--- title: "Harbor Freight Hemi Build Screams With Performance Parts From Amazon" description: "Making performance modifications to Harbor Freight's single-cylinder Predator engine has become a thing, and we're totally here for it. We've seen one [fitted with a home-brewed, Koenigsegg-style Freevalve system]() before, and one of the wackiest builds in recent memory was…" date: "2025-02-21" modified: "2025-02-21" authors: - name: "Ronan Glon" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/ronan-glon" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/harbor-freight-hemi-build-screams-with-performance-parts-from-amazon" categories: - "Builds" - "Culture" - "News" tags: - "Harbor Freight" --- # Harbor Freight Hemi Build Screams With Performance Parts From Amazon ![Bataha 212cc Hemi Predator engine]() *\Bataha via YouTube\* Making performance modifications to Harbor Freight's single-cylinder Predator engine has become a thing, and we're totally here for it. We've seen one [fitted with a home-brewed, Koenigsegg-style Freevalve system]() before, and one of the wackiest builds in recent memory was just put together by a YouTuber named Bataha. He tore the little thumper apart and rebuilt it with a long list of performance parts he bought on Amazon. The project started with a 212cc Predator engine that Harbor Freight sells for $150. It's an air-cooled, single-cylinder engine with a cast-iron head developed to power lawnmowers and log splitters, among other tools. It's sold as a turn-key engine, meaning all you need to do is fill it up with oil and bolt it to whatever you've got that needs propulsion, but Bataha saw it as a blank slate for performance modifications. All the parts he added are off-the-shelf, bolt-on components sourced from Amazon. And, taken out of context, it sounds like he's building a race car. The specifications sheet includes a billet connecting rod, an aftermarket cam with a .265" lift, a flat-top piston, and 22-pound valve springs. Air and fuel enter the hemi combustion chamber via an updated carburetor, and the engine is straight-piped for good measure. Harbor Freight [pegs]() the Predator's output at 6.5 horsepower and 8.1 pound-feet of torque; yes, the decimals are important here. It's reasonable to assume that the modifications increase both figures, though the engine's final output is up in the air. Even a small bump is significant when we're talking about such low figures, however. If the performance parts unlock a 12-horsepower rating, that's an improvement of almost 50% more power. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSqyvAorPsg I'd be tempted to install this hot-rodded single-cylinder engine in a shopping cart-based go-kart, much to the chagrin of local authorities, but Bataha has other plans. He said that the engine will go in a Coleman CT200U-EX minibike that he's currently modifying; he's notably adding a swing arm to it. The stock CT200U-EX is powered by a 196cc single-cylinder engine, so it should be noticeably zippier with the 212cc Hemi. *Got tips? Send ’em to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Ronan is a contributing writer for The Drive. He draws on over 15 years of experience to cover breaking industry news, cool one-off builds, and anything in between. He began writing for The Drive in 2021 and stepped into his current role in 2024. His obsession with cars started when a relative gave him a Majorette die-cast shortly after his first birthday. It hasn't flickered since. Ronan lives in France; He swapped Utah's Rocky Mountains, where he grew up, for the Alps. He's an avid hiker, mountain biker, and musician. He also restores classic European cars and mopeds, including a 1978 Citroen 2CV that he's rebuilding from the ground up. ### Author social links [Twitter]()