2005 HEMI Engine Challenge Results

J.D. Engine and Machine
Columbia, Missouri
Jeff Dickey and his team from J.D. Engine and Machine hold the title for making the most power in our competition. Jeff's tunnel-ram-equipped Hemi blasted its way to a best pull of more than 728 hp and 615 lb-ft of torque to lead the field in terms of power. Even more impressive is the fact they did it with a hurt engine. At least two valvesprings were weakened to the point of valve float, causing power to drop dramatically above 6,700 rpm and probably costing Jeff top honors in our challenge. Even so, J.D. Engine and Machine made a respectable third place showing and topped the field with a power-brake-friendly 6.75 inches of manifold vacuum. Jeff utilized a solid combination of economical parts, including an Eagle crank and rods, Diamond pistons, and a Comp cam and lifters to achieve his goals. He topped off his combination with Stage V Engineering aluminum cylinder heads. Jeff and his team concentrated on cylinder head flow, compression, and induction to achieve their power numbers and were the only competitors to utilize a tunnel-ram intake. The Indy dual-quad unit matched with a pair of Holley 750 Dominators did its job as his competition-leading power was still climbing when valve float took its toll, limiting his peak power to 6,700 rpm--300 rpm shy of the limit set by the rules. We're sure this combination with a new set of valvesprings would have impressed us with even higher numbers. While the tunnel ram and Dominators made great power, the induction setup was also the most expensive in the competition, taking away from the power-per-dollar rating and landing Jeff in third Place. Jeff and his shop can build as much power as your budget allows and will retail this potent street Hemi for $22,000 complete.

Speed-O-Motive
West Covina, California
Holding the honors for most power with a single carburetor, and coming in fourth in the power-per-dollar competition is Speed-O-Motive's entry, which made some 722.6 hp and 618.8 lb-ft of torque. Manifold vacuum for this engine was 5.0 inches at 1,000 rpm, which would certainly allow power brakes if desired. August Cedarstrand of Speed-O-Motive was probably the most laid-back competitor we had--making only minor ignition timing changes to his engine during the dyno pulls. Utilizing Eagle crank and rods, combined with Ross pistons and a Competition Cams custom-ground camshaft, their durable bottom-end was topped with Stage V engineering street Hemi cylinder heads and an Indy intake sporting a Barry Grant Race Demon carburetor. The only technique utilized by Speed-O-Motive that could be considered exotic was their extensive use of metal coatings as both friction improvers and heat barriers in their motor. These special coatings have been shown to improve both power and endurance, but the gains come at the cost of dollars. Speed-O-Motives retail price for this Hemi is $17,900 complete and includes delivery to any of the 48 states.