May 6th 2026
A connecting rod works harder than most parts inside an engine. Every time the air-fuel charge fires, pressure drives the piston downward, and the rod carries that load straight to the crankshaft. A m…
Published by Steve Koch, Northern Auto Parts
Mar 25th 2026
Pre-1980 V8s have seen decades of heat cycles, vibration, and real road miles. Cast iron blocks and heads expand and contract every time the engine warms up, then cools back down. After years of that…
Published by Steve Koch, Northern Auto Parts
Feb 16th 2026
It’s tempting to start with the biggest number on the chart. Bigger intake valve. Bigger exhaust valve. The bigger the number, the more horsepower, right? That’s not always how it plays ou…
Published by Steve Koch, Northern Auto Parts
Feb 12th 2026
If you’re building or refreshing an engine, valve springs directly control valve motion, rpm stability, and overall reliability. That’s where spring testers like these from Proform come in…
Published by Steve Koch
Feb 9th 2026
The 4.0 OHV setup keeps the cam down in the block and sends motion up through lifters, push rods, and rocker arms. That layout works, but it asks a lot from the parts in between. Every rotation puts l…
Published by Steve Koch, Northern Auto Parts
Feb 5th 2026
Why Proper Lubrication Matters Proper lubrication is one of the most critical steps when building or rebuilding an engine. Many early engine failures happen within the first minutes of operation, ofte…
Published by Steve Koch
Feb 2nd 2026
There’s been noise around high-performance valve springs forever, and most of it comes from builds that live north of 6,500 rpm. That’s not how a lot of small block Chevys get used. A 327…
Published by Steve Koch, Northern Auto Parts
Jan 29th 2026
Molly Piston Rings - Recommended for Most Builds Moly (Molybdenum-faced) piston rings are designed for applications that will experience stress and heat from medium to hard use. The moly coating wil…
Published by Steve Koch
Jan 23rd 2026
Not to Soak: Do not soak lifters that are pre-oiled, pre-assembled, or labeled “no pre-soak required” by the manufacturer. Many modern hydraulic lifters are shipped with "wet" assembly…
Published by Steve Koch
Jan 5th 2026
Fine-Tuning Small Block Chevy Performance with Z-28 Valve Springs Most folks zero in on cams, heads, and carbs when chasing horsepower. Valve springs barely get a mention until they’re the reaso…
Published by Steve Koch, Northern Auto Parts
Dec 23rd 2025
Do I Need a Master Kit to Rebuild My 1976-1985 Chevy 454 Big Block? The Chevy 454 from the late ‘70s to mid ‘80s is a beast. Big torque, big block, big expectations. It was built to work h…
Published by Steve Koch, Northern Auto Parts
Dec 1st 2025
If your engine feels lazy, or you're just hunting for more power, you've probably heard the magic word: "camshaft." But a cam swap isn't just a part you bolt on; it's a decision that completely change…
Published by Steve Koch, Northern Auto Parts
