The Amsoil Engine Masters Challenge presented by Popular Hot Rodding magazine is recognized as the premier engine building competition anywhere. Having given birth to what is now being called "Dyno Racing", this newest form of motor sport has enabled engine builders from all racing disciplines to compete flywheel-to-flywheel for the title "World Champion Engine Builder."
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2007
With the change in the rules for the 2007 event we had pretty high hopes of having a much better
showing than the 2006 EMC. As things turned out our piston order got lost and after several tries
in finding out what happened, we had to expedite a new order and only received them just days
before the event. With three straight 18 hour days we still made it and finished 16th out of 29
competitors with 610 HP and 536 lb ft of torque
2006
The 2006 Engine Masters Challenge featured 434 cubic inch engines, small or big block.
Since I had not sold this engine prior to the contest I could not do the all out effort that I had
hoped to do. My original plan was to build a mule short block for testing and also use a roller
cam. My projected HP was 700. While using a flat tappet cam I was still able to make 653 during
testing, still no slouch for a 10.42 to 1 compression 430.
The following results were reported by Popular Hot Rodding Magazine
Team # 09 Automotive Machine - Buick
Average Torque Average Horsepower
Pull #1 515 449.6
Pull #2 513 447.9
Pull #3 513 448.1
Averages -- 513.7 448.5 HP
Total Score = 962.2
Peak HP 647
Peak torque 571
The specifications on the engine are as follows.
4.227 bore 3.860 stroke 10.42 to one compression
AM&P race ported T/A aluminum Stage 2 Street Eliminator heads
AM&P modified 995 King Demon on an AM&P modified T/A SPX manifold
Custom ground "Flat Tappet" cam from Bill Metzger the "CAM WIZARD" at Lazer cams
AM&P spherical dish pistons custom made from JE pistons
6.800 Eagle GM rods AM&P custom de stroked crank
SRE / AM&P aluminum pan
Scavenger oil system (see our Buick parts page for information)
T/A block girdle, timing cover, valve covers and related parts.
If you have a 1967 Skylark, GS, Riviera, or even an Electra "deuce & 1/4" and want the baddest
430 street engine on the planet, get in contact with Mike Phillips at Automotive Machine &
Performance and I will make your dreams come true. Please only the serious respond.
Click here for >>>>>> Specs, list of parts, machine work and price
2005
Big blocks were back for 2005 with a limit of 509 cubic inches. I had a customer that was
interested in a street engine with obscene power so I decided to see if we could do the David
and Goliath thing again with as good of results as the last time.
Since no one makes a crank for a Buick I had to have a custom billet made to my specifications. I
just barely got it in time to build and dyno the engine but that is another story.
The results of the contest were as follows as reported by Popular Hot Rodding Magazine
Dyno #3 #32 -- Automotive Machine & Performance -- Philpot, KY
Mike Phillips brought one of the best-looking engines to the challenge yet. However, Mike didn't
bring out the stout Buick to win a beauty contest. He made the hike from Kentucky to be a
contender in the 2005 Jeg's Challenge. After his warm-up pulls Phillips and his crew chose to
keep the engine running while making changes, including the high-speed air bleeds. Mike
contended "I want to keep the intake cool, so we keep the engine running while making
changes. Besides, if we drop one in we have another hand just in case. Mike has a DTS dyno of
his own back in Philpot and was happy with the results in today's challenge. "We did some
testing last Friday and our numbers today are just about identical as they were back home". After
the Buick made it's last Pull Mike commented, "hey, this ain't no dyno queen, this is a street
engine."
Average Torque Average Horsepower
Run#1 611 529
Run#2 610 528
Run#3 609 527
Average 610.00 528.00
Total Score 1,138.00
peak Torque 672 at 5100 peak HP 713 at 6200
Those numbers were good enough to place ninth in a field of forty. There was a lot attrition
in this years challenge as only 19 made it to Bill Mitchell's World Products headquarters on Long
Island NY.
Finishing in the top half of the field with a true street engine was a lot of fun even though we did
not run a roller cam or have the high compression that most of them had.
The specifications on the engine are as follows.
4.325 bore 4.325 stroke 11.2 to one compression
AM&P race ported T/A aluminum Stage 2 Track Eliminator heads
AM&P modified 1095 King Demon on an AM&P modified T/A SP 2 manifold
Custom ground "Flat Tappet" cam from Bill Metzger the "CAM WIZARD" at Lazer cams
AM&P quench style reverse dome pistons custom made from JE pistons
6.800 Eagle GM rods / billet crank by Moldex
SRE / AM&P aluminum pan
Scavenger oil system (see our Buick parts page for information)
T/A block girdle, timing cover, valve covers and related parts.
The July issue of Popular Hot Rodding Magazine has an eight page layout of the engine.
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2004 Since this was another small block (410 cu in) year we did not compete
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2003
For 2003's Engine Masters Challenge, Popular Hot Rodding Magazine decided to have big
blocks with a limit of 470 cubic inches.
Well since we had been building our Stage 1 Plus engines at 470 cubic inches for years I just
could not pass up the opportunity to make the trip to Memphis TN, to see how a real pump gas
Buick could compete against the more racy Ford's and Chevy's.
We were pleasantly surprised to come in third of 12 entries with a score of 1030 with a peak HP
of 617 at 6400 and 583 lbs ft of torque at 4700.
Only the dyno queens as I call them were ahead of us, Ford in first and Pontiac in second.
The best part of the story is that the engine that we had in the contest is still driven regularly on
the streets of Chicago. It resides in Steve Russo's pristine Blue 1970 GSX with A/C, power
brakes and the rest of the buttons.
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2002 was the first year of the Engine Masters Challenge and it was for 360 cubic inch small
blocks
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The 2006 434 Charlie Amaral
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Steve Bachorski's 2005 Popular Hot Rodding Engine Masters Challenge 509 cubic inch engine on dyno cart just before testing
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Steve Russo's 2003 Popular Hot Rodding Magazine Engine Masters Challenge 470 cubic inch engine on Comp Cams dyno in Memphis
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2007 404
Ed Balling Jr.
2008
This years engine was completed just days before the contest. Seems like this is getting
to be the normal way of doing the competition. I won't bother you the details because as
usual it turned out OK.
On the final pull the 464 with Tom Rix and Steve Schlater helping tune we made 721HP
and 637 lb ft of torque on 91 octane with 10.50 to 1 compression.
We finished 18th out of 30 entries and 11 alternates.
This engine is destined to go in my race car, it will be ran on 93 octane pump gas.
click here for >>>>>>>>> 464 specs


2009
With the rules changes made for 2009, the Buick was at a very large disadvantage. The
roller cams were put back in which is a very expensive addition to a Buick not to
mention how hard it is on the small cam bearings and short installed height available.
Also the RPM range was changed to 3,000-7,000. The final change that made the
decision not to run the Buick was the multiple carburetion rule. The intake had to be
designed for the engine used and the only 2x4 manifold that fits is the old Offy 360
which is not as good as a T/A SPX single carburetor manifold.
So just to stay in the competition we decided to build a Boss 429 Ford with the new
Kaase heads. To the nay-sayers that we couldn't do it, in our first outing with a Ford we
finished in the top half of the field (14th out of 30 entries and 17 alternates) of the most
prestigious engine building competition in the world

2010
We had to bring out Charlie Amaral's 2006 434 as a back up plan as we could not get
all of the Ford parts in time to complete the engine for the contest.
I would rather have the Buick even if the rules stack up against us.
This engine is for sale, serious inquiries please contact Mike at 1-888-624-3848
CLICK HERE FOR >>>>>>2010 UPDATES
The highest HP pump gas 434 on the planet