On this episode of Engine Masters, host Daivd Freiburger (of Roadkill fame) and the gang set off to see just how much nitrous a 305-cubic inch small block V8 can handle before going boom.
This particular small block features stock internals along with a few modifications, including a COMP cams, EngineQuest Performance Vortec Heads with aluminum roller rockers, a single-plate intake manifold, an 850 double pumper Holley carb, and, of course, the 2-stage NOS Cheater kit which is capable of delivering a 500hp shot. *whistles*
Before injecting it with any of the unicorn urine, they did a base dyno to see what the engine made as is. It made a modest 358hp and 323 lb-ft of torque. After seeing how healthy and strong this V8 was, Dave says, “I feel like we’re about to shoot a puppy.” Our thoughts exactly.
During the second pull a 150 shot was used and the small block flowed without a hitch, and actually made more power than expected – 557 hp. The third pull saw a 250 shot, and again the small block held its own while cranking out 620 hp and 571 lb-ft of torque. That’s almost as much horsepower as the General’s top dogs which are the LT4-powered Cadillac CTS-V and Corvette Z06.
The trouble started when the guys decided to up the juice to a 300 shot, it turns out the 305 wasn’t a fan of this. Piston ring failure eventually took its toll on the ol’ V8, and it’s now out of commission.
While we can’t say we were super thrilled to see a perfectly good engine go to waste, it did make for quite a show. But more important to us than the entertainment aspect was the information David gives to viewers who want to run nitrous in their vehicles. If you fall under this category, be sure to pay close attention to David’s spiel starting at 3:25 into the video.
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