HT crate motor requires 92 octane?

[dremu]

Was looking at the GM crate motor, specifcally the HT502 <grunt grunt> ... until I read it runs on 92 octane. It's bad enough I gotta pay for the motor, but now my gas bill goes up?

Is there a point to retarding an engine like that to run on lower octane, or is it like a function of the compression ratio and I should just be looking at a more normal motor that'll run on the cheap stuff?

-- A

 

[xpndbl3]

it's due to the compression ratio, cylinder heads, and the camshaft in the motor. Retarding the timing probably won't help, although it is a solution, you will be down on power compared to premium fuel.

 

[dremu]

it's due to the compression ratio, cylinder heads, and the camshaft in the motor. Retarding the timing probably won't help, although it is a solution, you will be down on power compared to premium fuel.

Yeah, and then what's the point of a high-zoot motor if it's detuned -- be kinda dumb on my part.

Stock motor is looking better and better

-- A

 

[makovai]

Last winter i looked at the same idea. I wanted a 502 so bad. But after weighing out all the cost i ended up putting in the 330 hp crate SBC. I've always had BBC but i think i made the right choice. It was tested on 87 octane, i run it on 87 octane, and i keep the bills down. I will say the 8 mpg i get doesn't really back my story very well but im happy with the SBC.

 

[dremu]

Last winter i looked at the same idea. I wanted a 502 so bad. But after weighing out all the cost i ended up putting in the 330 hp crate SBC. I've always had BBC but i think i made the right choice. It was tested on 87 octane, i run it on 87 octane, and i keep the bills down. I will say the 8 mpg i get doesn't really back my story very well but im happy with the SBC.

Well, the truck has a 454 now ... it's a crewcab and is my tow rig, so an SBC ain't gonna cut it. Don't care about HP so much as torque... so that HT502 with like 500ft-lbs was just sexxxy... but I think rebuilding the one I have, maybe a bit of a cam upgrade or something, will be a nice balance.

Hell, at least it'll spin =))

-- A

 

[xpndbl3]

rebuilding the factory 454 with better cam and some head porting/swapping and a different intake will make a world of difference along with some nice long tube headers, h-pipe and duals.

 

[73k5blazer]

Ahhh...the joys of shopping for engines, when you actually need one! Have fun and enjoy the ride.

Did you teardown your current one. You sure it's rebuildable, like not a cracked block or something bad like that.

 

[dremu]

Ahhh...the joys of shopping for engines, when you actually need one! Have fun and enjoy the ride.

Did you teardown your current one. You sure it's rebuildable, like not a cracked block or something bad like that.

Haven't touched it yet, as I gotta bring the truck in from the street into the yard which means I gotta clean the yard up to move the two K5's around which means I gotta clean the garage up which means ...

I'm hoping this week I'll get the truck pulled in off the street so I can start to tear her down and pull the motor.

Yeah, I'm a bit afraid of what I'll find

-- A

 

[makovai]

Well, the truck has a 454 now ... it's a crewcab and is my tow rig, so an SBC ain't gonna cut it. Don't care about HP so much as torque... so that HT502 with like 500ft-lbs was just sexxxy... but I think rebuilding the one I have, maybe a bit of a cam upgrade or something, will be a nice balance.

Hell, at least it'll spin =))

-- A

you make a valid point. I just hope you have a big wallet. The last BBC i did ended up costing me $12k but it was pretty as well as powerfull. 627HP and 703 torque. Dont get me wrong, a BBC sounds good on the road, in a story, and everywhere you go, but it cost 3x what a SBC does. Thats my only point.