It is quite relaxing to watch, even though this engine is so powerful.
It’s always fascinating to see time-lapse videos, but it’s even more so when the subject is as complicated as an internal combustion engine. And this isn’t any old engine – you’re looking at the beating heart of the quickest-accelerating car on the planet. Tony Schumacher’s Top Fuel dragster is the source of this massive, nitro-fueled V8 engine. He also happens to be one of the most successful drivers in the history National Hot Rod Association’s Top Fuel category.
Schumacher holds the record for fastest quarter-mile pass at 337.58mph (543.15km/h), but that record should not be broken. These cars are so fast that they can only race to the 1,000 foot mark. Schumacher also holds the current speed record at 336.57 (541.65km/h). His Top Fuel dragster pulls 6gs at launch and, if everything goes according to plan, can reach 330 mph (531 km/h). This is in just 3.6 second. This engine is quite serious and probably why Hagerty came by to see it.
It’s not complicated, despite its impressive power. The engine uses a simple cam in-block design, rather than a pair of overhead spinning camshafts. Because it is designed to run briefly in a straight line and not require power steering, such accessories are not required. It is quite interesting to see the rough casting of the engine block. What’s the deal with the blurred intake opening for the supercharger housing. This must be hiding some sort of proprietary design that will allow this engine to produce an estimated 11,000 horsepower (8.202 kilowatts). Why is it estimated? Because it is impossible to measure such power with any engine dyno anywhere in the world.
Although the rebuild looks simple, it is actually quite easy. However, most things are easier when one hour of work can be done in seven minutes. It takes Schumacher’s crew just an hour to disassemble and reassemble the engine. This is a good thing because it’s so heavy-strung that it requires such care after every run. An hour seems like an eternity when compared with the speed this engine propels Schumacher down track.