Many aspects of old-school engine building, such as machining and measuring, are considered an art form or even black magic. Typically, those kinds of jobs within the shop require many years of experience, knowledge and feel for what you are doing. However, as we've covered for many years now, advancements in the industry surrounding CNC machining have made some of those skills less crucial when it comes to physically doing the work - that is if you own one. Sure, you still need to know what it is you're doing and why and what the outcome is you're trying to achieve, but CNCs today take out human error and have allowed for tighter tolerances in today's high-performance engine world. Similarly, if you ask any engine builder how they go about measuring components such as pistons, rings, connecting rods, bearings, lifters, and other critical parts, the answer - 100 percent of the time - is by use of a micrometer and the proper feel. It's definitely more art than science since each builder can do it slightly different.
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