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Straight Answers From a Working Mechanic

Engine building guides with honest numbers — anchored to published dyno data, not catalog promises. Written by the same mechanic who calibrates the MMM tools.

Small Engines
How Much Horsepower Does a Stock Predator 212 Really Make?

Harbor Freight says 6.5 HP. Real dynos say it depends who calibrated the dyno. A working mechanic walks through what a stock, stage 1, and built Predator 212 actually make.

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Harley-Davidson
The Twin Cam Upgrade Ladder: Stage 1 to 100+ HP, With Real Numbers

What a stock Harley Twin Cam 88, 96, and 103 really makes, what Stage 1 is honestly worth, and the cam and big-bore steps to 100+ rear-wheel HP — anchored to published dyno data.

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Chevrolet V8
SBC 350: What a Stock One Makes and the First Three Upgrades That Matter

Stock small block Chevy horsepower explained — gross vs net ratings, why heads come first, and the three upgrades that actually move the needle on a 350.

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Chevrolet V8
The 383 Stroker: What It Takes and What It Actually Makes

The 383 small block Chevy explained by a working mechanic — what parts a stroker actually needs, honest horsepower expectations, and the mistakes that eat budgets.

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Dodge V8
First Upgrades on a 5.9 Magnum: Where the Cheap Horsepower Hides

The Dodge 5.9 Magnum responds to one upgrade more than any other. Real dyno numbers for the cam swap, valve springs, and the honest upgrade path for a 360 Magnum.

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Dodge V8
LA vs Magnum: What's Actually Different on a Small Block Mopar

LA and Magnum 360s share a block and almost nothing else that matters for parts shopping. Intake bolt patterns, rocker oiling, crank balance — the full interchange guide.

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Harley-Davidson
Milwaukee-Eight Stage 2: Real Dyno Numbers, Not Catalog Promises

What a Milwaukee-Eight 107, 114, and 117 actually make stock, what Stage 1 is really worth, and honest rear-wheel numbers for a cammed Stage 2 M8 — from published dyno data.

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Shop Skills
How to Read a Dyno Sheet Like a Mechanic

Horsepower vs torque, the 5252 crossover, SAE vs STD correction, and why two dynos disagree on the same engine — a working mechanic's guide to reading dyno charts honestly.

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Behind the Tools
Honest Horsepower: How the MMM Calculators Are Calibrated

Every dyno simulator before us earned a nickname for reading high. Here's the anchor-ladder method MMM uses to calibrate its engine calculators against published dyno data — and why we let the race end err low.

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