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.

 

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

 

Kinda like having too much $, never happens. :)

 

U can never have to much power ask Merlin

 

Too much power :confused: Sure, and you can have to pretty a wife also :lol:

 

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.

 

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."

 

Yellow, your Corvette is too awesome! :lol: Great!! :yesnod:


[Modified by Lasse, 8:41 PM 5/2/2002]

 

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.

 

:yesnod: :yesnod: :yesnod: :yesnod: :yesnod: :yesnod: :yesnod: :yesnod: :yesnod: :yesnod: :yesnod: :yesnod:

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:

 

I find mine drives best with the key turned off most of the time.

 

:lol: :lol: :lol: Yup.. that's what I want.. :cheers:

 

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]

 

You have a 383 turning 579hp and over 500 ft/lbs of TQ and it's not enough power? But you also stated that with a 396 aiming for 500hp and 500 TQ would be good numbers to shoot for. WAZUP with that? :cheers:

 

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.

 

Ahhh. Another reason to like the forum so much. There's so many that think just like me. I totally agree....someday!

 

AMEN :D
Paul

 

HUH? :lol: :lol: :lol: :chevy :chevy :yesnod: :yesnod: :yesnod:

 

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

 

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.