Brendan Baker, Author at TechShop Magazine
HANDEE CLAMP

A tool that lives up to its name.

Servicing R1234yf: Are You Ready?

“What was once a simple creature comfort for upscale motorists, air conditioning systems of today are true thermal management systems, providing not only comfort, but also essential cooling to battery packs and onboard computers in hybrid vehicles.”

A Decade Of Dynamic Engine Design – Roush Yates Engines Celebrates 10 Years

In December, Roush Yates Engines (RYE) celebrated its 10th Anniversary and will reset the compass into a new area of the business, but it’s all according to plan. Engine builders who used to see RYE at local races as competitors, will now be able to work directly with them and their vast resources when building their own engines.

Tuning In To The EFI Market

There are many variables that need to be calculated and calibrated when it comes to electronic fuel injection (EFI), but simple fuel flow is just the beginning. EFI goes far beyond a replacement for a carburetor, and the electronic part of the equation is where these systems seem so complicated. Many EFI systems give you the ability to control a wide range of parameters of the vehicle, so it’s more involved than simply controlling fuel flow.

BFGoodrich Launches G-Force Rival Tire In New Orleans

In January, BFGoodrich invited the media and what they call “key influencers” to the newly built NOLA Motorsports Park in New Orleans to test and evaluate the company’s new DOT extreme performance street/race tire, the g-Force Rival. With a background in motorsports, I could not wait to get behind the wheel to try these “race” tires.

Tech Feature: Sports Compacts – Performing in a ‘Maturing’ Market

What started out in the 1990s as an affordable way for kids to bang around with cars that were often handed down from their parents or siblings, later grew into a fledgling market all its own.

Engine Tech Feature: Choosing the Right Fasteners for the Job

Some of the most stressed-out parts of a high-dollar

Tech Feature: Engine Part Coatings

Almost any part can be coated, but just because you can doesn’t mean you should. There are various types of coatings and choosing the right process for the right parts is one of the biggest keys to making more power and increasing component life.

Journeying into the Restoration Market

We’ve all heard the stories and urban legends about old classic cars being found in someone’s garage or estate. Typically, the story goes, the owner just passed away and his widow had no idea what was in the barn. Sounds too good to be true, but it happens. One such story that recently grabbed headlines earlier this year was that of an old doctor who died at the tender age of 92, leaving behind his beloved but forgotten 1937 Bugatti Type 57S hidden in his garage since he parked it there in the early 1960s.

Tech Feature: Racing Oil and Additives

Engine oil has sometimes been compared to a cake mix. The base oil is like the flour and the additives are the spices. How much is used of each varies by the type of cake and its intended use. Birthday cakes don’t really work for weddings. Engine builders have also been compared to gourmet chefs, so naturally, you like your cake a little more than the average cake connoisseur. A good cake is hard to beat, but a bad one will leave you feeling empty, looking for a jug of milk to wash away the taste.

The Lowdown on Engine Sealing

With engines now lasting as long as 150,000-plus miles, there’s little doubt that gasket technology advances have played a significant part in the longevity and durability of today’s engines. Today’s engines must be robust enough to withstand a hostile environment for such a long life, and without leading to gasket failure. A gasket needs to

Parts Cleaning: Searching for the Complete Clean

Cleaning cast iron and aluminum, for the most part, represent two separate challenges. However, in a realistic world most shops cannot afford two different setups for cleaning these metals. Many shops have systems that work well for one, but not so well on the other. Are there effective ways to clean both types of metal