No bs proven engine combos?

[jsf74]

Being a new racer and with so much info out there related to engines be it chevy ford or dodge it would be helpful to many to hear some proven engine combos out there. The more detailed the better on your description. Part #'s cam specs ect. Some people might want to be super secret but just remember it's the new drivers and fans that continue to move this sport foward and pay the winners earnings. thanks in advance to everyone.

[ToddSmith16]

biggest question is....what is your budget? Then you can use the useful information that is provided. I can bet some info will be well out of your budget if you don't provide what your's is which would be absolutely meaningless to you since you can't afford it. Good luck!

[jsf74]

I'm just kind o trying to start a place to help others and myself with no real dollar ammount in mind. Just would like to see a broad range of thing that have worked in the past. Anything from $1000 budget builds to 10k plus motors. Post things such as

Brand
Size
Parts used
Reliability
If it broke
Cost
What u learned ect.

[supercomet32]

Sorry but something along the lines of a budget are almost required...im nto sure ive ever seen a truly $1000 budget engine....mayb ein theory i fyou dont count the small stuff just in rods pistons heads intake and carb an a preexisting block...but seriously 300 is about minimum just in block prep alone...

a 406 has been good to me in the past....also like a 377 based on a 400 block....but if your talking more up in the ranks nothing beats cubes in my opinion...about 421 of them is where im at right now...got a 430 in for freshening but they are in the 20k range

[stpmotorsports]

As for "bang for the buck", the old 383 sbc is hard to beat. Countless races have been won in everything from bombers, b-mods, modifieds, late models and even sprint cars with 383's. I have built several of them over the years, and have had better luck with them than any other combo. I am talking bout the 350 4" bore, 3.750" stroke deal by the way. THe longer stroke makes them tend to have more torque lower in the rpm band and thus not having to turn them as hard, lower rpm=longer life typically.

[sj valley dave]

Are you serious about asking a question like that?? Is it a class that you have to run a 4412 2bl?? An all iron engine? A 23* aluminum engine? Open cylinder head deal? That is waaaay to general..IMO

[Egoracing]

Are you serious about asking a question like that?? Is it a class that you have to run a 4412 2bl?? An all iron engine? A 23* aluminum engine? Open cylinder head deal? That is waaaay to general..IMO

Agree, there is no way to answer this. You could easiy do a $1000 racing engine for a stock 4 cylinder class where nothing but stock is allowed! An engine that dominates winning every race in a hobby stock wont make the feild in a super late model race and may not even be legal in a strictly stock class. Without knowing the rules package or even class of car there is no answer.

[jsf74]

I guess nobody is getting the point of this thread. Nevermind?

[joedoozer]

What did you expect? For people to openly post everything they have spent a small fortune on and a lifetime figuring out? And you asked a question so general, it couldn't possibly be answered. I would gladly give you all the information on my pressure washer engine.

8.5 HP Briggs and Stratton
I run regular 87 octane pump gas in it.
Its all stock, except the rag I use as an air filter.
Its not reliable at all, it doesn't want to start when hot.
Only problems I have had are a blown head gasket. And it cost me $13 for a new head gasket.
What I learned was......don't use carb cleaner to try and start it.

That answers all of your questions but I am sure it wasn't what you wanted to hear.

[dirty white boy]

try googlin 100 top engine builds on HOTROD.com.... or pick a dollar amount or a class rules,..doubt you will find many lower than 5000 bucks,..lest that make good power an stay together...10,000 ant rare for a super street 4 barrel motor,..all aluminum super late upwards of 50,000

[LITE-INN]

What did you expect? For people to openly post everything they have spent a small fortune on and a lifetime figuring out? And you asked a question so general, it couldn't possibly be answered. I would gladly give you all the information on my pressure washer engine.

8.5 HP Briggs and Stratton
I run regular 87 octane pump gas in it.
Its all stock, except the rag I use as an air filter.
Its not reliable at all, it doesn't want to start when hot.
Only problems I have had are a blown head gasket. And it cost me $13 for a new head gasket.
What I learned was......don't use carb cleaner to try and start it.

That answers all of your questions but I am sure it wasn't what you wanted to hear.

is that a k and n rag lol

[lovinlatemodels]

This thread is funny i like the Briggs and straton engine can you get some more hp out of it on ALKY haha.

Jsf74 giving some info like kind of car size of track would help i'm pretty sure a 430 ci motor on a 3/8 track would be over kill or a 355 ci not enough on a big 1/2. Does this help.

[runyou-2]

Know BS injun combo meals.

Welp,i kinda like the 414 3bolt chevy block with them Mopar hemi heads on it if i can find them used. That will save ya about 6,102 $ and.50 cents right there. Getcha a good used 302 Ford crankshaff and fill the block ALMOST full of concrete.<~~~~ that's gonna cost ya bout another 25 dollars cause the price of concrete jus went up this week.Use a Speedway Motors SOLID camshaff wida 306 duration x .625 E/I lift and Jesel shaft rockers.We got some rods from my friends buddies cousin,he jus gave 'em to me tho.Between 6 of us we got 745.45 a piece in it but i still owe one guy a load of firewood when i find some.Ain't for sure how many pubic inches this dude comes out to be but,man o man,it's cheep and sounds purdy dam good in my sister in laws shed.


Oh,i forgot....U will save bout 18 dollars too if U use sack-crete instead of ordering from a truck because most have a 2 yard min.Hope this helps.

[lovinlatemodels]

Know BS injun combo meals.

Welp,i kinda like the 414 3bolt chevy block with them Mopar hemi heads on it if i can find them used. That will save ya about 6,102 $ and.50 cents right there. Getcha a good used 302 Ford crankshaff and fill the block ALMOST full of concrete.<~~~~ that's gonna cost ya bout another 25 dollars cause the price of concrete jus went up this week.Use a Speedway Motors SOLID camshaff wida 306 duration x .625 E/I lift and Jesel shaft rockers.We got some rods from my friends buddies cousin,he jus gave 'em to me tho.Between 6 of us we got 745.45 a piece in it but i still owe one guy a load of firewood when i find some.Ain't for sure how many pubic inches this dude comes out to be but,man o man,it's cheep and sounds purdy dam good in my sister in laws shed.


Oh,i forgot....U will save bout 18 dollars too if U use sack-crete instead of ordering from a truck because most have a 2 yard min.Hope this helps.

LOL thats great i've been doing it wrong all these years.

[andy16]

i needed that laugh omg thats all so funny. must be a young guy or somethin shoulda known he put a target on his back lol. in all seriousness a motor isn somethin to go cheap on. if you dont get the right stuff now you will be throwing away a motor later and then having to go back and buy it all over again.
when starting out new you absolutely need two things to have a sucsessful attempt. you need a motor thats a mule meaning not necesarily the most power but will stay together and a quality rolling chassis. skimp on the trailer the hauler paying your girlfriend and all her kids way in to the pits lol none of that stuff ever helped you in a race. cost wise cheapest to do it and it live super street 4,000 llm owm 11,000 slm 20,000 and these aren motors i would brag about but will get the job done. i have built a few combos before pm me i kept my reciepts that have what to buy and how much it cost. my family has a llm shortblock that has been in use since 1989. only changed pistons and heads and has won 19 races in its career and it aint that special.

[jsf74]

I was not looking for a specific combo for myself just trying to create a thread where people could share what has worked for them in the past and some things that haven't. You can google all day but a drag motor and a circle track motor are two different animals. Poke fun all you want no big deal but some have missed the point.

[jsf74]

For what it's worth yes I'm new to circle track but not to racing. Been drag racing for 14 years.

[sj valley dave]

Guy, nobody is poking fun, but in the circle track world the rules are SOOOOO varied, you'd need hundreds of responses to fill the niches...If you're looking for a specific build type, somebody talking about their 9:1 hydraulic cam 461 headed 355 has as much in common with our 422" 15:1 SB2.2 Late Model engine as a NHRA Stock engine vs. a Pro Stock engine...Your request made zero sense..imo

[Egoracing]

Guy, nobody is poking fun, but in the circle track world the rules are SOOOOO varied, you'd need hundreds of responses to fill the niches...If you're looking for a specific build type, somebody talking about their 9:1 hydraulic cam 461 headed 355 has as much in common with our 422" 15:1 SB2.2 Late Model engine as a NHRA Stock engine vs. a Pro Stock engine...Your request made zero sense..imo

Just to expand a little, there were 2 classes that ran around my area at one time, Both were called Sportsman. One class was 70's camaros and monte carlos with a cage, 358ci max, 500 CFM 2bbl carb, NO headers, hydraulic cam, stamped rockers, stock diameter springs, stock intake, 8 inch wide radial tires and factory wheelbase. The other class was fabricated chassis except for the 14 inches of factory sub frame around the spring pockets, aftermarket A frames, spindles, aftermarket bodies, 362, aluminum heads, roller cam and rockers, any intake, headers, any rearend, and they had to weigh 300lbs less and could be down to 105 inch wheelbase. They could run 10 inch wide wheels and racing tires. The only rules that were common was they also had to run a 500cfm 2bbl carb and the engine make had to match the body.

When the "sportsman" with the fabricated chassis went to the other track they ran them in the late model class and they did well and won some races. At their own track the late models were over 2 seconds faster a lap.

[hpontap]

jsf74,

Even in the same class/same rules, you will find there are endless combinations that are used in the same cars.
In modifieds, you will find everything from de-stroked 347's to 434's and everything in between. Mostly it is driver preference as to how the engines are built.
Consider this:
421 that makes 632hp/652ftlbs makes over 600ftlbs @3,000 and all in below 7,000rpm.
393 that makes 720hp/640ftlbs starting at 4,500 and in above 7,000.
385 630hp/610ftlbs @7,200
362 that twists to 8,600 every lap making just over 600hp and 580ftlbs.
377 660hp/625ftlbs @ 7,600
All of these engines have been in one of my modifieds and all still sitting in the shop ready to go.
Some cost more than others and some could have cost more or less to build at the time.
How "cheap" an engine is, is relative to how anyones resources are.
But no SBC making 600+ hp ( and living like it should ) is going to be what I consider cheap.
Hope this helps shed a little light on how diverse even 1 class of cars can be.
Like the others have said, if you have a certain set of rules you are going to run, Im sure you will get some advice with your combination.
Ive built everything from pure-stock to open late model engines and a lot of drag engines also.
Still have my little SBC limited street truck that will run down in the 9's on any day and go get groceries if needed.
Be more specific and I will do my best to help.