I know everyone has an opinion but you overspent on a 500hp setup and it can be done cheaper. In fact with forced induction. The but as iv said before if you can afford a boss block a 347 big bore is the way to go. 500hp n/a really isn't that hard with good modern performance parts. 400hp with a 302 and good heads really isn't unheard of.
I always overspend on pistons because they matter a lot more than most may ever realize. Not just from a longevity standpoint either. There is power to be had and they help supercharged motors even more on occasion because there is more pressure to be lost in those applications. Good topshelf or even custom pistons certainly make them more durable so more boost can be used/more power can be made. I do agree on the lower powered stuff though. No real need for $700 pistons on a 400 horsepower type deal. But if you do spend the extra money?.. you get a lighter piston AND pin for faster rev's and less bearing wear, higher tolerance machining of the ring grooves, that can run tighter bore tolerances(more stability/less friction), thinner rings(lighter/less friction/reduced blowby), and come out ahead of the ole' stocker or hyper pistons. Not to mention all the other features you get on a high end piston such as forced pin oiling, anti-detonation and pressure equalization grooves, gas porting, etc. Turns that 400 horse engine into a 412 horse engine that remains more consistent over a longer period of time. And don't even get me started on the benefits of gapless rings. LOL
For power & longevity build a 74 or older 351w-408,easy to make 500hp & 500 ft lb of torque with bolt on parts.In a 2500lb car that is a 10 sec qtr mi with good trans & rear suspension to go along w/ it,no brainer.LS mtrs are expensive on initial purchase,do make excellent power,but will not last as long as other mtrs.We are talking about a factory aluminum blk which over time will cause problems.
Big blocks big tires will go around small blocks most all of the time , there is no substitute for cubic inches
71 Mavrk,ck the chamfer on your crank,from looking at those bearings I think there is an issue there.As far as big mtrs & big tire go,that is true most of the time,however Jay Zolko & a couple of other foxes in the Pro Stick class might have something to say about that.There are 3 or 4 of them turning LOW 8 sec qtr. mi. times with 377 ci mtrs,& of coarse the rpms are high but they are very impressive n/a machines,Jay won the class this yr.
Eagle crank. They dont polish them as well as they should. Replaced with different bearings and it solved the issue. Micah
yea, 'cept when you have to much torque for the tires and suspension to handle, then you'll get left at the line by a small block. My 331 makes gobs of torque and goes sideways in 1st and 2nd gear with the Toploader. 13 flat @ 107 in the 1/4 in full street trim (full 24 gal tank, 295/50 street radials, through the mufflers on pump gas) That was with the C4, the Toploader is much quicker.
And nitrous fools a cylinder into thinking it's also much bigger too. He is right though. A twin turbo big block always makes more power than a twin turbo small block. Course, anything much over 1,000 horse on the street is getting silly fast anyways.
Had he said there is no replacement for displacement I would agree. But he said substitute, a turbo small block with make similar power to the average persons n/a bb build. And in our cars it's easier to package a turbo small block than a big block without major front suspension mods.
302 versus 396 -396 wins - boss 302 versus 428 cobra jet -428 wins - 340 versus 426 hemi -hemi wins -350 olds versus 455 -455 wins- 350 rocket versus w-31 455 -455 wins usually by two or three car lengths on all these match ups how do i know this I was in one of these cars in a drag race or two or three or driving when I was a young whipper snapper
All this is fine but nobody but I have pointed out that this is all moot unless you can apply that power and torque to the ground. Whatever you spend on the engine will also have to be spent on the tires, wheels, rearend and suspension(front and rear), far in excess of what's required of a small block. Not to mention braking power upgrades. It ain't as simple as planting a twin turbo big block under the hood and expecting results. Cubic inches also means cubic dollars.
you have to do the same thing to a small block rear end tires suspension brakes if you are going fast you have to upgrade the whole package
