Smokey Yunick's Hot Vapor Engine Was Equally Genius And Horribly Unsafe

Bettmann/Getty Images

As 1 of nan iconic figures of NASCAR successful its wilder 1960s days, Henry "Smokey" Yunick not only had nan imaginative engineering chops to thief springiness his squad a leg-up, but besides a rebellious return connected authority that defined nan era. (You tin watch NASCAR retell 7 generations of banal car history, including nan years wherever legends for illustration Smokey thrived.) In a clip erstwhile racing teams could play accelerated and loose pinch nan regulations, Smokey honed his accomplishment of unconventional approaches to maximizing performance. However, 1 of his astir inspiring creations was revealed successful nan mid-'80s, erstwhile it was reported that he had been moving connected a Hot Vapor engine.

In an soul combustion engine, it's not liquid gasoline that burns, but vapor. And substance isn't conscionable made up of a singular compound, but instead, several. The problem is, each compound that makes up gasoline has a different thermal period required for it to alteration its state. Essentially, nan combustion enclosure only gets a information of nan full substance that's fresh for combustion, starring to mislaid ratio during nan process.

Smokey Yunick's unsocial build sought to utilize power generated from nan engine, raising nan airflow to complete 400 degrees Fahrenheit earlier it gets to nan cylinders. This goes antagonistic to accepted thinking, which seeks to trim temperatures nether nan hood pinch thing for illustration a cold-air intake. However, astatine intentionally higher thermals, each those compounds wrong nan substance could decently vaporize, starring to singular output and efficiency. But then, why didn't Smokey Yunick's motor go nan adjacent large thing? Among different reasons, nan Hot Vapor motor operated on a good statement of parameters lying location in-between detonation and afloat combustion. It was highly delicate to immoderate irregularities, perchance destroying nan motor and causing awesome occurrence risks.

vietanh85/Shutterstock

The Hot Vapor creation captured power from a fewer places successful nan engine, including nan cooling and exhaust system. It besides included a measurement wherever nan substance is pushed done a homogenizer, which much thoroughly mixed nan oxygen and substance together. During its travel to nan combustion chamber, nan substance is continually heated by exhaust gases, helping to move it into azygous vapor. Although, not each nan specifications of nan motor were made public, specifically really Smokey Yunick tuned his creation. Trush Yunick, Smokey's daughter, said astir nan engine's secrets with Hot Rod, saying, "Smokey is gone, and immoderate of nan secrets went pinch him."

So, what could nan Hot Vapor motor really execute successful practice? Well, Smokey took a Pontiac Fiero's four-cylinder and dramatically transformed its capabilities. From little than 100 horses and hardly 125 pound-feet of torque to commencement retired with, nan Hot Vapor powerfulness works bumped output up to 250 horsepower and 250 pound-feet of torque. Suddenly, this Fiero could station 6.5-second zero-to-60 mph times while besides enhancing substance system by an further 16 miles per gallon complete banal (with premium fuel). 

But nan aforementioned motor nonaccomplishment issues, occurrence risks, and concerns astir durability overshadowed those enhancements. Thus, motor creation has continued to advancement without Hot Vapor backing it up, though scientists coming are still looking for ways to destruct discarded successful nan aforesaid tone Smokey Yunick did respective decades ago. They're moreover taking advantage of exhaust gases successful akin ways, which you tin spot from this nifty instrumentality that could move your car's exhaust into electricity.