Engine Pro

Boring tips that save time and prevent expensive mistakes 🔧✅

Different boring bar bit styles can cut different sizes, depending on where the cutting tip is tangent to the bar centerline. Testing found a .007" difference between standard style bits and indexable bits.

Best practice:
✅ Calibrate the micrometer to the bit that cuts the largest
✅ Then adjust the other bits using the differential

That approach makes it extremely difficult to cut an oversize bore—worst case, simply add the differential and recut.

If you have a shop tip to share, submit it at enginepro.com/submit-a-tip/

Bead blasting tip that saves time (and screens) 🔧✨

I always drop a 10-gauge sheet metal plate into my bead blaster. It helps heavy parts slide more easily and takes the wear instead of the screen. Cleaner blasting with less hassle.

If you have a shop tip to share, submit it at enginepro.com/submit-a-tip/

Resizing Pontiac rods is easier with the right setup 🔧⚙️

When the pin boss is wider than the big end, you usually have to lift the rod to use the Delta Grinder.

A simple CK10 big-end spacer makes the job quick, repeatable, and accurate. Share your tip with us at enginepro.com/submit-a-tip/

Fall may be your slower season—but it doesn’t have to be wasted time. 🍂🔧
Use this downtime to review your last jobs: compare estimates to actual labor, machine time, tooling, parts margins, outside services, and delivery costs.

Then:
✅ tighten parts margins
✅ update pricing
✅ reach out to customers you haven’t heard from
✅ refresh your website and social media
✅ build your pipeline for the busy months ahead

Make fall count.

Quick tip for crank grinding wheel balancing: sometimes it’s faster to add a small rare-earth magnet to the wheel, mark the spot, and tweak from there—rather than constantly moving weight to chase the exact balance. Small changes, big accuracy. 🔧⚙️

Installed flanged sleeves with just a boring bar, chain hoist, and magnetic dial indicator. Simple setup—super accurate results! 🔧🙌

Shop Solutions aren't just about machining; they're about giving back.

Some of our most dedicated Shop Solutions contributors have turned the Visa gift cards they earn into opportunities to help others. Instead of keeping the rewards for themselves, they've donated to food pantries, supported animal rescue organizations, helped local families in need, and contributed to student activities and school trips.

It is a reminder that the impact of our industry reaches far beyond the shop. Every act of generosity strengthens the communities that support our businesses and the people who keep this industry moving forward.

How has your shop given back to your local community? We'd love to hear your story. And if you have a shop tip to share, submit it at enginepro.com/submit-a-tip/

Sometimes the best raw material is already sitting in your toolbox.

When you need to make a locating dowel, plug, or other custom part from round stock, finding the exact diameter can be a challenge. Instead of reaching for an old bolt or valve stem, try keeping a set of inexpensive transfer punches on hand. They're highly machinable and provide a wide range of precision diameters, giving you ready-to-use stock for countless shop-made parts.

It's a simple addition that can save time and eliminate the hunt for the right material when a custom piece is needed.

What's the most unexpected item you've repurposed into a useful shop tool or component? Share your tip with us at enginepro.com/submit-a-tip/

Sometimes it's the little tricks that make a big difference.

If you're running an older boring stand where the bar rides directly on the engine deck, dry Teflon lubricant can be a simple way to improve the process. It lets the bar slide smoothly without scratching freshly machined surfaces—and unlike wet lubricants, it won't attract chips and abrasive dust that can cause more problems than they solve.

For shops that square the decks before boring to ensure the cylinders are perfectly perpendicular to the main centerline, it's an easy way to help protect that freshly machined surface while you work.

What shop trick has made your machining process smoother or more efficient? Share it with us at enginepro.com/submit-a-tip/

Sometimes the simplest shop upgrades save the most time.

While a 4-jaw chuck is great for precision work, it isn't always the fastest option for small parts. By machining a custom spud for a small 4-jaw chuck and holding it in the lathe's 3-jaw, setup becomes quicker without sacrificing accuracy.

It's a simple modification that speeds up repetitive precision jobs and keeps the work moving.

What's the best time-saving tool or shop modification you've made? Share your shop tip with us at enginepro.com/submit-a-tip/