whats the best engine for both performance and mileage??
purists...smh.
Carry on with your inferior engine.
I did the magnum route, you need heads(because ma mopar makes crap engines), an agressive cam, headers, a big intake, w/ a large carb to make 300whp.
In all likelyhood, it costs me more than a cheap 5.3 LS motor, which makes 300hp stock.
I can't wait to kick the worst part of a mopar out of my car. :finga:
If this is true, then your not thinking things through and have certainly missed a lot of info on building HP. Before you continue to trash the OE engine via a comparo to a much newer modern engine, lets look at the years spread between them in there design. Kind of remind's me of the spread between the 1st year "LA" and the Ford flat head engine.
Seriously comparing the 2 engines is not apple to apple.
While the heads themselves do not flow much, capability is another issue. Your Chevy heads flow what OOTB as installed? Compared to approx. less than 200 cfm for a stock head designed in the early 60's? Or the Magnum head which is on par to a degree in a few ways to the Vortec head.
When head CFM is limited, to produce power beyond a well balanced engine would require a much larger cam then what one would consider today for today's engines. This is the way things were done when the engines were new and the practice still holds water.
In regards to making 300 HP with a Chrysler engine, lets compare cam spec's to head flow and cubic inch displacement. How much cam does the OE Chevy 5.3 have?
I can make 300 HP with a very mild cam under 218 @ .050 in a 318. That is with stock valves in the inferior head.
The modern Chevy certainly has it's points and ignoring what good points it has outside of being a cheap engine everyone has at the corner store would be foolish and stupid. These good points, AKA. modern updated systems can also be found on a HEMI or any engine made today n the world.
Money aside, as if parts were free or money no object or point in argument, if I can swap parts on equal to the Chevy in some ways, like head flow, valve size, F.I., computers, etc... Do you really think the Chevy engine would make sense to swap in or is a better engine.
Each has it's pro's and con's and trashing a MoPar engine on a MoPar board is really lame.
IMO there is one way to do a high performance setup while keeping drivability on an old carb'd engine. Nitrous.
Do a stock bore 360, mild cam, and spray it for track days.
I've got a stock bore magnum 360 with a fairly aggressive cam and the notion of "good mpg" is a freaking joke.
Large "Aggressive' cams will do that.