S-A Design® - Modern Engine Blueprinting Techniques: A Practical Guide to Precision Engine Building

Engines are built to fall within a wide set of standards and specifications, often not optimized to meet the original design. In short, cheap and fast engine production results in a sloppy final product. Of course, this is not idea for high-performance engines. To maximize the performance of any engine, it must be balanced and blueprinted to the exact tolerances that the factory should have adhered to in the first place. Four cylinder, V-8, American or import, the performance of all engines is greatly improved by balancing and blueprinting. Dedicated enthusiasts and professional racers balance and blueprint their engines because the engines will produce more horsepower and torque, more efficiently use fuel, run cooler and last longer.

In this book, expert engine builder and veteran author Mike Mavrigian explains and illustrates the most discriminating engine building techniques, so the engine is perfectly balanced, matched, and optimized. Balancing and blueprinting is a time consuming and exacting process, but the investment in time pays off with superior performance. Through the process, you carefully measure, adjust, machine and fit each part together with precision tolerances, optimizing the design and maximizing performance. The book covers the block, crankshaft, connecting rods, pistons, cylinder heads, intake manifolds, camshaft, measuring tools and final assembly techniques.

For more than 50 years, balancing and blueprinting has been an accepted and common practice for maximizing performance. An enthusiast or professional that invests the time to precisely build an engine in this fashion will be rewarded with an engine that will run strong and last for years. This book provides an unprecedented level of detail and instruction on the process of balancing and blueprinting your engine.

Mike Mavrigian
Mike Mavrigian has written for magazines since 1977 and worked in the automotive industry for three decades. Mike is the editor and chief of Auto Service Professional and is a technical editor contributing technical articles to Engine Professional magazine. He has authored a number of titles for CarTech Books. He also owns and operates Birchwood Automotive Group, a business that assembles project vehicles, writes technical how-to service books, and produces many magazine articles. Mike won the Jesse H. Neal National Business Journalism Award for "Best Technical Article" in 2009. Mike graduated from Youngstown (Ohio) State University and is certified member of the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence. He lives in the Akron, Ohio area.