Having your car dyno tested is usually the highlight of build. The only event more profound may be the first time the engine fires to life. But once it has a heartbeat it’s all about … how much power am I making?

In a few cases that moment where your dreams come to fruition can quick turn into a nightmare. There are many ways to experience a dyno fail. The engine can blow, a tire can blow, a rear end can blow, the dyno can blow, or the vehicle can come loose. It’s bad news all around.

This video shows all manner of failure. Diesel trucks seem to be popular, with the first one looking more like an attempt to purposely grenade the engine rather than extract a maximum horsepower reading. Some are poor attention to detail, like tightening the tie-down straps, by the operator. Others may be engine builder miscues. Others still can be chalked up to bad luck.

Watching train wrecks is an American pastime. For car geeks seeing cars with the potential to be heroic fail in the most dramatic ways possible is must-see TV.

There are some mean engine failures, turbo expiration events, and the prerequisite escaping cars, that get loose and try to jump off the dyno. Check it out and let the good times fly … along with engine parts, driveline gear, and the cost of the projects.