hey guys i just found out how to get 30 extra hp for $40 its simple change the oil ill explain i work in a machine shop with a engine dyno we usually build alot of dirt track engines so our test mule engine is really a dirt car engine that will never see the track its a 355ci chevy with a 535 lift hydralic cam well we were bsing the other nite about how to make more hp and my buddy came up with the idea that having thicker oil will help keep hydralic lifters from unpumping at higher rpm and so i called him on it and tried it and it worked i gained 29.2 hp and 19 lb ft at 5500 rpm the oil i used was valvoline 50 weight high performance oil just straight 50 weight i was using 20w 50 brad penn racing oil you just have to be carefull on cold starts it takes a while for thick oil to loosen up so dont rap on it cold or you could risk breaking a oil pump shaft i dont recemend rappin on any motor cold so just thought i would share this new hp trick i learned
There is also a big difference in the bearing clearances on the SBC versus the SBF engines. The chevy specs call for more clearance than the Ford - almost twice the clearance. The only time I would run 50w oil in a Ford engine is if engine wear was to the point of needing a rebuild.Ford specs for 302 main clearance are .0005" to .0018" with maximum wear at .0024". Rod bearing clearance is .0008" to .0026". I like to hold my clearances close to minimums - near .001" for both. I do realize that it is common to use larger clearances and run heavier oil but my way works well for me and my type of driving.
hey i just thought it was a cool piece of info on how to make hp cheap on alot of high performance engines alot of engine builders like more clearence so it will create less friction less friction always meens more hp in a couple of weeks im goin back to the chassis dyno for some more tuning and im gonna try this trick and i will let yall know if it works on a ford
