built 406 or mild 350 w/whipple

[618 Syndicate]

An 8.1 is a great motor, until you go to modding it. Like you said, **** is crazy expensive. My buddy has one in a 2500hd with an Allison behind it. It's a stroker, makes a **** ton of power but he's got sooooooo much money in it. He's one of those guys who just wants to do what he wants to do, we been tight for over 30 years so I just laugh at him. Oh, he has a whipple waiting to go on it too....

 

[b454rat]

I doubt he would sell and wouldn't have the money but buddy has a Vortec 454 with a whipple. Last time I talked to him said something about the tune, but had the stock black box I think, told him to run a 0411. Maybe I'll go talk to him today, never know....

But for the hell of it, I priced out a crank to, a 4.25 stroker crank isn't much more than a stock one. Since this wouldn't see any type of boost, cast would be fine. ****, every motor I've ever built had a cast crank. .060" over wit that crank would be a 496. Tempting lol....

 

[Supercharged111]

I doubt he would sell and wouldn't have the money but buddy has a Vortec 454 with a whipple. Last time I talked to him said something about the tune, but had the stock black box I think, told him to run a 0411. Maybe I'll go talk to him today, never know....

But for the hell of it, I priced out a crank to, a 4.25 stroker crank isn't much more than a stock one. Since this wouldn't see any type of boost, cast would be fine. ****, every motor I've ever built had a cast crank. .060" over wit that crank would be a 496. Tempting lol....

You ain't got a hair if you don't. . .

Also, my 454 with Whipple ran on a blackbox and Whippletronics for many, many moons before I got it.

 

[L31MaxExpress]

You can drill Vortec heads to work on a 400, right? If so, my vote is 400 with Whipple. I took my 1500 down to MI for the first time with the blower this year and DAMN did it run! I love the way the thing delivers power even up here in CO. I've driven a 6.0 truck and just don't like the way it delivers power. I'll gladly lose a drag race to one so I can tow locked up in OD and not require a downshift for it to get out of its own way.

My NA 383 does that very well without a blower. Then again 5.13 gear has me at 2,850 rpm @ 70.

 

[Crookedaxle]

I use to daily and tow with a cam 6.0 and a S475 turbo. It did very well. It would chug along like a diesel. I ran about 8psi at 2000rpms / 70mph.
It still got good mileage, mind you not as well as a diesel. It would get 23.5-24mpg unloaded. I dont remember it getting less than 10mpg but one time and that was after I put the cam in it and hadn't fine tuned the fuel table. It was really rich in boost and higher load in vacuum.

You must have been running 91-93 pump gas then? It would be interesting to see what E-85 would do on a boosted tow rig like that. Not that you'd come out ahead cost wise but could probably dial in a lot more spark during lower rpm/high boost conditions I'd imagine.

I even went as far as unhooking my heater core in the summer and run the W/A intercooler water to run thru it.
IATs would get down in the low 50* on a 100* day. Was able to get some more timing in it too.

So your heater core must have been being cooled by your AC too then? If so, would it still keep the cab cool on hot days?

 

[Christian Steffen]

I doubt he would sell and wouldn't have the money but buddy has a Vortec 454 with a whipple. Last time I talked to him said something about the tune, but had the stock black box I think, told him to run a 0411. Maybe I'll go talk to him today, never know....

But for the hell of it, I priced out a crank to, a 4.25 stroker crank isn't much more than a stock one. Since this wouldn't see any type of boost, cast would be fine. ****, every motor I've ever built had a cast crank. .060" over wit that crank would be a 496. Tempting lol....

Depending on the mfg, i wouldn't even worry about boosting on a cast crank, pistons are the bigger concern.

 

[b454rat]

I'd imagine cast crank and pistons in a Vortec. One tons might have the forged stuff, dunno. But went to talk to buddy with the 454/whipple, and, doesn't wanna sell it. Does have a motor tho, but doesn't think it's complete, and prolly be a ***** to find the brackets n what not. Gonna try to get whole truck, this way complete, running n driving....

 

[badco]

I'd imagine cast crank and pistons in a Vortec. One tons might have the forged stuff, dunno. But went to talk to buddy with the 454/whipple, and, doesn't wanna sell it. Does have a motor tho, but doesn't think it's complete, and prolly be a ***** to find the brackets n what not. Gonna try to get whole truck, this way complete, running n driving....

All my vortec stuff has had mahle pistons factory. Not forged but at least they are hyperutectic and light. ive sprayed 250+ on the factory stuff and went 10.5s on std bore stock bottom end 350s

 

[L31MaxExpress]

All my vortec stuff has had mahle pistons factory. Not forged but at least they are hyperutectic and light. ive sprayed 250+ on the factory stuff and went 10.5s on std bore stock bottom end 350s

I had one making about 425 at the crank naturally aspirated and sprayed bottles and bottles through it with 150 hp pills on top of that. I kept it under 6,500 rpm. Never hurt the stock bottom end minus one rod bearing shell. Bearing shell that it killed was actually on the rod cap side and it did not hurt the crank. It was an 8,800+ GVW engine. They came with a stronger crank, 4 bolt mains and a single roller timing set from the factory.

 

[badco]

I had one making about 425 at the crank naturally aspirated and sprayed bottles and bottles through it with 150 hp pills on top of that. I kept it under 6,500 rpm. Never hurt the stock bottom end minus one rod bearing shell. Bearing shell that it killed was actually on the rod cap side and it did not hurt the crank. It was an 8,800+ GVW engine. They came with a stronger crank, 4 bolt mains and a single roller timing set from the factory.

Mine was 540ish on engine dyno and i crossed 1/4 at 8200. I ended up eating couple head gaskets trying for two stages and put my 377 then 406 in it