INDUSTRY ICONS: Sitting Down With Engine Dyno Legend Steve Brule

In today's video, we sit down with the legendary Steve Brule. He is a veteran in the aftermarket automotive space, contributing with countless dyno tests for Hot Rod magazine and with his current show Engine Masters who he co-hosts with David Freiburger and Steve Dulcich. We take the deep dive today and find out Westech Performance's origins, industry stories, and his experience using AFR cylinder heads and SCAT crankshafts and connecting rods.

[@dragstripdogcash]

I just have to say that Steve is the real deal I had a complicated question and left a message at west tech never in A million years thinking I would get a Return phone call and in less than 24 hours Steve himself and call me back spent 30 minutes on the phone with me with a plethora of knowledge he is a real gift to the industry.

[@JohnSmith-ps7wp]

Steve and the Westech Performance Group have been a fixture in dyno testing as long as I've been alive(I'm 56), and here's to many more years of it.

[@dakotaautosales9673]

Steve has been a personal friend of mine since 1990 back in the albuquerque days we used to lake race boats together I ended up with his championship winning boat talk to him a couple times a month wonderful guy And he just lost his wife 2 months ago RIP TRACY BRULE 🙏

[@christopherhuber2517]

My condolences

[@garysacry5969]

I’m very sorry for your loss, Steve

[@davejennings5140]

That is just awful. Deepest Condolences, Steve.

[@IckyOldMan]

Sorry to hear of your loss. Hope you have some brighter days ahead.

[@AB-80X]

Sorry to say this as I'm sure your intentions were good, but you really ought to think about what you share in a public forum. What you posted is a very private thing and perhaps not for you to share. Just saying.

[@Fljeff7]

Miss the days when I would be waiting for my issues of Car Craft Sport Truck Hot Rod to show up in the mail box

[@GnarlySpeedShop]

Steve is such a legend! Great video guys. 👍

[@davejennings5140]

Always comes across as a laid-back, genuine guy, with a wicked horsepower encyclopedia mind and an enthusiasm for learning more. Love your work, Steve. Thanks for the video.

[@rogeroaks2865]

The man the myth the legend. I have learned so much from this man. I hope to meet him someday.

[@GrandPitoVic]

Steve Brule is a legend. He has forgotten more then most of us have yet to learn. I really enjoy watching him work and talk while he is working.

[@Just1Spark]

Legend has it, between Steve Brule and Vizard, they have approx 95% of all dyno pulls in the world.

[@johnjenson5738]

Steve you are a wealth of knowledge ,I watch engine masters every chance I get ,along with hot rod garage thanks for the info that I get from the professionals.

[@johnbecay6887]

So refreshing to hear Steve Brule acknowledge that a period engine making 400-500 HP is more interesting to him than a hero engine making beaucoup power. i could not agree more.

[@davelowets]

I don't agree.... 400-500 h.p. is boring today.

[@johnbecay6887]

@@davelowets 400-500 horsepower today is grocery-getter territory, easy-peasy, ho-hum. Fifty years ago with 60s-70s technology, 400-500 horsepower was not so easy. That was hot rod territory. A sit up and take notice moment. That's why it is more interesting.

[@lazyhoundracing9621]

Great video. My dream is to have you tune my Chevy I6 292. Ryan Falconer V-12 head, Billet crank cam and rods by Crower, 5 stage dry sump, 6-71 with 2/650dp, NOS, Electromotive Tec 200s direct fire ignition. Thank you for taking the time to make this video.

[@idriwzrd]

Brule is a wealth of knowledge and wisdom. The least you could do is give him a mic so we can hear him.

[@davelowets]

Turn your volume up. I had no issues

[@chaseman113]

I searched for Dr Steve Brule and I got Dyno Steve Brule. Great vid, wonderful insight.

[@racerd9669]

I wonder if Steve was involved with the first Brownfield heads. I had some of the very first casting. When I ran them on my 287 SBC Gasser engine. The first time out, the head bolts were going down in the castings and the valve seats were going up. So I called Brownfield they wanted them back, ok, I sent them back, they welded them up and CHARGED me to fix them. When I got them back I burnell hardness tested them , they were dead soft. After proving to them how BAD they were they sent me a new set. I SOLD them and kept running my Iron turbo heads, that flowed as well as the brownfield head.

[@davelowets]

💩field..... 🤨

[@gordonsmith935]

Mr. Brule is fantastic on Engine Masters.

[@cartracer64]

thanks for the video steve. i really like the engine masters show with david and steve and richard. i have seen numerous articles in the automotive magazines with westech running the dyno.

[@ricksperling8807]

Steve has forgot more than most engine guys know! Nice video.

[@kelvinhayes4177]

Always watch him on Engine Master. Good person to listen to.

[@jasonmarchione110]

Steve Brule is such a cool guy!

[@chevybelair9230]

We love you Steve.

[@pizzandoughnutspage7817]

Mr. Brule’ the carb whisper!

[@raymondbanks4103]

I was at Westech in June 2022, Steve and Troy were wonderful guys. Steve said "it's your dyno day, be as involved in the tuning as you want". We talked a lot about cam design and harmonics. We talked about using quality parts, detail to assembly and so on. Steve is the most calm, humble dyno master I've ever met. I' wish I lived closer so I could visit.

[@brianholcomb6499]

Westech is such a awesome shop! I've been around race engine building & dynoing since the 90s! I would still drop everything to go & help Steve in a minute! Most engine builders are really good at the few main engine combos they have. Steve has seen just about everything! Those are the men you want to learn from! I betting Steve doesn't allow Richard Holdener touch his new baby 😂😂😂😂!

[@waikrujudovic]

Legend has it …. That they have done MRI’s - X-Ray’s & ultrasounds of Steve’s head. The Antikythera Mechanism is inside his skull ☠️

[@CrazyPetez]

Great interview. Thanks Steve.

[@vtailv35]

I think its great you hit the big time, I remember the Van with the Hologram image back when vans were cool. I used to live down the street on San Pedro in ABQ, Freddy and I used to race Hi A Doll Camoro back in 70's. Buy parts at Steves H. and machine work at Dales. But I'd like to see some aircraft engines making big Hp on one of the shows . Keep up the great work I'll keep watching!

[@RobRob75]

Awesome 😎 video!!!

[@waikrujudovic]

Every time Steve blinks he is calculating horsepower & torque values. Each blink is a 20 to 25% increase . It’s dependent on cubic inch & rpm range.

[@brucefulper2433]

I had an immense amount of fun dynoing over 200 Pontiacs there, sometimes often two a day! I beat The Gladiator 350 Chevy that belonged to Comp Cams owner Scooter Brothers with my 87 octane 9.5 Cr. Pontiac 350. (See the July issue of Car Craft 2002) And no one has come close to my King Street 455 91 octanes torque at the lowest RPM. High water mark? 626 at 3000 rpm. Steven dyno'd most of them.

[@xozindustries7451]

I’d love to see AFR matched component engine combinations dyno tested so if you want a 540 big block Chevy they have the heads, intake, cam, pistons, crank, rods all engine components and part numbers matched with the dyno numbers to back it up

[@marksearcy9708]

Steve is a great guy and we need to get him to write a book with all of his knowledge of what works and what doesn't. I know there is a lot of people would love to have his knowledge on engines.😁👍

[@TheMrmmkkpro]

Just did my 1972 455HO, came to 612 hp. Cool stuff. It's bored 30 over with TRW L2394 pistons, 296/556 comp cams cam, 7f6 heads, torker 1 intake, 850 holley hp series carb and hooker 2 1/8 inch headers. All old school stuff, she sounds like a B-29. Thanks for posting this info, cool stuff. 👍👍🏁🏁

[@davelowets]

Those pistons are slugs, with an old school ring pack. You would have done MUCH better with a current, high quality piston and ring pack. It would have been a night and day difference.

[@TheMrmmkkpro]

@davelowets Yea ,Butler sold me the rings for it , he told me the same thing. I my update it , a 60 lb flywheel , it pulls like a freight train , it's just like it was built in 1972 by Shepards in Rockingham NC. You can see where they ground down the rod caps balancing it. I'd like to put some light weight pistons in it with a set of aluminum heads also. Still strong like it is.

[@ldnwholesale8552]

I have had a little experience around Brownfield heads as well as Hamburg Mopar heads. And a couple of locally cast heads here in Oz. Not very watertight and inconsistent in brinnel. A bit like some China heads today! I saw VobbleVagen Scat stuff,, average. But on recomendations of others I am using their premium off the shelf crank and rods. I know there is better but my budget and power levels do not warrant spending more. I am still talking near 600 347 Ford.

[@jbusta8548]

Legend speaks!

[@phillipthethird42]

I love everything about the show and the Steves and Dave. This is my kind of entertainment.

[@redtailhawk289]

Steve what does the number read out on the top left of your pannel hooked to . Tell us about the intake manifolds that set on the shelf they really look large. Great program.

[@christopherhuber2517]

Guaranteed auto parts there's a name I haven't heard in a long time

[@davidreed6070]

I remember back when we found brownfield heads in the wild. I thought sperlin and him joined and created afr.whete did the foundry go?

[@gordocarbo]

Need to get Chris and Tony Mamo back in there while theres still a rep to save. CS and product was so much better in every way. Period...many in the industry feel the same way

[@chinchen5979]

awesome

[@oldmusher]

Enjoyed the "water-meth injection" engine masters season 6, ep 19. "Water doesn't burn." No kidding! I'm building an E-85 engine...438" Ford Windsor...I wonder if the same setup plumbed into a carb spacer (running an E-85 850 DP) if I would see similar gains. I know the E-85 will keep it cool...but...it would be great to give it a short shot of methanol for an extra 30-40 hp on command without changing the timing.

[@I_like_turtles_67]

What's the bore/stroke on that SBF?

[@allenbowman1470]

You should do a Dyno on a SBC with three dueces

[@SARJENT.]

Dood! I forgot about the VW scat days!

[@michaelgiglio1571]

Legend

[@rexwarrensr.9832]

If I remember correctly he worked for AFR

[@bobbysale8103]

Build a small block with dual xp 2 barrels..

[@darrellgovereau7704]

The engine whisperer

[@scottpeck1149]

Do you have classrooms ? How does one join a pro team mechanic?

[@alexgeorge463]

👍👍👍

[@steventhompson1999]

sometimes i look at him and think. he looks just like jessie venture

[@maldo72]

cool content but damm could we get a better mic

[@Kriegsbeil5577]

This guy is so cool that he went to jail to interview Cat Burgers and then also ate lobster out of a dumpster behind Delgrango's Seafood.

[@shitbox82]

🤣👌

[@Kriegsbeil5577]

@@shitbox82 ah ha! Someone *does* get the reference! Lol

[@Kriegsbeil5577]

@@shitbox82 "today we're gunna learn about hot dog cars that go real fast. This here is a dang ol craburator that makes the engine vroom."

[@shitbox82]

@@Kriegsbeil5577 For your health! 😁

[@ThePeopleVerse]

Sounds like an AFR infomercial...

[@rexwarrensr.9832]

Iightning lash

[@johnvineyard67]

come on ,,, if i had any time to talk to this guy,,,, my question,,, be ,, what engines ,, be 4 of them ,,, what parts,, engines he build 4 himself ,, be kick ass engins .?

[@350gtboi]

Awesome but god awful audio. Are we in 1960s?

[@chaseman113]

20:25 that is some real knowledge, against the common thought. Like you gonna debate with Steve Brule?

[@harleybob7315]

The audio is awful

[@jawadkarim1116]

Wth This isn't doctor Steve brule

[@electrolytics]

Aren't all of these products made in China? Scat and AFR makes their products in China.

[@davelowets]

"Scat" really means poop. 💩 I, personally, would have picked a different name. 😑

[@nickthelebo]

It sucks cause i love steve could listen to him talk allday but whenever you search Steve brule you get that stupid comedian

[@namechane1758]

his haircut bothers me