Smokey Yunick's Hot Vapor Engine

[Kershaw]

http://www.legendarycollectorcars.com/featured-vehicles/other-feature-cars/smokey-yunicks-hot-vapor-fiero-51-mpg-and-0-60-in-less-than-6-seconds-see-and-hear-it-run-in-our-exclusive-video/

high horsepower and high mpg. too good to be true?

discuss.

[M-technik-3]

Vaguely remember that back when this came out but it died off as Fuel got cheap in 87.

[AndrewBird]

I'm skeptical of any major break through by a guy in his garage. Especially when it involves a Fiero.

[Sagaris]

I have read about his "legends" and ideas about building an "adiabatic" engine. I don't think that any of his claims or secrets have been successfully implemented in real life.

The reason cars have cooling systems is because the engine materials cannot handle combustion temperatures reliably on their own. If materials were available/economically feasible to make production cars that could run with no cooling system and trap as much heat as possible into the combustion chamber, there would be a larger pressure change during combustion and subsequently, more power. The theory of running an engine hot and trapping as much heat as possible inside the combustion chamber to make more power is a solid theory, the materials to do so just don't exist.

[merrrr]

I'm skeptical of any major break through by a guy in his garage. Especially when it involves a Fiero.

lmao

[Farbin Kaiber]

I'm skeptical of any major break through by a guy in his garage. Especially when it involves a Fiero.

You must not know who he is. This is the guy that successfully bent EVERY rule in the heyday of NASCAR.

[LJ851]

I'm skeptical of any major break through by a guy in his garage. Especially when it involves a Fiero.

HAHA! Do some reading bro, Smokey was the real thing. GM doesn't knock on your door to validate new engine concepts if you are an ass hat.

[318isbmw]

HAHA! Do some reading bro, Smokey was the real thing. GM doesn't knock on your door to validate new engine concepts if you are an ass hat.

+1, he also had comp cams design aftermarket parts for it as well. Hot Rod magazine and several others had articles in the mid 1980's about this setup. The oil companies stepped in, that's the reason it never became a reality, they forced him out.

He worked for more than just GM, he also spent time at Ford and Chrysler doing consulting work. He wrote about it in a book as well, its called "Best Damn Garage in Town" but I think its out of print. He never edited it so its tough to read, but really funny. It also talks about how the hot vapor engine was a design he came up with in the 1960's and it took him 20 years to refine.

[Dermeister3]

"Hot Rod Magazine has done at least two articles on this car and both can be found reproduced hear at the bottom of this page. The most recent was in the September 2010 publication"

"and both can be found reproduced hear at the bottom of this page."

"reproduced hear at the bottom of this page"


sorry, he lost me when he used the wrong "here"

[scottinAZ]

lost me when it says the "turbocharger" is not a "turbocharger" but a "Homogenizer".......

If it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, and in this case works like a duck.......

[Kershaw]

either way... i wonder if it works...

[318isbmw]

lost me when it says the "turbocharger" is not a "turbocharger" but a "Homogenizer".......

If it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, and in this case works like a duck.......

From what I've read, he used the turbocharger rather than to force air in, but rather to heat everything (creating the vapor).

[Ryann]

Especially when it involves a Fiero.

lol'd.

[CHIF8008]

i would drive a bmw with a vapor engine

[mrsleeve]

I'm skeptical of any major break through by a guy in his garage. Especially when it involves a Fiero.

you have not seen my brothers fiero

and Smokey was both legend and GOD when it comes to engines and how to make them way better in all respects.

My bro was obsessed with the hot cycle engine, will have to ask him about it to refresh me on it. IIRC the hot cycle Iron duke had some experimental ceramics in them to protect form the heat