What's new
CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.

horse power

I run whatever the engine makes. It's not like I can turn it up a few notches on a dial...

Rene
 
so what would be a reliable resonable range for a daily driver slash trail truck thats nonsuper charged gas engine and no nitrious
 
300 hp, 350 tq...keeps things somewhat inexpensive and very reliable. Basically a mild small block.

Sand, or mud you'd want more, maybe a lot more...

Rene
 
well i read lot about of vortec 350 with carbs on them making like 400 hp with just bigger cam, do you think this would be easy to get and be reliable
 
My 355 is making 400 hp and 520 ft/tq. The more HP/TQ you want the more the engine will cost you. I have about $5500.00 into mine.
 
Ok, let me say this. Keep in mind what you're putting the engine into. Trucks don't care about HP but they thrive on large torque numbers way down low in the RPM range. Bascially what i'm saying is it will do you no good to buy or build a high HP/TQ engine if the numbers are so far up the RPM range that they don't benefit you.
 
79bonanza said:
around about how much horse power and torque do you guys usually run
Click to expand...

I got my screws turned up to about 450 hp...550 tq. The tq is 500+ from 2000-4500, sweet spot for dunes, and mud. Thats on a dyno 2000 program, not real life....your results may be different....not available in your area....optional equipment required....tests run in a controlled laboratory....don't try this at home....etc.:haha:
 
haha yea i think im going to try to build one of these vortec motors. they seem to be reasonably cheap to build and make good power plus i like that fact that they are roller valve train so it has a higher redline with no worries. anyone know any reasons not to build one of these
 
just had the Burbs motor rebuilt, completely, with the added roller setup. Only reason i went roller was for "hopeful" longer service life, maybe free up alittle more power, but me personally, with the land yacht i am driving, i'm not too concerned with big horsepower, would take a monster of a motor to make this thing move like a sportscar, and well, it's NOT a sportscar.

Motor is basically all stock form, with the exception of the roller cam & lifter setup, runs awesome, seems alot smoother than with the flat tappet lifters, and it gets me around just fine, even when i had the ole tired motor in it, it would still do what i needed it to do on the offroad travels. :laugh:
 
Last edited:
mine a mild built 355.it gets a round the 300 hp 300 lb ft mark.runs pretty good and doesnt have any too crazy things that would make it unreliable.
 
Same here...300 HP with 400 + lb of tourqe.

Most of my RV camed big blocks have been in this range. With this combo I could out run 98 % of the wanna-bee rice burner, and beat-up trailer trash rods on the road.

It is amazing how much faster a fresh, well rebuilt V8 engine will run than an engine which has never even had its valve covers removed since it came off the assembly line.
 
why build a vortec...call your local yards and find a 97-99 Denali or Escalade or any gm truck from those yrs, the Denali and caddy Escalades were rated higher hp tho, and buy the engine out of it, slap a gmpp carb intake on it and let'r rip! I've done this many times...sometimes i throw in a little hotter zz4 cam but either way its right about 400 horses usually for under 2 grand!
 
79bonanza said:
thats the kinda motor i was thinking about but the one out of a truck 97 or 98 which ever i can find easier
Click to expand...

IIRC the '96 and up vortec 350's were 255hp/330 tq, a long, long shot from 400.

I'm not calling out anyone in particular in this thread but you'll notice that all of the "guesses" are nice round numbers or numbers that came from a computer program. No dyno numbers to back them up. People have a tendency to grossly overestimate power numbers.

The newer motors (5.3/6.0) will make significantly more power than the vortec 5.7 will.



Regardless, seriously question why you want more power and what it's really worth. I got the horsepower bug when I was 18 and decided to build the 383 for (my then) daily driver. Spent plenty of coin doing it, full roller, vortec heads, yada yada.

After that, I saw all the things I really wanted from the truck (bigger axles, lower gears, doubler, fuel injection, etc) and realized I could've had all of them for the cost of the motor. I've never really needed the power in the rocks but I really did need all the others.

I have all that stuff now but what I'm saying is building the motor was the most frivolous and unnecessary thing I've done with the truck, should've been a much lower priority than it was.
 
I'm gonna be realistic. But most of the time take what ever numbers someone says and take around a 100 off each number. Unless there is a dyno sheet. When someone says all the parts that should be good for this or that, or the "feel " in the seat etc. Isn't a very good way to measure anything.

I've seen tons of stock car motors 12:1 compression, cammed up, vac canisters trying to cheat the vac gauge. Every trick done to the 2 barrel carb to flow as much as possible. All the tricks of dirt track. They are only good for 400 to 450 horse. Throw a good 4 barrel they are a little better.
 
I run a stock TBI 305. New is 170 horse and 260 torque. So alot less at 270,000 Km's.

Funny thing is for trail runs or crawling I have more than enough power and torque.

I'm going to a new platform for my rig and it'll be a 4.3 so I'm going even less with probably more weight. Gonna try it anyway and see how it goes
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest Posts

Top Bottom