When surfacing blocks or heads, it’s a good idea to deburr all the water jacket and bolt holes before making cuts. Many heads have scale and residue on those areas that can cause “drag” marks when the tool bit passes over. Marine heads, or any head that’s not…
Ron Flood Cedar Machine North Branch, MN
Smaller crankshafts and camshafts are so “springy” they can resist straightening and can be hard to straighten by peening. I prefer to use a peening technique on all the crankshafts and camshafts that come through the shop. When on the straightener, these parts will typically bend several…
Trevor Wells Schmidt Automotive Indianapolis, IN
Often when parting off a work piece in the lathe, the tool may leave a "pip" or thin ring attached to the work piece....even when using a right-hand cut-out insert or blade tip. Here's an easy, quick way to remove the unwanted "pip" or thin material: open a…
Tom Nichols Automotive Machine & Supply, Inc Cleburne, TX
In the past, I balanced individual parts like everyone else; match all to the lightest, piston to piston, rod to rod, etc. But a few years ago, I started following this procedure: Assign all parts an identifying letter, then weigh and record all weights. Then match up heaviest…
Mark Workman Workmonster Motorsports Ballwin, MO
A few rookie tips that a few old timers may have forgotten: The risk of a drill bit slipping in a Jacobs chuck, gouging the drill shank, can be significantly reduced by tightening all 3 "holes" in the chuck with the chuck key. When clamping the…
Tom Nichols Automotive Machine & Supply, Inc Joshua, TX
We keep NPT unions by the lathe for drilling pipe plugs for restrictors. We can screw the fitting in, chuck it up and use the lathe to drill the fitting. We use a split nut on conventional thread fittings. Adam Cofer Don Ott Racing Engines York…
Adam Cofer Don Ott Racing Engines York Springs, PA
In the event you come up missing a set screw or oil galley plug, and need to finish a job, one can be quickly made by threading the head of a stainless-steel hex-socket head cap screw. Then cut off and file the smaller original threaded portion of the…
Tom Nichols Automotive Machine & Supply, Inc. Joshua, TX
If you have broken a tap or easy-out, how do you drill it? Go to the hardware store and buy a few cheap masonry drills. The type with a spade piece of carbide in the end. These drills will put up with lots of abuse and…
Peter vonSneidern Kidder Mountain Restoration Temple, NH
I needed a tool for rotating the crankshaft when adjusting valves, and the harmonic balancer was on the engine. I cut off the snout end of an old crankshaft. With the woodruff key or keys installed, I put it into the end of the balancer and then…
Chuck Peterson Peterson Machining Belmont, NH
Start with a carriage bolt with a head diameter 1/4" larger than the bottom of the T-slot. Be sure the bolt's square shank fits easily into the T-slot. Chuck the bolt in the lathe, drill and tap thru the head to a depth just beyond the end of…
Tom Nichols Automotive Machine & Supply, Inc Cleburne, TX