Tips for HP gain?

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Hansen

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Hi guys, i wanna get the most HP out of my engine, what do you think will help the most?
I have not had it on the dyno but it does 9.5 on 1/8 mile with 75 mph over the line. (with bad traction).

Engine: 1974 360 .30 over
heads: ported 596 J-heads 1.60/1.88 valves
Compression: 9.5:1
Cam: Xe274-H flat tappet

Duration @ 0.006": 274° / 286° Duration @ 0.050": 230° / 236°
Max Lift w/ 1.5RR: .487" / .490" Lobe Separation: 110°

Intake: LD340 edelbrock
Headers: dougs D453 1-5/8 Inch
Carb: 670 vaccum secondary holley.
Cooling: stock waterpump, 1117 flex a lite 6 blade ''race'' fan.
ignition: Stock electric ignition all around w/orange box.
Fuel delivery: stock replacment mechanical.
Timing: 35 at 3500 rpm.

Unrelated to the engine hp:
3:23 gears in a 8 3/4 sure grip, 727 manual shift, 3000 stall.

Car is a 1969 dodge dart GT.

Let me know if i forgot any info.
 
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Gears and converter??? What's it in???? What was the MPH in the 1/8 ???

All the power does nothing if you can't put it to the ground. Fix the traction issue first. Then, are you talking major items like heads??? Or small changes??? For smaller items I'd swap the carb to a 750 double pumper. Make sure your tune/timing is correct.
 
Gears and converter??? What's it in???? What was the MPH in the 1/8 ???

All the power does nothing if you can't put it to the ground. Fix the traction issue first. Then, are you talking major items like heads??? Or small changes??? For smaller items I'd swap the carb to a 750 double pumper. Make sure your tune/timing is correct.

3:23 gears and 3000 stall, 727 with manual shift, 74 mph in a 1969 dodge dart. really don't need to worry about the stuff around i got a plan on that already. Think like you were building the engine for a dyno test.
 
Gears and converter??? What's it in???? What was the MPH in the 1/8 ???

All the power does nothing if you can't put it to the ground. Fix the traction issue first. Then, are you talking major items like heads??? Or small changes??? For smaller items I'd swap the carb to a 750 double pumper. Make sure your tune/timing is correct.

Has been thinking of heads but is there any major gain to justify 1600 bucks?
 
3:23 gears and 3000 stall, 727 with manual shift, 74 mph in a 1969 dodge dart. really don't need to worry about the stuff around i got a plan on that already. Think like you were building the engine for a dyno test.
well then, the 1/8 mile time in your first post was irrelevant as well.... LOL
 
Has been thinking of heads but is there any major gain to justify 1600 bucks?
I gave 730 for a pair of Speedmaster heads fully loaded on black Friday sale. Don't know how your ported heads would stack up to them, depends on the porting job. Throw on a 750 DP and tune it. TUNE..... Speed is slow in the 1/8 even for bad traction.
 
well then, the 1/8 mile time in your first post was irrelevant as well.... LOL
i thought instead of a dyno test to give you some idea on how much hp i have to start with. will delete it.
 
i thought instead of a dyno test to give you some idea on how much hp i have to start with. will delete it.
no need to delete.... It is relevant, but to help understand the time you ran we needed to know what it's in (for weight) and gears, etc. 5800 lbs Maxi Van or a 2800 lbs early A, big difference. LOL. As I stated earlier, 74 mph is slow for that combo, unless you are doing a 450 ft one tire fire. What I'm saying is you are not getting the potential your combo has currently, so why throw parts at it? Tune it.
 
275 60 nitto street slicks on 8 inch rim, 4.10 gears, trans go shift kit, and a 750 double pumper. Should help you out.
 
windage tray? 360 would probably like 2.02" intake valves next time the heads are off. carb spacers if you have room. agree with bigger carb, ran a 750 vacuam secondary carb on a 340/4-speed/3.23 SG with 27" tires...good for 108 in the 1/4 (didn't use 4th gear). I did degree the cam, total timing was 36 at 3500, and the carb ran the black spring so the secondaries never fully opened.
 
Gears and converter??? What's it in???? What was the MPH in the 1/8 ???

All the power does nothing if you can't put it to the ground. Fix the traction issue first. Then, are you talking major items like heads??? Or small changes??? For smaller items I'd swap the carb to a 750 double pumper. Make sure your tune/timing is correct.
I have to respectfully disagree with the double pumper. Gears aren't nearly steep enough coupled to a 727. The CFM is ok but I think a vacuum secondary would be much better.
 
Best investment to go faster at the strip? An extra set of cheap wheels and a pair of decent used slicks.
If you have traction problems now, what is the point of more power?
 
I have to respectfully disagree with the double pumper. Gears aren't nearly steep enough coupled to a 727. The CFM is ok but I think a vacuum secondary would be much better.
That's cool, but when my 360 was stock with stock exhaust manifolds, stock converter, and 2.45 gears it ran the best 1/4 mile time and best 60 ft time with the 750 dp. Other carbs that had a chance were a 600 eddy and 770 vacuum secondary. Proper tuning is key.
 
Best investment to go faster at the strip? An extra set of cheap wheels and a pair of decent used slicks.
If you have traction problems now, what is the point of more power?
why not? I rarely go to the strip, but when i do i don't won't the power saving to kill me.

As i mentioned before i have a plan on the traction problem (will be getting slicks and move in the leafs), only thing i want to know is if i want more power, what i should aim at?

thanks.
 
That's cool, but when my 360 was stock with stock exhaust manifolds, stock converter, and 2.45 gears it ran the best 1/4 mile time and best 60 ft time with the 750 dp. Other carbs that had a chance were a 600 eddy and 770 vacuum secondary. Proper tuning is key.

I have choosen my carb based on this video, and calculated the cfm by his number.
 
Has been thinking of heads but is there any major gain to justify 1600 bucks?

Heads are where the power is at everything else you do is to make most of what the heads have available.

Take your combo and swap different heads on and you'll come up with vastly different power levels and bands. Eg.. 318 heads vs 1.88 360 heads vs Edelbrocks vs trick flow each one is total change the powerband and power level.

You could go with bigger cam but your probable already getting 90+% of the power out of those J heads.
 
Heads are where the power is at everything else you do is to make most of what the heads have available.

Take your combo and swap different heads on and you'll come up with vastly different power levels and bands. Eg.. 318 heads vs 1.88 360 heads vs Edelbrocks vs trick flow each one is total change the powerband and power level.

You could go with bigger cam but your probable already getting 90+% of the power out of those J heads.

thanks, thats what i'm worried about is if spending 1600 bucks on edelbrock heads and only get 30 some hp more. really don't want to change out the cam bc of the power brakes.
 
thanks, thats what i'm worried about is if spending 1600 bucks on edelbrock heads and only get 30 some hp more. really don't want to change out the cam bc of the power brakes.

Depends how well your heads are ported, if they flow as much as the Edelbrocks probably not much of a power difference then. Once you get past the basic cam, headers 4bbl each NA hp gets harder and more expensive to obtain. Trick Flows will definitely add power, Nitrous would be the cheapest.

I agree with the others get your traction problem fix 1st, more power will make it's worse. Then go from there.
 
Depends how well your heads are ported, if they flow as much as the Edelbrocks probably not much of a power difference then. Once you get past the basic cam, headers 4bbl each NA hp gets harder and more expensive to obtain. Trick Flows will definitely add power, Nitrous would be the cheapest.

I agree with the others get your traction problem fix 1st, more power will make it's worse. Then go from there.

Ofc the traction is my first priority, just curious on what you guys would recommend. if i change my heads this will probably raise my compression to 10.5, this should make pretty much hp though or is the flowing that matters?
 
Ofc the traction is my first priority, just curious on what you guys would recommend. if i change my heads this will probably raise my compression to 10.5, this should make pretty much hp though or is the flowing that matters?

Cr matters but you'll gain like 5% so on 400 hp engine thats like 10-20hp so you had air flow gain with it would be good but cr alone not so much for the money.
 
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