News & Events Archive

Apr 17, 2020

Get Motivated to Hit the Shop with OnAllCylinders Garage Goals

You can’t go anywhere but the grocery store. You have to stay six feet away from everyone but the dog. And you’ve binged enough Netflix to last you a lifetime.

In other words, it’s the perfect opportunity to whip your garage or home shop into shape. If you need a nudge or some direction on where to start, head over to our OnAllCylinders blog. They are posting a series of stories titled Garage Goals that have solid ideas for organizing your work space, making it comfortable to work in, and car projects that will help keep you in the groove until the all-clear sounds.

Apr 3, 2020

The Kat Jones Studebaker Project: Grind, Weld, Sand, Repeat

In this second installment of The Kat Jones Studebaker Project, our heroine dives into the nitty-gritty of bodywork in the quest to transform a 1954 Studebaker Commander from a roller into rolling art. Ms. Jones talks about finding hidden surprises, welding and grinding holes, applying filler and primer, and sanding—lots and lots of sanding. Makes our hands sore just thinking about it.

You can find Part One of the Kat Jones Studebaker saga here.

Mar 27, 2020

Learn How to Properly Load Your Trailer

There is a science--and a bit of art--to properly loading a trailer. There are also a few, shall we say, misconceptions on the subject.

Trailer and towing safety is no place for winging it, so we went to the mountain and got the straight scoop from the trailer experts at Weigh Safe. After posting a video on the effects of improper loading, they got lots of comments on the 'right' location to position a load--enough that Weigh Safe wrote an article to set the record straight.

Even if you've towed a few trailers in your time, we recommend reading the story and watching the video on the Weigh Safe website. You'll also find other tech articles on tongue weight and balancing a load that are worth reading.

Mar 24, 2020

Watch 4WD Magazine Tear Down a 5.9L Dodge Magnum

Bryan Irons and Perry Mack of Canada's 4WDrive Magazine got their hands on a 1998-vintage 5.9L Dodge Magnum engine with the intention of swapping it into a Dodge Dakota. Before that could happen, they needed to play engine detective and tear the Magnum down to see what kind of life it led and what was still usable. They even made a video to show you how to methodically take an engine apart and what to look for once you're inside. You can find the video and a teardown checklist on the 4WDrive website.

Feb 24, 2020

Why Testing Valve Springs and Other Coil Springs is Important for Winning Races

Any racer worth his Summit Racing T-shirt knows maintenance is critical to success at the track. A car with high-wear or high-stress parts that aren’t inspected regularly is a car that won’t win races.

Take valve springs and clutch springs, for example. These parts see incredible loads during a race; over time, they will fatigue and lose the ability to maintain their pressure ratings. Weak springs lead to valvetrain instability or a sloppy clutch—and if ignored for long enough, outright failure.

Feb 20, 2020

The Kat Jones Studebaker Project: The Can-Do Hot Rodder

Kasia “Kat” Jones loves hot rods. Always has. And when she got around to building her own cars, the Buffalo, New York resident went in with guns blazing—and no experience to speak of.

But that didn’t faze Kat one bit. With some help from fiancé Jim Gaczewski she learned to weld, build engines, do bodywork, stitch up interiors, plumb fuel systems, and other skills working on her first project, a 1950 Chevy Fleetline. Turned out pretty nice, too.

Kat recently sold the Chevy and dove into a new build, a 1954 Studebaker Commander. We like her can-do attitude and figured you would too, so Kat’s going to tell her story and prove that anyone that loves cars and really wants to learn can build a nice hot rod on a budget.

The floor is yours, Ms. Jones.

Jan 31, 2020

Godzilla is Back: Inside Ford's New 7.3L V8

Image Courtesy of Ford.com
Just when you thought the good ol' pushrod V8 is not long for this world, Ford springs the 7.3L on us. Designed for use in Ford F-Series Super Duty pickups and Medium Duty trucks, the 446 cubic inch engine is rated by the factory at 430 horsepower and 475 lbs.-ft. of torque, and is chock-full of heavy-duty components designed for durability and long life. We're talking things like an deep skirt iron block, forged crankshaft, six-bolt mains, and a big 60mm cam bearing size.

So let's see--big cubes, pushrod configuration, and built like a brick you-know-what. Sounds like the perfect recipe for a high performance street and race motor. That's why the 7.3L is making high performance Ford people really, really excited. Our OnAllCylinders blog has an excellent story and video on what makes Ford's Godzilla engine tick, and what experts say about its power potential. Spoiler alert: the potential is huuuuge.

Jan 24, 2020

See Why Joe's Auto Electric Likes the Pro-Lite LED Tilt Light

The Pro-Lite COB LED Tilt Light from Alert Stamping is an awesome tool. Designed to fit where most lights won’t, it has an adjustable head that can tilt 120 degrees forward and 120 degrees back for better illumination in tight spaces. It also features 250 and 600 lumen brightness levels, a 120 lumen flashlight, and runs on a lithium-ion battery so you can use it just about anywhere you need light,

But don't take our word for it. Joe Caci, proprietor of Joe's Auto Electric in Bayonne, New Jersey, swears by his Pro-Lite. He likes it so much, he bought a backup from Summit Racing and made an 8 minute YouTube video extolling the Pro-Lite's virtues. Watch and wonder how you've lived this long without one in your shop.

When you're done watching the video, check out the other videos on the Joe's Auto Electric YouTube channel. Joe covers everything from automotive repair and diagnosis to working on classic muscle cars and installation of performance parts like FiTech and Edlebrock EFI systems. Be prepared to spend a whole afternoon watching, there's that much good stuff to learn.

Jan 23, 2020

Tech Video: Front Disc Brake Swap on a 1963 Chevy C10

Our friend with the groovy '70s mustache is Kyle Thompson, host and chief mechanic on the Modern Greaser YouTube channel. He has a 1963 Chevy C10 stepside pickup with a neatly done Cummins 12-valve 6BT diesel conversion under the hood. The engine came off of a generator that was used in the Florida orange groves; it's hooked to an Allison AT542 four-speed automatic transmission plucked from an ice cream truck.

Jan 21, 2020

Tinman Tech: How to Make Custom Gauge Panels

Luke Merrill of Tinman 2 Kustoms is a rising star in the custom car world. His most recent project, the 1940 Chevy named Tinmama, place third in the 2019 SEMA Show’s Battle of the Builders Young Guns class and made the Top 12 overall.

Besides his obvious car-building skills, Luke also likes to show fellow hot rodders how to do things like metalworking and custom fabrication. We'll be showing how Luke does things in the Tinman Tech series on our OnAllCylinders blog.

Up first is Making Your Own Gauge Panel. In this article, Luke creates a gauge panel for his buddy's Cummins diesel-powered Pontiac Tempest (weird, but cool). He outlines the process step-by-step and includes advice on tools, metal selection, and design. Follow along and learn how to make your own gauge, dash, and switch panels like a pro!

News You Can Use