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power/durability limit for 392

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wud73:
Working to get a hemi in my old battlewagon. 

USE - Bracket type, oldy racing.


CAR - 1960's altered, hardtail, 125".  Using  powerglide.
       - Most the cars in the club have about 700 hp.

I need the engine to be as dependable as possible  (I just don't  have the time or money to blow up even one hemi)

ENGINE STUFF I HAVE -

      - .060 392
      - Couple good std. cranks
      - HotHeads aluminum heads
      - Good blown alchohol roller cam
      - vertex
      - 6-71  non-stripped
      - Bugcatcher

SO HERE'S MY QUESTIONS:

1- What's the horsepower limit of a 392 w/ 4bolt caps and stock crank?  By that I mean what's the limit where it is still very dependable?


2- To produce 700 hp do I need to concern myself with a stroker crank  or fancy blower?  (although an offset grind w/ Chevy rods is easiy enough).

3-It seems every hemi guy I've ever talked to says that race engines must have aluiminum rods.  Go to a doorslammer site and they make a lot of power on steel rods.   At 700 horsepower is there any reson I can't use the K1 steel rods?  What about even Eagles? 

4-If aluminum really soaks up shock then what about alumimum main caps and steel rods?  Do you even get that much shock and vibration in an engine that's not nitro?

I know that's alot but I appreciate the help. 































     

GlennLever:

--- Quote from: wud73 on February 04, 2014, 04:41:30 PM ---Working to get a hemi in my old battlewagon. 

USE - Bracket type, oldy racing.


CAR - 1960's altered, hardtail, 125".  Using  powerglide.
       - Most the cars in the club have about 700 hp.

I need the engine to be as dependable as possible  (I just don't  have the time or money to blow up even one hemi)

ENGINE STUFF I HAVE -

      - .060 392
      - Couple good std. cranks
      - HotHeads aluminum heads
      - Good blown alchohol roller cam
      - vertex
      - 6-71  non-stripped
      - Bugcatcher

SO HERE'S MY QUESTIONS:

1- What's the horsepower limit of a 392 w/ 4bolt caps and stock crank?  By that I mean what's the limit where it is still very dependable?


2- To produce 700 hp do I need to concern myself with a stroker crank  or fancy blower?  (although an offset grind w/ Chevy rods is easiy enough).

3-It seems every hemi guy I've ever talked to says that race engines must have aluiminum rods.  Go to a doorslammer site and they make a lot of power on steel rods.   At 700 horsepower is there any reson I can't use the K1 steel rods?  What about even Eagles? 

4-If aluminum really soaks up shock then what about alumimum main caps and steel rods?  Do you even get that much shock and vibration in an engine that's not nitro?

I know that's alot but I appreciate the help. 
     

--- End quote ---

You might consider copy and paste this over in Matt's Shop, or I can move it for you if you wish.

wud73:
ok Glenn, thanks.  I put in the general FED mailbox because there's so much more activity here.

GlennLever:

--- Quote from: wud73 on February 04, 2014, 05:05:05 PM ---ok Glenn, thanks.  I put in the general FED mailbox because there's so much more activity here.

--- End quote ---

There is, no problem, my thinking was you might attract the correct knowledge in that category?????

AF150:
We ran a .060 over 354, non-Teflon 6-71, powerglide, aluminum 4-bolt mains in a 1700lb car.
I used good Al. rods because I had about 11:1 compression ratio. Car ran 7.30s in the 1/4 with no
reliability issues. Blower was never more than 10% over. Good steel rods would work also.
Takes about 850 hp to run those numbers. I backed it off to run 7.50 or 7.60 index stuff.

My buddy has a .060 392 with the same set-up we ran as quick as 7.03 @ 198 with no problems.
I don't think you will have durability worries til you try to run way into the 6s. Don't run any junk
used parts and pay attention to every detail. Old Chryslers are great engines.

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