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NASCAR Engine Building - How To Build A NASCAR Engine In 15 Minutes

Inside The Mahle Engine Builder Showdown
By Jeff Smith
Photography by Jeff Smith
Nascar Engine Building Engine Builder Team
Much like a 13-second green-flag... 
   
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Nascar Engine Building Engine Builder Team
Much like a 13-second green-flag NASCAR pit stop, the team of Darrell Hoffman and Dennis Borem flew through the assembly on its way to becoming the '08 Mahle Engine Builder Showdown champs.
Nascar Engine Building Engine View
The engine starts as a semibare... 
   
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Nascar Engine Building Engine View
The engine starts as a semibare block, with the cam and main bearings already installed and the oil filter in place, but precious little else.
Nascar Engine Building Engine Parts
Note that all the bolts for... 
   
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Nascar Engine Building Engine Parts
Note that all the bolts for the components, including the front cover, are already in place and the starter motor is fitted with a quick-connect wiring harness. On an adjacent table, each piston and rod assembly had aluminum chopsticks installed to prevent damage to the crank.
Nascar Engine Building Timed Event
Barely four minutes have elapsed,... 
   
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Nascar Engine Building Timed Event
Barely four minutes have elapsed, yet the Pro Motor team already has the cam, crank, timing set and cover, and harmonic balancer in place. The pistons were going in so quickly, they disappeared in a blur of motion.
Nascar Engine Building Engine Building
With only seven minutes on... 
   
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Nascar Engine Building Engine Building
With only seven minutes on the clock, the heads are being torqued in place. Next was the valvetrain, which are rockers on individual shafts. One step they skip is setting lash, since it was preset. Note how the gallon jug of oil is already being dumped into the lifter valley.
Nascar Engine Building Engine Build
The runner-up team of Mike... 
   
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Nascar Engine Building Engine Build
The runner-up team of Mike Kasch and Jim Snyder of Roush Yates Racing Engines (below) had also performed well through eliminations, averaging mid-17-second assemblies.
Nascar Engine Building Engine Work
Coaches are legal in the Mahle... 
   
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Nascar Engine Building Engine Work
Coaches are legal in the Mahle Engine Builder Showdown. Kasch and Snyder's coach can be seen on the far left, advising them on where the tools were placed and what steps are upcoming. Replacing the tools where they can be quickly accessed was a critical component of moving quickly. In the end, they came up a little short when they struggled to get the engine fired with the distributor slightly out of position, finishing with a time of 17:14.
Nascar Engine Building Engine Build
Throughout the final round,... 
   
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Nascar Engine Building Engine Build
Throughout the final round, Borem and Hoffman seemed to have the psychological advantage in that they were very calm and did not move too quickly, choosing instead to run through the assembly almost as if they had practiced it hundreds of times, which they probably have.
Nascar Engine Building Engine Run One Min
The contest also required... 
   
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Nascar Engine Building Engine Run One Min
The contest also required each engine to run for one minute without shutting off. Both teams used this time to torque fasteners that were only handtight and double-check their work before finishing.
Nascar Engine Building Engine Work
Once Borem and Hoffman finished,... 
   
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Nascar Engine Building Engine Work
Once Borem and Hoffman finished, the race was not quite over. Much like tech inspection after a NASCAR race, Mahle tech inspectors completely disassembled the engine to ensure that all the fasteners were torqued properly. We asked Dennis Borem (right) if he was nervous during teardown. He said he wasn't concerned, but clearly he and his partner monitored the teardown carefully.
Nascar Engine Building Randy Dorton Memorial Trophy
The fruits of victory are... 
   
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Nascar Engine Building Randy Dorton Memorial Trophy
The fruits of victory are more than just a big trophy. Borem and Hoffman split a check for $26,000 and had their names inscribed again on the Randy Dorton Memorial trophy.
Mahle Clevite
Ann Arbor
MI
800/338-8786

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Universal Technical Institute
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