Question for noobs like me....
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 1,677
Likes: 1
From: Potomac Falls VA
Question for noobs like me....
So here is my quandry. I am pretty handy and try to do most, if not all, of my own work. Brakes, suspension, fuel system, interior, etc etc and major swaps like the T400 for a keisler BUT where I am useless is picking engine components to work together and get the performance I want. I can read and read but I am not good at learning that way...much more adept at learning hands on or through working / talking with someone.
I would like to be able to pick new heads, carb and intake that fits under my hood, gets me the performance numbers I am looking for with reasonable cost ($2-3K).
Should I invest in desktop dyno and mess around with combos? Or am I doomed to reading? Using so-called "power packages" etc? :bigear
Also do not want to be a drain on the board
I would like to be able to pick new heads, carb and intake that fits under my hood, gets me the performance numbers I am looking for with reasonable cost ($2-3K).
Should I invest in desktop dyno and mess around with combos? Or am I doomed to reading? Using so-called "power packages" etc? :bigear
Also do not want to be a drain on the board
Last edited by ShaneLU97; Nov 6, 2007 at 10:39 AM.
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 3,652
Likes: 49
From: Bridgewater nj
If you got 2 to 3K to spend just open up the summit catalog to the Edelbrock kits and pick one that fits you driving style. I prefer high torque with max RPM at @5000. I'm 39 pushing 40 and screaming at 6500RPMs down the back street is too much of an attention grabber 
thay ussaully ends with trouble IMO.
thay ussaully ends with trouble IMO.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 1,677
Likes: 1
From: Potomac Falls VA
EDITED
And I would like to be in the 450-500 hp range. No real tangible reason except that is the part of "the dream" for now.
Last edited by ShaneLU97; Nov 6, 2007 at 12:19 PM.
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 1,716
Likes: 4
From: New Baden Illinois
Looking for primarily street/strip times and some light autocrossing. Engine is the 383 gen1 from Jasper with Crane Blue racer cam, edlebrock performer intake, edelbrock 650 thunder series carb and iron eagle 220 heads. Compression is about 9.5:1. Engine is about 2 years old. At time of build, the numbers on an engine dyno were 370hp/440ft-lbs.
EDITED
And I would like to be in the 450-500 hp range. No real tangible reason except that is the part of "the dream" for now.
EDITED
And I would like to be in the 450-500 hp range. No real tangible reason except that is the part of "the dream" for now.
Race Director
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 19,610
Likes: 778
From: Forked River NJ
Looking for primarily street/strip times and some light autocrossing. Engine is the 383 gen1 from Jasper with Crane Blue racer cam, edlebrock performer intake, edelbrock 650 thunder series carb and iron eagle 220 heads. Compression is about 9.5:1. Engine is about 2 years old. At time of build, the numbers on an engine dyno were 370hp/440ft-lbs.
EDITED
And I would like to be in the 450-500 hp range. No real tangible reason except that is the part of "the dream" for now.
EDITED
And I would like to be in the 450-500 hp range. No real tangible reason except that is the part of "the dream" for now.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 1,677
Likes: 1
From: Potomac Falls VA
Camshaft Specifications:
• Hydraulic Camshaft
• .050 Duration: 224° Intake; 234° Exhaust
• Advertised Duration: 298° Intake; 308° Exhaust
• Cam Lift: .310 Intake; .325 Exhaust
• Valve Lift: .465 Intake; .488 Exhaust
• Lobe Center: 107° Intake; 117° Exhaust
The other thing I have been considering in the near term is swapping out the carb to a 750 with mech secondaries. I know the "forumla" generally says 650 is more than enough but magazine builds go with a 750 for large power combos. Also, what I have read is mech secondaries are better for manual trannies (which I recently changed to from an auto).
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 2,340
Likes: 2
From: Moro IL
I've only owned Rat motors but I have to think that little performer intake has got to kill a lot of airflow, especially if your going for the power numbers you want. You guys with the SB's 383's and up will know better then me but I'd think to make the 450 plus numbers your going to have to be in the 6k rpm range, and therefore the setup should be made to feed that power and rpm. There's a lot of guys on here running big displacement smallblocks, such as Gordonm, with great performance. Try to find someones setup that has a similiar setup to your shortblock and heads and makes teh power you want and use them as a blueprint. Plus it's easier to find answers from someone who's been there and done that, especially when it comes down to fine tuning your setup.
Pat Kunz
Pat Kunz
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
2027 Corvette vs The World: Every C8 vs Its Closest Competitor
Joe Kucinski
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 963
Likes: 0
From: melbourne,Australia
A simple swap to a RPM airgap intake will help plus you will need a 750 carb if you are going to get much more hp.....what about a nice set of long tube headers an x pipe and decent mufflers...if you are going to put more fuel and air in,you've got to get it out as well.....Those are good heads and will benefit from some port work to improve flow substantially.john
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 1,677
Likes: 1
From: Potomac Falls VA
A simple swap to a RPM airgap intake will help plus you will need a 750 carb if you are going to get much more hp.....what about a nice set of long tube headers an x pipe and decent mufflers...if you are going to put more fuel and air in,you've got to get it out as well.....Those are good heads and will benefit from some port work to improve flow substantially.john
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 107
Likes: 0
From: Connecticut
whatever you do, DONT just pick up the catalog and start ordering random parts, or you'll just be one of most who just spend thousands of dollars and is having trouble getting to 300hp ;0
its a science and the books will help you more then a forum (which one of 100 people do you listen to on the forum?!?!) your best bet is going to be make buddies with someone locally who actually does this for a living or otherwise
ive not done much more then change head gaskets so, take that for what its worth, but ive been following forums for many years and I see alot of these
from people who had too much fun with the summit catalog and didnt bother to read 
its a science and the books will help you more then a forum (which one of 100 people do you listen to on the forum?!?!) your best bet is going to be make buddies with someone locally who actually does this for a living or otherwise
ive not done much more then change head gaskets so, take that for what its worth, but ive been following forums for many years and I see alot of these
from people who had too much fun with the summit catalog and didnt bother to read
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 1,677
Likes: 1
From: Potomac Falls VA
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 963
Likes: 0
From: melbourne,Australia
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 5,727
Likes: 38
From: Fremont CA
Your Vette has a 5speed? IF you have a 350cu/in motor 220cc intake runners are TOO BIG to make any bottom end torque (better suited for over 400cu/in motor.) Go with the some 170-180cc intake runner size heads ans run a HVH 1016 intake with a 650CFM Holley #4777 carb (if you want to corner hard and keep carburation happy) spend some money on a good exhaust system and you should have a 13 second ride that works well at the autocross races.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 1,677
Likes: 1
From: Potomac Falls VA
Your Vette has a 5speed? IF you have a 350cu/in motor 220cc intake runners are TOO BIG to make any bottom end torque (better suited for over 400cu/in motor.) Go with the some 170-180cc intake runner size heads ans run a HVH 1016 intake with a 650CFM Holley #4777 carb (if you want to corner hard and keep carburation happy) spend some money on a good exhaust system and you should have a 13 second ride that works well at the autocross races.
Last edited by ShaneLU97; Nov 7, 2007 at 07:16 PM.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 963
Likes: 0
From: melbourne,Australia
Port size is a factor,velocity is also important...generally;the smaller port sizes have higher velocity and usually more low down torque,the larger port sizes usually lower velocity and torque tends to be higher in rev range....there is a balance between absulote volume and velocity....the catch is that horepower is limited in the end to the volume flowed but the trick is to make sure that there is sufficient velocity of the flow so that the engine is drivable at lower revs and working reasonably efficiently.....more flow volume does not always mean more practical power....velocity leads into the theory of exhaust scavenging and efficiency and it is more than complicated.....all of that said,you still need a decent exhaust system before anything else otherwise it is like a cork in a bottle...john
