EngineLabs

1 week ago | enginelabs.com | Greg Acosta

This month, our Tool of the Month is a little more than just a product feature. You might remember a few months ago when we showcased the digital torque wrench tester from Intercomp. With that tool in our shop, we went on to test every torque wrench we had in the shop, as well as a couple of loaners, too,  just to round out the dataset. However, in that testing, we found a glaring hole in our torque wrench lineup.

2 weeks ago | enginelabs.com | Greg Acosta

So, what exactly does it take to get 400 horsepower per cylinder from a Honda K24 engine? Meticulous assembly and attention to detail. 4 Piston Racing’s recent video showcasing the assembly of one of their K24-KT1200 SFWD and Outlaw Class race engines is something that needs to be watched, even if you are not an import fan. The details are intense, from the precision tools used to dial in every parameter to the parts used; this is an incredible feat of engineering.

3 weeks ago | enginelabs.com | Greg Acosta

A while back, we set out to see how cheaply we could make 1,000 horsepower in a reliable package. The goal was 1,000 horsepower for $8,000 (hence the “1K For 8K” name), and while we achieved our power goal, we came up about $1,700 short of the goal. The engine ran great. So great, in fact, we decided to use it as a test mule for another project we had bouncing around in our heads.

4 weeks ago | enginelabs.com | Greg Acosta

Look, understanding the ins and outs of the internal combustion engines is a great skill set to have. Here at EngineLabs, we use that understanding to explain advanced concepts, calculate all facets of an engine’s design, and know the limitations of an engine. But sometimes, it’s fun to throw all that to the wind and just watch someone actually do something that everyone knows is a bad idea, just to see what really happens. Garage 54 is well known for doing just that.

1 month ago | enginelabs.com | Jefferson Bryant

Originally developed by MAHLE in the late 1960s, Nikasil is the trademarked name for nickel silicon carbide electroplate coating. Originally designed for the Wankel rotary engine, Nikasil is used on aluminum engine cylinders to eliminate the need for sleeves. A Nikasil-coated cylinder wall is diamond-hard, allowing aluminum pistons to glide inside the aluminum cylinder with matching thermal expansion characteristics with superior heat conductivity.