9:00 - Team #30 - TM Enterprises/Ford
Anticipation was high as our first engine hit the dyno to open the 2009 Engine Masters Challenge.
Fielding an impressive-looking 534 ci Boss Ford big block, the dual-quad and tunnel ram equipped entry from TM Enterprises had all eyes on the dyno. The engine experienced moderate detonation in the warm-up pull, drawing heavily on the heavy air at our host UNOH dyno facility. Taking full advantage of the allotted tune-up period, Eric Simone and crew fattened the mixture and pulled timing to bring the big Ford into its sweet spot. The team set our first numbers with a score of 2465.7
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| Pull # | 1 | 2 | 3 | Avg |
| Torque | 673 | 671 | 668 | 671 |
| Horsepower | 648 | 646 | 644 | 646 |
| Final Score - 2,465.7 @ 534 CI |
Eric Simone gives his big...
Eric Simone gives his big bad Boss motor the final once over after being mounted to the dyno. Taking the position of the first engine to run, team TM Enterprises would set the initial benchmark.
Looking to fatten up the power...
Looking to fatten up the power numbers, the team went to work adjusting the float level to richen the fuel mixture a fraction.
With plenty of experience...
With plenty of experience on the dyno, Eric Simone and his crew worked competently and quickly during the allotted tuning period to get the most from the Ford Boss.
10:00 - Team #29 - Corey Short/Chrysler
Coming in just after the Boss Ford was the Hemi Chrysler entry from the Short team, setting the stage for a Ford/Mopar Hemi showdown reminiscent of the heyday of racing past. The team was put to the test as an electrical issue in the ignition created a no-start condition on the dyno. The team executed a quick change of the complete ignition system in the allotted time, and the Hemi fired to life. The engine pulled cleanly and easily to the upper limit of our test range, with no signs of distress or detonation. However when the numbers were finally tallied, the dual-quad Hemi fell in behind the front runner Ford with a score of 2252.9.
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| Pull # | 1 | 2 | 3 | Avg |
| Torque | 595 | 588 | 584 | 589 |
| Horsepower | 574 | 568 | 565 | 569 |
| Final Score - 2,252.9 @ 514 CI |
The Big Mopar Hemi looked...
The Big Mopar Hemi looked impressive with the dual quads perched on its tunnel ram intake manifold. Here Bill Short completes the details of the dyno hook-up.
Trouble came early for the...
Trouble came early for the Short team when the ignition system failed to deliver spark. The entire family team went to work on the electronics, and quickly had the Hemi fired to life.
Cory Short dialed-in the ignition...
Cory Short dialed-in the ignition timing, and the Hemi continued into the competition dyno pulls with no additional tuning.
11:00- Team #28 - SEMCO Performance/Pontiac
Pontiac experts Semco Performance came to the event packing a stout-looking 407-cubic inch Poncho. This engine bucked the trend of most builders by forgoing the option of running multi-carburetion in favor of a single four barrel. These veteran Engine Masters Competitors came to the dyno knowing what to expect, and well-prepared. With the cool calmness of experience working for them, the team went through hook-up, warm-up and the tuning period like seasoned professionals. The effort cumulated in the scored pulls, with 2415.1 points showing on the board. Although the score was not sufficient to take the lead from the TM Enterprises entry, we congratulate the Semco team on their fine effort.
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| Pull # | 1 | 2 | 3 | Avg |
| Torque | 502 | 502 | 500 | 501 |
| Horsepower | 482.8 | 482.8 | 479.9 | 481.7 |
| Final Score - 2,415.1 @ 407 CI |
As experienced competitors,...
As experienced competitors, the Semco team was well-prepared as the engine was loaded onto the dyno cart to await a turn at the dyno.
While many teams made the...
While many teams made the move to a dual-quad carburetor configuration, Semco went with the simplicity of a single four-barrel configuration on their healthy Pontiac.
The engine endured its test...
The engine endured its test under fire, working through the dyno routine in a smooth seemingly effortless manner.
1:00 - Team #27 - Automotive Machine & Performance/Ford
There's no denying that this year's Challenge has brought out some exotic machinery. Automotive Machine and Performance brought another Boss Ford big block to the contest, this being a 432-cubic inch version with dual quads on a tunnel ram intake manifold. This experienced team had the Ford up and running with no problems, and by the heavy thump in the cell the engine sounded strong. The warm-up pulls showed the engine running a little rich, and adjustments were made to the jets and air bleeds during the tuning period. The team continued with their tuning regime, adjusting out a touch or timing. These adjustments paid off with an improved output, putting the score for the engine at 2554.1, enough to put the team in the current second position.
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| Pull # | 1 | 2 | 3 | Avg |
| Torque | 544 | 537 | 536 | 539 |
| Horsepower | 528 | 522 | 520 | 523.3 |
| Final Score - 2,459.1 @ 432 CI |
Mike Phillips of Performance...
Mike Phillips of Performance Machine and Performance takes a close look at the carbs and stacks as the Automotive Machine and Performance was prepared for competition
Tuning changes in qualifying...
Tuning changes in qualifying took a two-pronged approach, including fuel calibration and timing. Here, the carbs are opened for a jetting change.
The coordination of the team...
The coordination of the team with all hands on deck and working in unison speaks volumes on the experience and skill of these men.
2:00 - Team #26 - Raceheads/Chrysler
Raceheads experienced some parts delays in preparing the team's Chrysler Hemi entry, resulting in bringing their engine to competition with zero run or test time. The engine fired for the first time ever when hooked to the dyno for qualifying competition. The engine fired up without issue, but the realities of a raw combination plagued the team, with a final score of 1864.6 showing.
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| Pull # | 1 | 2 | 3 | Avg |
| Torque | 401.5 | 404 | 402.8 | 402.8 |
| Horsepower | 391 | 392.7 | 391.2 | 391.6 |
| Final Score - 1,864.8 @ 426 CI |
Carlo Aghbashian brought a...
Carlo Aghbashian brought a Chysler Hemi that had yet to be fired. While preparing for the dyno pulls, the output was anyone's guess
With an unproven combination,...
With an unproven combination, the odds were stacked against the Raceheads team, however the engine fired and sounded good.
The engine failed to provide...
The engine failed to provide the performance the team had been hoping for, with a disappointing score. Given some additional development time on the dyno, the outcome may well have been all together different
3:00 - Team #25 McKeown Motorsport Engineering, Inc/Ford Motor 1
The Mckeown Motorsports came to the show with a 2-valve Ford Modular motor, an engine type that is allowed in competition for the first time this year. Displacing a mere 281 cubic inches, this engine is the smallest displacement powerplant in the competition, and also the only one with overhead camshafts. While that alone is enough to distinguish this as a unique engine combination, Mark McKeown took things one step further, equipping the engine to be fully functional with either a conventional carburetor or electronic fuel injection. The engine exhibited good performance, posting a score of 2459.1 points, putting the team in the current fourth place position.
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| Pull # | 1 | 2 | 3 | Avg |
| Torque | 334.2 | 344.5 | 334.2 | 334.3 |
| Horsepower | 320.1 | 320.4 | 320.3 | 320.3 |
| Final Score - 2,329.4 @ 281 CI |
McKeown brought the first-ever...
McKeown brought the first-ever Ford MOD motor to the competition, which also represented the first time an overhead cam engine has been legal for the event.
The MOD Ford was equipped...
The MOD Ford was equipped with both a fully-functioning carburetor and a fully-functioning EFI system. For the qualifying phase of competition, McKeown opted to run the carburetor as the active fuel system, citing a small advantage in score.
The McKeown team has consistently...
The McKeown team has consistently made very good use of allowable technology in tuning, and in fact administered to all of the engine's tuning requirements via a remote computer connection.
4:00 - Team #24 - SKMFX Engines/ Dodge
A new competitor in this year's Challenge is SKMFX, fielding the only Mopar Wedge big block of the event. The 471-cube engine showed plenty of potential, however achieving desirable fuel curve seemed to be an elusive goal on this combination. With difficulty at the lower end of the curve, the overall score achieve was less than the team had hoped for, though the engine did complete the required pulls to completion.
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| Pull # | 1 | 2 | 3 | Avg |
| Torque | 542 | 548 | 545 | 548.3 |
| Horsepower | 530 | 526 | 524 | 526.7 |
| Final Score - 2,282.4 @ 471 CI |
Dialing-in a fuel curve can...
Dialing-in a fuel curve can be the toughest aspect of running a dual-quad tunner ram. The low-rpm fuel mixture seemed to hold back the potential of the SKMFX entry.
The SKMFX team t-shirts sported...
The SKMFX team t-shirts sported a motto that was a direct result of this engine build. It seemed to want to fight these guys right up until dyno day.
Without a doubt the SKMFX...
Without a doubt the SKMFX team recognized that their engine had performance that remained untapped. Given some more development and testing time, the numbers could come up.