What HP would you need to smoke the tires off the line.

[MaxPF]

You are going to have trouble finding a set of aluminum heads with Intake runners smaller than 180CC. The only ones that come to mind are the L98 vette heads, and they don't flow until you really work them. Vortecs are around 170CC, I've read they actually measure closer to 165CC.

Edelbrock ETEC 170's. Basically an aluminum Vortec clone, but flows better. The price ain't too bad either, for an aluminum head Another option for those who really want an iron head are the GMPP Vortec Bowtie heads. Basically they are cast iron versions of the fast burn heads, and they come in a small runner (185cc) and large runner (215cc) version. The assembled versions cost as much as the assembled ETEC's, so they aren't any kind of a bargain. OTOH, if you already have good valves, springs, retainers, stc. then the bare Vortec Bowtie iron heads wouldn't be a bad deal at $300 each. Overall though it seems that the ETEC's are the best deal going right now...

 

[gmc4cw]

Just for fun. 6000 lb Blazer, 3.73 gears, TH350, 33" tires.

what type of tire you run is going to have an effect on how easy it is to smoke them.

Do you know for sure the blazer weighs 6000 lbs?

a 350 small block that makes 400 lb/ft is easy to buy/build and it will still run on 87 octane. My engine is basically a 90 fuel injected motor rebuilt with a healthy cam and a carb. 9.5:1 compression and 400 lb/ft of torque. huge horsepower is for racers. anything over 300 is enough.

 

[marv_springer]

start with a fresh or low miles 350, add vortec heads (or the good 305HO heads)with a comp XE 262 cam, about 9.8:1 compression (runs FINE on pump gas with the vortec heads), a edelbrock performer rpm intake and a good tuned edelbrock or a holley

I agree w/ this.

Vortec heads are the shiznit..! ...as are 208's Not a better value anywhere. Go aluminum if you got $$$$, but not really necessary under 10:1 CR and 5000 rpm.

One thing that has yet to be mentioned here is to advance the cam for more low end torque. This would help to give you that "off-idle" torque to show off a little...

Marv

 

[pauly383]

Dual pattern grind is all I would run if I was buying a cam now . Its the new millenium after all . Look at cranes catalogue and pick your rpm range .

R&D works

 

[rjfguitar]

At least 350-400HP. It takes a lot of power to actually light up a pair of tires.

 

[diesel4me]

It's all in the gears!..

If you have low enough gears,just about any motor will spin the tires from a stop..not spin them fast enough to smoke maybe,but spin them they will!..

And I agree that it's the torque,not HP,is what gets them roasting!..

 

[gmc4cw]

If you have low enough gears,just about any motor will spin the tires from a stop..not spin them fast enough to smoke maybe,but spin them they will!..

And I agree that it's the torque,not HP,is what gets them roasting!..

just to back that up I have run a lot of different setups.

4.56 gears with 35's = smoke
4.56 gears with 44's = spin

 

[RingMaster4x4]

My blazer in the sig will make my ground hawgs chirp pretty good. but cracked the bellhousing and the t-case adapter real bad. I guess that is what happens when you try that with a 6000lbs blazer.

 

[vortec]

when i replaced my 350, i looked at where i wanted the torque more than the absolute number. the old one had 305 heads and could spin all 4 tires for a second, then just one front and one rear. open difs, obviously. the new 350 has 350 heads and makes more torque, overall, but it does so at a few hundred rpms higher than the old one. it'll spin the tires better than the old one, but i have more control over when. there are plenty of times when i want them planted, not digging a hole. and, the new one doesn't run out of power on the top end as fast. good for mud or climbing loose hills.

 

[Greg72]

Boy, all this talk really makes me wish my 502 was already installed....!!!!

I'm guessing it will get at least a "chirp" out of the tires.

 

[rjfguitar]

I see lots of people saying you need torque, not HP to "light em up".... not quite so true.

The torque off of idle will break the tires loose.

HP is where all the action really is...if the HP is there then it will take over where torque left off and will pull up into the higher RPM band, scream, and really get the tires spinning and starting to melt.

If the HP isn't there, the fun ends there. The torque did what it could, you get your chirp or half butt spin, and it hooks....

 

[Greg72]

Good HP is nothing more than TQ that is maintained as RPM increases

Remember, HP is a calculated value not something you can point to in "real life"...... for example, try tightening your lugnuts to 100HP.

 

[rjfguitar]

Good HP is nothing more than TQ that is maintained as RPM increases

Remember, HP is a calculated value not something you can point to in "real life"...... for example, try tightening your lugnuts to 100HP.

Yes, greg, you are completely correct. HP is just a calculated formula of how fast an engine develops torque.

With that.... past all the technical stuff. It takes HP to make those tires really accelerate once torque gets them spinning.

 

[muddybuddy]

talk to manny, hes got 500+hp/tq if u ask nicely im sure ull smoke 'em for ya

 

[MaxPF]

Good HP is nothing more than TQ that is maintained as RPM increases

Remember, HP is a calculated value not something you can point to in "real life"...... for example, try tightening your lugnuts to 100HP.

Torque is a measure of rotational force. HP is a measure of work, and is certainly something you can point to in "real life". It is a measure of mechanical force or energy being expended over distance and time. Specifically, one HP is the work required to lift 550 lbs. one foot on one minute. You can have a trillion lbs-ft of torque, but at zero RPM there is zero work being done, hence zero horsepower. OTOH, you can have a shaft with 1 lb-ft of torque turning a million RPM, and it will be making 190HP. Put a 1000:1 gear reducer and, assuming no loss in the gears, you now have a shaft turning 1000RPM with 1000lb-ft of torque and still 190HP. As someone else mentioned it takes torque to break the tires loose. Roasting them requires work to be expended, hence horsepower is what is needed.

 

[Greg72]

Torque is a measure of rotational force. HP is a measure of work, and is certainly something you can point to in "real life". It is a measure of mechanical force or energy being expended over distance and time. Specifically, one HP is the work required to lift 550 lbs. one foot on one minute. You can have a trillion lbs-ft of torque, but at zero RPM there is zero work being done, hence zero horsepower. OTOH, you can have a shaft with 1 lb-ft of torque turning a million RPM, and it will be making 190HP. Put a 1000:1 gear reducer and, assuming no loss in the gears, you now have a shaft turning 1000RPM with 1000lb-ft of torque and still 190HP. As someone else mentioned it takes torque to break the tires loose. Roasting them requires work to be expended, hence horsepower is what is needed.

True enough....

Chirping the tires could be done with just torque.....keeping them roasting (at increased RPMs) will take torque AND rpm (HP).

.....so can the new deisel pickup trucks do burnouts? I've seen the hopped-up ones putting out 800 - 900 Lb/ft of TQ, but diesel engines only revs to something like 3000RPM???

 

[rjfguitar]

.....so can the new deisel pickup trucks do burnouts? I've seen the hopped-up ones putting out 800 - 900 Lb/ft of TQ, but diesel engines only revs to something like 3000RPM???

Oh now now, everyone thinks that a diesel can't do much because they max RPm at around 3K... it's called SHIFT BABY! I'm in 3rd gear when my rears finally hook.

I've got a hopped up '01 Ram Cummins. It makes 355HP and 810ft lbs.

I can flat out rip it up like a top fueler....

And, I'm also a pic whore...

In my diesel I can completely feel where torque leaves off and HP takes over, much more than any gasser I've driven, due to the huge torque to HP difference in a modern diesel.

With my "box" set on "kill" I can chirp the tires at 1600RPM at half throttle....but... to build smoke and light them up it takes nearly all the ponies the truck has to get up around 3200RPM's or so to really pour some white smoke. So, having 800+ ft lbs makes it super easy to "chirp" but the much less 355HP takes nearly all of it to "roast."

With a somewhat weaker gas engine ( you aren't going to get that kind of torque from a gasser obviously), that is how I came up with a 350-400HP estimate in my mind would be needed to light 'em up.

 

[FWP]

Good discussions. Thanks All!

So, right now it looks like Vortec heads, and some cam stuff. Maybe I'll see about a 400 crank and stroke it as well.

 

[pauly383]

I don't think you will weigh 6000 pounds fred , even with a rocker boxed truck . Fully loaded with all my parts , and bumpers etc , I don't quite make 6000 pounds .

Weighed at the dump , before and after I dumped , with a utility trailer in tow .