0ChucksTuning

One of the most popular questions we get in the performance shop business is, "Should I go heads/cam, or should I go boost?". And it's always a great debate! With boost it's easy to make a bigger number on the dyno, but will it perform better? I always tell people you need about 100 HP more on boost than an all motor car. And this video basically proves that to be right! It's a dead even race, but my 542 rwhp heads/cam in the left lane vs. Jeff Tomi's (Tech369) 600 rwhp in the right lane sure shows you what a great comparison it can be.

Never under-estimate all motor power! We're in the ordering parts stages of building a 460 ci shortblock for my car. Will be a couple months before it's done, but it should be pretty fun/interesting!

Although let me say this, even though this is a great comparison of heads/cam vs. supercharged... there's no comparison to having BOTH lol just throwing that out there :P lol

Until next time, enjoy the video.

Chuck @ Chucks Tuning
chuckstuning@gmail.com
832-202-4115 (main)
832-776-0099 (direct)

leadville1

How much labor is involved with putting in cam's I am interested in this but not sure what the install cost is.

Higgs Boson

It's like 15 - 18 hours of labor

Translator

There are a lot of variations as well that comes with what the use of the car is intended for; such as: track, drag, rolls, autocross, etc... Also, the type of forced induction will play a role: centrifugal versus twin screw blower, nitrous, turbo, etc...

C7pimp

If you live at high altitude, boost will dominate every time. Having positive manifold pressure with a high DA gives you a massive advantage over NA.


With equal horsepower numbers, corrected on a dyno, a boosted car has about a 0.3 second of advantage in the 1/4. Now, add to the fact that a boosted car is making an actual greater rwhp number than the NA car because of the boost, and you have another few tenths advantage. That advantage diminishes the closer you get to 0 DA.

leadville1

I would also say the difference diminishes as you heat soak the motor in the supercharged car. I think this will be my winter project on my car, along with a DeWitts radiator so it is ready for track season next year.

needaz06

How much weight does the blower kit add to the front of the car? 70lbs? That is also a factor.

3 Z06ZR1

Can you post a better video? That shows nothing!
The Supercharged Car likely is spinning the wheels!

A 600 rwhp pulls a 540 rwhp with the same weight with traction
EVERYTIME!

If a car pulls 600 rwhp your forgetting it actually had to have
more power! The Dyno just doesn't add the extra you have to have it!

At this thread!

Higgs Boson

for the visual learners

C7pimp

Lol!

Elite275

This is fantastic!

Kip Fabre

This 540 will beat the 600 every time if the TQ courve looks like the above chart. Years ago we were making cams for NHRA Comp class. One of the competitor was complaining to his engine builder because he could not qualify. The engine builder said you are making 720 HP you should qualify easy. So the guy come up to the guy we make cam for and ask how much power are you making you are #1 qualifier. The engine builder said I only make 680HP. So the engine builder said to his customer you put one of those 680HP engines in you car you will slow down. So the guy that builds the 680HP engine say's I have a spar would you like to try it? So the guy put's in the 680HP engine and makes one more qualifying run. So guess how he did? He went 2 that's two tenths quicker first run and qualified. Why because this engine had more TQ and it was at a lower rpm. Forget HP
that will only put you behind.

VNAMVET

Looks like a Mustang dyno chart rather than a Dyno Jet chart, am I correct?

VNAMVET

Looks like a Mustang dyno chart rather than a Dyno Jet chart, am I correct?
Sorry could not resist...........

123sugey

^^^ This.

600 whp from a supercharged car vs a 600 whp NA car... NA will win. Happens all the time

3 Z06ZR1

Sorry your so wrong! Just because your draw a cartoon graph!
You THINK your smart!

600rwhp beats 540rwhp everytime your cartoon's mean nothing.

esp is this case where the 540 has way LESS RWTQ too!

Go back to fantasyland!

Then tell that too ECS where there builds are more square at 600/600

600//600 Supercharged lays waste to N/A 540 and /480 period!

3 Z06ZR1

For the clueless!
When you change the cam and add to the top end you give some bottom end also!

Unless your adding displacement then the MPG goes to hell!
Reason GM goes Supercharged for big power!
Lesson over!

robertf97

It would appear from the fast list that to get a heads/cam C7 to outperform a 8 psi SC car in the quarter you need a big shot of N20.

3 Z06ZR1

Supercharged is the way to go! Cartoon graphs from the peanut section or not!

That's why GM stopped at the 427 because they could out do it with a 6.2
and a Supercharger. Then get better MPG doing it!
This notion 540 and 480 beats 600/540 is nuts!

Translator

One important notation. Most of the graphs that I have seen for LT1 NA with stock displacement heads/cam set-ups also have a linear torque curve, similar to a centrifugal supercharger. The only really flat torque curve that I have seen on the LT1 are the dyno graphs with the Edelbrock E-Force roots blower. Not as much top end as a centrifugal, but a flatter torque curve for certain.