What makes NASCAR engines different from other engines? - podcast episode cover

What makes NASCAR engines different from other engines?

May 28, 20135 min
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Episode description

NASCAR engines are built for maximum efficiency, and they're much more powerful than regular engines. Marshall Brain discusses five ways in which NASCAR engines differ from regular ones in this episode.

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Streaming TV shows and movies directly to your home is a breeze with Netflix. As a Netflix member, you can instantly watch TV and movies on your PC, mac, mobile device, or right on your television. Get a free thirty day trial membership. Go to Netflix dot com slash brain Stuff and sign up today. Welcome to brain Stuff from house stuff works dot com where smart happens. Hi'm Marshall Brain with today's question. What makes Nascar engines different from street

car engines. It's pretty obvious that Nascar engines and street car engines are different. For example, a typical Nascar engine has something like seven horsepower, and you just don't normally see that in a street car engine. But the fact is that at the bottom, you know, at the very beginning, these two types of engines start out in a very similar way. A team starts building a Nascar engine with a block and a cylinder head that's remarkably similar to

a street version of the same thing. For example, if a team is building a Dodge engine, they would start out with a block based on a three forty cubic inch V eight engine design that was produced in the nineteen sixties. The actual engine blocks and heads are not made from the original tooling. They're actually custom made race engine blocks, But they have some things in common with

the original engines. For example, they have the same cylinder bore, center lines, the same number of cylinders, and the same based displacement, And like the original nineteen sixties engines, the valves are driven by push rods rather than by overhead camshafts. But NASCAR engines do produce seven fifty horsepower, and they do that without turbochargers, superchargers, or any particularly exotic components.

So how do they make all that power? Here are some of the things that distinguish a NASCAR engine from a regular engine. First, there's the displacement three cubic inches or five point eight seven leaders. Not many cars have engines this big anymore, but the ones that do usually only generate about three hundred horsepower, so there's something else

besides displacement that's doing it. Second, the NASCAR engines have extremely radical cam profiles, which open the intake valves much earlier and keep them open longer than a street car engine would. This allows more air to be packed into the cylinders, especially at high speeds. Third, NASCAR engines use massive carburetors that let in huge volumes of air and fuel.

There are no fuel injectors on these engines. Fourth, they have extremely high intensity programmable ignition systems, so the spark timing can be customized to provide the most possible power. Five. All the subsystems like cooling pumps, oil pumps, steering pumps, and alternators are designed to run at sustained high speeds and temperatures, so the engine is gonna be able to last through the race. Finally, when a NASCAR engine is assembled,

it's built to very exacting tolerances. The parts of machine much more accurately than normal so that everything fits perfectly. Cylinders are board to more exacting tolerances than street cars. The crank chefts and other rotating parts are balanced. Making sure that the parts are as close to their exact dimensions as possible helps the engine achieve its maximum potential

power and also helps reduce wear. If the parts are too big or too small, power can be lost due to extra friction or pressure leakage through bigger than necessary gaps. After the engine is assembled, it runs on a dynamometer for thirty minutes to break it in. The engine is then inspected, The filters are checked or excess metal filings and any other signs of excessive wear. If it passes this test, then it goes on the dynamometer for another

two hours. During this test, the ignition typing is dialed in to maximize the power that the engine produces, and the engine is cycled through various speed and power ranges. After this test, the engine is again disassembled and inspected thoroughly. The valve train is pulled and the camshaft and lifters are expected. The insides of the cylinders are examined with Boris scopes. The cylinders are pressurized and the rate of leakdown is measured to see how well the pistons and

seals hold the pressure. All the lines and hoses are checked. Only after all these tests and inspections are finished, is the engine ready to go to the races. Ensuring the reliability of the engine is critical. Almost any engine failure during a race eliminates any chances of winning for moral This and thousands of other topics at how staff works dot com. Streaming TV shows and movies directly to your

home is a breeze With Netflix. As a Netflix member, you can instantly watch TV and movies on your PC, mac, mobile device, or right on your television. Get a free thirty day trial membership. Go to Netflix dot com slash brain stuff and sign up today.

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