Longevity & Reliability vs. Power

[CobraEd]

Originally Posted by patrickt

Well I've spent a half hour searching every way I know how and can't find it. I can find threads where a reference to his thread is casually mentioned, but not the thread itself.

I deleted it !!!!!


AHAHAHAHAHAHA


.

[Jeff Frigo]

Originally Posted by Hotfingrs

So Donohue didn't really need 1400 horse in his 917-30 ??

Thank You.

[blykins]

It doesn't matter...

Build it for 700hp and just don't push the gas down as far.

[Stentor]

Originally Posted by blykins

It doesn't matter...

Build it for 700hp and just don't push the gas down as far.

I like that logic!

[Rick Parker]

In the search for reliability is is best to remove the term "Split lock washer" from your vocabulary, regardless of what component you are referring to, or your local.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by Rick Parker

In the search for reliability is is best to remove the term "Split lock washer" from your vocabulary, regardless of what component you are referring to, or your local.

Lykins swears by split lock washers.

[patrickt]

... and I bet I can five pages or more out of a "how do you load your greasegun" post.

[blykins]

BTW...

Don't get hung up on horsepower numbers. The best way to tackle an engine build is to build the engine to make the most horsepower for the range that you're going to run in. Also, a 450hp 408W will fit stouter than a 500hp 347.

[CobraEd]

Originally Posted by blykins

a 450hp 408W will fit stouter than a 500hp 347.

What does this mean?

A 450hp 408 only needs to run about 5500 rpm but will have about 450 ftlbs of torque.

A 500 hp 347 will need to run about 7000 rpm, but will only have about 400 ftlbs of torque.


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[blykins]

I guess I didn't explain it that well.

My point was that you build an engine to run at a desired rpm range. A street driven Cobra doesn't run constantly at 6500-7000 rpm....you're usually between 2000-5500 or 2000-6000 and you normally cruise at around 2000-2500.

So if you build a higher horsepower engine, it doesn't necessarily mean that it's going to be a barn burner because it may not be suited for a specific street driving range.

In our case above, our 347 may make 500hp, but it's going to peak at 6500, with a very narrow powerband, and probably around 425-430 lb-ft of torque. The average hp and average torque numbers will be low.

The 408 may "only" make 450hp, but it's going to peak a lot lower, have a big broad torque curve, and have a considerable more amount of torque.

With the transmission, rearend ratio, and tire sizes being the same, the 408 will "feel" like it has more power because it has more average power/torque in the range that you're driving in.

You can even apply this same scenario to two engines of the same displacement....maybe two 408's or two 347's.

So we're back to my post above...don't get hung up on horsepower numbers, because the engine with the most horsepower may not feel powerful in the range you're running in.

[blykins]

No... I thought you were talking about flywheel to rear wheel dyno conversions.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by blykins

No... I thought you were talking about flywheel to rear wheel dyno conversions.

Surely his sidepipes, water pump, etc. are good for 85 horses....

[blykins]

I always seem to get sucked into hijacking people's threads.

Anyway....

Patrick, are you actually telling me that you carried your sidepipes with mufflers into the dyno room and bolted them on?

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by blykins

I always seem to get sucked into hijacking people's threads.

Anyway....

Patrick, are you actually telling me that you carried your sidepipes with mufflers into the dyno room and bolted them on?

Yes. ElMariachi did the same thing. I know it's a bit unusual, but I really believe it's a more honest number, even though it's lower.

[blykins]

To me, it means nothing without turning the entire driveline.

It just throws another wrench into the necessary evil of engine dynos.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by blykins

To me, it means nothing without turning the entire driveline.

It just throws another wrench into the necessary evil of engine dynos.

Well, you know the difference between dyno'ing with pipes and doing it with open pipes. On a nice big 482, what would you, in your expert opinion, say those pipes rob in horsepower? You can just guess, if you want... but I bet you have a pretty good answer.

[RodKnock]

FWIW, Hall Fabrication, the shop that did the engine/trans install on my car, cut the mufflers off my Kirkham-supplied pipes and used Hushpower pipes, which allegedly are less restrictive/higher flowing. Dave Brown, 4pipes, has the same mufflers on his car. Hall claims they lose less HP.

Oh and my car weighs less than yours . So neener, neener, neener.

Back to the thread.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by RodKnock

FWIW, Hall Fabrication, the shop that did the engine/trans install on my car, cut the mufflers off my Kirkham-supplied pipes and used Hushpower pipes, which allegedly are less restrictive/higher flowing. Dave Brown, 4pipes, has the same mufflers on his car. Hall claims they lose less HP.

Oh and my car weighs less than yours . So neener, neener, neener.

Back to the thread.

Ehrrrggg. If true, that's another reason to dyno with your pipes. I had Stainless Specialties build my pipes to be a little quieter (and take away a little more horsepower).

[RodKnock]

BTW, Hushpower is a division of Flowmaster. They used to be a separate company.

http://www.hushpower.com/

They're a local company and Hall has done a lot of development work with them as well as Redline oil too.

[blykins]

Actually, most dynos have the headers running into exhaust pipes, which go into mufflers. There's a restriction there.