Keith Dorton and his Automotive Specialists company have created some of the most amazing, powerful, and creative engines that the Bonneville Salt Flats have seen over the last decades, but this year he has outdone himself. The man who made his bones building engines that won the Daytona 500 and virtually everything else in the world of stock car racing has taken NASCAR technology and twisted it into a screaming salt flats monster. Yes, the man has taken an SB2 V8 and turned it into a 259ci V6 engine that will be used to haul ass on the salt this year. How did he do it? This video literally spills the beans on the whole build from the block all the way on up. It’s incredible.
This goes so far beyond just pulling two rods and pistons out of the back of the engine. This is planning, this is execution, and this is experience that few builders on Earth have the acumen to pull off. There’s balancing the V6, there’s getting the ignition right, there’s some neat stuff with the valve train, and there’s a sound that Dorton himself describes as the “cross between a V8, a V6, and a Harley-Davidson,”. The best part is that he is right.
The video you are going to watch is not some three minute preview on the basics of the engine. It literally goes over every element of the machine and while it withholds some secrets in terms of math and specifics like the finite camshaft specs, the big stuff is all explained and shown in detail.
Hell, there are even dyne charts that show this thing pulling all the way to 9,200 RPM and making 663.3hp on gasoline, naturally aspirated.
Why did he do it? Shrinking a V8 down to 260ci is not hard, right? You shorten up the stroke and move along. The problem is that with that really short stroke getting maximum compression is virtually impossible. Running a longer rod in the V6 movies the piston upward and because of that the big squeeze is possible.
Bonneville is coming and this V6 is coming with it. Stay tuned.
That’s pretty creative! I would have never thought about making a v6 out of a v8.
That’s a interesting build like to know how it does no the salt
Just wondering about ex gas temps at …we needed a 2100 cfm mecanical injection to feed ours. had 1550 for first runs with a 1050…needed alc neddle and seats to feed it 498 ci ran 247 and 252. Oil was our down all.all 12 qt ended up in the heads and valley….rebuilt it but never got to run it again.
Got my head beat in and that took carw the driveing..but car will be there again.ran 255 on a 257 record last year..lost both head gaskets and drank 2.5 gal of water.. trubo ls now..new again .. Thanks for shareing..