Hot intake air temps are bad and cold is good; the guys explore the benefits of an air-to-air intercooler in terms of power and detonation resistance.
Testing shows that carbs make more peak power than EFI, and the explanation is based on the fuel's ability to cool the incoming air on its way to the head, while multipoint injection might not do that.
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.
The crew compares 90 mm and 105 mm forward-facing throttle bodies against one another, and then to 2000 cfm worth of top-mounted, dual quad-style throttle bodies, all atop a fuel-injected, 700-hp LS7.
Whether the bellmouth can create more power, despite being designed to direct and smooth airflow into the throttle body; testing the theory with N/A and supercharged versions of the 363ci small-block Ford.
The reputations of sequential and batch-fire injection styles each carry when it comes to overall power; the guys explore that question, tunability, what it takes to make the switch, and all of the pros and cons.
The guys show how three seemingly identical cams can behave very differently; the differences between a standard, a high-intensity, and a low-shock cam.
The crew examines the power of different types of spark plugs, such as ones with fancy metal tips or extra ground straps, and explains the results of gapping them bigger or smaller.
The guys explore how the length of header primary tubes can affect the power curve, and look at how engines expel exhaust, including the negative pressure wave that pulls burnt gases from the cylinder and where the power occurs.
The guys explore usable, cruise-able, tow-ready torque curves with three of the smallest camshafts they've ever tested.
Steve Dulcich has posed the theory that headers don't matter nearly as much when paired with a small cam as they do with a larger cam; the guys use factory-style manifolds, shorty headers and full-length headers with both tiny and meaty cams.
A long-overdue segment of advice for street drivers of big-block Chevys, even those with average power, cruiser level, and stock BBC's roaming around.
With so many oil weights and combinations available, the crew shows how different weights behave, perform and react inside an engine; a primer on oil weights and how the differing weights affect horsepower, pressure and resilience to temperature.
Colder fuel makes more power; how to consistently keep fuel temps down, and what difference it really makes.
The guys have run standard 14-inch round filters in the past and wondered every time if there's any difference between them.
Checking to see if pushrods or valve springs affect power production, even when valve float isn't a problem; the crew tests varying combinations of valve spring and pushrod strengths.
The spray-bar style nitrous plate has been the standard forever; the guys put the tried-and-true spray-bar style up against the newfangled perimeter-discharge style.
The team has done intake manifold comparisons on nearly every big and small block platform, and at long last, it's big block Ford's turn; shooting out single and dual planes on a street/strip 514ci combo relating to what many BBF guys are running.
Whether from exhaust, transmission or any heat-generating components, controlling heat can make a hot ride comfortable, and even a hot intake charge cooler. We test header wraps and panel heat shields, to see how -- and how not -- to keep your cool.
Testing a long-told hose-length theory as well as a long-proven nitrous controller practice to illustrate how softening the hit of the nitrous can help control the power and keep a motor in one piece.
Freiburger's 582 big-block Chevy returns; shooting out 1050, 1250 and 1450 CFM Dominators; seeing how much difference the extra CFMs make, and how much does the tune change between them.
The crew tests the second iteration of Holley's throttle body EFI system.
One way to tell if a person should be running a plate or a port system is whether a 300 shot of nitrous sounds like a lot; the guys walk viewers through each system, how much power can be added through each and the jetting differences between them.
Diving back into the intricacies of camshaft grinds; exploring not just split-duration cams, but how larger and larger splits affect the power curve.
The guys test stepped headers, whose primaries step up in diameter, and merge collectors, which create a restriction in the collector, against good old-fashioned headers.
The Holley 4150 has been the gold standard for performance since it was released to the aftermarket in the '60s; resident carb whisperer Steve Brule walks through all the tips and tricks to get a 4150 running best on any engine.
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 look at the difference in power potential between dime-a-dozen cathedral ports and the "racier" rectangular ports found on the LS3.
The Engine Masters are battling two iterations of the 5.7 III Hemi and are learning a ton in the process; with an eye toward engine-swap simplicity, they have stuffed both with the biggest cams they can handle in the most affordable way possible.
The Windsor family gets its turn at an intake shootout; this Windsor is begging for the best single-plane manifold to breathe through and offerings from Edelbrock, Trick Flow, Ford Racing, AFR and SpeedMaster are sure to make small Ford sing.
Examining whether cast manifolds are enough to keep up with turbo motors, and at what point it should be running proper headers.
Inspired by their previous study of coolant-temperature testing, the guys go one step beyond icing down the manifold, deliberately heating and cooling fuel to see the difference it makes.
The Mopar Max Wedge head was once considered all but unobtanium, but the aftermarket has come to the rescue; testing a 270cc Trick Flow unit to see if the Max Wedge style, with its bigger intake runners and direct flow path, is a worthwhile upgrade.
Manufacturers claim header wraps not only reduce radiant heat, but create additional power through their scavenging effects and superior heat management; a set of painted, ceramic-coated and wrapped headers are tested against one another.
The guys line up a bunch of Holley's Ram intakes on their 550 rectangle-port-headed 6.2-liter LS to help decide.
Six manifolds with an old-school carb and a new-school 6.0 LS are tested.
Proponents have always claimed exhaust cutouts make a car faster; seeing how they stack up against a full exhaust and a header extension behind a heavy-breathing 598-cubic-inch Big Block Chevy.
The crew shows how to unlock the power lurking in an existing engine combination without buying, changing or upgrading a single component; they use tricks they've learned over the years to tune every HP out of the 410 Windsor from David's Disgustang.
No matter how many LS swaps are out there, the old-school SBC is still an absolute force in the marketplace; the guys bolt three of the lowest-buck cylinder heads out there to their Ultimate Average 383 and make pulls for power.
This test is all about choosing the features wanted and needed on a carburetor, and how those features affect horsepower and tunability.
The guys have tested single V-split pattern cams before and concluded that a split pattern can increase top-end power without necessarily affecting bottom-end torque; their findings have been challenged, and they're here for the science.
The guys test three LS oil pumps in different volume and oil pressure configurations to see if too much pressure reduces horsepower.
What do you do when your 800-horsepower 572 just won't get you consistent eight-second passes in your '31 Model A?
The six pack was designed to supply part-throttle economy to the center while the outside carbs kick in for power; the guys test three six pack designs to find out which is gimmick, which is greatness and which makes the most power on a street 440.
The ability to run a blend of gas and E85 is a game changer; credit the flex fuel sensor, which samples fuel composition and adjusts fuel flow, making more power as more E85 is mixed in.
Do boost leaks really even matter? Can vacuum leaks make more power? You read those questions right. Come be surprised right along with us as we find power in unexpected places, and lose less than we'd expect in others.
Discovering how a wet system stacks up against a dry system in an EFI manifold.
Multipoint EFI gets its turn against the venerable Dominator; it's injectors versus jets, dry flow versus wet, and drivability versus horsepower.
One thousand horsepower is all too common these days and all too accessible. With these numbers well within reach, it's time we looked into two ways to get there: a supercharger on a medium-sized mill; and natural aspiration atop large-displacement.
As a longtime promoter of tunnel rams, Freiburger is often asked about running a four-barrel carb vs dual quads on the tunnel ram; he answers with a setup for guys who are all about the look and presence of the tunnel ram.
The crew dives into the relationship among cylinder head flow, liberal application of boost and horsepower.
The guys run back-to-back tests with 87, 91, 110, 116 and even E85 to see if higher octane can make more power, and if an engine's optimal timing even changes with different octane.
The guys outfit their Ford 363 with a Demon 650 blow-through carb and Holley's new Super Sniper Stealth throttle-body-style EFI to determine which will reign supreme.
The guys find out if mandrel-bent exhaust pipes really make more power over the crimped and crunched pipes the local shop bends up.
The guys determine what type of carb hat is best for that blow-through application.
The crew is searching for low air temps and big HP numbers as they compare the heat-extracting power of under-roots intercoolers vs. E85; they aim to bring up the entire curve by swapping the short-runner blower manifold for a tunnel ram.
The crew auditions their 406 SBC with an out-of-the-box Super Victor, a port-matched Super Victor and an off-shelf Wilson-prepped version.
Testing the headers, intake, fuel system and everything else that will be used in David Freiburger's Model A drag car.
Holley carbs have been the standard by which all racing carbs are measured, but CFMs are equal; looking at the difference in power between the smaller-bore, narrower-set 4150 carb and the bigger-bore, wider-base 4500 Dominator.
The crew looks at compression and how it makes power plus how sensitive it becomes to temperature on pump gas.
A battle between the iconic 440 Six Pack and the legendary 426 Hemi.
A combination good for 7K RPM; the crew shows how improved airflow on a small motor equals pure RPM.
The crew explains the difference between standard, high-volume and high-pressure oil pumps in terms of pressure, flow and horsepower.
The crew tries to find the right balance of decibel levels and performance.
It's a battle of price vs. power for street-centric wedge cylinder heads.
The crew dives into the waters of individual runner systems, shows how to tune them, and whether all that cool makes any more power than the stalwart carburetor.
The guys study the fueling demands, horsepower, and the pros and cons of running different types of fuel.
The guys explore the cooling benefits of water-methanol injection.
Trying to find the least restrictive way to route a cold air system.
Using a basic 150-horse plate system, the crew demonstrates the basics on installation, safety and tuning for a typical carbureted engine.
A look at the differences between single and split-duration camshafts.
Testing intake upgrades for a street car swap; pitting the factory manifold against a worked-up aftermarket piece.
The guys perform what may be the first ever back-to-back comparison of factory-oriented pistons against reverse-oriented pistons.
The General Mayhem 440 is strapped on the dyno and decisions on which intake and headers to run, as well as how to squeeze out more than the 707 Hellcat horsepowers, are made.
Some know valve float as the evil that lurks beyond the redline, the dreaded robber of horsepower and destroyer of valves; taking a look at the valve float.
The crew tests the effects of running long vs. short rods on otherwise identical engines; they'll find out if long rods make more torque, if shorter rods' faster swipe makes a difference, or if rod length doesn't actually matter.
The guys find out which cheap carburetors produce the most expensive results; they pick a fight among remanufactured offerings from Edelbrock, Summit and Demon to see which will pump the most power into their 383 Chevrolet.
The guys flip things upside down to find out how much power might be left in the oil pan; a number of factors play a part in minimizing turbulence around the crank, but an $1,100 solution may not be worth the cost.
The guys try to shed light on whether iron or aluminum heads will deliver more power; they'll look at weight savings and heat retention's effect on cylinder pressure.
A camshaft is causing issues, so the crew explores how changes to cam timing can help tune a power curve for high-end performance or low-end power.
The guys experiment with lash adjustments in an effort to unleash some serious ponies; specific engine and cam combos can benefit from loosening or tightening, leading to more power and better performance.
The guys determine whether a dual 2.5-inch or a single 3.0-inch exhaust system has more power; they swap pipes on a run-of-the mill 351 Ford, then they test turbo versus straight-through mufflers and Y-pipe versus a 90-degree merge.
The guys answer the question of whether a carb spacer produces more power; the answer is yes, no and maybe, depending on the engine.
The guys take four of the most popular street-style, dual-plane intake manifolds on the market and strap them to the test mule; they reveal how much power the hood clearance issue costs on a Mustang.
The guys take 555 BBC and the Blower Shop then test the difference in power between gas and e85.
The guys dive into one of the most commonly confusing elements of camshaft design, lobe separation angle.
Engine Masters explores the myriad gains that can be found for a sickly, low-compression 440 in three stages; the guys plumb up a turbo, add a set of too-trick-for-this cylinder heads, and finally push some turbo boost through those heads.
The guys go through the basics of bringing a motor to the dyno cell for the very first time.
The crew asks whether it's worth it to upgrade an ignition system.
The guys fit the COVID-350 with progressively shorter header collectors to see the gains that come from running just a little more piping; finding out how much under-the-curve power collectable with cheap yet effective trial-and-error tuning.
The guys follow Freiburger's personal quest for 1,000 naturally aspirated horsepower.
The crew investigates just how much power gets sacrificed to look cool.
The guys see if lightweight rotating assembly parts help make more power.
The guys test three sets of headers on a power-boosted motor.
As far as dual-quad manifolds go, it's hard to beat the cool factor of the tunnel-ram and cross-ram setups; to see which makes more power, the guys bolt each to the 383 Chevy and stagger jets until their gasoline-soaked hearts are content.
The guys see which muffler works best for street-driving 1,000 HP monsters.
The guys break down two different engines that make similar numbers.
Steve Dulcich puts his Leaning Tower of Power to the test.
The guys put claims about blower cams to the test with their new 363ci small-block Ford.
After years of willing dismissal and dinosaur-brained ignorance, the Engine Masters have decided to give the Gen III Hemi a fair shake.
Looking for the best dual-plane on a budget; bolting up four popular Air-Gap style dual-planes on 372 small-block Chevy.
The experts explore why increased engine temperature decreases power.
The experts take the mystery out of carburetor selection.
David Freiburger, Steve Dulcich and their guest Richard Holdener explore the science of reducing temperature out of a turbo in order to increase power out of the engine.
David and Steve bring in Richard Holdener to try to blow the lid off of internet blower manifold theories; they use FAST's modular-runner intake manifold to test both short and long runners and see how each reacts.
The guys demonstrate how much power can be wasted with a sub-par tune-up.
The last time the guys took on hydraulic and solid roller lifters, every answer generated more questions; now they'll try different combinations, then figure out what makes sense and what the consequences are for power and wear.
The guys put budget mufflers to the test. They'll run their 408 Cleveland with 12 different options, including no muffler, straight through, chambered and turbo style, then compile all the facts needed to choose the right option.
The crew dives into internet theories about big boost, big cubes and big RPM needing bigger plenum volume; they explore if increased volume really turns into increased power, or if it just leads to hood-clearance headaches.
David, Steve and Steve hunt for the best manifold to make big horsepower on a big-block Chevrolet. They'll throw four different manifolds from Dart, Pro-Filer, Brodix and Edelbrock on top of 598ci to see what makes a difference.
The guys take a low-dollar, low-compression boat anchor to see how respectable it can be with just a little investment.
The guys test the differences between octane gas and ethanol-blended fuel.
It's a battle of power between the Chevy small-block and the Ford Windsor.
A look at 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.
The guys show you where they spent and saved money on their engine build.
The guys show how much power a water pump can kill in an engine.
The guys show two different power combos for an engine.
The Engine Masters go to the originator of the Big Bang Theory dyno test, Richard Holdener, to find out how big a junkyard Chevy LS engine with a turbo can go.
The guys find out if street/strip racers can run nitrous-oxide injection.
The guys have a EFI system facing off against relics known as carburetors.
Featuring David Freiburger's own engine for the 200MPH Club at El Mirage Dry Lake; focusing on the details that make the engine optimized, specifically for sustained wide-open throttle operation.
The guys take a bone-stock and test different combos of build and boosted.
David Freiburger explains cam lift, duration, love separation angle, and installed centerline.
Featuring Steve Dulcich's homegrown porting job on a set of Edelbrock aluminium cylinder heads.
The guys test the power of using various pipes on a straight dual exhaust.
David Freiburger pulls the engine out of the Rotsun 240Z and stabs it on the engine dyno.
Explore a frequent tech question: "What budget bolt-ons can be used on a stock small-block Chevy 5.7 to get more horsepower?"
Hosts David Freiburger, Steve Dulcich, and Steve Brulé demonstrate the installation and tuning of a Weiand 6-71 blower and dual 750-cfm double pumpers on a budget 350ci Chevy short-block.
The guys strap a centrifugal supercharger to a bone-stock Chevy bottom end.
The guys test 19 different combinations of filter sizes and styles.
Too big of an intake port kills bottom-end torque.
Roller rocker arms reportedly increase horsepower through reducing friction.
Experts test a 400ci Chevy small-block crate engine to see if it lives up to its advertised power; further review determines if David is justified in his love for dual carburetors and high-rise tunnel-ram intake manifolds.
Running a carburetor versus trying the new and easy self-learning EFI setups; David Freiburger, Steve Dulcich and Steve Brule strap a 5.3L LM7 engine to the dyno.
The guys test various levels of destruction of a set of Hooker headers on a 550-horsepower, 400ci small-block Chevy from Blueprint Engines, with the result shocking them.
The guys get maximum horsepower from a stock, bottom-end 5.7L Dodge Hemi.
The guys figure out how much of a difference CNC ported cylinder heads make for people who are running a typical street-cruising small-block Chevy V8.
The crew compares a Holley Tri-Power setup to an Edelbrock Dual-Quad kit.
The guys weigh in on 2.5-inch-diameter versus 3-inch diameter exhaust pipes and mufflers.
Mopar vs Ford engines.
How to pick the right size exhaust header tubes for an engine.
How to safely use nitrous oxide with any engine.
Putting speed parts on a used engine.
Cast-iron manifolds versus mid-length headers versus long-tube headers; the fans feed the crew ideas of power tests they want to see.
The hosts spell out the differences between two camshaft designs, a hydraulic roller cam setup versus the old-school flat-tappet cam, depending on one's desire for power and durability.
The guys explore whether price determines performance in a muffler.
The guys run a dyno compare you've probably never seen before.