Jul 7, 2015
Archie Bosman: As you sit quietly reading these lines, a whirl of activity is taking place in the bell housing. Let’s imagine for a moment the clutch assembly could express its greatest anxiety, what might it be? Might it be the use of excessively harsh friction compounds on the... read more
Jul 2, 2015
The Importance of Compression Ratios and How to Measure Them: Since race pistons in domestic V-8 engines move up and down in excess of 100 times per second, replacing them is a normal part of a racer’s routine. NHRA Top Fuel and Funny car teams replace them after every... read more
Jun 7, 2015
By Sam Logan: Adrian Gomez, an industrious 27-year old who manages Mak Performance, a Miami specialty shop established in 1995, bought a 2015 Mustang 5.0 and with fewer than 7,000 miles on the clock installed a Pro Charger centrifugal supercharger. It extended the Mustang’s power output at the rear... read more
Jun 2, 2015
By Alfie Bilk: Basic forced-induction guidelines (6-10psi boost range) for carbureted systems Forged pistons preferred for all boosted applications Cast or Hypereutectic pistons may be used below 500hp and low-boost applications Compression ratios of 9:1 to 9:5.1 ideal for boost levels of 6-8 psi on 91-93 octane pump gas... read more
May 15, 2015
By Titus Bloom: Gibtec, makers of custom billet competition pistons reveals… Below their ring lands, pistons are neither round nor do they have parallel sides. Instead they have a larger diameter towards the bottom, between the base of the piston and the piston pin hole. They become progressively smaller... read more
May 15, 2015
Irvine, CA: At CP-Carrillo, two hybrid combinations are in the final stages of testing. One is designated for the common rail 5.9 liter Cummins using a Duramax pin size and compression height with a rod length of 0.856in longer than stock. The other combo is developed for the 6.6... read more
May 14, 2015
By Sam Logan: Most late-model street vehicles use an internal hydraulic clutch release bearing, sometimes called a concentric slave cylinder (CSC). Yet, unfathomably, many of them suffer from clutch engagement high on the pedal travel. For most drivers, this is not comfortable. Conveniently, Ram Clutches has introduced a pedal-height... read more
Apr 9, 2015
Irvine, CA: CP-Carrillo is introducing a new X-Style series of pistons for power-adder engines. Available for Top Alcohol Hemi applications with plus or minus 4.467in bores and Hemi canted valve for Pro Mod with plus-or-minus 5.000in bores, these pistons include several advanced features including the ability to run narrower rods... read more
Feb 5, 2015
By Bertie Scott Brown, January 28, 2015 When a round wire lock, the spring-loaded device that retains the piston pin within the pin towers, comes out while the engine is racing, it releases a fanatical frenzy, a chain of events that most engine builders describe as catastrophic. It... read more
