Overused terms
Just cruising through a recent edition of a popular 4x4 magazine.
The terms "Billet" and "Blueprinting" get tossed around like water out of a hose. These terms have meaning but I am convinced that far too many folks out there have no clue what these terms mean.
Ballanced is another well used term.
Almost every custom engine builder uses the term "Blueprinting/ Blueprinted"
Really now, just what does this mean? Well the term aside from being highly over used is a simple one and it means.
"The engine has been built to a set of specifications and all the details paid attention to".
Now what specifications might these be? Hmmm could be the factory specs, could be the hard won knowledge of some grizzled old racer that learned the hard way as to what works and what does not.
Then again these specs may just be nothing in particular other than the use of the term sounds kewl and is used by many to mean $$$$ in their pockets.
Every engine has a set of specs that it was originally built to and in general when we rebuild an engine we adhere to those numbers.
Piston to cylinder clearance, bearing clearance ect as well as the proper bolt torque values as the engine is assembled.
Ballancing is done even at the factory but the very precise measurements that we see in the performance world are far above the factory.
This is so simply because a custom engine is hand built and every attention to detail is taken.
Ballancing is not a mysterious process but rather the adjustment of the weights on all the piston, rods and other rotating items so all the little pieces weigh the same. Then the crank is fitted with the flywheel/flexplate and the damper and a set of weights are fastened to the throws to simulate the rod and piston aseembly weight and then the crank is spun in a ballancing machine and the amount of vibration measured.
The ballancers measure in "mils" and the machinist adds or removes metal in the crank counterweights so the rotating assembly runs smooth at speed with very little vibration. (this is a simplified explanation)
Now the term Billet
OH MY GAWD
Everything is a billet something or ???????
The term billet means that whatever the part is that it was machined from a solid chunk of something. (Plastic, aluminum, titanium)
Nothing real trick and far out here folks.
Now the other highly overused term is the "CNC machined
Hmmmm now CNC equipment is great stuff but in and of itself does not make a particular part special or better.
CNC machines came about for many reasons.
First to promote a way to manufacture parts in mass quantities that conform to specs.
Second Most CNC operators are not machinists and simply change the part as it is finished.
The setup person who actually sets the machine up to run the parts is the one who makes the difference in what is coming off the machine.
CNC is a great thing but back just a very few years when all we had was manual lathes and mills the "machinist" had to do the thinking and make the setups and assure that the part was right. Even in the old days very close tollerances were obtained with ease.
These are just some musings over terms that tend to get overused in a way that skews the real meaning.
Marketing is a skill that takes on many faces. To the average person on the street, technical sounding terms can invoke the idea that a particular product is of better quality and or is something that is a must have.
To those that read these pages that are not well aquainted with the machine trade or the engine building arena these fancy slogans dont always gaurantee that you are getting more for the $$$$$$
This writing is not meant as a slam to any of our fine vendors in any way, but instead just some thoughts provoked by the constant barage of advertising in the marketplace.
best to all
Robyn
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Billet Centrifugal Superchager for sale, fits SBF with vortec heads!!
Originally Posted by robscarab
