Tag: TECH

Old School Repair: This Dude Welds A Crankshaft Back Together Like A Boss! It Was Broken In Two!

Dec 23, 20211320 Engine Tech, 1320 Tech Story, Apex Engine Tech, Apex Tech Stories, ENGINE, TECH, Tech Stories, Videos, XL Engine Tech, XL Tech Stories

Old School Repair: This Dude Welds A Crankshaft Back Together Like A Boss! It Was Broken In Two!

If you watch videos from other countries, where guys are doing repairs that would seem nearly impossible without modern tools, you start to appreciate and understand what our grandparents and great grandparents were doing to make similar repairs. It’s a true testament to how good something can be even without CNC machines or what have you. In this video, the only equipment used to fix this completely snapped crankshaft is a drill press, a stick welder, and a lathe. The lathe isn’t anything new, but it does seem to work well, and the guy using it clearly knows what he’s doing. But the lathe could be 50 years old or 5, it’s all the same.

Watch as this guy cleans and machines each end of the broken pieces, which might actually be from two different crankshafts, slides them together, indexes them, and then gets his arc welding on. He then straightens the crank, machines the crank, and finally drills the oiling holes in it and then sends it on its way to be used in some truck or what have you. It’s impressive and you’ll dig it.

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Qarantine Cruise Photos: The November 2021 Quarantine Cruise In Had Some Epic Machines. Check Them Out!

Dyno Proven 500 Horsepower Combos: Three Stock Bottom End 5.3 LS Combos That Will Make You 500 Horsepower Or More.

Dec 23, 20211320 Engine Tech, 1320 Tech Story, Apex Engine Tech, Apex Tech Stories, ENGINE, ENGINES, TECH, Tech Stories, Videos, XL Engine Tech, XL Tech Stories

Dyno Proven 500 Horsepower Combos: Three Stock Bottom End 5.3 LS Combos That Will Make You 500 Horsepower Or More.

I get asked about LS engine combos all the time, and the overwhelming majority of them are from people who think that they need to build an engine with all aftermarket parts. When I ask them how much horsepower they want to make, the vast majority say something like 450 horsepower. This makes me shake my head, because making 400 to 500 horsepower is simple and doable if you have a 5.3 LS that runs. Stock they make 350 horsepower, so anything you do from there will make real power improvements. A camshaft and headers will make over 400, and when you combine an intake, heads, etc, there are real power numbers to be had. And then there’s nitrous! Okay that’s another video, these are completely naturally aspirated combos that are based on a stock bottom end 5.3L.

Check out Richard’s combos, dyno results, and more in the video below.

Video Description:

HOW DO I MAKE 500 HP WITH MY 5.3L? DO I NEED FORGED INTERNALS TO MAKE 500 HP WITH MY 5.3L? CAN MY 5.3L MAKE 500 HP WITHOUT BOOST? WHAT IS THE BEST CAM TO USE ON MY 5.3L? WHAT ARE THE BEST HEADS TO USE ON MY 5.3L? WHAT INTAKE SHOULD I USE ON MY 5.3L? CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO ON THREE (3) DIFFERENT 5.3L BUILDS THAT NOT ONLY EXCEEDED 500 FLYWHEEL HP, BUT DID SO WITH THE STOCK BOTTOM END (STOCK BLOCK, CRANK, RODS AND PISTONS). ALL YOU NEED ARE THE RIGHT HEADS, CAM AND INTAKE (WITH HEADERS) AND YOU TOO CAN REACH THE 500-HP MARK.

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Facebook Find: This 1980 Z28 Camaro Is Throwback Greatness I Would Drive Like A Boss

Best Torque Wrench? $450 Snap-On vs Craftsman, ICON, Kobalt, DeWalt, SK Tools, Proto, Wera

Several years ago the guys at Car Craft Magazine did a torque wrench shootout and found that the high dollar models from the big tool brands weren’t better, and in some cases were worse, than the cheap brands like you’d find at Harbor Freight, Home Depot, or Lowes. So when I saw this new test being done by the Project Farm youtube channel I immediately clicked on it. There are a lot of ways to test a torque wrench, but none are as good as using an actual torque wrench tester and that’s exactly what has been done in this video.

In addition to the torque wrench tester, they also did 1,000 cycles to see how accurate the torque wrench was after a lifetime of clicks. Accuracy was measured along with variation and all the results are given in this video. Check it out and see not only which torque wrench is best but also which one is right for you.

Video Description:

10 Wrenches Tested: Snap On, Wera, Craftsman, Kobalt, ICON, DeWalt SK Hand Tool, Proto Tools, Performance Tool, Lexivon, and a vintage Craftsman. Torque wrenches tested for initial accuracy when new at 50, 100, 150, 200 and 250 foot pounds. Wrenches were then tested at 50, 150, and 250 foot pounds in the counterclockwise direction. Subsequently, the wrenches were cycled 1,000 times at 100 foot pounds and then tested again for accuracy. My goal is to ALWAYS provide accurate and honest test results by avoiding outside pressure from manufacturers. To do this, I ALWAYS buy all of the products that I test along with the test equipment and supplies used for the testing. So, thank you very much for helping me achieve this goal by your support of the channel.

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New Product Install: New Mid-Mount Gen III HEMI Front Accessory Drive – HEMI Swap Greatness!

Dec 23, 20211320 New Drag Race Products, Apex New Products, ENGINE, ENGINES, New Products, TECH, Tech Stories, Videos, XL New Truck Products

New Product Install: New Mid-Mount Gen III HEMI Front Accessory Drive – HEMI Swap Greatness!

One of the most annoying and frustrating parts of any late-model engine swap can be fitting a bunch of accessories that never came in your car up front and in between the engine and radiator. Whether you realize it or not, almost all of the late model V8 cars are considerably larger than their previous counterparts. A new Challenger is bigger than a 1970 Challenger, for example, and so is the underhood space. These new cars are designed to fit around all the stuff that needs to be on these late model engines, and the older cars weren’t. Thankfully the gang at Holley has come up with the solution. Their new Mid Mount accessory drive system is a game-changer.

When Holley came out with accessory drive systems for the LS engine it made swapping one into just about anything much less of a headache, and now Mopar fanatics are going to benefit from the same technology. Their bracketless design means everything fits tight to the block minimizing any chance of interference between accessories and the chassis, body, etc.

Video Description:

Holley’s new Gen III Hemi Mid-Mount Accessory Drive Kits offers a simple, clean and reliable way to install all of the serpentine belt-driven accessories for your late-model Mopar engine onto our patent-pending bracket-less design. This allows the alternator, air conditioning pump, power steering pump, and everything else to be mounted tighter to the engine, making a Gen III Hemi swap an easier affair, regardless if you are using a VVT or non-VVT engine in your build! https://www.holley.com/products/engin…

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Best Torque Wrench? $450 Snap-On vs Craftsman, ICON, Kobalt, DeWalt, SK Tools, Proto, Wera

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Project Binky Update: lt’s Back And It’s Badass, But Has Had To Have Some Tweaks

Despite being the most well thought out car build I’ve ever seen online, and also being finished to a much more show car level than anyone ever expected at the beginning of this whole project. And like everyone else online I’ve been super excited to see what’s in store and what progress has been made in the reassembly of this bad boy. Unfortunately there have been a couple of setbacks that are potentially a real problem, of the type you don’t want to deal with once a car is painted and ready for reassembly. But instead of looking at this as a negative, I look at it as reinforcement that when this happens to us normal people it doesn’t mean we suck.

Watch this latest video and if you missed any of this build before, then you need to dedicate your YouTube watching hours to this thing because it is epic in every way and will teach you things about how to build cars better. No, really, it will.

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE MISSED ANY OF THE PROJECT BINKY VIDEOS

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Junkyard LS Cam Test: Will The Same Camshaft Work With A Carb, EFI, Nitrous, Or Boost?

Oct 03, 2021ENGINE, ENGINES, TECH, Tech Stories, Videos

Junkyard LS Cam Test: Will The Same Camshaft Work With A Carb, EFI, Nitrous, Or Boost?

When it comes to camshafts there is never a shortage of opinions or available grinds. And one thing that I always find amusing is the “ideal conditions” world that so many hot rodders, racers, and tuners seem to think they are in, when in fact some very small percentage of them are in that place at all. If you are racing at very highly competitive, elite, or combination limited levels, where every single horsepower can make a difference between winning or losing, then having the perfect camshaft might be the difference over a weekend of racing. But if you aren’t in the small percentage of racers who find themselves in that position, then you open up a world that includes a lot of camshafts and engine components that will give you everything you need.

But do you have to have a different camshaft for your LS engine if you are running a carburetor instead of EFI? How about if you add boost to it? Richard Holdener has done the testing so that you can see the answers right here. Watch

Video Description:

DO YOU NEED A SPECIFIC CAM FOR BOOST? WHAT ABOUT FOR A CARB, FOR EFI OR FOR NITROUS OXIDE? WHAT IF I TOLD YOU THE SAME CAM WORKS ON ALL THOSE APPLICATIONS? HAS RICHARD LOTS HIS MARBLES? CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO WHERE I RAN THE SAME CAM ON A CARBURETED LS, A NITROUS LS, AN EFI LS AND A SUPERCHARGED EFI (GAS AND E85) LS. WHAT HAPPENED WHEN I RAN THE SAME COMP CAM DESIGNED FOR AN NA APPLICATION, ON ALL THESE DIFFERENT COMBOS? FULL DYNO RESULTS.

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Sheet Metal Tech: Fitzee Shows Us How To Make Truck Bed Floor Panels With Simple Tools You Have

Fitzee is awesome to watch, not only because he has great sheet metal reproduction skills, but also because he is willing to share all his tips and tricks in his great how-to videos. And while he frequently shows how to fix quarter panels, rockers, cab corners, etc, there are a lot of folks who need to figure out a way to repair and replace parts of their steel bed floor in a truck. Or, they are making a custom bed floor for a notch or something and need to make some panels that look stock so they fit with the original bed.

Fitzee makes this with simple tools and a homemade sheet metal brake that you can build yourself no problem. His simple but effective methods will inspire you and should help you with your projects by getting rid of the fear to try it. The worst you can do is screw up a piece of sheetmetal, so why not go after it? I don’t own a truck that has a bed floor currently in need of work, but I have a square body dually that at some point next year will likely need a factory looking notch cover in the bed and I’ll certainly be using Fitzee’s method to make what I need.

Check out the video below.

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Finnegan And Newbern Make The World’s Biggest Rooster Tail With The Rogers Jet Boat!

Sep 06, 2021FUNNY STUFF, Hack of the Week, MISC, OTHER, RACING & ACTION, TECH, Tech Stories, Videos

Finnegan And Newbern Make The World’s Biggest Rooster Tail With The Rogers Jet Boat!

Jet boat owners love a big rooster tail, because it looks cool not because it makes it go fast. With that said, there is an ideal angle for particular jet boat setups based on hull design, setback, etc. When in “race mode” a boat like this Rogers will want an angle of somewhere around 5 degrees up, but to get an ideal launch you want more water in the water. This is why race boats control the angle of the nozzle so that it can be in the ideal position for launch and then change to the ideal angle for high speed. But some folks use these to make a bigger rooster tail so they can look cool on the river. But not this big of a rooster tail. Cause this, this is something special. You know, like Newbern and Finnegan. This thing is a wheel standing, launch it out of the water machine now. It’s crazy.

They have stacked all the stuff that can make the nozzle aim higher, and taken off every single limiter. And now they have an insane angle that quite literally makes the biggest jet boat rooster tail in history. Oh and did I mention they tested it in a thunderstorm, on the lake, with the pouring rain and lightning all around them? Yeah, cause lightning doesn’t strike water….

Oh, and based on the level of giddy they have going on in this video, I’m expecting a second attempt for even bigger shenanigans.

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How To Make An F-Bomb Out Of Aluminum! This Is One Cool Project You Should Check Out.

Jul 04, 2021Hack of the Week, OTHER, TECH, Tech Stories, Videos

How To Make An F-Bomb Out Of Aluminum! This Is One Cool Project You Should Check Out.

I’m not saying everyone wants to make a miniature bomb, but the steps required to make this thing sure could come in handy when building something else in the shop. And the lesson is coming from the master of metal manipulation, Ron Covell. I mean this dude knows what he’s talking about, has been teaching others how to do it for decades, and is about as humble as they come when talking about his skill. And he’s partnering with 6061.com on this one so you know the end result is going to be fun as hell! I can tell you that if you are not familiar with building bucks or forming metal, then these two videos will be life changing for you. Seeing just how easy it is to manipulate aluminum sheet into the shape  that you want will be an eye opener for sure. I’m not saying that you’ll be a master in a day, but with these two videos and trying out this project, you will be changing how you view sheet metal projects for sure.

And they don’t require special tools! In the second video Ron goes over shaping three identical pieces of aluminum and does each one using a different method. The first is literally just using a hammer on a metal workbench. That’s it! Then there is a planishing hammer and then an english wheel. Guess what? Each one does the job perfectly fine, with just a slight difference in finish work required. I’m telling you, this is a video series to watch. Here are the first two in the series, we’ll bring you the rest as soon as they are out!

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Valvetrain Tech: If Light Weight And Low Reciprocating Mass Matter So Much, Do Stiffer Valve Springs Cost Horsepower?

Jun 26, 20211320 Engine Tech, 1320 Tech Story, Apex Engine Tech, Apex Tech Stories, Apex Video, ENGINE, ENGINES, TECH, Tech Stories, Videos, XL Engine Tech, XL Tech Stories

Valvetrain Tech: If Light Weight And Low Reciprocating Mass Matter So Much, Do Stiffer Valve Springs Cost Horsepower?

 

Roller rockers, roller lifters, beehive valve springs, lightweight valves, lightweight locks and retainers, and the list goes on. These are all things designed to aid in controlling valvetrain at high rpm and under extreme power levels, and they do this by reducing the load required to move and control these components. So it would make sense that lighter valve springs would also be good for that. After all, anyone that has built an engine before knows that spinning the engine over by hand is very easy when it is just a short block and gets harder as you add components. If you have an engine with no spark plugs in it, and no rocker arms, then it is still really easy to spin by hand. But when you also have to turn the valvetrain, it becomes much more difficult.

So if you had an engine that didn’t “require” heavier valve springs, because it wasn’t going to be run at high rpm or didn’t have a camshaft that needed the extra valve control that heavy springs provide, would it make more horsepower with lighter weight springs that the others? Logic says yes. Or at least it seems like it does. But what does the dyno say?

Luckily for us, Richard Holdener knows because he’s done this very test and here it is so you can see for yourself.

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