Too much power?
Guest
Posts: n/a
Too much power?
Is there such a thing as having too much power under the hood.. for street riding only.. I know it has a lot to do with learning how to tame or control the beast but can you have too much with a 350 or 396 motor? With my L48 stock motor I sometimes get a chirp and I'm not really trying to.. then again I could be just running over something.. but can these motors produce enough HP to force you to idle roll start before pedal.. or anything "more than required" pedal cause tire spin.. I don't mind WOT = tire spin.. cause that's what your asking for but un-asked for tire spin is what I'm thinking about.
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 765
Likes: 0
From: Canton GA
Re: Too much power? (Koz)
Sounds like my kind of problem :jester Unfortunatley I've never had a car with that problem so I can't give you much help...does sound like the kind of problem I'd like to have though :D
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 188
Likes: 0
Re: Too much power? (Koz)
Its all about continous improvement.
My '81 with the original L81/4speed would spin the 20 year old 225/70R15s pretty easily when I first got it. Swapped out the engine for a 400+ hp SBC and I couldn't touch the go peddle without getting sideways. So I found a simple solution: 285mm wide tires made of the modern Z-rated compound and problem solved. I'll probably have the same problem again when I get my conceiled blower installed (*sigh*, someday). When that time comes, it will be time to improve the rest of the drivetrain to match. Technology keeps advancing- so should we.
My '81 with the original L81/4speed would spin the 20 year old 225/70R15s pretty easily when I first got it. Swapped out the engine for a 400+ hp SBC and I couldn't touch the go peddle without getting sideways. So I found a simple solution: 285mm wide tires made of the modern Z-rated compound and problem solved. I'll probably have the same problem again when I get my conceiled blower installed (*sigh*, someday). When that time comes, it will be time to improve the rest of the drivetrain to match. Technology keeps advancing- so should we.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 5,145
Likes: 125
From: The Motor City
Re: Too much power? (Koz)
Then your problem isn't 'too much HP", it's 'too little traction'.
I read somewhere once.... "When I can spin the tires from corner exit until the next corner entry, then I'll have enough horsepower."
I read somewhere once.... "When I can spin the tires from corner exit until the next corner entry, then I'll have enough horsepower."
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
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
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 6,362
Likes: 7
From: Brazos TX
Cruise-In IV Veteran
Cruise-In V Veteran
Re: Too much power? (Scooter70)
Nope, you can never have too much power. It's a matter of learning how much power to apply, and when to do it. Most times you need more HP as you go faster (to overcome aero drag). So you may have too much power for the tires at low speed but you need it all at top speed.
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 4,143
Likes: 0
Re: Too much power? (Scooter70)
Then your problem isn't 'too much HP", it's 'too little traction'.
I read somewhere once.... "When I can spin the tires from corner exit until the next corner entry, then I'll have enough horsepower."
I read somewhere once.... "When I can spin the tires from corner exit until the next corner entry, then I'll have enough horsepower."
Yup - take it from a BB owner - even with the extra cubic inches - I still think it's 'underpowered' :lol: :lol: :lol:
Adequate power is enough to make you're tires instantly bald off the line - pin you back into the seat so hard that you loose your breath - you need 2 lanes for take off just to keep the beast in a straight line - and just when everything seems to 'calm' down - you hit 2nd Gear & start over !!!! :lol: :cool:
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Too much power? (verskel)
Adequate power is enough to make you're tires instantly bald off the line - pin you back into the seat so hard that you loose your breath - you need 2 lanes for take off just to keep the beast in a straight line - and just when everything seems to 'calm' down - you hit 2nd Gear & start over !!!! :lol: :cool:
Team Owner
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 21,953
Likes: 1,445
From: Reno Nevada
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist- Modified
Re: Too much power? (Koz)
Quote: Here's the million dollar stupid question: Given an engines CI wouldn't there be a scientific "best" cam for street with "best" heads to use? Or is that what makes doing this so attractive.. Options, Options and they you have more options...
For $39.95 you can buy the Desk Top Dyno program. The program is within a few percent when you put in the actual CFM flow rates at all the lift points for your heads intake and exhaust and input actual .050 cam event numbers. So the scientific part is all done for you. You can juggle heads and cam profiles and come up with a custom cam at what ever hp you want. With a 396 500 hp and 500 TQ would be good numbers to shoot for. It gives numbers for my 383 of 579 hp and over 500 ft/lbs of TQ. It's not enough power and I went to mild on the cam. So my next choice will be more cubic inches or a blower.
The only reason I have a 383 is because I was in a hurry to get my car on the road and I didn't want to wait for a custom 396 crank to be made. It was a bad move on my part. Some of the other posters are right on about bigger better tires and you have a learning curve on how to let off of the gas to go faster.
[Modified by gkull, 2:45 PM 5/2/2002]
For $39.95 you can buy the Desk Top Dyno program. The program is within a few percent when you put in the actual CFM flow rates at all the lift points for your heads intake and exhaust and input actual .050 cam event numbers. So the scientific part is all done for you. You can juggle heads and cam profiles and come up with a custom cam at what ever hp you want. With a 396 500 hp and 500 TQ would be good numbers to shoot for. It gives numbers for my 383 of 579 hp and over 500 ft/lbs of TQ. It's not enough power and I went to mild on the cam. So my next choice will be more cubic inches or a blower.
The only reason I have a 383 is because I was in a hurry to get my car on the road and I didn't want to wait for a custom 396 crank to be made. It was a bad move on my part. Some of the other posters are right on about bigger better tires and you have a learning curve on how to let off of the gas to go faster.
[Modified by gkull, 2:45 PM 5/2/2002]
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Too much power? (gkull)
With a 396 500 hp and 500 TQ would be good numbers to shoot for. It gives numbers for my 383 of 579 hp and over 500 ft/lbs of TQ. It's not enough power and I went to mild on the cam. So my next choice will be more cubic inches or a blower.
[Modified by gkull, 2:45 PM 5/2/2002]
[Modified by gkull, 2:45 PM 5/2/2002]
Team Owner
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 21,953
Likes: 1,445
From: Reno Nevada
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist- Modified
Re: Too much power? (Koz)
I was saying for you or anyone else building a stroker 500 hp numbers are reasonable and it doesn't require lots of high dollar parts. I didn't want to be low rpm limited. So if I want to shift at 7500 rpm I can and do. I actually had 8000 rpm limit in mind when I bought my parts so 7500 isn't stressing anything.
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 765
Likes: 0
From: Canton GA
Re: Too much power? (verskel)
Adequate power is enough to make you're tires instantly bald off the line - pin you back into the seat so hard that you loose your breath - you need 2 lanes for take off just to keep the beast in a straight line - and just when everything seems to 'calm' down - you hit 2nd Gear & start over !!!! :lol: :cool:
There's so many that think just like me. I totally agree....someday!
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 1,355
Likes: 0
From: Germantown Maryland
Re: Too much power? (Koz)
NO Way , Never too much power. If I had unlimited funds :crazy: I would have at least 1000HP. I just got my 383 with about 460HP and its already not enough... I want some more, please sir I want more..... :D
:flag
:flag
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 215
Likes: 0
From: Concord Cal
Re: Too much power? (Clink69)
You can't have too much power just ability to use all of it. I had a friend with a Sunbeam Tiger it had a bunch of 289 in it. The thing would stay straight for about 5 ft. It really wasn't that fast just so squirrelly it would scare you.