Engine Builder Magazine

07/08/2025

Oh my, do we have a good one for you today!
Here's our latest edition of "That's Not A Stupid Question"

Q: What is the difference between valve guide reaming and valve guide honing? And why is reaming better?

A: Pascale Harmand of NEWEN says, all modern engine manufacturers, without exception, use coolant fed reamers on their machining centers to ream semi-finished guides with excess material thicknesses ranging from 0.40mm (0.016“) to 0.80mm (0.0315”).

This operation, performed under heavy flooding/cooling during reaming, only takes a few seconds and guarantees a high level of precision.

The precision obtained is within “H7” tolerance (0.00059” for a 6mm diameter), or even “H6” (0.00035” for a 6mm diameter) for high-end engines.

Such precision levels explain the longevity and performance of modern engines. Newen Fixed-Turning machines offer the same reaming technique, but with adjustable flood nozzles, and the same level of precision.

Ordinary repairs involving the replacement of worn valve guides with new valve guides to finished dimensions cannot achieve the required precision – the fitting of the guides causes deformations that alter the straightness of the guide and its circularity at various levels along the length of the guide.

To mitigate these defects and allow valves to be fitted, it is necessary to rework the guide bores using hand reamers, honing tools or even expensive honing "machines." These operations are time-consuming and cannot, under any circumstance, achieve the levels of precision required for modern engines.

No existing process for reworking finished guides after assembly is able to achieve the level of precision required by manufacturers. If you want a quick fix after installing finished guides (getting rid of bumps/raised spots) honing is the solution. If you want quality, straight guide from top to bottom with an excellent Ra, reaming of semi-finished guides is the only solution. Set up for reamers requires your involvement at the beginning. It takes a little bit of time but the results are excellent.

07/08/2025

Matt Stutzman is back to racing... check out episode 6 of Quest for 200 with PennGrade 1 High Performance Oil.

06/08/2025

Daniel Martin’s VE-pump 12-valve Cummins-powered Dodge D250 is more than a drag truck – it’s a tribute to his grandfather and a bold push for 6.70-class history in diesel racing. Check out the details in this Diesel of the Week sponsored by AMSOIL INC.
https://www.enginebuildermag.com/2025/08/daniel-martins-12-valve-ve-pump-cummins-engine/

06/08/2025

Cool solution for a closed-deck N54/N55 from the guys at VAC Motorsports.

05/08/2025

Carl Stancell’s 1984 S10 Blazer packs a twin-turbo 5.3L LS making 1,300 hp on 30+ psi of boost. After years of chasing a 7-second time slip, his LS build is edging closer with every pass. Get the full details in our newest Engine of the Week sponsored by PennGrade 1 High Performance Oil and Elring - Das Original.
https://www.enginebuildermag.com/2025/08/carl-stancells-twin-turbo-5-3l-ls-engine/

04/08/2025

We are beyond saddened to hear about the death of Chris Raschke following a crash during Bonneville Speed Week. Chris was a long-time friend of the magazine. He was piloting the Speed Demon streamliner at nearly 300 mph when the crash took place at the 2.5-mile mark on Sunday, 8/3/25.
More on Chris Raschke's story and the crash: https://www.enginebuildermag.com/2025/08/chris-raschke-arp-veteran-and-land-speed-racer-dies-in-bonneville-speed-week-crash/

Raschke was driving the Speed Demon streamliner in an attempt to further push the boundaries of piston-powered performance. The crash occurred near the 2.5-mile mark at around 300 mph.

30/07/2025

Get ready to drool over some billet engine component content! Our new July/August issue is here: https://digital.enginebuildermag.com/html5/reader/production/default.aspx?pubname=&pubid=275003ac-f1c0-463f-89d5-28e900ab7c93

30/07/2025

Nick Zaenkert of Zaenkert Motorsports debuts his all-new Cummins-powered Ford-bodied sled puller, High Stakes, built by Freedom Racing Engines for the 3.0 Limited Pro Diesel class. See what’s under the hood and what makes this truck a serious threat in 2025. Its our Diesel of the Week sponsored by AMSOIL INC.
https://www.enginebuildermag.com/2025/07/zaenkert-motorsports-3-0-limited-pro-class-6-7l-cummins-engine/

29/07/2025

Mike Ford Racing Engines built a 427 cid small block Chevy with a 192 supercharger and alcohol setup for a customer’s dragster, blending custom fabrication, race-ready components, and over 1,000-hp of bracket racing performance. It's our latest Engine of the Week sponsored by PennGrade 1 High Performance Oil and Elring - Das Original.
https://www.enginebuildermag.com/2025/07/supercharged-427-cid-small-block-chevy-engine/

29/07/2025

It was just a few days back that we wrote about Brittany Force of John Force Racing going 341 mph. She just went over 343 mph!!

28/07/2025

Shop Solutions: INSERT SCREW TIPS
With more insert type tooling being used in the shop, here’s two suggestions to save aggravation when swapping inserts. First, too prevent stripping the socket head on tiny screws holding inserts to the tool, or worse, damaging the tool’s threads, apply a small amount of anti-seize or moly grease on the screw threads. Second, to prevent over-tightening, use the proper, small “winged” wrench to tighten the screw.

Tom Nichols | Automotive Machine | Joshua TX
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Engine Builder and Engine Pro present Shop Solutions to provide machine shop owners and engine technicians the opportunity to share their knowledge to benefit the entire industry and their own shops. Those who submit Shop Solutions that are published are awarded a prepaid $100 Visa gift card.

Submit your Shop Solution at [email protected]. You must include your name, shop name, shop address, and shop telephone number. Submitted Shop Solutions not published will be kept on file and reevaluated for each month’s new entries.