Building an engine by hand is not a fast or easy process. Generally, the smaller the engine, the faster and easier the assembly process, but thanks to the magic of time-lapse video techniques, we can now see a very “not-small” engine be built in just five minutes.
That engine, specifically, is the supercharged 6.2-liter V8 that belongs in the monstrous Dodge SRT Demon. The guy you see building this engine is Davin Reckow, and he’s normally used to dealing with classic muscle car engines but was interested to see how a modern Hemi managed to crank out 840 horsepower.
“It was certainly different from the other builds we have done,” said Davin Reckow. “It was fascinating to see just how far modern engines have come, yet so much of the concepts are essentially the same. Especially when comparing parts against the Hemi we rebuilt in 2016.”
The Demon’s rather significant upgrade in horsepower over the Hellcat comes from more than just a supercharger that’s 0.3-liters bigger. It turns up the boost from 11.6 psi in the Hellcat to 14.5 psi in the Demon, and it also has its famous air-conditioned lower intake ensuring that the air being pummelled into the engine is nice and cool. On top of that, there are upgraded internals, a redline that’s 300 rpm higher, and two dual-stage fuel pumps resulting in the Demon’s famous horsepower rating of 840 on 100 octane fuel.
The engine build time-lapse sure was fun to watch, but we really appreciated the burnout and donuts at the end, since it’s impossible to make a video about a Demon without involving tire smoke.