I realize that this is a good way to bring good engine combinations to the readers, but I think that the competition is set up so that the person who can afford to throw the most time and money at it has the best chance. Just once I would like to see what would happen if the lead time between acceptance into the competition and the actual competition was shortened so the builders had to fall back on things they had already learned from dyno sessions rather than spending a lot of money plugging in a bunch of combinations and dynoing them all.  

HOW ABOUT A BUILT FOR MAX STREET TORQUE SB ENGINE CHALLANGE,PUMP GAS 6000 RPM MAX.NATURAL ASP.3 3/4MAX. STROKE. THIS WOULD BE REAL WORLD TO A LOT OF PEOPLE.  

I'm sorry but my max street small block would be capable turning a lot more than 6,000 RPM. I guess that is why everyone has there opinion.    

To the original question--other than a story on the winner, we try to do features on the more realistic build-ups from the competition. The big-budget guys are going to win most of the time in any motorsports competition, no matter how you try to handicap them. All we can do is structure the rules to provide the most benefit to the readers. A good example is the 305 small-block Chevy built by competitor David Kauffung. He spent only about $2,500 building his entry (using a Quadrajet carb no less). It made 393hp with pump gas. We'll be featuring it soon, as well as other real-guy combos for Pontiac, Ford FE, Cadillac, Chevy, and Mopar.

I disagree on giving the builders less time. The more time we can give them to order their parts and to test, the better. We tried hard this year to add an extra two weeks to the rules announcement and entry cut-off date. We'll see if it makes a difference in the quality of competition, but I'm confident it will.  

I mention the lead time because it gives some the opportunity to get products that are usually out of the financial reach of your readers. Are they off of the shelf items? Yes. Are they products that the average person can get easily? No. That is why I would like to see a true off the shelf competition with less lead time. 90% of the people who have custom engine work done would not tolerate a 6 month wait on there motor? This is why I would like to see a time table that did not allow a lot of changes to the original combination. Build it and run what you brung.  

I see what u are saying. but giveing the builders less time will not help, the teams that dont have alot of money need more time to get everthing they need. now i do feel that a bught build would be nice that way it dosent mater who as the most money. On a diff. note i dont feel that two teams should be in it from the start if one was any alt. frist that would be diff. but come on dose kos need to engies in it or sam's for that mater i mean u almost gave away the top 3. and if two teams are in it then they souldnt be alowd to run the same make engines ( 2 fords ect.). just like to know what everone thinks of this  

hello enginemasters. I've appreciate the talent that compete's at your challenges. One thing I do know is when I see competitors running the same product on a particular build. That tells me that is a good product. So when I'm making a decision on my next paticular build I basically know which componets work.  Helps eliminate me buying the wrong parts. meaning knowing where to spend my money the first time. I also do business with one of your competitors because he is in the challenge and knows my high elevation situation thanks Scott Main, MPG heads. Might be a little different view on the situation but should be heard. Thanks from wyoming4x4.  

i think it would be neet to see a new twist to the engine masters challenge. have you ever wonder/relized how much time some of these builders have spent tuning to their dyno's at home...mostly using trial and error in order to find thier most optimum conditions?.....here's a thought...why not have the engines assembled on site....bring everything you need to assemble your motor....have a short tuning period( 1/2 break in time and maybe an hour of tuning)....and run your numbers. to me, this seems like a true test of the best. yea the competition would either be a little bit longer or run a few less competitors...but running the competition in this form, these guys don't have the hundreds of hours with trial an error trying to tune...in turn it will prove more so the abilities of not only putting together an engine but a more realistic approach to tuning as well....engine masters is a test of the best , right?....so if you are truly confident in the motors that you produce then you shouldn't be afraid of this format, all this does is show your skills.....plus it would be interesting to see some of these builders different tuning "tricks" when thier under preasure. it will no longer be a quick tweak to the current temps,and preasures...but will be the complete tuning of a new engine.......it's just a thought but i think it will show alot about these engine bulders....especially remebering that there is NO room for errors  

Sounds like it would add a whole new difficult part to the competition if they had to build it themselves on the premise.  

I've been extremely lucky to to have participated in the last two Challenges and though I've yet to make it into the money rounds, I've found it an extremely rewarding learning experience.  The contest the way it is forces the builder to push his or her boudaries and look outside the box for new ways of making power.  If PHR turned this into a contest where ordering parts and assembling them onsite was the goal then the "Engine Assemblers Challenge" would lose most of its forward thinking competitors.  

Being that u have ran the last two years, How do u feel about Kaase runing to ford engines this yr.  

Hay there chevysmallblock, you should try building one of those engines yourself. Its real easy talking about it then doing it. We were their in 06 and we finished 3rd place, Team Washington, it took us 6 months of planing, building, testing. We had 33 dyno pulls on that engine before the crankshaft broke in half, the day before we were supose to send it out for the contest. We had to completly rebuild it, new crank-remachined-balanced and fix or replace alot of parts in just 53 hours. Cope brothers engines opened on a Sunday to redyno before we shiped Monday. You should try it yourself Ya never no.  Thanks Bill Hendrix  

i wasn't refereing to just purchase and put together. the thought was that you would have everything machined already and it's just the final assembly that needs to be done. of course it wouldn't be much of a competition if everyone just bought the parts and put them together. so having everything done up such as your porting and polishing beforehand and bringing them with you. i don't see how this limits your ability to think outside the box.the thought isn't about who can assemble a motor the best....it's about who is able to assebmle and tune the best unders tress. knowing your motor and knowing right where to start tuning when the motor is fired up is where the key would be....this again like mentioned before weeds out the people that people that feel the need to have 10 hours  of tuning time beforehand. it's just comes down to a test of skill...and an "engine master" that is truly good at what they do shouldn't have a problem with this.  

Well wildbill383, lests get this strat right now i was just asking what they thouth about kaase runing two motors. Now i have build engines like what they run only i have to make shere that they will last alot longer then a few doyn pulls i bulid enines for mud trucks. im sorry that it takes u that long to get the enigne right that are some times this yr that dont get but a couple of pulls on the doyns befor the have to run then in the comp. i just think is funing that u broke a crankshaft in half i guse u should have spet 7 mouth plaing and test....  

I figured Kaase would build a Ford this year but I didn't think it would be a Boss engine.  I thought he'd use the P51 heads now that they are out and legal.

WildBill I was hoping to see you guys again last year for another marathon session at Appleby's!