Don Terrill’s Speed-Talk

RIP, Pat. He was an awesome guy.

"Industrial" chrome plating, as found on piston rings and crankshaft journals, is a dull silver color. It is not shiny chrome like the bumper on your '57 Chevy.

I don't have any first-hand experience with this subject, but I would be concerned that the shot peening process might cause the aluminum piston crown to become brittle and subject to shallow cracks. Don't know, just contemplating . . . . . . . . .

Sorry to hear that Wayne has passed away.

Your best source for recommendation on valve springs is your camshaft manufacturer. They will know which spring (s) work best with their particular camshaft. Anything else is just a wild ass guess . . . . . . . .

You will hear differing reports on how much piston rings contribute to internal engine friction, but 70 to 80% is about right. Thinner ring widths will reduce the friction to some degree but not a huge amount. I have found that ring width less than .043" does not reduce the friction by a measur...

'Perfect Circle' accreditation Bill? benchmark company with benchmark training. Had to be good for Mahle to want them. Thing is these days a number of guys don't check ring gaps or even wash a set of rings much less micro examine them,,, out of the packet, look for dots and on they go, some don't e...

It would be interesting if you would call the ring manufacturer and see what they suggest. The ring manufacturers will respond, that filing and/or polishing the piston rings is not necessary and will not enhance the functionality of the rings at all. My recommendation is to inspect the rings comple...

Bob Summers passed away several years ago and his brother Bill has also passed away. Bob's wife attempted to keep the company alive, but the facility was closed and the equipment sold - probably twenty years ago or so. Too bad, they manufactured top quality parts when they were in business. Ontario,...

I agree with BillK, am not comfortable utilizing bearing shells from different manufacturers, nor using uncoated shell and coated shell on the same crank pin. You should be able to get to your target clearance using combinations of Clevite shells. Start with checking your crankshaft and verifying th...

novafornow wrote: ↑Mon Sep 20, 2021 5:10 pm I don't remember if Daido makes a dowel pin bearing.

Akerly & Childs in Valencia, CA can punch the dowel holes in bearing shells for you.

Fuel will burn efficiently and produce torque/horsepower if it is being introduced into the engine with the proper amount of oxygen AND the fuel is atomized completely with the air/oxygen. That is one of the reasons why Nitromethane works so well in a Top Fuel/Funny Car application. The fuel actuall...

I didn't read all of the posts in this thread, as it was putting me to sleep. But I will say this emphatically - NEVER PUT ANY THING BETWEEN THE BEARING SHELLS AND THE CASE. Automotive shell-style bearings should be installed clean and dry!!!

[/quote] How much crown (convex) should be on a lifter to spin properly? [/quote] The crown on flat tappets is very slight. The crown is actually measured in inches of radius on manufacturing prints. This radius may be in the order of 25.000 inches, so an automotive lifter with a crown of this magna...

Fully grooved main bearings are not a good choice for any performance engine application. Best design is the long-time proven 180 degree oil groove, which facilitates the formation of a wedge of oil between the crank journal and bearing shell ID.