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Engine Masters Season 1 Episodes
Season 1 Episode Guide
18 Episodes 2015 - 2017
Episode 1
Dyno Proven: 50 HP With One Bolt-On!
Mon, Nov 23, 201513 mins
Engine Masters is an all-new show for the Motor Trend channel. Each episode takes you into the engine-dyno room where power claims are questioned and head-to-head shootouts ensue. Engine Masters finds the truth about speed parts and has a lot of fun doing it with hosts David Freiburger of HOT ROD and Roadkill, Steve Dulcich of Engine Masters magazine, and Steve Brule of Westech Performance Group. 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.
Episode 2
Carburetor vs EFI Shootout!
Mon, Dec 14, 201516 mins
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. But if you're a carburetor guy considering your first foray into fuel injection, this episode of Engine Masters is for you.
Episode 3
383 Chevy vs. 383 Mopar!
Mon, Dec 28, 201512 mins
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: both en
Episode 4
Exhaust Header Bash! Testing Power Loss From Dents
Tue, Jan 12, 201613 mins
If you've ever installed a set of high-performance exhaust headers, then you've probably bashed those exhaust tubes with a hammer to get them to clear everything in the chassis of the car. It's a super common problem, but people often
Episode 5
Hellcat Power with a 5.7 Hemi?
Mon, Jan 18, 201612 mins
This time on Engine Masters, presented by Amsoil, you'll learn a good combo for 470-plus horsepower from a stock-bottom-end 5.7L Dodge Hemi, and then see us add a Paxton supercharger in the hunt for 707 horsepower just like one of the new Dodge Hellcats.
Episode 6
Are CNC-Ported Cylinder Heads Worth the Money?
Mon, Jan 25, 201610 mins
Topping your engine with a set of aftermarket cylinder heads is a near-certain method for making more horsepower and torque-but is the extra power really worth the money? In this episode of Engine Masters, presented by Amsoil, we answer that questi
Episode 7
Holley vs. Edelbrock, Tri-Power vs. Dual-Quad!
Mon, Mar 21, 201616 mins
Dual quads! Three deuces! Eight barrels! Six jugs! The lore of multiple carburetors runs deep in the hot rodding world, and in the muscle car era it was common for the OE manufacturers to up their cars' performance and image with either two four-ba
Episode 8
Battle of Budget Boost! Centrifugal vs. Roots, Paxton vs. Weiand
Mon, Apr 18, 201617 mins
Boost is good. Forced induction makes huge power, and you want it cheap and easy. This time on Engine Masters presented by AMSOIL, we look at the two most affordable implements of boost from SummitRacing.com: a Paxton Novi 1200 blow-through-carburetor cen
Episode 9
The Power of 2.5- vs. 3-Inch Exhaust
Mon, May 16, 201613 mins
You're sitting around with your typical street/strip V-8 and wondering, should I get 2.5-inch-diameter exhaust pipes and mufflers, or should I go 3-inch? In this episode of Engine Masters, presented by AMSOIL, we will help you decide, giving answers about
Episode 10
600hp Camshaft Shootout! Hydraulic vs. Solid.
Mon, Jun 13, 201615 mins
In this episode of Engine Masters presented by AMSOIL, you'll learn a simple combination for a 600hp big-block Chevy. Many people building engines like this are torn between the streetability of a camshaft that uses hydraulic roller lifters and the
Episode 11
Stroker Shootout! Ford vs. Mopar 408s
Mon, Jul 11, 201614 mins
The 408 is one of the most popular small-block V-8 stroker combinations for Chevy, Ford, and Mopar. This time on Engine Masters presented by AMSOIL and supported by Earl's Vapor Guard and Mr. Gasket, we take the first step to find out which engine
Episode 12
Pick The Right Exhaust Headers!
Mon, Aug 8, 201616 mins
In episode 4 we famously destroyed a set of Hooker headers with a hammer to see if dents in tubes really make a difference in performance. Folks said our test was flawed because if dents in the tubes didn't affect performance, then the headers must have been too large to begin with. So now we've tested that theory, running three sets of Hookers on the same engine we used in the header-bash episode. We tried 1-5/8, 1-3/4, and 1-7/8. Were the viewers right that we'd picked wrong the first time?
Episode 13
How Much Nitrous Can a Stock Engine Take?
Mon, Sep 5, 201617 mins
The 13th episode of Engine Masters, presented by AMSOIL, is an unlucky one for a poor little 305ci Chevy small-block. It was the victim of our test of how much nitrous oxide power boost can be tolerated by a completely stock short-block with the original cast crank, rods, and pistons.
Episode 14
Junkyard Jewel Power Bolt-Ons!
Mon, Oct 3, 2016
We show you why the age-old concept of pulling a used engine from a running car and slapping some speed parts on itmight not always be the best idea. Our special guest engine is the Mopar 360 small-block V8 from Episodes 3 and 4 of Roadkill Garage, where we plucked it from a 1975 Dodge truck and slapped it into a 1970 Dodge Challenger. For this show, we set up the 360 with all-stock parts, ran it on the dyno for a baseline, and then added a bunch of speed parts. We gained 140 horsepower.
Episode 15
Power Test: Cast Manifolds vs. Headers
Mon, Oct 31, 201615 mins
Cast-iron manifolds versus mid-length headers versus long-tube headers: Which one is best for you? In this episode of Engine Masters presented by AMSOIL, we again look to our loyal fan base to feed us ideas of power tests they want to see.
Episode 16
Roller vs. Flat-Tappet Cams!
Mon, Nov 28, 201615 mins
Do you want to spend big bucks on a hydraulic roller cam setup or low bucks on the old-school flat-tappet cam? The answer depends on your desire for power and durability, and this episode of Engine Masters will spell out the differences in the two camshaft designs so you can decide what's best for your car. The test engine here is a 500hp, 400ci small-block Chevy crate engine from BluePrint Engines, and the camshafts and lifters are from Isky Racing Cams.
Episode 17
Cheap vs. Expensive Mufflers!
Mon, Jan 2, 201714 mins
In this episode of Engine Masters presented by AMSOIL and sponsored by Mr. Gasket and Earl's Vapor Guard, we explore whether the price of a muffler makes a difference when it comes to performance.
Episode 18
Stock Vs. Stroked Horsepower Test!
Mon, Jan 23, 2017
Increasing engine displacement with a stroker kit is a proven way to get more horsepower and torque, but exactly how much power can you expect? In this test of "there's no replacement for displacement," the hosts of Engine Masters run a dyno comparo you've probably never seen before: two engines with all the same specs except for the crankshaft stroke. One small-block Mopar engine is a 410ci stroker, while the other is a 367ci stocker with an overbore. They use the same carb, intake, cam, heads, compression, and headers. You think the bigger engine makes far more horsepower?
