There’s no doubt that engine specialists will begin seeing more variable valve timing (VVT) designed engines in their shops, as the generation of vehicles equipped with this technology begins to make its way into the service industry.  camsprocketVVT  .These camshaft sprockets and timing gears are integral parts on this Ford application. The stamped steel plates […]

 Standard and Reverse Rotation Marine Engines – What to Look For Boats with twin engines usually turn in opposite direction so the torque reactions of the engines cancel each other out. The following four drawings show how the crankshaft and camshaft turn in the four combinations of drives. Some of the parts in these engines […]

The reduction of sulfur in diesel fuel, gasoline and motor oil has had measurable effects on fuel injectors and other vital engine parts. Add to that restrictions on additives like ­ZincDialkylDithioPhosphate(ZDDP), and it seems like the whole world of fuels and lubricants has turned upside down at times. Before you let all this change give you […]

  Diesel, gasoline and natural gas engine oils are going to be changing by 2016. With the current regulatory emphasis on improving fuel economy, which also reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, engine oil scientists will soon be reformulating all three oils to improve fuel economy. When the Federal government enacted fuel economy regulations for trucks, diesel […]

1. Failure Symptom: Seal Leakage-Dirty System Evidence of seal leakage from weep hole  – This pump has been in service only a short time before rusty-looking coolant began to leak out of the weep hole, leaving behind large deposits of rust and calcium.  Figure 1 shows a buildup of rust particles with a mud-like consistency […]

1. Synthetic motor oil is too slippery. It causes roller bearings to slide instead of roll, and that causes the bearings to fail. Fact or Fiction? – Fiction If you have ever flown on a jet airplane, you have enough experience to debunk this myth. All jet turbine engines utilize rolling-element bearings, and every jet […]

Vehicles with variable valve timing (VVT) have become commonplace over the last decade. Even more commonplace are engines that use a phaser to manipulate camshaft position and, hence, valve timing. The phaser style of VVT is the focus of this article. The oil control valve is the traffic control device of oil pressure. In this […]

Cam failure is rarely caused by the cam itself. The only things that can be controlled during manufacture pertaining to cam lobe wear are lobe taper, lobe hardness and surface finish.   Of all the damaged cams that Mayor`s has checked over the years, it says more than 99.99 percent have been manufactured correctly. Some people […]

On forced induction and on nitrous applications, which experience extreme shock loads, Mayor`s says they move the top ring down from the piston crown to around .300˝. However, depending upon valve configuration and the positioning of the valve reliefs, the top ring can be moved down by as much as .450˝. But on most small-block […]

If you’re fortunate enough to have more than one engine block to choose for machining an if you haven’t yet purchased one, here are some obvious things to look for.First, Before machining an engine block you want to look for cracks on the water jacket area and in the lifter valley area. an If the block […]