Olds Engines: Gone But Not Forgotten
By Larry Carley Times change and vehicle makes and nameplates come and go. The last official Oldsmobile rolled off the assembly line on April 29, 2004, when General Motors pulled the plug to stop the hemorrhage of red ink in their ailing Oldsmobile car division. Though the brand is now history, there are still millions
Caddy Shacked
Taking on GM’s Big-Cube Engines By Doc Frohmader, restoration contributor While some engines are relatively rare in performance and engine machine shops, the big Cadillacs have remained a consistent source of income for these businesses. These engines are Cadillac’s last hurrah at traditional big-cube, flagship GM engines. Surprisingly, they are also a scaled-down version of
Diagnostic Dilemmas: Diagnosing Rodent Damage
Of all the technical innovations of the past century, the plastic-insulated copper wire is one of the most dependable components found in the modern automobile. Sure, this summer I had three different cases of the copper wire actually being broken inside the plastic insulation. In the first two instances, I had the intake air temperature
Guest Editorial: Issues that Could Impact Your Business and Our Industry in 2006
Ed is the editor of Underhood Service Magazine, ImportCar’s sister publication, as well as editor of Tomorrow’s Technician magazine. He has been employed at Babcox for 11 years. Issues That Could Impact Your Business and Our Industry in 2006 As we usher in a new year, we thought we would take a look into the
Directions: Issues that Could Impact 2006
As we usher in a new year, we thought we would take a look into the ol’ crystal ball and try to see what issues technicians, shop owners and others associated with the aftermarket can expect in 2006. These are not ranked by order of importance, but as a guide to what one can expect
A Reminder to Improve Customer Communication
Do you send reminder cards to your customers to let them know when it’s time to have regularly scheduled maintenance performed on their vehicles? Do you send them birthday or Valentine’s Day cards? Do you send them a note to remind them that their driver’s license will be expiring? When they are in for service,
Diagnosing GM LT1 V8 Engines
The Chevrolet LT1 engine is the second-generation (Gen II) design of Chevy’s famous small block. The LT1 was fitted in Chevy’s Corvette, Camaro and Caprice/Impala SS. This engine also was used by Pontiac for the Firebird, by Buick for the Roadmaster and by Cadillac for the Fleetwood. The LT1 was first available on the Corvette
Dual Mass Flywheel/Clutch Replacement Options
Dual-mass flywheels are a unique kind of flywheel that have been used on a variety of pickup truck and passenger car applications since the late 1980s. You’ll find them on 1987 Ford F-Series 6.9L diesels, 1987-98 Ford F-Series 7.3L diesels, 1992-1996 Chevy/GMC 6.5L diesel trucks and 1992-02 Chevy/GMC 8.5L diesel trucks. Dual-mass flywheels have also
Piston Technology: To Power Today’s V8s
The performance piston business today is hot thanks to a strong racing market and the introduction of new OEM engine families such as Chevy’s LS1/LS6 V8s, Ford’s 4.6/5.4L V8s and Chrysler’s Hemi. Piston manufacturers are introducing new performance pistons for all of these applications as well as refining existing piston designs to reduce weight, and
Rotor Debate: Replace, Discard or Machine?
More often than not, many rotors today are being replaced when the brakes are relined – and some motorists are complaining that new rotors aren’t really necessary. Unless a rotor is worn down too far to be safely resurfaced or has cracks, deep grooves, severe rusting, hard spots or other structural defects, resurfacing can usually