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396 how much hp?

9K views 15 replies 12 participants last post by  opivyrocks 
#1 ·
Hey guys,
I was wondering what do you think of my combo and how much actual hp do you think it is producing?

I have a 40 over 396, 10 to 1 compression,
completely reworked 215 heads with stock valve sizes
60203 voodoo cam w/ correct lifters and springs
performer rpm intake with 750 VS demon carb
summit long tube 1 7/8 headers
th400 with hughes 2200 stall
10 bolt 3.08 gears peg leg
(i have a 12 bolt posi with 3.31 getting ready to go in )

I have tried competition cams online dyno and it seems very high 425-458 hp. Would a realistic number be 375 hp? It is in the car and feels very strong.
thanks
Jeff
 
#8 ·
I had a bare set of 215's had hardend seats put in them so I stayed factory valve size. No porting.

Thanks for the input guys! Tad better numbers than I guessed. As for the Timing/carb.... I have initial timing at 18 degrees. I just installed a advance curve kit for my HEI I am still dialing that in with the diff springs. I havent adjusted the carb much as still working to get the timing just right.

I knew the gears and my 10 bolt are my weak link, sorry for the 3.07- 3.08 mixup. Getting them mixed up with my pickup gears.

It is very hard for me to really see what I have as I live on a gravel road and the car doesnt have plates yet. I will update when the 12 bolt is in place.

I really built this motor by lurking and researching all the questions answers and engine combos on here. This site has been a great help.

Another question.. how much am I limiting myself by running a mechanical fuel pump and the stock 5/16 fuel line? I have a new fuel tank and new sending unit. At what RPM will I see a drop off?

thanks again!!
 
#5 · (Edited)
Without any more info if the timing/carb were dialed in correctly i would est a realisitc poss somewhat conservative 390-400hp+/430-440 lbs trq with the cam /headers/carb/intake/etc your running,could even be a few more hp then that.

The 331 geard 12 bolt will be much nicer then the 308 geard 10 bolt your currently running,it should feel much considerably stonger with 331 gear. I went from 307 to 331 gear with my 12 bolt & with my slightly milder camed 396 with approx 360-370hp/420-430lbs trq it felt considerably stronger in the old BUTTOMETER with the 331s then with the 307 gear with the m20 i'm running.

Even though it was a farily small step up in gear from 307 to 331 it was a nice surprise because it felt like the motor got an additional 25-30+hp from somewhere when it really didnt and with your hotter motor/setup esp with more cam & headers you should feel a real nice perf inc when you get the new rear with 331's installed.

Get back to us after you get the 331s in the car to let us know how you like the perf inc the 331 has over the 308 your replacing,before and after time slips too if you race it at the strip.

Scott
 
#7 ·
Also, make sure your speedometer is fairly accurate around 100 mph in order to calculate hp
from car weight (with driver) and the associated quarter mile time.

I have found out that you need to input conservative information in the Comp online dyno
in order to stay realistic. I selected the "wedge head - small valves" and no porting input
for my 396 and the numbers were about 385 and 400 hp using their XE 268 and XE 274
hyd. grinds. You're probably in this higher range with the VooDoo 268 hyd.

Charles
 
#9 ·
With a good carter hi perf pump,lrg hi flow inline fuel filter(remove smaller in carb filters),install the light wt f-pump rod to ensure the f-pump rod doesnt start to float when approaching 5,500rpms and above,and either have a new clean sock/strainer on fuel pickup in tank or remove it and you should be ok. It's on the edeg but should be ok if all is good with fuel delivery system/pump etc. But any more motor (cubes)/more cam/more rpm etc and you would need to upgrade to larger fuel lines.

Scott
 
#11 ·
I have a close match to your engine with closed heads and the 60203 cam except I have a 454 engine. It just ran a 12.8@104.44 in a 65 biscayne 4 speed with 331 gears, headers with cutouts.. My car weighs 4200 with me in it. The HP on a couple of the programs list it at 462hp at the flywheel. I would guess the 396 being about 1hp per cube just like mine. So my guess would be 400hp
JMHO,
Dave
 
#12 ·
I don't put much faith in parts catalog or cam companies hp statements. I think a real dyno is the only way to tell. If you read enough header, cam and carb ads, you will pick up 15%-20% with each mod. That means a stock 396/325 can easily make 380-400 hp with just some bolt on mods and a cam change. 400 hp on the street is a lot of real hp. I have a feeling real numbers are more like 330-350. Without a dyno, who really knows.
A guy that has held records in the NHRA and built race motors all his life has a dyno in his local shop. He stressed to me that his dyno numbers are real, not bogus like some dynos put out. I don't know if this is fact, but who knows. He seems to think a lot of shops have dynos that inflate the numbers to make the customer feel good.
 
#15 ·
I don't put much faith in parts catalog or cam companies hp statements. I think a real dyno is the only way to tell. If you read enough header, cam and carb ads, you will pick up 15%-20% with each mod. That means a stock 396/325 can easily make 380-400 hp with just some bolt on mods and a cam change. 400 hp on the street is a lot of real hp. I have a feeling real numbers are more like 330-350. Without a dyno, who really knows.
A guy that has held records in the NHRA and built race motors all his life has a dyno in his local shop. He stressed to me that his dyno numbers are real, not bogus like some dynos put out. I don't know if this is fact, but who knows. He seems to think a lot of shops have dynos that inflate the numbers to make the customer feel good.

I agree 100 % with Matt's statement,vendors advertised HP gains are mostly BS,IMO.I have also heard the same about dyno's and dyno operators.The shop I used does not "fudge" numbers,they give you the real deal.But there is another shop with a dyno a couple of hours away that isnt as honest,and I have heard it said that their dyno will make an extra 50 HP over the first shop.
Guy
 
#14 ·
Somebody on here awhile ago posted dyno results of the 262/268 voodoo in a 396 which is the next one down from you and it made over 400 horse and I"m thinking around 460 lbs torque. You might want to do a search on 262/268, voodoo, or 60202, probably would give you a better idea.
 
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