Help me get 700hp out of a 482

[N2950H]

Discussion thread about using a girdle with cross-bolted block includes a couple of statements to the effect that stock blocks are only reccommended up to 600 HP.  What is the recommended limit on the BBM blocks?

I haven't seen a specific number advertised, but I know it is well north of what I'm planning.

[Drew Pojedinec]

Trick question.... have you driven a carb'd big block with 500hp on the street?  600hp?  700hp?

For the way I use and define a NA street car, I find anything over 1.2hp per cubic inch gets tiresome and really takes some of the fun out of driving.  (I mean REAL street driving)

For what it seems that you want, I'd build the largest engine tamer than I would a smaller engine that is high strung.
A 650hp 520ci engine would be pretty laid back compared to the 650hp 482. 

Good luck

[N2950H]

Trick question.... have you driven a carb'd big block with 500hp on the street?  600hp?  700hp?

For the way I use and define a NA street car, I find anything over 1.2hp per cubic inch gets tiresome and really takes some of the fun out of driving.  (I mean REAL street driving)

For what it seems that you want, I'd build the largest engine tamer than I would a smaller engine that is high strung.
A 650hp 520ci engine would be pretty laid back compared to the 650hp 482. 

Good luck

No, I've never even driven a big block car.  I'm coming from the world of SBF strokers (331s and 347s) that were in the 350hp range.  This is quite a step up for me.

It's funny, I thought I knew exactly what I wanted until I came here.  But that's what makes this place so great, I'm learning a lot from you guys.  Appreciate all the input.

There is probably nothing wrong with slapping a set of as-cast BT / BBM / FElony heads onto a 520, an as-cast tunnel wedge, and then a roller cam and making 600-620hp.  I kind of had my heart set on a number, but none of that matters if it's no fun to drive on the street.  I have some pondering to do while I wait for BBM to ship my block.

[Drew Pojedinec]

If you live near Georgia/Florida, stop by.... we'll go for a ride   even with my 525? hp 447ci engine traction makes it to where I don't think any more power would be terribly useful without prepped pavement and competition tires.

[6667fan]

X2 on what Drew wrote. I have a 483 making the 1.2 per number. Hydro roller installed on a 108. Sounds great but is snotty down low. Taking the car out on a cruise night, ( 67 Fairlane with a close ratio TL and 4:11s is fun to pound on but can be tiring by the end of the night. Depends on your comfort level and as mentioned by others your intended use. JMHO. JB

[Falcon67]

X2 on what Drew wrote. I have a 483 making the 1.2 per number. Hydro roller installed on a 108. Sounds great but is snotty down low. Taking the car out on a cruise night, ( 67 Fairlane with a close ratio TL and 4:11s is fun to pound on but can be tiring by the end of the night. Depends on your comfort level and as mentioned by others your intended use. JMHO. JB

This - depends on your tolerance level.  I've driven 4.11 500 HP drag radial rupp-rupp 50 miles one way to car shows.  And the occasional funeral procession.  The car with a license plate has 4.56 and a spool, It's 20 miles to the next town for any cruise night.  Not a problem, watch the trans temp with the 4200 stall converter and stay off the freeway.  I'd rather take a break and let the trans cool than dumb the car down.  Texas antique plates technically don't allow for "daily driving" anyway.  I have my comfy Super Crew (used to runner up in Street Eliminator last weekend LOL) and the Fusion for general going around.

[andyf]

A solid cam, dual carb, 700 hp big block will get old on the street fairly quickly unless you have a high tolerance for noise, vibration and maintenance.  However, you can tame the beast down fairly easily by going with a smaller cam and using EFI. A hyd roller cam will give up some power but cuts down on the noise and maintenance. EFI solves a ton of annoying issues with cold start, hot start, low speed response, etc.

The 700 hp 482 that we did for Car Craft is going in a '63 1/2 Galaxie and is going to be a "run around town car". I wouldn't be surprised if the cam gets downgraded a notch or two after the owner drives it for awhile. The great thing about EFI is that you can dial the tune in. Getting 2000 cfm of carb to play nice at part throttle cruise can be a real chore........

If you don't know exactly what your tolerance level is then I'd suggest building a big engine with safe compression ratio and good heads. That will give you a nice solid foundation to work with. Then you can experiment with different cams until you find a combo that is fun to drive. Changing cams on a FE is a pain, but that is basically what you are signing up for when you take on a project like this.

[blykins]

Changing cams on a FE is a pain...

Why?

It's the exact process as any other engine.   Balancer comes off, water pump comes off, timing cover comes off.  Rockers come off, pushrods come out, intake comes off.  Lifters come out, cam comes out. 

If you're slick, you can even do it with some coat hangers or magnets, hold the lifters up off the lobes, and leave the intake on. 

[Drew Pojedinec]

Why?
It's the exact process as any other engine.   Balancer comes off, water pump comes off, timing cover comes off.  Rockers come off, pushrods come out, intake comes off.  Lifters come out, cam comes out. 

I would go so far as to say a cam swap is easier on an FE than lets say a Windsor or 460 engine because the timing cover isn't part of the water pump mounting.

Falcon67, I agree with your "tolerance level" comment, but for me at least I don't consider a street car something where I say "Ohh I drove it 20 miles once."  I mean more like when my son says "Hey lets go to boyscouts"  and we jump in my car and get stuck idling for ten minutes at a railroad crossing, and ride through town at 25mph hitting stop lights, etc.  If I don't hate myself after the ride, it passes the test....  I don't like having to stare at water and transmission temperature gauges while wondering if I'll make it out of town before something overheats..... it's a pain.  In this for instance, 1 point of compression, and a little less cam and convertor can make a massive difference in driveability, it's worth giving up 50hp on the top end that I'll never see.  A track only vehicle?  different story obviously.  It all boils down to what the man really wants out of his car.

[N2950H]

If you don't know exactly what your tolerance level is then I'd suggest building a big engine with safe compression ratio and good heads. That will give you a nice solid foundation to work with. Then you can experiment with different cams until you find a combo that is fun to drive.

This seems to be the direction I'm headed.  520ci, probably some as-cast heads/intake and a roller cam.  I might see something north of 600hp but what's more important to me right now is that it's a fun weekend cruiser.

It's funny how a "mild" 482 / 506 / 520 / whatever still works out to $18-20k just in parts.  And that's before the rollerized C6 that I'll attempt to use!

[cjshaker]

It's funny how a "mild" 482 / 506 / 520 / whatever still works out to $18-20k just in parts.  And that's before the rollerized C6 that I'll attempt to use!

All the parts and/or machining processes are pretty much the same, so the cost doesn't change much unless you get into porting and specialized parts like tool steel or titanium pieces, specialized valvetrains, coatings etc. You CAN build a 600+ horse engine for $5000...they call them grenades

The performance car hobby isn't for the faint of heart, that's for sure.

[andyf]

If you don't know exactly what your tolerance level is then I'd suggest building a big engine with safe compression ratio and good heads. That will give you a nice solid foundation to work with. Then you can experiment with different cams until you find a combo that is fun to drive.

This seems to be the direction I'm headed.  520ci, probably some as-cast heads/intake and a roller cam.  I might see something north of 600hp but what's more important to me right now is that it's a fun weekend cruiser.

It's funny how a "mild" 482 / 506 / 520 / whatever still works out to $18-20k just in parts.  And that's before the rollerized C6 that I'll attempt to use!

Yeah I agree, I think the parts total was around $20K for the Car Craft 482. I don't think you need to settle for as cast heads though since the Trick Flow heads just flipped the script. Now you can buy CNC ported heads for $2000 and they work really well right out of the box. The BBM intake was very nice out of the box although it did require a little bit of machine work for pushrod clearance. If you have the money I'd duplicate that build with the exception of dropping the compression a point and maybe going with a little less cam. Although if you go with more inches then the cam we used will mellow out a bit more. If you have room in the budget I'd highly recommend EFI. If you don't need the look of the dual carbs then you can save money by running a single throttle body setup.

[Tommy-T]

I must say that I get amused by posts shopping for flow numbers or horsepower. I am NOT against them...they just make me smile.

Rarely does someone post "what do I gott'a do to run 12's or 11's or whatever in my Fairlane". I get the feeling this is what's beeing asked, but the poster doesn't really know it.

If you have been mess'n 'round with 350 HP small blocks, which by the way is plenty fun, an 11 second FE powered car will be a riot for you. Not many driven cars can really run that number.

Recipe for an 11 second streeter? A stock stroke 427 will do it, but a 454 incher does it better. A .600 lift solid flat tappet cam, NICELY professional ported heads (I use Edelbrocks), most any performance intake and a 800cfm or larger Holley, 10 inch converter, 4.56's and slicks. Then figure out how to make these parts work.

It's not that hard.

Seven hundred or even 6 hunnert (or even 500) is a serious piece. Might be easier for you if you sneak up on those numbers rather than go "all in" on your first try.

Most importantly, have fun!

[scott foxwell]

If your goal is truly a HP number, then focus the engine build on that. There are many good recipes for that kind of power...any of which will require a little more than basic engine building knowledge and experience. If you;re looking for an ET goal at the race track, go to Wallace Racing Calculators and do some research. Find out what kind of power you will need to run your number. You'll need to know the weight of your car pretty accurately. You can plug in just about any other information like gear, tire, rpm, etc...and get a power number. Remember...that will be an observed number at the race track, not a dyno corrected number. This doesn't have to be a mystery that only select people can answer. The information is all out there, it's just a matter of putting it together to reach your goal.

[Drew Pojedinec]

And that's before the rollerized C6 that I'll attempt to use!

Want to build your own roller c6 on the cheap?

https://www.facebook.com/pg/AirFuelSParkTech/photos/?tab=album&album_id=174252049980201

I built that one I think in 2014, still running great.  Best transmission I've ever built.