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In this first episode you'll find out if Blueprint Engines is accurate in its advertised power for a 400ci Chevy small-block crate engine, and then we'll see if Freiburger is justified in his love for dual carburetors and high-rise tunnel-ram intake manifolds-plus there's cash on the line.
Should you run a carburetor, or should you try the new and easy self-learning EFI setups? We’ll dish up answers in this episode of Engine Masters, presented by AMSOIL. Host David Freiburger, Steve Dulcich, and Steve Brule strap a 5.3L LM7 engine to the engine dyno and look at the price, installation, and power of a Holley 750-cfm double-pumper versus Holley’s Terminator throttle-body EFI. The guys come up with a big part-mismatch nightmare along the way—one you should also watch out for. As you’re watching the episode, keep in mind that most of the carb-vs-throttle-body info applies to any engine, not just the LS-style test mule.
It’s our first head-to-head shootout with two engines: a Blueprint Engines crate Chevy 383 small-block versus a hand-built Mopar 383 by Engine Masters host Steve Dulcich. To make this a fair test, we equalized as many variables as possible: both engines use the same carburetor and the same type of ignition, intake manifold, camshaft, compression ratio, oil pan, and oil. Both use the best iron cylinder heads available from the OE manufacturer. So what’s your guess? Which engine will make the most average horsepower and torque? Find out the surprising answer and have some fun with David Freiburger, Steve Dulcich, and Steve Brule in this episode of Engine Masters, presented by Amsoil.
If you’ve ever installed a set of high-performance exhaust headers, then you’ve probably bashed those exhaust tubes with a hammer to get them to clear everything in the chassis of the car. It’s a super common problem, but people often worry about how much horsepower they are killing by dinging and denting those headers. This episode of Engine Masters presented by Amsoil is here to answer that for you, testing various levels of destruction of a set of Hooker headers on a 550-horsepower, 400ci small-block Chevy from Blueprint Engines. The result is shocking.
This time on Engine Masters, presented by Amsoil, you'll learn a good combo for 470-plus horsepower from a stock-bottom-end 5.7L Dodge Hemi, and then see us add a Paxton supercharger in the hunt for 707 horsepower just like one of the new Dodge Hellcats.
Topping your engine with a set of aftermarket cylinder heads is a near-certain method for making more horsepower and torque—but is the extra power really worth the money? In this episode of Engine Masters presented by AMSOIL, we answer that question for people who are running a typical street-cruising small-block Chevy V8. We start with a very common, 440-horsepower, 383ci stroker engine using production Chevy Vortec iron cylinder heads and swap them out for a set of CNC-ported aluminum heads. Naturally, they make more power at nearly every single point in the power curve, so you’ll have to watch the video and see the full graph to decide if this is an upgrade that’s worth it for you.
Dual quads! Three deuces! Eight barrels! Six jugs! The lore of multiple carburetors runs deep in the hot rodding world, and in the muscle car era it was common for the OE manufacturers to up their cars’ performance and image with either two four-barrel carburetors (a dual-quad, or eight-barrel) or three two-barrel carbs (known at GM as a Tri-Power and at Chrysler as a Six Pack). These days, everything old is new again, and both Holley and Edelbrock are offering complete setups to put multiple carburetors on your small-block Chevy (Edelbrock also has kits for many other popular V8s). In this episode of Engine Masters presented by AMSOIL, we will compare the price, the tuneup, and the power of the Holley Tri-Power setup (part number 300-521 with gold dichromate carbs) to the Edelbrock Performer RPM Dual-Quad manifold and carb kit (part number 2025 in a satin finish), all on our Blueprint Engines 383 stroker that makes 476 horsepower with an 850-cfm four-barrel. Can the multi-carb rigs match that power? The Edelbrock dual-quad uses two 500-cfm carbs, and the Holley has 325 cfm in the middle and 350 cfm on each outer carb. The Holley setup is more true to the muscle car days and the Edelbrock is more of a modernized design. We’ll assume you’re gonna pick one over the other based on personal preference, but this video will help ensure you make the right call for your own car.
Boost is good. Forced induction makes huge power, and you want it cheap and easy. This time on Engine Masters presented by AMSOIL, we look at the two most affordable implements of boost from SummitRacing.com: a Paxton Novi 1200 blow-through-carburetor centrifugal supercharger setup ($2,483 at the time this was posted) and a Weiand 174 Powercharger roots blower ($2,794.95). Both of the blowers are tested on a Dart SHP Ford 363ci engine. In the episode, you’ll learn about installation details, problems, hidden prices, and, of course, the shapes of the power curves! Hint: We turn 450 hp into 675 pretty easily.
You're sitting around with your typical street/strip V-8 and wondering, should I get 2.5-inch-diameter exhaust pipes and mufflers, or should I go 3-inch? In this episode of Engine Masters, presented by AMSOIL, we will help you decide, giving answers about power, tuning, and weight on 2.5- and 3-inch systems. You'll also find out about a very simple combo for 600-plus horsepower from a 454 Chevy! Finally, thank you to our new supporting sponsors, Mr. Gasket and Earl's Plumbing!
In this episode of Engine Masters presented by AMSOIL, you’ll learn a simple combination for a 600hp big-block Chevy. Many people building engines like this are torn between the streetability of a camshaft that uses hydraulic roller lifters and the race-level rpm capabilities of the solid roller lifters. This video will explain the tech and show you the real-world difference in power between the two styles of camshafts, so you can decide what’s best for your next buildup. Engine Masters is now cosponsored by Mr. Gasket and Earl’s Vapor Guard plumbing!
The 408 is one of the most popular small-block V-8 stroker combinations for Chevy, Ford, and Mopar. This time on Engine Masters presented by AMSOIL and supported by Earl’s Vapor Guard and Mr. Gasket, we take the first step to find out which engine dominates with a dyno duel between Mopar and Ford. The Dodge LA-engine-based 408 is a complete crate engine from BluePrint Engines—we just added an Edelbrock Performer RPM intake manifold, Holley carb, and MSD ignition. The Ford is a BluePrint Engines short-block, and we matched it to the Mopar with the same compression, cam, ignition, and carburetor. Edelbrock makes the only direct-replacement aluminum performance cylinder head currently available from the aftermarket for the Mopar, and that's what's on the BluePrint crate engine. To match that, we also used the Edelbrock Performer RPM cylinder heads on the Ford. Edelbrock makes several models for the Ford, and they are the same price for the 170cc and the 190cc heads, so we chose the bigger ones. And that's where opinions will run wild on this episode of Engine Masters.
How do you pick the right size exhaust header tubes for your engine? This episode may set you in the right direction. In episode 4 we famously destroyed a set of Hooker headers with a hammer to see if dents in tubes really make a difference in performance. Shockingly, they kinda didn't. Folks said our test was flawed because if dents in the tubes didn't affect performance, then the headers must have been too large to begin
with. So now we've tested that theory, running three sets of Hookers on the same engine we used in the header-bash episode. We tried 1-5/8, 1-3/4, and 1-7/8. Were the viewers right that we'd picked wrong the first time? Find out in this episode of Engine Masters, presented by AMSOIL and supported by Mr. Gasket and Earl's Vapor Guard.
The 13th episode of Engine Masters, presented by AMSOIL, is an unlucky one for a poor little 305ci Chevy small-block. It was the victim of our test of how much nitrous oxide power boost can be tolerated by a completely stock short-block with the original cast crank, rods, and pistons. Yeah, it ends badly, but before the engine's demise we learn a lot, showing you how nitrous oxide increases horsepower and giving you tips on how to use it safely on any engine. You'll also learn a pretty good power combo for a 305 Chevy! Engine Masters is supported by Mr. Gasket and Earl's Vapor Guard.
In this episode of Engine Masters presented by AMSOIL and sponsored by Mr. Gasket and Earl’s Vapor Guard, we show you why the age-old concept of pulling a used engine from a running car and slapping some speed parts on it might not always be the best idea. Our special guest engine is the Mopar 360 small-block V8 from Episodes 3 and 4 of Roadkill Garage, where we plucked it from a 1975 Dodge truck and slapped it into a 1970 Dodge Challenger. For this show, we set up the 360 with all-stock parts, ran it on the dyno for a baseline, and then added a bunch of speed parts. We gained 140 horsepower! That’s the good news. For the bad news…well, you’ll have to watch the episode to find out.
Cast-iron manifolds versus mid-length headers versus long-tube headers: Which one is best for you? In this episode of Engine Masters presented by AMSOIL, we again look to our loyal fan base to feed us ideas of power tests they want to see. Obviously, the long-tube headers are going to make the most power, but we wanted to find out what the difference really is versus shorter headers or even cast manifolds, so we can make the right decisions about price, sound, and ground clearance. The engine tested here is a BluePrint Engines 6.0L LS-based crate engine with BluePrint heads, a stock intake, and a Comp Cams roller cam. Engine Masters is presented by AMSOIL and supported by Mr. Gasket and Earl’s Vapor Guard.
Do you want to spend big bucks on a hydraulic roller cam setup or low bucks on the old-school flat-tappet cam? The answer depends on your desire for power and durability, and this episode of Engine Masters presented by AMSOIL and supported by Mr. Gasket and Earl’s Vapor Guard will spell out the differences in the two camshaft designs so you can decide what’s best for your car. The test engine here is a 500hp, 400ci small-block Chevy crate engine from BluePrint Engines, and the camshafts and lifters are from Isky Racing Cams.
In this episode of Engine Masters presented by AMSOIL and sponsored by Mr. Gasket and Earl’s Vapor Guard, we explore whether the price of a muffler makes a difference when it comes to performance. What’s the real difference in power between mufflers that cost $40 each versus $100 each? What’s the power difference between a 2½- and 3-inch exhaust on a mild street engine that only makes about 350 hp? And is it true that “too big a pipe loses torque,” as you hear so often online or at the muffler shop? Every one of these questions from viewers gets solid, dyno-proven answers in this episode of as we run all the tests with a perfectly average, 350ci small-block Chevy using Thrush and Magnaflow mufflers.
Increasing engine displacement with a stroker kit is a proven way to get more horsepower and torque, but exactly how much power can you expect? In this test of “there’s no replacement for displacement,” the hosts of Engine Masters presented by AMSOIL and sponsored by Mr. Gasket and Earl’s Vapor Guard run a dyno comparo you’ve probably never seen before: two engines with all the same specs except for the crankshaft stroke. One small-block Mopar engine is a 410ci stroker, while the other is a 367ci stocker with an overbore. They use the same carb, intake, cam, heads, compression, and headers. You think the bigger engine makes far more horsepower? You may be in for a surprise
