The new Gen 5 GM direct injected V-8's only come with a half thrust bearing in the main bearing set. The GM coated bearings are a very nice bearing if a Bi-Metal Aluminum bearing is ok for the application. So far on the…
Jake Sampson Sampson Race Engines Inver Grove Heights, MN
This tip is for the shops that need to cut a second keyway on crankshafts. This tool was made from an old harmonic balancer that I cut the center out of. I cut a second keyway at 180 degrees opposite of the original. Now this allows me…
John Chavis Jr. The Power House Rockingham, NC
When adding heavy metal to a crank while balancing, the correct placement can be determined by adding the effective gain of your tungsten slug by moving this adjustable device to the approximate location on the counterweight and dialing in the exact position to drill. By fine tuning the…
Randy Quam Competition Engines Eagan, MN
I like to check rod alignment before I install the pistons. I had SB and BB Chev piston pins centerless ground .0025” under some years ago. Since then I have chucked other sizes short and ground them in the crank grinder slightly under size. I believe it…
Randy Torvinen Torvinen's Machine Menahga MN
I have a quick and easy way to check or measure the stroke of a crankshaft. I put the crank on some V-blocks on the vertical mill table. I chuck up a BB Chev fuel pump pushrod or any similar round stock in a drill chuck. Position…
Nick Jones Automotive Machine Fraser MI
When cutting the parting faces on rods and caps for resizing, make sure the bearing locating tang is facing the same way for both on the cap grinder. This way, if the parting surface is not perfectly 90° from the side, cutting the cap…
Ron Flood Cedar Machine North Branch, MN
Crankshaft end play is important to check in all engine builds. You want to make sure there is no pressure or binding at the flange of the thrust bearing. On these John Deere applications the end play needs to be checked once the engine is installed, as well as during…
Engine Pro Tech Committee with special thanks to Reliance Power Parts
A quick way to center up crankshaft bobweights is to use a piece of round aluminum rod, machined to 1/2 the difference of the widths of the weight and the journal. Use it to space one side up and snug the bobweight. That centers it right up…
Ron Flood Cedar Machine Service North Branch, MN
When I mount pistons onto press fit rods I set my mounting fixture so I get them perfectly centered. But setting the mounting fixture on tapered pin boss pistons is harder to get right. I took an old rod and honed the small end until the press pin…
Dave Matton D and D Machine Bloomington, MN
As part of my crank balancing tools, I have an assortment of lower timing gears that I use when balancing a crank that requires the balancer to be installed. Some are slip fit, others I hone to slip fit for ease of removal. This allows me…
Ron Flood Cedar Machine Service North Branch, MN