Engine Masters

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. However, Holley does provide very simple, plug-in kits to power the LS platform. In fact, if you have a complete junkyard LS that still has the intake manifold, throttle body, and injectors, you can get a much cheaper LS controller that plugs right in.

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

Ever wonder what those camshaft specification numbers really mean and how they affect engine performance? This episode of Engine Masters presented by AMSOIL is here to help, as David Freiburger explains cam lift, duration, love separation angle, and installed centerline. Next, we test a low-rpm cam and a high-rpm cam in the same engine to demonstrate the power differences. Engine Masters is supported by Mr. Gasket and Earl's Vapor Guard hose.

Usually on this show, we are all about making more horsepower, but on this episode of Engine Masters presented by Amsoil, we are trying to kill horsepower! We bolt four different types of cooling fans onto our 350 small-block Chevy, all with different designs and material. Which one takes the most horsepower, and which one takes the least? Watch and find out!

This episode of Engine Masters presented by AMSOIL reinforces the fact that Steve Dulcich is not just the guy in the back of the dyno room—he’s a legit engine master. And you won’t question that after you see his homegrown porting job on a set of Edelbrock aluminum cylinder heads for a small-block Mopar pick up a whopping 92 hp! To be fair, that gain also includes porting work on the Victor Jr. intake manifold by Bryce Mulvey. All this work tops off the same 410ci small-block Mopar from BluePrint Engines that was seen on Engine Masters Episodes 11 and 18. Engine Masters is supported by Mr. Gasket and Earl's Vapor Guard.

On this episode of Engine Masters presented by AMSOIL, we test the power differences between 118-octane race gas and Rockett Brand E85 ethanol-blended fuel. There’s a lot more to just the horsepower curve, though, as we test Holley’s out-of-the-box carburetor tunes, discuss other tuning differences, and go over a long list of other considerations you should make if you’re planning a changeover to E85. While the ethanol blend can be used for a variety of different engine designs, the test here focuses on a naturally aspirated, high-compression engine making 750 horsepower. Can you drive an engine like this on the street with E85 and save money on fuel? Find out on this episode of Engine Masters, which is supported by Earl’s Vapor Guard hose (specifically made to endure ethanol fuels), Mr. Gasket, Auto Meter, Permatex, and Summit Racing.

This time on Engine Masters presented by AMSOIL, it’s a horsepower battle with the world’s most popular classic V-8s: the Chevy small-block versus the Ford Windsor. Using rebuilt short-blocks and parts packages from SummitRacing.com, the Engine Masters team built two engines as equally as possible, using a Chevy 350 and a Ford 351 with Holley carburetors, Edelbrock RPM Air Gap intakes, Air Flow Research 195 heads, Comp Cams hydraulic roller cams, and 13/4-inch-tube headers. Will one small-block make more power than the other based on inherent design superiority? The dyno is here to find out. Engine Masters is supported by Mr. Gasket, Earl’s Vapor Guard, Auto Meter, Summit Racing, and Permatex.

On this episode of Engine Masters presented by AMSOIL, we explain how oil kills power—because it’s not about synthetic versus regular oil and not about a brand-to-brand comparison, but about windage and oil-pan design. We take a 700hp big-block Chevy and show you how too much oil can kill 20 hp, and you’ll also see gains when we go from a stock-design pan to a Milodon drag-racing oil pan. We are thankful for Engine Masters’ sponsors Permatex (for no oil leaks!), Auto Meter (to check oil pressure), Mr. Gasket (to keep the oil inside), Earls (for AN oil lines and more), and Summit Racing Equipment (where you can buy it all).

This time on Engine Masters presented by Amsoil, we go head-to-head-to-head-to-head to find the best dual-plane for your buck. Using our longtime test mule 372 small-block Chevy, we bolt up the four most popular Air-Gap–style dual-planes to compare power and cost, to help you make the best choice for your engine and budget.

This time on Engine Masters presented by Amsoil, we explore what we’ve always known: Increased engine temperature decreases power output. We always thought we knew the answer, but today our 598 Chevy big-block gets some special heat treatment to find out exactly how and why heat kills power. The answer might be just as surprising to you as it was to us.

On this episode of Engine Masters presented by AMSOIL, we take the mystery out of carburetor selection. More air means more power, but is there such a thing as too big? And how do you know when you’ve passed good? David Freiburger, Steve Dulcich, Steve Brulé from Westech Performance, and the dyno get together to compare carbs from 650 to 950 cfm on Our Ultimate Average 383 to help you find all the power and all the driveability.

Finally, after all these episodes, the Engine Masters crew set out to test the effects of running long rods versus short rods on otherwise identical engines. Do longer rods make more torque? Does the faster swipe past TDC of the shorter rods make all the difference? Or does it not actually matter in the least? We found out, and now you can too, on this episode of Engine Masters presented by AMSOIL.

On this episode of Engine Masters presented by AMSOIL, we found out which cheap carbs produce the most expensive results! We pick a fight between three remanufactured offerings from Edelbrock, Summit, and Demon to see which of these 750cfm bargains will pump the most power into our tried-and-true, Ultimate Average 383 Chevrolet.

On this episode of Engine Masters presented by Amsoil, David and the Steves flip things upside down to find out how much power you might be leaving in your oil pan. Pan shape, windage, and oil control features all play a part in minimizing turbulence around the crank, but is a $1,100 oil pan really worth the cost? Come find out as we test and tune our way to some pretty impressive results.

On Engine Masters, presented by AMSOIL, the crew dives into how cylinder head flow and boost affect horsepower. They run their 363 Windsor once with 195cc and 225cc heads, and declare once and for all if cylinder heads actually matter under boost.

The guys run tests with 87, 91, 110, 116 and even E85 to see if higher octane makes more power, and if an engine's optimal timing even changes with different octane. See what happens as we pump up the gas on Engine Masters.

On Engine Masters, presented by AMSOIL, the guys put a Demon 650 blow-through carb up against Holley's new Super Sniper Stealth throttle-body-style EFI to see which reigns supreme in terms of tunability, cylinder-to-cylinder distribution and horsepower.

The Holley 4150 has been the gold standard for performance since it was released to the aftermarket in the '60s. Seemingly everyone has one, but do you really know how to tune it? Resident carb whisperer Steve Brule walks through all the tips and tricks you need to know to get your 4150 running its best on any engine.

Driven by lunacy as much as novelty, Dulcich is at it again with his slant-six tomfoolery. With goals of his 225ci monster powering a daily driver '68 Dart, Steve is putting four aftermarket intake manifolds to the test to see which will give him the most grunt.

A debate has raged in the LS community for years about the difference in power potential between dime-a-dozen cathedral ports and the "racier" rectangular ports found on the LS3. The rectangles have bigger intake ports, flow numbers, valves and chambers, but what does it all add up to?

Hot intake air temps are bad, and cold IATs are good, right? But how bad is bad, and how good is good, especially in a boosted application? To find out, the guys explore the benefits of an air-to-air intercooler in terms of power and detonation resistance. They also test out external CO2 foggers that keep the intercooler extra cool.

Our testing has repeatedly shown that carbs make more peak power than EFI, and our explanation is based on the fuel's ability to cool the incoming air on its way to the head. Multipoint injection just can't do that. Or can it? We move fuel injectors up the intake manifold runners to see if the extra distance of suspended fuel makes extra power.

Exploring the effects of different sized water tanks and their ability to keep the intake charge colder longer; air-to-water intercoolers make power by absorbing the heat of the intake air into the cool of the IC's water.