Differing Horsepower

From year to year, horsepower differ in different engines. My 71
chevelle has a 307, 200hp Turbo-Fire. My friends 86 Dodge Ram model
has a 318, with a four-bbl carb. He tells me that he has 400+hp. In
order for that to happen, he must rebuild or install a new
transmission for it to handle all the extra power right? Also, he says
his uncle's 76 Stingray has a 'newer' 350. The books I have looked in
say that a 76 350 has 145-205hp. I know that most of this has no
reason for being here, but its a school project for me to post a
message. Thanks - ;\

86 318's had about 160 hp and less than 200 with a 4 bl.
Big heads (340 or 360) with larger valves (or after market aluminum) big
compression, big cam, Aluminum intake and headers would likely still
fall short of making 400 hp in a 318. Happy gas would likely be in order
to pump it up there.

Two things happened with HP actual and ratings over the years. In the
old days up to the very early 70's hp ratings were gross with no
parasitic loss accounted for, The fans, alternators and water pumps and
mufflers all take or kill HP. not to mention Air and power steering.

Then they changed to a flywheel as installed in car rating or "Net"
flywheel HP. A 318 2 bl formally rated at 230 went to 180 real quick.
Then in the seventies pollution and fuel mileage initiatives took affect
and compression's were dropped, pollution devices added on, carbs leaned
out a bit and so on and the "net" hp's dropped even more. That's why you
will see V8 hp's as low as 145 net.

Now with tunnel port intakes, computer controlled injectors, swirl port
head designs and much more. We are seeing pollution and gas mileage
goals achieved while "Net" horse power is on the rise.

It should be noted that rear wheel hp is even less as it takes hp to run
the trans mission, a little more to spin the drive shaft and even more
to run the rear end and axles.
That's why FWD has become so prevalent as there is much less parasitic
loss so smaller less powerful (but cleaner and more fuel efficient)
engines can put the same or nearly the same amount of work producing
power to the road.

Barry A. Lee


RT500/ap wrote:
> From year to year, horsepower differ in different engines. My 71
> chevelle has a 307, 200hp Turbo-Fire. My friends 86 Dodge Ram model
> has a 318, with a four-bbl carb. He tells me that he has 400+hp. In
> order for that to happen, he must rebuild or install a new
> transmission for it to handle all the extra power right? Also, he says
> his uncle's 76 Stingray has a 'newer' 350. The books I have looked in
> say that a 76 350 has 145-205hp. I know that most of this has no
> reason for being here, but its a school project for me to post a
> message. Thanks - ;\