Suzuki GS-550 motorcycles first hit the roads over 40 years ago. The bike’s original four-stroke engine was an air-cooled, 549-cc powerplant with dual overhead camshafts. The 674-cc Suzuki GS-650 eventually replaced the GS-550, but some bikers are still rebuilding Suzuki’s...

Diesel Power magazine provides professional diesel mechanics with in-depth examples of engine rebuilds. Do-it-yourselfers (DIYers) also read the world’s largest diesel magazine for tips, techniques, and recommendations about engine tool selection and use.   In an article entitled Rebuilding International’s...

Honda D-series engines once powered compact cars like the Honda Civic. These four-cylinder aluminum engines were fuel-efficient and lightweight, but could be modified with high-compression pistons for increased power and performance.   At D-series.org, an on-line community for Honda enthusiasts,...

Porsche wheel cylinders support braking in sportscars that pack plenty of power. In classic cars like the Porsche 356, these cylinders have pistons that are connected to brake shoes. If a wheel cylinder lacks the right surface finish, however, more...

Camaro brake valves can confound even experienced mechanics. Part of the problem is that some of these valves are known by more than one name. For example, metering valves are sometimes called pressure regulator valves or hold-off valves in different...

Engine cylinders need a substantially smooth surface finish that’s free from cut, torn, and folded metal. Yet cylinder walls can be so smooth that engine performance suffers.   Over time, the up-and-down movement of pistons creates an overly smooth surface...

Bearing bores are engine components that house the main bearings, mechanical elements with grooves for passing oil to feed-holes in the crankshaft. For optimum engine performance, bearing bores or tunnels must meet tight tolerances and have an oil-retaining surface finish. ...

Shotgun chambers need a smooth, polished finish so that spent shells eject properly. The bore’s surface may look shiny, but there’s more to chamber honing than the mirror-like finish that meets the eye.   For best results, a shotgun chamber...

The Pontiac Firebird Trans Am was an iconic muscle car with a reputation for speed and flair. In 2002, the Trans Am’s final year of production, Pontiac powered its pony car with an 8-cylinder, 16-valve, 5.7-liter, 347-cubic inch engine called...

Threaded parts with diameters less than 0.125 in. are hard to deburr. That’s because the rough edges or ridges left by machining are so small. Heavy nylon deburring tools or butterfly brushes are fine for larger threaded components, but what...

Cross-hole deburring can be tedious and time consuming. It's not easy to remove sharp edges from grooves, undercuts, slots or internal holes either. For precision parts, however, it's essential to have smooth, round edges. Components with hard-to-access features need a...

Planar honing imparts a fine finish to flat surfaces like sliding guideways, machined metal parts that support linear motion. Traditionally, machine tool sliding guideways were made of hardened cast iron and fabricated with cubic boron nitride (CBN) milling tools and...