Table of contents for Fall 2016 in Engine Masters

“These days, few of us have a carbureted vehicle serving as daily transportation, but a vast majority of hot rods, race cars, and weekend toys still use carbs.” The Carter AFB carburetor was introduced in 1957, and the same basic design lives on to this day as the Edelbrock manufactured variant. For any mechanical device to remain in production for nearly 60 years is testimony to fine design work and functionality. It also means that countless examples of these carbs can be found—many in need of basic refurbishment. While a carburetor is not particularly difficult to rebuild, there are many performance enthusiasts who shy away at the thought of disassembling and rebuilding, often choosing to simply buy a replacement instead. Rebuilding a carb is actually a fairly quick and easy…

There are many things that require measurement when building an engine, and usually these involve distance. Bearing clearance, bore diameter, stroke length, and the like are all handled by micrometers and gauges of various types. One thing that cannot be measured by a ruler is volume. Volume brings in another dimension. Often, we can use simple geometric calculations to determine volume, such as using bore and stroke to calculate the volume of a cylinder. Where things get tricky is when measuring an irregular shape. In these cases, you can pretty much throw away the math—it is going to take direct measurement. The simplest way to directly measure volume is to fill it with a measured amount of fluid. In the engine world, this procedure is known as cc’ing the part.…

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…

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…

PLUGGED TIGHT It might seem like there is nothing really complicated about installing a pipe plug, but like any other operation in the enginebuilding process, there are a few fine points to consider. Consideration one is sealing the treads. Never reach for the Teflon tape here. Tape will imbed in the threads when removing a pipe fitting or plug and invariably end up somewhere in the passages as debris. Use a thread sealant and apply it to the male plug, not the hole. This will let the excess sealant gather on the outside of the fitting rather than in the fluid passage. Wipe away the excess sealant once the plug is installed. Finally, consider the material of the plug itself. Aluminum pipe plugs will eventually fuse solid in an iron…

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…

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…

The fine points and details are always what make the difference when putting a hot street combo into service. We always run our engine builds on the engine dyno, but once installed in a vehicle, a second dyno session is always a good idea. Of course, we are talking about the chassis dyno here. We had an Indy low deck wedge nicely snuggled between the fenders of Mopar Muscle magazine editor Johnny Hunkin’s Project Valiant, but we knew it would take more than just bolting it in to get the most from the all-aluminum powerplant. We see it all the time, combinations that seem to just fall short of the sum of their parts, usually requiring only a few tweaks, adjustments and tuning changes to dramatically step-up the performance. Our…