Engine Masters

- Season 6

(2021)

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Suppose you cruise around town with 87 octane in the tank. Could you pull up to the track, pump in 110, crank up the timing, and actually make more power? That's been a lot of guys' working theory for years, and we're here today to find out. See what happens as we pump up the gas this time on Engine Masters, presented by AMSOIL.

This time on Engine Masters, presented by AMSOIL, we outfit our ProCharger-fed Ford 363 with a Demon 650 blow-through carb and with Holley's new Super Sniper Stealth throttle-body-style EFI to determine which will reign supreme in terms of tunability, cylinder-to-cylinder distribution, and of course, the almighty horsepower!.

Do mandrel-bent exhaust pipes really make more power over the crimped and crunched pipes the local shop bends up? We're about to find out as we run mandrel- versus crunch-bent systems on a 530-hp LS3, this time on Engine Masters presented by AMSOIL.

This time on Engine Masters, presented by AMSOIL, we aim to find out as we test 10 different filters back to back to back. From the cheapest off the shelf to the trickest in the catalog, we're on the hunt for the best flowing and best filtering units you can get your hands on.

Since the dawn of supercharging, compressed air has been stuffed through carburetors, and it's as true now as it was back then. The question we're asking today is: What type of carb hat is best for that blow-through application? Come see just how much this time on Engine Masters, presented by AMSOIL.

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This time on Engine Masters, presented by AMSOIL, we'll be testing the actual headers, intake, fuel system, and everything that will actually be used in David Freiburger's Model A drag car, making sure it all works on the dyno rather than on the dragstrip.

This time on Engine Masters, presented by AMSOIL, Holley carbs have been known for years as the standard by which all racing carbs are measured, but today's question is this: CFMs being equal, is there any difference in power between the smaller-bore, narrower-set "street" style 4150 carb and the bigger-bore, wider-base 4500 series Dominator carb?

Does compression make power? The easy answer is yes, but the answers we're looking for today have more to do with how it makes power and how sensitive it becomes to temperature on pump gas. Be ready to be impressed by two very good engine combos and a strong case for compression this time on Engine Masters, presented by AMSOIL.

It's the battle between the iconic 440 Six Pack and the legendary 426 Hemi, and we're settling age-old bets on this one. Do they live up to lore of 440 grunt and 426 top end? Can the Six Pack cool outgun the famed Hemi heads?? We'll find out this time on Engine Masters, as we bolt both to dyno.

We're taking trips to the moon as we test different combos on a 331ci small Chevy. Starting with an excellent little combo good for 7K RPM, we step it up to show you how improved airflow on a small motor equals pure RPM. Best of all, we do it all with simple parts and a small budget.

Sounds boring, we know. But if you're like us, you've always chosen an oil pump based on some knee-jerk instinct. It's time to finally learn the difference between standard, high-volume, and high-pressure oil pumps in terms of pressure, flow, and horsepower. Come see what there is to know this time on Engine Masters.

Street-car turbo people, this one's for you. We all know that adding any sort of restrictor-like a muffler-is going to hurt power on a turbo motor. We also know that sometimes it just makes sanity-sense to cut down excess noise. To find out just how much horsepower that sanity costs, we're running all sorts of muffler and piping configurations on a 600-hp 5.3 while keeping a close eye on backpressure, boost, decibel levels, and, of course, the almighty horsepower. Come see the true cost of quiet this time on Engine Masters.

We love our big-block Mopars here at Engine Masters, and we've finally put together a horsepower-per-dollar comparison of street-centric Wedge cylinder heads. Want to spend bottom dollar on some 906s? We've got you covered. Want to step all the way up to CNC-ported, tall valve set of TFS's? Tested. Come see the cost of these gains-and all the ones in between-this time on Engine Masters.

You've seen them, you've drooled over them, and you may have even run them. Individual runner intake systems have long been among the coolest-looking ways to top off an engine, but there has always been a lot of fear, guesswork, and compromise when it comes to tuning them. This time on Engine Masters, we dive into the wavy waters of individual runner systems, how you can tune them, and whether all that cool makes any more power than the stalwart carburetor.

That's right, barrel. This is not a comparison of your readily available pump gases. This is a study of fueling demands, horsepower, and the pros and cons of running each: 116 octane gasoline, E85, methanol, and oxygenated gas. They all have different oxygen contents, air/fuel ratio demands, and ultimately, different abilities to cool the cylinder and create power. What does that all mean, and which is right for you? Find out this time on Engine Masters.

Turbo power, pump gas, and no intercooler. - Can you really have it all? That's the question Engine Masters is asking as we explore the cooling benefits of water-methanol injection. We'll be looking at any added tolerance to detonation, intake air temps, how much to inject at what rpm, and the optimal ratio of water to methanol. There's plenty to explore, and with a little experimentation on the dyno, our twin-turbo 408-cubic-inch LS was more than happy to make extra power, intercooler free.

We've done air filter shootouts before, but none like this. This time on Engine Masters, it's all about finding the least restrictive way to route a cold air system. Most modern EFI setups, and even some carbureted ones, require some type of coned air filter element at the end of a remote intake piping setup. We're here to find out how much the size of that filter, as well as the length, path, and diameter of the tubing affects your performance. Get ready for a couple of really pleasant surprises this time on Engine Masters.

The juice, the bottle, the squeeze. It goes by many names and every one of them means horsepower. This time on Engine Masters, we dive into the fundamentals of the cheapest, easiest, and most effective way to give your motor some grunt: nitrous oxide. Using the most basic 150-horse plate system, we'll show you the basics on installation, safety, and tuning for nitrous on your typical carbureted engine.

When it comes to selecting a camshaft, there are plenty of decisions to be made. This time on Engine Masters, we're exploring the differences between single and split duration camshafts. Can the extended exhaust duration of the split pattern crutch poor exhaust flow? Does the single pattern really suffer at rpm in the name of low-speed torque? Why would you ever not want to run a split pattern? We'll answer all of these questions and ask even more this time on Engine Masters.

It's finally time for some 5.9 Magnum action. This is hands down the easiest Mopar V-8 to score out of the junkyard, and we're shooting out intake upgrades for a street car swap. Come see what kind of basic bolt-on power is available for this elevated-LA engine as we pit the factory kegger manifold against a worked-up aftermarket piece, an upsized throttle body, and even against two carbureted manifold options. All these tests and an excellent introduction to this jewel of a junkyard platform are on this time on Engine Masters.

Some claim it makes more power, others say it helps an engine rev more quickly, but can the simple flopping of a piston's orientation in the cylinder really affect its performance or behavior? This time on Engine Masters, we perform what may be the first ever back-to-back comparison of factory-oriented pistons against reverse-oriented ones. Will the reversal of the piston pin offset really decrease friction, increase response, or affect performance in any measurable way? Join us as we find out, because we can't say for sure yet either.

Un-Hellcatted and preparing to return to duty at Dirtfish, Roadkill's famed General Mayhem is just one motorhome 440 away from its former glory. This time on Engine Masters, we strap that very 440 on the dyno to make some decisions on which intake and headers to run in the car, but also-and most important-to squeeze out more than the 707 Hellcat horsepowers that have been so unceremoniously yanked from the framerails.

We all know valve float as the evil that lurks beyond the redline, the dreaded robber of horsepower and destroyer of valves. But what is it really? What does it look like when it happens? And how can you put it as high in the rpm band as possible? Get ready for an in-depth Engine Masters crash course as we pull our worst-case scenario of a big-block Chevy right into valve float central.