Engine Masters Season 7, Episode 15: Low Buck SBC Head Shootout

Holley Carb Tuning Tips

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.

Slant-Six Manifold Shootout!!

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.

Rectangle vs. Cathedral Ports for LS Power!!

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?

The Battle of the Gen III Hemis!!

We're battling two iterations of the 5.7 Gen III Hemi, the '03-08 vs. the '09-current, and we're learning a TON in the process. With an eye toward engine-swap simplicity, we've stuffed them both with the biggest cams they can handle and managed fuel and spark in the most affordable way possible for each

SBF Intake Shootout!

The Windsor family finally gets its turn at an intake shootout! The test mule is a Dart-based Windsor, and it's just begging for the best single-plane manifold to breathe through. With offerings from Edelbrock, Trick Flow, Ford Racing, AFR and SpeedMaster, we're sure to make our small Ford sing!

Solid Lifter Cam Comparo - Roller v Flat Tappet!

It's the age-old battle of power v price, but is it as simple as all that? Are you really giving up significant power by cheaping out on a solid flat tappet, or is the extra power of the roller worth every penny? Join us on this episode of Engine Masters presented by AMSOIL as we talk duration, lobe intensity, spring pressures, dollars and horsepower.

Manifolds or Headers for Your Turbo LS?

Are your cast manifolds enough to keep up with your turbo motor? And at what point should you be running proper headers? Those are the questions we're asking this time on Engine Masters, presented by AMSOIL. Using a typical mill you'd find in a turbo street car, we're running our 630-hp 5.3 LS with factory exhaust manifolds and again with turbo headers to show you the differences in boost, backpressure, and horsepower.

Does Fuel Temperature Matter??

One fuel, two fuel, hot fuel, cool fuel. If you think that was a mouthful, just wait until you hear what our guys have to say in this one! Inspired by the learnings from Episode 43’s study on coolant temperature testing, we're going one step beyond icing down the manifold. This time on Engine Masters, presented by AMSOIL, we're deliberately heating and cooling our fuel to see the difference it makes to the tune and the power output of our Ultimate Average 383.

Measuring the Max Wedge for a Street 440

The Mopar Max Wedge head was once considered all but unobtanium. The aftermarket has finally come to the rescue, making Max Wedge heads that are both available and affordable. On this episode of Engine Masters, presented by AMSOIL, we've got an example of a 270cc Trick Flow unit to see if the Max Wedge style, with its bigger intake runners and more direct flow path, are really a worthwhile upgrade for YOUR typical street/strip big-block.

Do Header Wraps Work?

You've seen them all over. On vintage race cars, trophy trucks, motorcycles, and even—for some reason—street cars. They're header wraps, and manufacturers claim they not only reduce radiant heat, but create additional power through their scavenging effects and superior heat management. Is any of it true?? We'll find out on this episode of Engine Masters, presented by AMSOIL, as we test a set of painted, ceramic-coated, and wrapped headers against one another on our Ultimate Average 383.

Which Ram? All the Rams?!

So you've got an LS and you need to make a choice on an intake. Chances are high you're looking at some version of Holly's "Ram" Intakes, whether it's the long runner Hi-Ram, the Mid-Rise, the compact Lo-Ram, or the hood-clearance-friendly Ultra Lo-Ram. On this episode of Engine Masters, presented by AMSOIL, we line them up one by one on our 550 rectangle port headed 6.2-liter LS to help you decide which power curve is best for you. But fear not, cathedral-headed LSers, this test applies for you, too!

Manifold Shootout for the Carbureted LS Crowd

For all the folks out there opting to run a carburetor on the new-fangled LS, we have six different manifolds to sandwich between our old-school carb and our new-school 6.0 LS. We not only show you the differences between these popular manifolds, but also how to get your LS running with a carb as easily as possible.

Exhaust Cutouts

You've seen them around for years, you may have considered running them, you may even have them on your car right now. But do exhaust cutouts really serve any purpose beyond rattling the drums out of passersby’s ears? Well, proponents have always claimed they make your car faster, but on this episode of Engine Masters, presented by AMSOIL, we see how they stack up against a full exhaust and a header extension behind our heavy-breathing 598-cubic-inch Big Block Chevy. We run them in multiple positions as well as both open and corked to see just what effect they have on power, no matter how you want to run them.

Every Trick in the Book

How much hidden power is lurking in your existing engine combination? We're here to show you how to find it without buying, changing or upgrading a single component. We use all the little tips and tricks we've learned over the seasons to super-tune every bit of remaining horsepower out of the 410ci Windsor from David's Disgustang.

Pick-a-Carb Shootout

This test is all about choosing the features you want and need on your carburetor, and how those features affect horsepower and tunability. Do mechanical secondaries really make any more power than vacuum-power ones? Does a choke horn restrict inlet airflow?

Single Pattern vs. Split Pattern Cams

Same test, new twist. We've tested single V-split pattern cams before on Engine Masters and concluded that a split pattern can increase top-end power without necessarily affecting bottom-end torque. Well, our findings have been challenged, and we're here for the science.

Oil Pumps for Power?!

We all know oil pressure is critical. Not enough can leave you broken, and too much can have you springing leaks. But can too much also be robbing precious horsepower? To find out, the guys test three commonly ordered LS oil pumps in different volume and pressure configurations to see if oil pumps can in fact be enough of a rotational drag to affect power production.

Quest for F-Rod Greatness

What do you do when your 800-horsepower 572 just won't get you consistent eight-second passes in your '31 Model A? Well, if you're David Freiburger, you strap it to the Westech dyno to tune, poke and swap at until you're at a comfortable 950+ horsepower.

Six Pack Shootout!!

It's arguably the coolest carb configuration of all time. The 3x2 setup on the six pack was designed to supply part-throttle economy on the center carb while the outside carbs kick in for power! The guys shoot out three of the coolest vintage six pack designs to find out which is gimmick, which is greatness, and which makes the most power on a street 440.

The Magic of the Flex Fuel Sensor

With the power potential of E85 available only at limited gas stations, having the ability to run a blend of gasoline and E85 in your street car is a game changer. Credit the flex fuel sensor. By sampling your fuel composition and adjusting fuel flow, you can not only run a mix of fuels, but make more and more power as you mix in more and more E85.

The Leaker Episode

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.

23 min

Wet vs. Dry Nitrous

So you've decided to run nitrous on your EFI manifold and need to know how a wet system stacks up against a dry system. Does one make more power or give you more problems than the other? Which is easier to set up, and which requires more tuning? What does wet or dry even mean?

23 min

Carb v. EFI: The Multipoint Edition

We've been covering the battle of carburetor versus EFI as far back as Episode 2 of Engine Masters. In this edition, multipoint EFI is getting its turn against the venerable Dominator. It's injectors versus jets, dry flow versus wet, and drivability versus horsepower.

23 min

Blown v. NA - Two Ways to 1,000 hp

One thousand horsepower is becoming all too common these days, and all too accessible. With such staggering numbers so well within reach, it's time we really looked into the differences between two ways to get there: a supercharger on a medium-sized mill; and natural aspiration atop a large-displacement. If you wanna go big, get informed.

23 min

Tunnel Ram Battle: Single v. Dual Quad

As a longtime soapbox-shouter of tunnel-ram greatness, David Freiburger is constantly peppered with questions about running a single four-barrel carb versus dual quads on the tunnel ram. And finally, he answers with this: a street-car tunnel-ram setup for the guys who are all about the look, the presence, and the glory of the tunnel ram.

23 min