Engine Masters Fall 2016

“WHEN BUILDING AN ENGINE, ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS I CONSIDER IS THE BALANCE OF THESE FACTORS—TORQUE, HORSEPOWER, DISPLACEMENT, AND RPM. ” If you hang around the performance crowd bench racing about torque and horsepower, you are bound to have heard someone say, “It’s the torque that moves a car down the track.” There may be some truth to the statement, but actually, it is horsepower that moves a car down the track. There are some misconceptions about the concepts of just what torque and horsepower are. Simply put, torque is a measure of the twisting force produced by an engine, while horsepower is a measure of the engine’s ability to do work. Horsepower is a value derived from torque and rpm, with the equation being torque x rpm /…

EDELBROCK – CYLINDER HEADS Using highly efficient ports and state-of-the-art combustion chamber shapes, Edelbrock cylinder heads offer improved performance throughout the rpm range for great throttle response and top-end horsepower. Top quality features include threaded inserts in rocker studs and exhaust boltholes for superior strength and durability, and manganese-bronze valveguides. Cast at the Edelbrock Foundry and machined at Edelbrock’s manufacturing facility in the USA, Edelbrock heads consistently offer the best in quality. Performer and Performer RPM heads are perfect for street and bracket racing. Victor Jr. heads are ideal for racers looking for an affordable head that makes maximum power. They have a high horsepower potential out of the box for a cost-effective, race-winning setup. Victor and Victor CNC heads are used by many of the best racers in the…

FAST – 102MM RUNNER SETS Due to a patented removable runner design and the introduction of two additional runner sets, LSXR 102mm intake manifolds from FAST now have the capability to shift torque and horsepower gains to a higher rpm than the original version, making them the most flexible options on the market. In addition to the original FAST LSXR 102mm intake manifold and runner set, high-horsepower and race versions are now available. The new interchangeable, complementing runners are designed specifically for LS3, L99, L76, and L92 engines that are built for high-performance applications. The High HP Runner Set is based on Daytona Prototype intakes and utilizes newly designed runners, which are shorter and straighter than conventional versions. This version has been proven to make 8 to 10 hp over…

Joe Moriarty Senior, founder of Total Seal Piston Rings, lost his battle with heart disease and passed away June 1, 2016 at his home in Phoenix, Arizona. Joe was a prolific inventor, holding several patents on piston rings, including Total Seal’s Gapless and Diamond Finish rings. He was inducted into the MPMC Hall of Fame at the 2014 PRI Show in Indianapolis, Indiana. Total Seal Piston Rings was originally started by Moriarty in 1967 with a rotary engine design that was intended for original equipment manufacturers. Moriarty always had a passion for horsepower—and for airplanes. He continued his love of aviation throughout his life, restoring several planes including a Staggerwing Beechcraft, a Fouga Jet, a CJ6, and a Glasair. Total Seal Piston Rings saw tremendous growth in the last several…

When some guys consider the AMSOIL Engine Masters Challenge, they often envision wild, custom, one-off engines. Some will imagine engines built strictly for the event and dyno results. Granted, there are some exceptions, however for the most part we get real street or race powerplants, just as capable in a car as they are on the pump. The fact is the vast majority of the competition engines are built with a street or race application after the event in mind. Such is the case with this 566-cube big-block Chevy. As builder Eric Roycroft relates, “This isn’t a wild one-off Engine Masters Challenge engine, it is the type of Chevy that can readily be duplicated.” No, it’s not your dad’s 427 or 454, but it is indicative of what can be…

It’s not common that you get to go through an engine 10 years after the initial build, especially one that has remained together all that time. That was the case when Mopar enthusiast Kelly Painter came back and asked if I would go back through the big Wedge I originally built for him back in 2006. We ran a feature on the build back then in the now-defunct Popular Hot Rodding magazine, and also in the pages of Engine Masters. The goal was a healthy street big-block with the torque required to move Kelly’s heavy 1969 street show car. Now this machine was certainly no trailer queen, and in 10 years it racked up a serious share of street miles, along with regular outings to numerous dragstrips. In street trim…