Goal: Increase power without changing block components. I dont want to touch heads, intake manifold, cam etc. Looking for your best links, knowledge references and experience to increase total power under 5K RPM. Specifically, I am talking about the engine. Right now my Riviera sits fairly stock, std/std crank, bore, pistons, heads, intake, Q-Jet carb, exhaust manifolds, points ignition, stock air cleaner. It does have 2 1/2" TA exhaust and the TA Stg 1 cam (when TA listed it as a stg 1 cam). I do have the following parts in the garage and could add/swap out. Holley Pro-Jection TBI - used. - replace the stock QJet HEI Proform distributor - Concerned about reliability and quality, not sure its worth the effort to install. New Accel (Yellow Coil) - Just for fun bought it to determine by my well calibrated butt how it performs over the stock AC Deloc coil. MSD 6AL multispark unit - used, purchased with Holley pro-jection TBI stuff. I am aware of and I do need to do the power timing recommendation. So for all intents and purposes assume I've done it already. Where I believe the biggest gains can be had - air cleaner. Before Engine Masters required a subscription I saw the video regarding air cleaners. The salad bowl cleaner had unbelievable results. Dyno pulls showed it as the best with ridiculous power gains. I don't have a subscription to view the video again but I do want to address airflow constraints by mimicking the bowl effect or changing the cleaner. I don't want to mod the hood. So from the parts listed, what are your thoughts or other things to do? What are some other non block related parts that could be used to improve power? Edit: For reference the rest of the drive train is a 4L80e Transmission and 3.42 posi trac rear end. Im not interested in Super Chargers or Turbos ...yet. Thanks, -Chad
Head flow, plain and simple. I understand that is not what you asked, but that is the plain and simple truth, and you will come to that realization sooner or later. A motor is an air pump. The more air you can move through it, the more power it will make. To that end, head porting or forced induction is most effective. Optimizing your intake, exhaust flow, and ignition timing will net you gains, but nothing like improving air flow through the motor. A roller cam designed for lower RPM power would help as well.
Yea, without changing anything there will be no significant gains on a well tuned healthy engine,...bolt on stuff is a waste of time and energy 95% of the time
bolt on stuff like air cleaners can only gain power if what you have now is causing a big restriction, the salad bowl worked because it gave the air straight unrestricted path of flow as compared to an air cleaner having to turn. the velocity stack with no air cleaner made more. now the big hp your talking about was 3hp on a 752hp 489 BBC. no where near the same mule as your motor. on a 400hp motor this same test might make 1 or 2 hp at best. so as mentioned b4, even though it's not what you want to hear. but if you want to make more tq and hp your going to need to get some wrenches and get some dirty hands and change some parts out. sell off things like the tbi efi system and get a cam and heads that will do what you want, out of box al stage1 heads will make near 50 hp more. I sold set of ported iron heads and heard back that with no other changes it dropped like .6 in 1/4 mile.......but to get iron heads ported and done right is going to cost close to 3/4 of al, and then now where farther to go, and pray and hope they get done right.
NITROUS! Is about the only inexpensive "bolt on" power adder to make any noticeable gains, all the other stuff is a waste, like already mentioned. Bolt on headers would help, especially in conjunction with nitrous! Other than that you're asking for someone to invent something you can bolt on to make more power? Oh yeah, if that is the 1990s Holley Pro-Jection with the hydrostatic knobs to adjust, you'd be WAY better off with the Q-jet!
It's NOS time or some head work or getting cooler air into the motor. This type of head work would be very specialized as you need to pick up flow by a greater percentage then what you may be increasing the intake or Exh ports minimum port area by. This will kick up the torque numbers across the whole torque band without harming low speed throttle response, in fact the best way to start this off is the simple act of just stepping up to bigger valve sizes! I nice power gain many times can be found by finding out where the Cam truly wants to be degreed in at for the best average power up to 5000 rpm.
air flow, like has been said. but,, in addition…….. velocity of the air flow! to increase torque. you have to increase the air speed. in and out, intake and exhaust, the cam limits the amount of intake charge , lo restriction air cleaner,intake, all help, so does less restrictive exhaust, (headers) turbo style mufflers, as headers scavange the exhaust flow from the ajoining header tube, and bigger is NOT better, it slows the air flow, ( all things being equal)
Research has began on a rear mount turbo setup. I have a diesel VGT sitting around keeping my cabinet oily. Thinking of pushing 3lbs of boost, the turbo is very capable of this and utilizing the variable gate should ensure low RPM power is optimal. Conversely, the Riv has a lot of engine bay room, The advantage to rear mount is no need to build custom manifolds just need to re-route exhaust tubing but I like the idea of keeping everything upfront... Decision have to be made. Might not get to it until late 2019. We'll see. The fuel injection setup mention in the first post is the Holley Projection 4Di so it can (should) handle a low boost application.
You'd be much better off the sell the current injection and use one of the newer self learning systems. A rear mount is a great option imo, for what you are wanting. I would however suggest a careful consideration of the turbo you have. It needs to have at least a 70mm compressor wheel and a at least an 80mm turbine. Your better option imo is a 80mm T4 ebay turbo if want to keep it on the cheap, or a s475 if there's enough real estate back there. 6lbs from a s475 would make 500hp and close to 700ftlbs on a stock healthy 455
I would think Im on track. The stock 455 is estimated at 45lbs per minute if I did the math right, which is right in the sweet spot of this PN# 772441-5002S Garret Turbo. It takes the Ford 6.0 Diesel upto 23+ lbs boost in a low rpm range <4K rpm. I've read debates and one engineer with information to suggest why a VGT should not be used on a gasoline engine...it just may be a little more maintenance to keep the VGT veins cleared and the NOx from distorting the actuator plate. Idk, Im just in learning mode right now. The GN just has me on Boost addiction. Love the V8 but having a Turbo Diesel and a deeply nasty GN...kinda hard to ignore my spare unused turbo. I'll look into the other injections systems. Thanks for the info. Where levels of boost are you reliably running?
Ok, Did a little crude fitment exercise and the 70 Riv engine bay or the rear space. This VGT garret is big physically once plumbing is added it will not fit unless cutting and removing is done to the car or I do some more "figuring out." The absolute easiest route would be smaller twins on the rear on the last section of pipe before the tail pipe. Straight in and 90 degree out on the exhaust preserving the final location of the tail pipes. I can tuck the turbos in the space between the 1/4s and frame.
Two On3 70mm's cheap and pretty proven. If the budget will allow two of the new PT LS 76/75's would be WILD
for running twin ON3 Turbos the .96 A/R is the target size correct? https://www.on3performance.com/shop/on-3-performance-70mm-journal-bearing-turbocharger-2/
flip the lid on your air cleaner. the sound alone will make you feel like your going faster. clean your trunk, leave the spare at home. Gut your interior and remove all the tar paper on the floor boards. replace it with that aluminum bubble insulation. Remove half of the springs in your back seats. If you put the seats back in. Thats some low budget stuff that anyone can do.
Get the Lead out!!! Big power gains can be had with out lifting the darn hood just from changing over to lighter rims as it's all rotating mass that the motor has to spin and drag with it!
Looking forward to seeing your car get turbocharged... Send me a message or an email if want to chat about it... Loving my turbo 350
