Ask Away with Jeff Smith: Catching Up

You know how things can get away from you? Well, it happened to us--we totally forgot to share the last several Ask Away! by Jeff Smith columns with you. Now we'll play catch-up by giving you here  links to all of Jeff's columns for May and June:

Port Matching vs. Pocket Porting
Most of us have heard that port-matching an intake manifold to the cylinder head intake runner openings is worth some horsepower. And it can be in certain cases. Jeff Smith explains why port matching may not offer any benefits, and why pocket-porting around the valve seats in cylinder head combustion changers might be the better way to go.

Budget Options for Pre-Lubing Late Model Engines
Most late model V8s like GM's LS series don't use distributors. That means you can't use pre-lube those engines with an old-fashioned (and cheap) drill-operated oil pump driver to spin the oil pump through the distributor hole. And some of the pre-lubers that do work on late model engines can be pretty pricy. Mr. Smith has found a couple of affordable options, including one you can make in your own shop.

How a Digital Dial-Back Timing Light Works
A digital dial-back timing light is a handy tool for setting timing on engines without the need to use a timing tape on the balancer or setting initial timing higher than a typical timing tab shows. But if you've never used one, all those numbers on the display screen can be very confusing. Jeff explains how a dial-back light works and what those numbers are telling you.

Common Causes and Cures for Vapor Lock
On the surface, vapor lock sounds pretty simple--excessive heat causes liquid gasoline coming from the fuel tank to turn into a gas, or vaporize, before it reaches the carburetor or fuel injectors. But surprise--vapor lock is more complicated than that. Fortunately the cures are pretty simple, as Jeff explains in this Ask Away! column.

There--you're all caught up on your Ask Aways!