Horsepower!? (1 Viewer)

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D

drohweder

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Oct 5, 2003
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Got a 76 FJ 55 with a rebuilt 350 csb and quadrajet carb. I am looking to increase hp as it seemed really flat so I put in on the dyno and got only 90hp out of it the first run. Turns out the throttle cable wasn't getting enough pull with the toyota pedal to activate the secondaries.. so a quick cut and weld gave me more pull. Second run withthe secondaries open only produced 170hp. Not a bad gain for 15 minute mod but what should I expect out of this engine once the carb is tuned? It got a HEI dist, standard manafolds and lots of exhaust to breathe.

Your thoughts, I am new to the scene and am just learning about carbs and engine stuff. Thanks. Dan
 
Dan, fully tuned but without any internal mods on a 70's small block will still be only about 180-200 HP at the rear wheels. Heads used in the day and low compression engines kept stock HP ratings very low. Even factory 454's had only 245 HP ratings at the flywheel. There aren't a lot of bolt on fixes to help things. If you wish for more power it will mean finding a good head/cam/intake combination. Any bolt on stuff such as headers and carb will be unrealized until the engine can breath better.
 
Thanks Rice for the tip. I am totally ignorant of engine anatomy so I will have to look up what a head,cam and intake are. Makes me sound stupid..Its because I am when it comes to the internal combustion engine. I bought an old carb'd engine so I could learn to work on it, guess I should study the anatomy of sbc's! What have you found to be a nice combination to balance power, fuel economy and reliability?
 
Rice hit it....if you want to get an idea of how much HP (and actually torque is what your really after) you want to afford, order yourself a Sumitt Racing Catalogue 1-800-230-3030. Prices for stuff are good, endless combinations, and tech dept is usually very helpful....even has inexpensive books avail to help you learn more about building sbc etc...Good place to start the process rolling....one word of caution these boys grew out of drag racing...you don't want to build a drag motor keep focused on high torque and longevity.
 
A couple of years ago HRM took a 350 (mid 70's) straight out of the junkyard and slapped Vortec heads, Edelbrock intake and a few different cams on it and made well over 300 Hp. I have duplicated this numerous times with all positive and amazing results. Best of all it can be done for under $1000. The Vortec heads are a bolt on but you must use a Vortec specific intake, like the one from Edelbrock, self aligning rocker arms and center bolt rocker covers, both from G.M. Then I would call a good cam company and tell them what you're doing and they'll get you the right cam. You won't be sorry and won't break the bank either. :D
 
So educate the ignorant. What constitutes the "intake"? Is this a mod that could be done in an evening by someone who knew what they were doing?
 
[quote author=drohweder link=board=1;threadid=7543;start=msg64066#msg64066 date=1069051650]
Is there a way to identify your engine components without pulling it apart? No need to fix it if if isn't broken! Thanks for being patient with a newbie!

D
[/quote]

If you know what the motor came out of and it hasn't been modified, you can find out.
 
Ypu can go to mortec.com and find out your engine's heritage from the serail/casting numbers.
There are also sites to check your head's lineage from the casting #'s.

You can get head casting #'s by pulling the valve covers.

Good "old" heads are out there but be careful of what you buy.

I bought a pair of nice '70 LT1 heads(Corvette) for my 350 and it runs nice.
Mine is a 79 block with 9:1 pistons, Edelbrock Performer and AFB.
The big deal is the cam. Talk to local guys with similar vehicles and ask what cams they run.
Many guys run "RV" or "truck" cams in their Landcruiser SBCs. With only a 3000 lb vehicle, 4:11 gears I wanted lots of RPM so I went with a "streetable" hot-rod cam, similar to what you might run in a Camaro.
It has a nice hot rod loping idle, turns plenty of RPM and basically hauls butt.
If I had a 5000 lb pick up, pulled a trailer and stuff, the torquey cam might be the trick.
That's my comment.
Paul
 
Is 170 hp at the wheels not enough? ???

Sounds sufficient to me!
 
Dan, since some off the questions you have involve basic engine mechanics you may wish to try out "www.howstuffworks.com". It's a super site with lots of animations for everything from pistons to cams to how turbo chargers work and is a good day's worth of reading. There is certainly nothing wrong with 170HP at the rear wheels though and just as important to some is mileage. Properly tuned small blocks can easily give you 18 mpg but too many internal mods and you'll stop at every station in town. I confess, I like having 380+ horses but knew ahead of time road trips would be costly.
 
Thanks for the input guys. This is a rebuilt engine done by Wardens in Placerville,CA. I have tried to contact them concerning the specifics but they seem to have closed shop up a few months ago.

I am not looking for a hot rod. 170 at the rear wheels is fine but if more is possible without sacrificing efficiency and reliability then I am interested. Right now I only get 11mpg so there isn't much to loose. I drive 4 miles to work and ride my bike half the time anyway.

At this point I got a rebuilt engine that runs well with a carb that needs rebuilt at tuned. I think this first step will increase hp and improve throttle response. The truck sat in storage for 9 months before I bought it. I noticed a single backfire coming off high rpms the other day so I think timing should be addressed as well.

Cams: Can I ID these by just taking off the valve covers? I have a 6000# cruiser and I prefer torque to burnouts. What are people with heavy rigs running out there?

Thanks again, I'll check out that website. Always learning something new.
 
Dan

Yes, Wardens has been closed for a while. You can email "Danny Warden" through his webstie, which is still providing aftermarket parts / components.

Being it is a stock engine, the rebuild probably included new rings, bearings, valves, etc., to factory specifications - and 170hp at the wheels is not bad for a stock 70's 350.

Rebuilding the carburetor will increase throttle resonse and will burn fuel more effeciently, you might get some additional ponies, but not much.

Cams: The 350V8 only has a single cam, which is located inside the engine block, and can not be seen directly from removing the valve covers. The camshaft is the "Mechanical Brain" of the engine and tells the intake [fuel / air] & exhaust [waste gas] valves when to open & close.

For your application a factory spec camshaft is adequate / most efficient. As others have mentioned you will need to modify other components to match the camshaft changes.
 
Thanks Warthog. I think I'll stick to a carb rebuild and tune and put the extra money toward body armor. A 55 with a 454? Did you do that and have you got pics? Thanks again.

Dan
 
Dan

Yes, I installed the big block in the cruiser. I had to remove the parking brake [use El Dorado Calipers on the rear disc brakes] pivot point on the firewall, other then that no modifications to the firewall / fenders. Had to fabricate new mounting brackets for all engine accessories to fit.
 
Update on this thread: :D

Rebuilt the Carb, found a lot of busted seals and small missing parts. The float was all messed and the choke needed reworked. Had to custom build a throttle cable. Still not perfectly satisfied with the way its hooked up (worry it won't wear well) but it runs great now. One turn and it starts up on cold mornings, better throttle response and more power overall.

Thanks for your help fellas :D Here is a virtual :beer: for ya!
 
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