You've probably read this line a dozen times: "It's never been easier to make horsepower than right now." While that's true, it also means everything else in the engine is now more highly stressed.

In the pre-LS era, a typical small-block-powered street car would rev willingly to around 5,000 rpm. You could assemble a cam package for it—even using heavy components—and you probably wouldn't have ...

Last month's "How It Works" story gave you the basics of the four-stroke cycle, describing the motion of the intake and exhaust valves in relation to the piston moving up and down in the cylinder.

If your car is blowing blue smoke, it’s a clear sign that the engine is burning oil. What happens is that the valve guide seals or piston rings are worn out, and oil is leaking past from where it ...

Cars' engines have to resist tremendous pressure and heat up to 3,000 degrees. So what in the world is a soft, explosive metal doing in their exhaust valves?