How Much HP is Too Much?
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,729
Likes: 50
From: Charleston, SC
How Much HP is Too Much?
I have a '68 Camper Special with a sluggish 360. It runs okay but it will eventually need a rebuild. This is a daily driver for me; to work and back, a few brief trips down the interstate a month, etc.
So, naturally, I'm thinking about more power. My question is, how much is too much? I want more power but no so much that the thing becomes difficult to control or uncomfortable to drive.
So, naturally, I'm thinking about more power. My question is, how much is too much? I want more power but no so much that the thing becomes difficult to control or uncomfortable to drive.
Thread Starter
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,729
Likes: 50
From: Charleston, SC
Exactly! Anyone care to put a number on that?
I was talking to an older guy who built hot rods in his youth. He was saying something like "you can build an engine with 400 or 450 horsepower, but the thing becomes difficult to drive in traffic and run on pump gas" and so on. He was talking about his experience in the 60s and 70s.
So what do you-all think? Is 400 horses too much for a 5000 pound daily driver?
Budget isn't a problem.
I was talking to an older guy who built hot rods in his youth. He was saying something like "you can build an engine with 400 or 450 horsepower, but the thing becomes difficult to drive in traffic and run on pump gas" and so on. He was talking about his experience in the 60s and 70s.
So what do you-all think? Is 400 horses too much for a 5000 pound daily driver?
Budget isn't a problem.
Hotshot
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 14,255
Likes: 199
From: Phoenix, Az.
350-400 hp range but don't forget torque.Torque more important than HP We're talkin' about a Bump here not a light Mustang. Even though I said that Fastion your FE like the factory 428CJ Mustang's numbers. It's numbers were torque biased. It was rated at 440 LBs of torque and 335 HP (wink).
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,729
Likes: 50
From: Charleston, SC
350-400 hp range but don't forget torque.Torque more important than HP We're talkin' about a Bump here not a light Mustang. Even though I said that Fastion your FE like the factory 428CJ Mustang's numbers. It's numbers were torque biased. It was rated at 440 LBs of torque and 335 HP (wink).
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Fleet Owner
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 20,678
Likes: 83
From: NorCal
Exactly! Anyone care to put a number on that?
I was talking to an older guy who built hot rods in his youth. He was saying something like "you can build an engine with 400 or 450 horsepower, but the thing becomes difficult to drive in traffic and run on pump gas" and so on. He was talking about his experience in the 60s and 70s.
So what do you-all think? Is 400 horses too much for a 5000 pound daily driver?
Budget isn't a problem.
I was talking to an older guy who built hot rods in his youth. He was saying something like "you can build an engine with 400 or 450 horsepower, but the thing becomes difficult to drive in traffic and run on pump gas" and so on. He was talking about his experience in the 60s and 70s.
So what do you-all think? Is 400 horses too much for a 5000 pound daily driver?
Budget isn't a problem.
- Too radical a cam..
- Borderline or actually overheats
- Too noisy/loud/obnoxious
- Too low (numerically high) rear gear for highway use
- Really crappy MPG... anything less than 10 or so.
- Unreliable
- Idles at 1500 RPM
- 10.8 or higher compression and requires race gas or a race gas mix.
- Barely passes emissions (if subject to testing or visual inspection).
Fleet Owner
Joined: Jun 1999
Posts: 24,552
Likes: 74
From: Creedmoor, North Carolina
That FE block will provide all the power that your Camper Special with it's stiffer springs needs as well as drink all gas you can pour in it.
You can rebuild that engine, bring the compression up, add headers maybe a small 4 barrel and have adequate power. Use the 360 block get a 390 crank & rod set and make a 390 out of it.
You can go over if you like but you will pay for it at the gas pumps.
John
You can rebuild that engine, bring the compression up, add headers maybe a small 4 barrel and have adequate power. Use the 360 block get a 390 crank & rod set and make a 390 out of it.
You can go over if you like but you will pay for it at the gas pumps.
John
Thread Starter
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,729
Likes: 50
From: Charleston, SC
That FE block will provide all the power that your Camper Special with it's stiffer springs needs as well as drink all gas you can pour in it.
You can rebuild that engine, bring the compression up, add headers maybe a small 4 barrel and have adequate power. Use the 360 block get a 390 crank & rod set and make a 390 out of it.
You can go over if you like but you will pay for it at the gas pumps.
John
You can rebuild that engine, bring the compression up, add headers maybe a small 4 barrel and have adequate power. Use the 360 block get a 390 crank & rod set and make a 390 out of it.
You can go over if you like but you will pay for it at the gas pumps.
John
"...drink all gas you can pour in it." They'll do that!
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 18,488
Likes: 22
From: The Big, Oregon
The rear springs are the weak point, wheel hop and ujoint destruction happen on even a mildly warmed over truck. I blew the driveshaft out on my F250 with a torque-build 360, loaded heavy. I take it very easy in the two low gears now with the diesel. It's only 180hp, but 375ft/lbs in factory trim, and it's been turned up from that so it wheel hops really bad when traction is limited. In wet weather it's a handful, in the snow it's a nightmare.
Thread Starter
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,729
Likes: 50
From: Charleston, SC
Interesting. My truck VIN tag (or warranty tag) states a GVW of 7500 pounds. The rear springs are pretty stout. Do you think they will be a problem?