How to Disassemble an Engine (in 8 Minutes)

While visiting the recent NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, Ca. we had the opportunity to spend some time in the pits with drivers and their crews. After heading out to the track with Valvoline Nitro Funny Car driver Jack Beckman, we managed to capture this up-close footage of his pit crew doing one of their rapid-fire engine tear-downs.

Beckman’s team of professional mechanics takes a scorching hot engine that was just used on the track minutes earlier, and disassembles it all the way to the bare block in just about eight minutes, so they can assemble a new engine for the next race. Incredibly, Top Fuel and Funny Car drag racing teams often carry eight full sets of engine blocks, pistons, and other parts so they can have a completely refreshed engine each time they race during an event.

In total they have just 75 minutes to dismantle one engine, build a new one, test and tune the car before it goes back out for another run.