150: The Self-Taught Way: Building Wild Engines from Scratch

Imagine being a self-taught engineer who mastered the intricacies of engine design and is now building bespoke engines from the ground up. That’s exactly what Josh Valman from Motorsport_Engineering has done.

We welcome Josh back for his second appearance on the podcast. This time, we catch up on his wild Alpha V8 Hayabusa project and dive into his latest creation — a turbocharged hot-vee V6 bespoke engine.

👉 Use the code ‘PODCAST500’ to get $500 OFF HPA's VIP Package: https://hpcdmy.co/podvip

In this episode of Tuned In, Josh shares his journey from self-taught engineer to bespoke engine designer and builder. We check in on his progress with the Alpha project before unpacking the details of his new V6 design.

We explore the technical side of engine performance — including pre-ignition chambers, variable valve timing, and the unique benefits of a V6 engine configuration. Josh also discusses the finer points of engine design and the importance of balancing stroke and bore ratios while selecting the right compression ratios for boosted engines.

With deep expertise in machining and manufacturing, Josh offers valuable insights into precision machining, materials selection, heat treatment, and maintaining tight tolerances in high-performance engine parts.

If you’re fascinated by engine design, engine building, machining, or CAD, this episode is packed with knowledge. Josh’s passion for sharing his experience makes it a must-listen for anyone interested in the art and science of building engines.

👉 Use the code ‘PODCAST500’ to get $500 OFF HPA's VIP Package: https://hpcdmy.co/podvip

Follow Josh here:

Instagram: Motorsport_engineering
Youtube: Motorsport_engineering

Timestamps:

0:00 The Self-Taught Way: Building Wild Engines from Scratch
3:34 Welcome back, Who are you? Where are you from and what do you do?
8:45 How did you learn your CAD skills?
2:11 What’s the complexities with manufacturing in China?
18:31 What’s happening with the Alpha project?
21:31 What is the process for making the tooling for carbon fibre body panels?
23:20 When do you see this competing in the British Hillclimb Championship?
23:46 What engine changes would you make to run the car at Pikes Peak?
27:05 What is a pre-ignition chamber and what’s the advantage?
34:40 What is pre-ignition and what causes it?
38:04 What’s the advantage of variable valve timing?
40:26 How did you go from a manufacturi
45:49 How do you choose the V angle for an engine?
51:17 How do you design parts & get them right without years of experience?
55:25 Why would a V6 require balance shafts?
58:27 Is it easier to design an engine from scratch than modify an existing one?
1:04:12 What are the factors that affect deciding on a stroke length?
1:06:36 How critical is the rod to stroke ratio?
1:07:55 How do you choose a compression ratio?
1:11:05 How do you confirm the strength of your engine parts?
1:13:53 Why do we need to heat treat our parts?
1:17:11 How do you keep accurate tolerances while machining these parts?
1:21:09 Why are you using a liner over a coated bore?
1:22:31 How hard is it machining coolant passages into the block & Head?
1:25:45 How are you confirming you have sufficient cooling when designing these engines?
1:30:40 How are you sealing the head on this engine?
1:34:12 How did the V8 engine go when you got it on the dyno?
1:35:53 Why did you go gear drive between the crank and cams?
1:40:09 How long between over