your options will look like this: Small (4x6), Medium (5x8), and Large (6x11), though the names will vary. The size you need can be decided by answering these questions: 1. How much do other companies in your industry market? a. Not at all/I’m the only one (You can lean towards a smaller card) b. Light to Moderate Amount (Lean toward a larger card) c. Moderate to Heavy Amount (You need a large card) 2. Do your direct, local competitors also mail postcards? a. No (You can lean toward a smaller card b. Yes (You need a large card) 3. How much explaining does your offer require? a. Not that much/Easy to grasp (Smaller card is fine) b. A little background info (Medium should do the trick) c. A lot/Details are important (Go big or go home) My guess is that for machine shops, the answers are Bs across the board. Based on these results, my suggestion is a medium or large sized card. There is no use putting the effort into a card just to have it ignored because you wanted to save a little bit on printing. You are selling a larger ticket item/service, so a larger advertisement is in order.
70-71 Bus Savvy 3/21/13 1:51 PM Page 71
THIS ISSUE: PG 72 >> NASCAR Performance
Graphic Design In order to design a card that cuts through the noise and communicates your message to prospects, there are a few elements that you need to be aware of and include in the design; precisely, there are ten of them: 1. Clear Headline 2. Supporting Graphic 3. Color that Pops 4. Intriguing Sub-Headings on the back that lead into benefits 5. Benefits! 6. Enticing Offer 7. Business Name and Logo 8. Call to Action and/or expiration date for the offer 9. Contact Information – website, map, phone number 10. Return Address (You can find direct mail postcard samples at http://bit.ly/WMpw86) Elements 1, 2, and 3 are crucial to grabbing attention and immediately turning that attention into a decision to continue reading the postcard. If you fail to grab attention and generate in-
PG 73 >> Product Spotlights
PG 80 >> On The Web
terest, your card will be trash canbound. Elements 4, 5, and 6 are where you persuade the reader to take action. The sub-headings pull the reader into the body copy, which needs to be chock-full of customer-related benefits. Then you seal the deal with an offer they can’t refuse. Elements 7-10 give your prospect the information he needs to respond. Number 8, the call to action, is especially important because, believe it or not, most people won’t think to take action if you don’t ask them to. They are too busy already. Once you get these elements working together, you are ready to mail. But to whom?
The Mailing List The final, and most crucial, of the Big Three is the mailing list. Even a great postcard is toast if you mail it to the wrong sort of people. You see, the mailing list defines the type of person who will be receiving your ad. That’s why it influences response more than any of the other factors. To get the perfect mailing list, you need to under-
Business Savvy
stand the type of person who is your “ideal prospect.” Does your shop cater to a specific clientele? Maybe higherend automobile engines? What about diesel truck engines? Whatever your ideal target market is, that is who you need to get a list of. The specificity of the lists you can obtain is astonishing, too. The trick is to know exactly the type of prospect you are looking for. So if you want to give your marketing a boost, just nail the Big Three. Postcards are proven to work. I have seen it over and over again for 55,000+ businesses. They work, and this is how to make them work for you. Now, go make 2013 your most profitable year yet! ■ Joy Gendusa is the owner and CEO of PostcardMania, a full-service postcard marketing company helping clients create turnkey marketing campaigns with graphic design, printing, mailing list acquisition and mailing services. For more information, visit www.postcardmania.com.
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March 2013 NASCAR_Layout 1 3/21/13 2:07 PM Page 18
Track Talk Inside NASCAR’s Black Box
team of field investigators In 1992, General Motors was recorder. In the event of a places a looking for ways to decrease crash, big or small, NASCAR recorder into the number of lower leg officials are able to retrieve the that bracket. injuries to their Indy Car driv- data and details of the crash, Once a magers. In their research, they were including the rate of decelera- netic sensor lacking one piece of technolo- tion when the car hits a barrier. inside the gy to help them do this: a way According to Tom Gideon, box detects to measure the force drivers senior director of safety, it’s been During a race, the “black box” measures the accelwere subject to in crashes. research and development for placed into eration or deceleration of a racecar 10,000 times They did, however, have a NASCAR, the incident data the car, it per second. device placed in shipments of recorder has not failed to col- goes into a state of readiness. NASCAR also uses these expensive equipment going lect information on a crash yet. Because the units don’t have devices to reconstruct actual overseas to determine how the “From 2002 to now, we’ve an on/off switch, the magnet crashes to improve safety and cargo was being handled, and recorded over 6,000 incidents sensor helps to preserve battery to test new developments. track when it was mishandled in the national series,” he said. when they aren’t in a car. Technicians are able to take the and by whom. With a few “All the vehicles in our nation- During a race, the device meas- numbers from a wreck and, tweaks, such as an increased al series – which include ures the acceleration or deceler- using a hydraulic cylinder and range of measurement, the NASCAR Sprint Cup, ation of the car 10,000 times dummy model, examine the company realized these devices Nationwide and Camping per second. NASCAR officials effects on the body of that could be placed in cars to World Series racecars and remove the IDRs from the car identical force. They’ve even measure the impact of a crash. trucks – are required to have a after each race, recording infor- used these data recorders to That was the beginning of crash recorder.” mation from those in cars test the Generation-6 car’s the Incident Data Recorder, or Since 2002, the accident involved in wrecks. improved roll cage by captur“black box,” in automobile rac- data recorders have ridden Once NASCAR extracts the ing the impact when a car is ing. along with NASCAR drivers. data from a crash, the numbers dropped upside down in the Today, NASCAR supplies Teams are responsible only for are then released to the team Research and Development each of the cars in its three the aluminum bracket that whose car held the recorder. Center parking lot. national racing series with an holds the recorder into place in Teams use this information to “We’re at all times looking updated version of that that car. Before each race, a determine how hard the car was for improvements to the car hit, and that we can validate, so that whether the when we finally put it in the impact was car, we’re not worried that big enough maybe we did something to cause wrong,” Gideon said. damage to Learn more about the the seat and latest technological advances restraints. If in NASCAR by visiting the so, the seat – new NASCAR Autowhich can motive Technology Center cost up to Engineered By Mobil 1: $12,000 – www.nascar.com/automotivetechwill be fully nology inspected before being replaced or By Kristen Boghosian, An incident data recorder, also known as a “black box,” gives NASCAR officials the ability to repaired. NASCAR.COM measure the effects of crashes.
Follow NASCAR Performance on Twitter and Facebook www.twitter.com/NASCARauto www.facebook.com/NASCARPerformance
73-76 Spotlights 3/21/13 1:49 PM Page 73
Engine Pro H-Beam Connecting Rods are forged from 4340 steel and produced on CNC machinery. They are finished in the U.S. to ensure precise big-end and pin-end bore sizes. Rods are magnafluxed, heat treated, stress relieved, shot peened and sonic tested to ensure they provide the strength required for high horsepower applications. Engine Pro connecting rods equipped with standard 8740 bolts are rated for up to 700 horsepower in small blocks, and 850 horsepower in big block applications. Visit, www.goenginepro.com.
Engine Pro Circle 100
Phone: 800-ENGINE-1
www.goenginepro.com Circle 101
SV-20 Cylinder Hone The Sunnen SV-20 cylinder hone incorporates the high-end features that satisfy both production engine builders and performance shops, but at a cost that won’t break the bank. SV-20 features include: •True linear stroking system for consistent diameter from top to bottom of the bore, cylinder after cylinder •Powerful 5.5 Hp spindle motor drives Sunnen’s two-stage diamond hone heads for shorter cycle times and super accuracy •Rotary servo tool feed system allows automatic 2-stage honing with both rough and finish stones •Advance PLC control with color touch screen for easy operation and optimum control of honing parameters
Circle 102
Ford 5.4L 3V Camshafts Elgin Industries offers the aftermarket’s most complete line of precision-engineered stock and performance camshafts for today’s leading engines. Now engine builders can restore OE performance and reliability to Ford 5.4L 3-valve (VIN 5) engines with the following premiumquality Elgin® cams:
E-1830-S (Left) 2005-2008 E-1831-S (Right)2005-2008
•Full bore profile display to quickly see and correct tight spots
Sunnen Products Company Phone 1-800-325-3670 Circle 103 EngineBuilderMag.com 73
www.sunnen.com Circle 104
Phone: 1-800-323-6764
www.elginind.com Circle 105
Product Spotlights
Engine Pro High Performance Connecting Rods
Product Spotlights
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Stainless Steel Roller Rockers
The popular Elgin® PRO-STOCK® performance line now includes premium stainless steel roller rocker arms for smalland big-block Chevrolet and Ford 302 and 351W engines. Stainless steel construction and extra-large trunnions give PRO-STOCK roller rockers superior strength and increased durability while eliminating deflection at high RPM. Each part’s full needle-bearing trunnion allows for increased horsepower and quicker response, and a large roller tip helps prevent wear. The new roller rockers are offered in clamshell kits of 16 that include poly locks.
Phone:800-323-6764 Circle 110 Circle 109 74 March 2013 | EngineBuilder
www.elginind.com Circle 111
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Product Spotlights
Have You Been To EngineBuilderMag.com? The Engine Builder website - www.enginebuildermag.com - provides weekly updated news, products and technical information along with the same in-depth editorial content as the magazine. Technical, product and equipment, market research, business management and financial information is all searchable by keywords making it easy for engine builders to find the information they need from current and past issues. Currently the site receives more than 120,000+ page views/impressions per month and growing!
Engine Builder
Circle 113
Phone:330-670-1234
www.enginebuildermag.com Circle 112
Circle 115 Circle 114
Circle 116 EngineBuilderMag.com 75
76 AVI_Layout 1 3/21/13 2:22 PM Page 76
77 Supply Line 3/21/13 2:09 PM Page 77
LS Oil Pans Based on Pro/Cam’s popular wet sump oil pan design, their new LS Wet Sump Oil Pan is designed to optimize oil control and return it back to the engine. The wet sump oil pan features an adjustable crank scraper, baffles and trap doors. It is also set up to work with an external oil pump for maximum efficiency and reliability. At 6.5” deep from crank centerline, the oil pan has a capacity of 7 quarts. This oil pan is great for circle track racing and crate engines. Pro/Cam’s new oil pans for LS engines are available in steel or aluminum, wet sump or dry sump. Baker Engineering www.bakerengineeringinc.com Circle Number 150
Billet Pulley System Designed for the budget minded builder with the same March Performance quality and innovation as our Style Track kits. Complete with pulleys and a strong compact one piece combination alternator and A/C bracket, manufactured from 6061T6 billet aluminum but with a more economical Silver or Black finish. No Slip operation. Replaces your low performance Vbelts, pulleys. Simple to bolt on! CNC machined from solid billet 6061-T6 aluminum. Application: Ford 289, 302, 351 Windsor. Uses 1994 -1995 Ford short water pump for the ultimate in radiator clearance. Requires 90 degree thermostat housing and the use of an electric fuel pump and a pan- mounted side dipstick tube March Performance www.marchperf.com Circle Number 151
EFI Nitrous Kits NOS research and development continually strives to push the performance envelope to the next level. NOS
has developed three new dry nitrous kits: a single stage and two dual stage kits. NOS dry Pro Race Fogger kits are designed to be used with stand-alone engine management systems like the Holley Dominator and HP EFI systems that have programmable dry nitrous capability. This allows for complete control of the fuel, nitrous and ignition for the most repeatable results possible. These kits come with jetting for 175, 250, 300, and 350 horsepower levels, but can support up to 500 horsepower per stage. Nitrous Oxide Systems www.holley.com Circle Number 152
LS EFI System Your solution for an easy LS EFI system is here! MSD Performance is driving innovation again with its next generation of Atomic EFI – the all new Atomic LS platform. It incorporates the electronics into the fuel rails. There’s no bulky ECU or wiring harness to mount and therefore no mess of wires to route around the engine. The Atomic LS “wiredless” design mounts simply and cleanly on the engine, greatly improving the overall aesthetics under the hood. For more information on this new technology, visit the MSD website. MSD Performance www.atomicefi.com Circle Number 153
Knowledge is [Horse]power! Listen, watch and learn ... Powerful presentations from engine experts at the Advanced Engineering Technology Conference (AETC). Hear great speakers such as Billy Godbold, Jon Kaase, Lake Speed, Jr., Dr. Prucka, Scooter Brothers, Rick Roberts and many more! Technical Insights www.technical -insights.com Circle Number 154
EngineBuilderMag.com 77
Supply Line
>>New Products
Classified/Cores
78-79 Class-Cores 3/21/13 2:09 PM Page 78
Simply the Best Lists: Automotive Aftermarket Truck Fleet & Powersports Markets
What Type of Direct Marketing Initiatives Do You Have in Store for 2013? Direct Mail E-Mail Marketing Telemarketing New Business • Prospecting Drive Web Site Traffic
Database Enhancement Catalog Mailing Promote Upcoming Tradeshows
Don Hemming, List Sales Manager Babcox Media, Inc. Phone: 330-670-1234 x286 Fax: 330-670-0874 dhemming@babcox.com www.babcox.com
Need Reprints? Call
Tina Purnell at
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78 March 2013 | EngineBuilder
USED AND REBUILT EQUIPMENT MACHINE REBUILDING
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ST. LOUIS, MO 63107
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CBN TOOLING: WE RESHARPEN CBN’S!
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Classified/Cores Call now to order or to receive a free 2012 catalog 1-800-434-5141 www.autobodysupplies.com
Advertiser Index COMPANY NAME
PAGE #
COMPANY NAME
PAGE #
Access Industries
Cover 3
CIRCLE # 81
Engine Parts Group
13
CIRCLE # 13
ACL Distribution
19
19
Engine Parts Warehouse
18
18
Atech Motorsports
16
14
Engine & Performance Whse.
Automotive Service Equipment
71
71
ESCO Industries
29,35,39,41,43,48 29,35,39,41,43,48 54
72
Avon Automotive Products
66
66
GRP Connecting Rods
67
67
Bill Mitchell Products
6
9
Hilborn Fuel Injection
28
28
Brad Penn Lubricants
4
4
Injector Experts
16
16
Butler Performance
69
64
King Electronics
52
50
Canton Racing Products
66
65
Liberty Engine Parts
5
5
Champion Brands
51
51
Melling Engine Parts
32
32
Cloyes Gear & Products Inc.
55
55
Motor State Distributing
7
7
Comp Performance Group
15
15
Mr Gasket Performance Group
26
28
Dakota Parts Warehouse
6
6
MSD Ignition
30
30
Dart Machinery Ltd
3
3
Packard Industries
8
8
Darton International
12
4
PRW Industries Inc
52
52
Dipaco Inc.
10
10
Quality Cutter Grinding
22
22
DNJ Engine Components
1
1
Rottler Manufacturing
Cover 4
84 11
To Advertise in CLASSIFIEDS!
Driven Racing Oil, LLC
20
20
Safety Auto Parts Corp
11
Call Roberto Almenar at 330-670-1234, ext. 233 ralmenar@babcox.com
Dura-Bond Bearing Co
21
21
Scat Enterprises
24, 25
25
Edelbrock Corp
53
53
Sunnen Products Co
49
49
EFI University
31
31
Supertech Performance
68
68
Elgin Industries
Cover 2
Trac-Pro
69
69
2
EngineBuilderMag.com 79
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Pro Stock Engine Technology For a gearhead it's always interesting to look at the upper echelons of motorsports to see what's ticking under the hood. F1, Sprint Cup, and endurance cars are all fairly engaging from an engine perspective, but nothing tops drag racing for its sheer power, variety and ingenuity. The most intense class for any serious engine builder is NHRA Pro Stock. With these naturally aspirated 500 cid engines spinning 10,500 rpm and producing upwards of 1,450 hp and 800 ft.lbs. of torque, you have to ask yourself – how’s that possible? http://bit.ly/ZIaO3Q
Products
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Kaase P-51 Engines
Selling Your Business: 10 Mistakes To Avoid
Jon Kaase Racing Engines, fourtime winner of the Engine Masters Challenge, has expanded its P-51 cylinder head sales for big-block Fords to include the assembly of complete P-51 engines. http://bit.ly/XI4J8X
There comes a time for every business when ownership changes, whether through a transition to the next generation or an outright sale to a first time or an experienced buyer. http://bit.ly/Yw37vC
Reader Comments Toyota V8 UZ Engine Timing Belt Issues “Concerning the 12th step, turning the engine over a couple of times back to TDC to check timing marks won’t work. You will have to turn the engine over 400 times to get the timing marks to line up again because they are out of phase.” – Duggles
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The Importance of Compression Ratios and How To Measure Them “Perhaps Ron was misquoted, but swept volume is the displacement between TDC and BDC and does not include clearance or combustion chamber volume. So the correct basic formula is SV plus CCV, and that total is then divided by CCV.” – Shop Guy
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80 March 2013 | EngineBuilder
Rebuilding The Ford 3.0L V6 “I had to replace both of my heads because this engine didn’t have hardened exhaust seats. The exhaust valves pound their way into the head until they run out of adjustment and no longer seal. Mine had about 210,000 miles on them when I got a misfire code. I got a rebuilt set with hardened seats.” – Weslope
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Babcox Media Inc. Bill Babcox, President Greg Cira, Vice President, CFO Jeff Stankard, Vice President Beth Scheetz, Controller In Memorium: Edward S. Babcox (1885-1970) Founder of Babcox Publications Inc. Tom B. Babcox (1919-1995) Chairman
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