Thread: Control Your Engine Builder

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Just thought I would share my new motor story with you guys. I had a mild 454 in my 73 Camaro and blew it up about 7 months ago. I was referred to a "damn good guy" by a few of my fellow gearheads. I would have built the motor myself, but apartment life tends to make things hard. The Feb. issue of Super Chevy had an article about a 496 rated @ 700hp and 635tq built with "off the shelf" Jegs brand parts. I know 700 horse was too much for the street, so i took this to the motor guy and said i wanted a streetable 496 with about 450-500hp. I said the word STREET about five hundred times.
So 8 months into it i STILL DONT HAVE THE MOTOR, it is about another month away from being done...
I have been as involved in this build as much as i can be working full time and with a new wife. So here is what my "Street"motor has turned into:
496 Forged Eagle Kit
10:1 Domed Pistons
Merlin Topline Performance Heads (325cfm)
Custom grind 292 cam (i do not have the camcard in hand for exact specs)
Full roller
850 Demon
Team G
This already seems to much for the street....i know a few guys that are running 12:1 with a mix of VP/Pump.

From what i can estimate i am ganna see 550-600 at the fly...would you say this is correct?....or am i just getting the "new motor shakes"?
i know the 10:1 is the border for pump gas...so i have already accepted running a mix of 101/pump....which i do anyway to keep the carbon build up down (i was told this help)
anyway thoughts on this motor?

All i wanted was a stout 496, and the power crazed "motor guy" always said "well for the same price we can get this"
So dont always trust your engine builders judgement.

Well hopefully he hasnt built me the Towelly-Ban special....lol

i just feel like he made some major choices about MY motor WITHOUT calling me....it isnt a radical motor, but i still feel like he thinks this is his motor and decided i needed more than what i asked for. I have heard nothing but good about this guy, no horror stories yet....lets hope i am not the first.

what do you think about my vague engine description?....probably way to vague to make a call.....i will go get my cam card from the guy....see i dont even know the EXACT specs....this is so annoying...we have gone through 3 diffrent cams from comp before Comp got the order right...

thanks guys

What he's trying to do - I think - is swing the valve events around to close the overlap. Some engine builders think that most people have never had a "de-tuned" engine re-converted to lenthen the power band. Most gernade because they won't take wear, which is figgured into most grinds available today.
I had a like same problem with a "friend" that was trying to convince me of the same thing until I noticed what he was doing......which was strech out the clock & produce a STOCK overbored engine from the 60's. I wasn't impressed with them then, so I knew I wasn't going to like it now & that he was WAY off base to what I wanted. I ended up taking the engine back from him & redoing it myself to what I wanted.
You can run 10:1/2 to 1 on pump fuel. I do it everyday & without ping. So your ok there- as for your hp, as a guess ( there are others here with the equations in their heads) I would say from your descriptions that you may get 475-525 max. He is using quality parts, and there is nothing wrong with that- but it's taking a LONG time to get it back.
Good Luck......and you may want to invest in some stock from Shell Oil.

You can run 10:1/2 to 1 on pump fuel. I do it everyday & without ping. So your ok there- as for your hp, as a guess ( there are others here with the equations in their heads) I would say from your descriptions that you may get 475-525 max. He is using quality parts, and there is nothing wrong with that- but it's taking a LONG time to get it back.
Good Luck......and you may want to invest in some stock from Shell Oil. [/B][/QUOTE]

Well that is what i wanted to hear.....so i actually got what i wanted.....that horse power mark is a good place for me to be.
My builder is a cirlce track guy mostly, so at least he believes in long life motors. But he is taking his sweet ass time...lol.

but thanks again, you have made me feel a lot better, i thought he took over and built something that was going to require me to make this car "race only"....
again THANK YOU
-zakk

Personally, I stay away from circle track motor builders. I get tired of left hand turns.

ouch