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Is This Too Close To The Edge?

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Old Oct 9, 2007 | 10:28 PM
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Default Is This Too Close To The Edge?

I know I've been asking alot of questions lately but I want as much info as I can get before I start putting this motor together. I got my shortblock yesterday and I'm ready to get started.

396SBC, alum heads, single pattern 244@.050 hydraulic roller, 11.43CR, 8.57DCR, .036 quench (.006 deck) very good cooling system and cold air intake. Too much compression?? To high DCR??
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Old Oct 9, 2007 | 10:55 PM
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i am not an expert but i think you are at the extreame limit for pump gas for a steet car. you may get some detonation depending on fuel quality. i went with a slightly smaller cam and 10.5 to 1 comp to get my dcr at 8.27. i also have a 396 sbc. i would want a little buffer due to the unpredictable fuel quality we have here along with the heat. i may be leaving a little bit of potential hp on the table but i would rather have a very drivable and safe combo over absolute max hp for a street motor. i had a very similar comp ratio with my 383 and it would detonate like crazy with 93 octane sometimes. it had lots of power but was not worth it in the end because it was hit and miss with the detonation depending on the fuel i got. some tanks would be fine and others would be terrible.
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Old Oct 10, 2007 | 12:06 AM
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Over the years i have built two motors that were on the verge DCR wise with pump gas. In each one the fix was a longer duration cam. Your 244 is pretty big. Generally 8.5 DCR is the limit. I would try it and see.

Is your exhaust really free flowing? What is the cams LSA?
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Old Oct 10, 2007 | 06:58 AM
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sounds good but u need
1. good gas as frcz19 notes, some 91-93 tanks really have 87 in them!
2. best forged pistons- i've seen the skirts break off at 12:1. so i dont like piston rock
3.quiet enough exhaust that u can hear ping.
4. willingness to do individual cyl. tuning, if necessary

Last edited by Matt Gruber; Oct 10, 2007 at 07:13 AM.
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Old Oct 10, 2007 | 08:09 PM
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Originally Posted by 2000FRCZ19
i am not an expert but i think you are at the extreame limit for pump gas for a steet car. you may get some detonation depending on fuel quality. i went with a slightly smaller cam and 10.5 to 1 comp to get my dcr at 8.27. i also have a 396 sbc. i would want a little buffer due to the unpredictable fuel quality we have here along with the heat. i may be leaving a little bit of potential hp on the table but i would rather have a very drivable and safe combo over absolute max hp for a street motor. i had a very similar comp ratio with my 383 and it would detonate like crazy with 93 octane sometimes. it had lots of power but was not worth it in the end because it was hit and miss with the detonation depending on the fuel i got. some tanks would be fine and others would be terrible.
I hear you and I know what you're saying is right. Common sense will probably win out in the end. I have a 383 in another vehicle that has 8.22DCR, 11:1CR, 242/248@.050HR and I have had zero issues with it. I guess that makes me want to push the limit a little.
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Old Oct 10, 2007 | 08:23 PM
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Originally Posted by gkull
Over the years i have built two motors that were on the verge DCR wise with pump gas. In each one the fix was a longer duration cam. Your 244 is pretty big. Generally 8.5 DCR is the limit. I would try it and see.

Is your exhaust really free flowing? What is the cams LSA?
I'm leaning towards the try it and see right now but... I may set it up as I described and have it dynoed. If I run into detonation probs I can always use different head gaskets. I wanted the quench below .040 that's why I was thinking a .030 head gasket. A .036 would give me 8.45DCR and 11.27CR. A .041 I think would put me outside ideal quench at .047 but the CR would be 11.07 and the DCR 8.30. Maybe thats what I should go with.

My exhaust is Hooker Sidepipes.
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Old Oct 10, 2007 | 08:27 PM
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Originally Posted by Matt Gruber
sounds good but u need
1. good gas as frcz19 notes, some 91-93 tanks really have 87 in them!
2. best forged pistons- i've seen the skirts break off at 12:1. so i dont like piston rock
3.quiet enough exhaust that u can hear ping.
4. willingness to do individual cyl. tuning, if necessary
I've had good experiences with fuel quality around here. I have SRP forged pistons with .0035 piston to wall clearance. The exhaust is definitely not quiet and I am willing to tune.
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Old Oct 10, 2007 | 08:32 PM
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Gkull the LSA is 110, 106ICA
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Old Oct 10, 2007 | 09:21 PM
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Originally Posted by nastee383
I know I've been asking alot of questions lately but I want as much info as I can get before I start putting this motor together. I got my shortblock yesterday and I'm ready to get started.

396SBC, alum heads, single pattern 244@.050 hydraulic roller, 11.43CR, 8.57DCR, .036 quench (.006 deck) very good cooling system and cold air intake. Too much compression?? To high DCR??
Really close to the edge on DCR. I would use a thicker gasketto up the quench a little and drop the DCR a little. Think Cometic has a .033 gasket.
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Old Oct 10, 2007 | 10:56 PM
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you can always try it, i found when i was having problems that upping the gasket size and quench made the detonation much worse. give it a shot and if it doesnt work, change to a longer duration cam. keep the quench around .039.
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Old Oct 10, 2007 | 11:28 PM
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Why not step up the cam and forgeddaboudit
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Old Oct 11, 2007 | 12:35 AM
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Originally Posted by nastee383
I'm leaning towards the try it and see right now but... I may set it up as I described and have it dynoed. If I run into detonation probs I can always use different head gaskets. I wanted the quench below .040 that's why I was thinking a .030 head gasket. A .036 would give me 8.45DCR and 11.27CR. A .041 I think would put me outside ideal quench at .047 but the CR would be 11.07 and the DCR 8.30. Maybe thats what I should go with.

My exhaust is Hooker Sidepipes.

Tight quench has more resistance to detonation even with slightly higher compression. Because the flame travel is faster.

You can change the DCR by advancing the cam and or going to higher ratio rocker arms because it adds degrees of duration to the .050 lift point.

You can also thermal coat your piston tops and safely run 1/2 point higher compression like I did in my 383 with 11.2 and only 236/242 SR cam

Last edited by gkull; Oct 11, 2007 at 12:37 AM.
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Old Oct 11, 2007 | 02:44 AM
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Hi Nastee,

Have you calculated how much TQ/HP you will gain
going all the way up to 11.43 compared to a much safer level like 11:1?

Knowing how much (or little) you will gain makes the decision more easy I think.

Best regards, DK.
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Old Oct 11, 2007 | 12:11 PM
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Originally Posted by 63mako
Really close to the edge on DCR. I would use a thicker gasketto up the quench a little and drop the DCR a little. Think Cometic has a .033 gasket.
I'm looking at a .036, .039 or reluctantly a .041.
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Old Oct 11, 2007 | 12:14 PM
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Originally Posted by 2000FRCZ19
you can always try it, i found when i was having problems that upping the gasket size and quench made the detonation much worse. give it a shot and if it doesnt work, change to a longer duration cam. keep the quench around .039.
That's my primary concern, getting the quench right. The builder told me the deck would be "about" .010 which it is (.006) but I started gathering parts based on the .010. A little more patience probably would have helped.
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Old Oct 11, 2007 | 12:17 PM
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Originally Posted by nastee383
The builder told me the deck would be "about" .010 which it is (.006) but I started gathering parts based on the .010. A little more patience probably would have helped.
how did you measure the deck (to get 0.006)?
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Old Oct 11, 2007 | 12:21 PM
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Originally Posted by MotorHead
Why not step up the cam and forgeddaboudit
I'm committed! The cam is in the box in my garage. I'm still within the "return" window though. I'll think about it for a few days. The cam I have and the COMP Magnum304 are both 244@.050 but the advertised events are vastly different. Those are pretty much my choices as single pattern cams go.
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Old Oct 11, 2007 | 12:26 PM
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Originally Posted by gkull
Tight quench has more resistance to detonation even with slightly higher compression. Because the flame travel is faster.

You can change the DCR by advancing the cam and or going to higher ratio rocker arms because it adds degrees of duration to the .050 lift point.

You can also thermal coat your piston tops and safely run 1/2 point higher compression like I did in my 383 with 11.2 and only 236/242 SR cam
That's what I was thinking (quench). The DCR's I quoted were with -4 degrees putting the ICA at 110 also.
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Old Oct 11, 2007 | 12:27 PM
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Originally Posted by S489
how did you measure the deck (to get 0.006)?
That's what is on the blueprint sheet that came with the shortblock.
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Old Oct 11, 2007 | 12:28 PM
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the loud side pipes are a disadvantage,
but can be solved with
1. MSD engine knock alert- ~$185 or
2. automatic retard with sensor(s).
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