how to get the most from your motor...
Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2008 9:17 am
The best way to get the absolute most from your motor is timing and carburetion.
Timing : Making sure the optimum amount of timing for your engine combo will give the most an engine can. Usually more inital advance(balancer reading at idle) will produce quicker and more low end torque. But it also must stay with in the total advance recommended specs. Total Advance(spark advance when the distributor is fully advanced usually after 3000-3500 rpms stock cars)
Total advance should be brought in as quickly as possible for maximum performance also. before 2500 is recommended. (Usually can be controlled with aftermarket distributor)
A multi spark box and matching distributor if you can afford it is the way to go for performance.
Carburetor: If you have a aftermarket carburetor bought new...You should probably leave it along. esspecially if you aree still learning about the systems and how they work. A carburetor is one of the BIGGEST culprets to BAD motor performance. Someone has bought a use carb and they try to make it work or fiddle with it so much that it is so out of wack you will never get your car in tune. AGAIN if you have the money start FRESH buy it new. To understand how your car reacts to different ingintion timing you will NEED this component TRUE and uninhibitated. The only thing that should be turned on a carb that is new for now is the throttle and maybe a 1/4-1/2 turn on a idle screw. As long as your car is not a 1000 horse 300 advertised duration motor that carb should run on your motor.
What I am getting at here is that you need to make certain that the motor is running correctly before blaming other parts of your car to make up for what you think is loss of power from gear ratio, or a torque conveter etc.
ANY CAR WITH ANY SBC V-8 RUNNING CORRECTLY WILL HAVE THE POWER TO DO A BURN OUT WITH A SMALL AMOUNT OF BREAK TORQUE. If it can not there is probably a problem with the motor...be it compression and old, valves in the head worn, ignition/timing off, carbuertor not correct, vaccum leak...and on.
All the info is if your motor is in good mechenical condition long block.
One last comment. A bad compression and carb combo will be hard to over come also which is the second most mistakes I see in customers cars and loss of low end power.
Great fun performance starts with tons of lowend torque. and most of the time that comes with lower duration cams 280 and less advertised duration. Unless your keeping your foot to the floor from light to light choose the smaller cam for the street. Take the 300fot bls. of torque at 2000-2500 than the 400foot lbs. of torque at 4500-5000. YOU will be much happier...trust me. Good luck and lets here your comments. Jim
Timing : Making sure the optimum amount of timing for your engine combo will give the most an engine can. Usually more inital advance(balancer reading at idle) will produce quicker and more low end torque. But it also must stay with in the total advance recommended specs. Total Advance(spark advance when the distributor is fully advanced usually after 3000-3500 rpms stock cars)
Total advance should be brought in as quickly as possible for maximum performance also. before 2500 is recommended. (Usually can be controlled with aftermarket distributor)
A multi spark box and matching distributor if you can afford it is the way to go for performance.
Carburetor: If you have a aftermarket carburetor bought new...You should probably leave it along. esspecially if you aree still learning about the systems and how they work. A carburetor is one of the BIGGEST culprets to BAD motor performance. Someone has bought a use carb and they try to make it work or fiddle with it so much that it is so out of wack you will never get your car in tune. AGAIN if you have the money start FRESH buy it new. To understand how your car reacts to different ingintion timing you will NEED this component TRUE and uninhibitated. The only thing that should be turned on a carb that is new for now is the throttle and maybe a 1/4-1/2 turn on a idle screw. As long as your car is not a 1000 horse 300 advertised duration motor that carb should run on your motor.
What I am getting at here is that you need to make certain that the motor is running correctly before blaming other parts of your car to make up for what you think is loss of power from gear ratio, or a torque conveter etc.
ANY CAR WITH ANY SBC V-8 RUNNING CORRECTLY WILL HAVE THE POWER TO DO A BURN OUT WITH A SMALL AMOUNT OF BREAK TORQUE. If it can not there is probably a problem with the motor...be it compression and old, valves in the head worn, ignition/timing off, carbuertor not correct, vaccum leak...and on.
All the info is if your motor is in good mechenical condition long block.
One last comment. A bad compression and carb combo will be hard to over come also which is the second most mistakes I see in customers cars and loss of low end power.
Great fun performance starts with tons of lowend torque. and most of the time that comes with lower duration cams 280 and less advertised duration. Unless your keeping your foot to the floor from light to light choose the smaller cam for the street. Take the 300fot bls. of torque at 2000-2500 than the 400foot lbs. of torque at 4500-5000. YOU will be much happier...trust me. Good luck and lets here your comments. Jim