DG Motors can install your custom engine and tune it for optimum horsepower

SPECIALTIES::

D&G Motors "Specialties" are special services that have been engineered in-house to solve some problem that was not easily solved before. We use our extensive background in machining and product design/fatigue analysis to solve the problems that other shops just can't do. Check this page often as we update our list of specialties.

Darton Honda B18 Cylinder Sleeve
Ford Modular PI Head Spark Plug Fix

Darton Sleeve for the Honda B18 V Tech block: Turn your stock block into a bulletproof race block

D&G Motors has been sleeving engines of all types for years. From large over the road diesel trucks to small outboard two stroke marine engines. When one of our Honda B18 V Tech customers asked us to prepare his block for 30 lbs of turbo boost we knew we had to find a better way of prepping a Honda block. We did extensive research on all the sleeve and block strengthening processes that were currently available. Past experience pointed to LA Sleeve Co. for a product that would provide the best results however the feedback from their technicians surprised us. We listened to what LA Sleeve Company and many other vendors had to say and talked with many other shops that were already performing some of the same type of work. The same message kept reoccurring - the results from the same work performed were often mixed with a large number of unsatisfactory results. The process of weeding through all the smoke & mirrors, aftermarket sales people, and magazine articles was very time consuming and fraught with missinformation. Magazines write about what will sell and will sell advertising, sales reps sell their product, and the customer just wants something that works! We have to thank our first customers for being patient and for helping our initial research. At D&G Motors we are more concerned that the job is completed to our expectations of quality control rather than just slamming a block together and hoping for the best.

After selecting the best sleeve for the job the next challenge to overcome was perfecting the machining process to be repeatable and top quality. The first thought was to develop an in-house CNC program but after inspecting the sleeves we found they were not holding tolerances to a close enough spec to be able to guarantee a consistent press fit of the sleeve. We contacted the sleeve manufacture and some of the shops that claimed to use CNC programming and found that this deviation in size was normal and that the shops that were doing CNC work had more problems than the shops that hand-machined the block. This actually validated some of our initial research on the problems with cylinder sleeve sealing that had been reported by many customers. Many of the complaints were of coolant seeping past the bottom of the sleeve and into the engine oil. Once this had happened the only fix was to try and glue the sleeve into the cylinder and hope it would hold together long enough to get the customer out the door before there was a catastrophic failure! D&G Motors has built its success on customer satisfaction so CNC machining was not an option for this process.

D&G Motors has developed a proprietary process to rough in the block and then hand machine each cylinder to accept its predetermined sleeve to insure that proper dimension is always kept for a tight press fit. After the sleeves are installed we machine the rest of the block with a torque plate and the main housing bores are torqued into place to simulate the stress on the block during normal running conditions. Our current customers for this process are all local and we have been closely monitoring the success. By keeping a close eye on our work through the break in process, dyno-tuning process, and actual use we are able to validate our work and refine our process to deliver a product with consistent high quality results.

Keep an eye on this page for some power and race results from our current customers.

(click any picture to enlarge)

Picture of two of the blocks after final assembly

Fully assembled block with photo of Darton manual

Fully assembled block with old (factory) cylinder bores that have been cut out

Fully assembled block with torque plate used for final assembly

Block with one sleeve installed, the other cylinders prepared for the installation

Ford Modular PI Head Spark Plug Thread Fix: No more worries about blowing a spark plug on your 5.4 or 4.6 Ford Modular Engine!

Since the introduction of the PI (Performance Improved) head there have been issues with even stock motors blowing a spark plug right out of the block. This problem is even more prevalent with the 5.4 motor and/or boosted applications. The problem is the factory only put 4 threads in the head for the block and with high cylinder pressure a plug can easily strip the threads and literally pop out of the engine! Many fixes have been tried over the years. From heli-coil inserts to other thread in "bungs" nothing has worked.

D&G Motors has engineered a process where the head is precision milled on a proprietary jig to exact tolerances. Once this process is done a precision machined insert (created in-house) is inserted into the head and welded into place. This process gives the head the full thread range of the spark plug and can virtually guarantee the problem will never occur in any condition including extreme race conditions.

From a stock replacement truck engine to a full race Mustang motor this process will solve the problem and provide peace of mind for the customer. We can't imagine rebuilding a Ford modular motor without having this done.

(More to come including pictures)

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