From Novice to Pro: Affordable Engine Building Tools | Engine Building Basics 04/04

You will find many comments on the internet saying you need to spend $10,000, $20,000 or more to fit out a workshop before you can even THINK about building an engine yourself. While there is truth in the fact that this isn't done for free (whether you are paying someone to do the work for you or doing it yourself), you absolutely DO NOT need to spend tens of thousands!

In this free engine building lesson, the 4th of 4, we take a look at the tool cost myth, the caveats in our disagreement with it, and some of the ESSENTIAL and also just NICE TO HAVE tools when it comes to performance engine building in your own home workshop.

It's important to note off the bat that you will not be doing the work of an engine machinist at home, but there is still a LOT of work you can and will do to build and assemble your engine of choice with reliable and hopefully fun results on the other side of things.

The tools discussed include:
- Accurate Knowledge
- Mircometres/Micrometers
- Plastigauge
- Torque Wrench
- Dial Bore Gauge
- Scale
- Balancing Equipment
- Piston Ring File
- Ring Compressors
- Basic 'Common' Tool Kit (Sockets, Spanners, Screwdrivers, Pliers etc)

If you are building your own engine or plan to build one for your project track car, race car or performance street car, there will be value in at least 1, if not all, of the 4 lessons in this series, not to mention High Performance Aacdemy engine building course material should you choose to try it risk-free for 60-days before committing to lifetime access.

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TIME STAMPS:
0:00 - The Myth
0:22 - Caveat 1: Basic Tools
0:50 - Torque Wrench
1:25 - Caveat 2: Machining
2:00 - Measuring Clearances
2:41 - Micrometres
3:49 - Chinese Made Tools
4:16 - Dial Bore Gauge
6:13 - You Need To Know HOW To Use Your Tools
6:42 - Plastigauge
9:14 - Engine Balancing Equipment
9:41 - Scales
11:41 - Con Rod Balancing Fixture
12:50 - Piston Ring File/Grinder
16:02 - Ring Compressor/s
19:34 - HPA Engine Building Couse Material
20:14 - Engine Building Fundamentals $129 USD
21:25 - Practical Engine Building $199 USD
22:48 - Specific Engine Building Examples: 2jz, 4g63, LS V8, SR20 & more.
23:30 - How to Degree a Cam $49 USD
24:45 - Gold Membership
25:33 - Package Deal $299 USD
25:50 - Payment Plan Options
26:52 - BUILD.TUNE.DRIVE
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LINKS:
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TAGS:
#highperformanceacademy #enginebuildingtools #buildtunedrive #tools #courses #learntobuild #enginebuilding101 #auto #carmods #automotive #motorsports #racing #dragracing #endurance #circuitracing #roadracing #boost #build #engine

[hpa]

What's your favourite tool?
0:00 - The Myth
0:22 - Caveat 1: Basic Tools
0:50 - Torque Wrench
1:25 - Caveat 2: Machining
2:00 - Measuring Clearances
2:41 - Micrometres
3:49 - Chinese Made Tools
4:16 - Dial Bore Gauge
6:13 - You Need To Know HOW To Use Your Tools
6:42 - Plastigauge
9:14 - Engine Balancing Equipment
9:41 - Scales
11:41 - Con Rod Balancing Fixture
12:50 - Piston Ring File/Grinder
16:02 - Ring Compressor/s
19:34 - HPA Engine Building Couse Material
20:14 - Engine Building Fundamentals $129 USD
21:25 - Practical Engine Building $199 USD
22:48 - Specific Engine Building Examples: 2jz, 4g63, LS V8, SR20 & more.
23:30 - How to Degree a Cam $49 USD
24:45 - Gold Membership
25:33 - Package Deal $299 USD
25:50 - Payment Plan Options
26:52 - BUILD.TUNE.DRIVE

[WillfulMirror]

Great video! I've got an older multitoyo 3-4 inch micrometer that I received from my grandfather when he passed away, ive purchased a set of micrometers from Harbor Freight and checked it against set blocks and they're great, id highly recommended them to others. I also got a Fowler bore guage from Amazon for about $120 and it's accurate as well

[robertfontaine]

These shorts are surprisingly good. sub'ed.

[regiondeltas]

Love these videos, both accessible and informative. Probably not gonna be engine building anytime soon but I'll watch it anyway!

[dominikkozela]

I just ordered a dial indicator and micrometer set to measure the bores on my BMW M54B30 engine to see if I can use standard bore size or need oversized pistons

[michellee]

Great channel. The first tool to measure anything properly and for the measuring tools to perform perfectly the environment MUST be a controlled stable room temperature. This is actually how us machinists toolmakers engineers and metrologist achieve perfection starting any less than is pretending. And this is how we achieve precision trade globally. No if’s when’s or butts about it cheers

[frankkatsenis]

Learned a lot thanks. Accuracy is repeatability. Precision is if the measurement is actually the measurement.

[RockKnocker]

Awesome info! Im just about to remove and rebuild my chargers hemi and this is all super helpful. Ive got dial caipers accurate to .001", a bit better with good eyes really and 6inch max... is that going to measure most of what you use micrometers for?

[ls]

What I've done, micrometers are a rather niche market and don't particularly have a great resale value.

I browsed eBay looking for used mics 0-4, starrett or mitutoyo branded. I was careful to check the pictures for ones that look very lightly used and read the descriptions. Then looked up the model numbers for the specs. Consequently I have a full set of mitutoyo digimics that are specified as accurate to 0.0001", my newest one is 0.00005". Picked up a china bore gauge set, tossed the indicator and added another mitu 0.0001" indicator. Then sent everything to a calibration lab for $250 or so, everything was still in cal.

Whole setup cost me $1000 or so and I have a VERY nice set of measuring equipment.

A little more expensive but worth it