Engine & Exhaust

Q: What is rod ratio? … A: Rod ratio is the relationship between the Connecting Rod Length and the Stroke Length of the crankshaft. How is it calculated? Use the following formula to calculate rod […]

I want to build the cheapest, least expensive small-block 350 Chevy that can make around 400 to 450 horsepower. How would I do that? I have a 350 Chevy truck […]

I recently stripped down my 350 small-block Chevy because of loss of compression over the last three years. In 5,000 miles and three different checks of the cranking compression, it […]

In an earlier video, we covered the process of checking crankshaft end play.  As our partners at Summit Racing explained, crankshaft end play, or thrust, is a delicate balance. Too […]

I have a 1970 Nova SS with a 11.5:1 compression, 355 cubic-inch small block. It has Sportsman II heads, a COMP Cams hydraulic camshaft (292 degrees advertised duration, .507 inches […]

Next up on our quarantine classroom lesson plan: engine basics. “Engine basics” is a very broad term, and fans on Summit Racing’s Facebook page suggested covering things like firing orders […]

Lesson #2 in our Hot Rod Home School 101 course for beginning DIY mechanics: a basic tuneup. Again, these are the jobs fans on Summit Racing’s Facebook page helped identify […]

For Hot Rod Home School, we enlisted fans of the Summit Racing Facebook page to create a home school curriculum for the next generation of gearheads. This would consist of […]

Proper piston ring gap is a delicate balance. Too much gap and compression gases and heat will blow by, causing loss of power and torque. Too little gap and the […]

I’m building a street 540 big block Chevy with a mild hydraulic COMP Thumpr cam, rectangle-port heads, and 9.5:1 compression ratio that looks like a stock L88 to go in […]