Video: Inside an Australian V8 Supercar Engine & Race Shop

Aside from gaining a little insight into fuel-trim strategy on an Australian V8 Supercar Chevy engine, you can watch this video just to drool over the facilities of KRE Race Engines. A second video from the same source shows the more of the shop and provides an inside look at the engines and how they’re refreshed.

The focus of the lead video is explaining why drivers lean out the fuel trim on Australian V8 Supercars and the consequences for the engine. The TV host explains how the driver can lean out the engine about two percent with each of four settings on the steering wheel, given the driver a total of eight percent flexibility between horsepower and saving fuel.

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The consequence of running lean, of course, is heat. And viewers are treated to a perfect example of a ring welding itself to the piston. The video then heads to the dyno room where runs with different fuel settings are dissected.

In the second video below, viewers are shown how the engines are disassembled and prepped for rebuilding after about 3,000 kilometers of racing. For those unfamiliar with Australian V8 Supercar engines, Ford and Chevy 5.0-liter pushrod engines are allowed but limited to 10:1 compression and a 7,500 rpm rev limit. Included in the video are closeup details of the engine components, including the individual-runner intake manifold.

While the camera doesn’t really get tight on the horsepower readout during the dyno runs, it appears that these engines hit around 620 horsepower. That is, if the shop is showing us the real deal!