There are three ingredients required for a successful dyno run. You need a powerful, well-secured car, properly-calibrated hardware and software, and a big old fan to give the engine the airflow it needs to function at the absolute limit. Take away the last one and things will go south in a hurry, as one unfortunate EG Civic owner discovered recently.
The internet is littered with examples of turbocharged Civic builds gone awry—just add this red hatchback to the list. The original four-cylinder engine had been boosted to around 530 horsepower, and the aftermarket lights, wheels, and suspension indicate a fair amount of time and money probably went into creating this little monster.
Unfortunately, all the money in the world still can’t buy common sense. A large fan can actually be seen in the background at the start of the run as the camera pans around, yet strangely the shop opted to place what looks like a vintage drag car in front of the Civic instead. The run starts off normal enough, but a thin haze of smoke begins to fill the screen at 0:16. Seconds later, it all comes apart in spectacular fashion.
The lack of airflow combined with 11 pounds of boost caused the engine to blow a coolant hose and crack a cylinder sleeve, as the video description indicates. Pour one out for this dearly-departed Civic—may it rest in pieces.
500hp Civic blows up on dyno