iv gotten my new intake and carb weiand stealth intake,holley 600, and ive removed all the a/c components, compressor ect. and im in the process of getting me some hedman headers and a k/n air filter i want a good estimate, or to know how much horse power is my car going to have its a basic 302 and the car is a 73 comet.
depends on the year... up to 72 i think they measured the hp ratings as a gross, then 73 later they went with net hp with all accessories or something of that nature... then of course you have EMISSIONS, so in a chiltons you'd find a 302 from 1971 making like 220 hp and 300 ft lbs... and 73 showing around 160 or so as the ratings were different... I'm sure someone else will chime in and help as i am hexed for time...
235 is way optomistic with an 8 to 1 compression 73 302 with stock heads and cam. The cam's timing is retarded, the pistons have a grand canyon sized dish in their tops. Fix those two and you'll be in the 200's then.
At a minimum, replace the cam with an EFI grind with a wide LSA, or go with a Comp Cams 268H. Anything wilder with the stock pressed in rocker studs, and you'll pull the studs out the heads.
Really,,,, what is horsepower???? Just a number- Really Don't you just hate lines that start an end with same word! Best thing to do is look at your WALLET, go from there, ask question as to what has worked for others, (everybody is different, so you have to decide what they say) and WORK with what you have! You will find out if you have $500 budget with $1500 wants, Best thing is to SAVE your 500 clams till your ready for the 1500 buck upgrade! Spending the $500 now sometimes will be thrown away, wasted, just not the right parts for the rest of upgrade! Sorta like if you put a cam to waken up engine now,,, oh yea, I like that feel! Ok now that crack head passed me,, well, I'm putting them pistons an heads on this now! Chances of cam doing it's job are slim. Double spent on cam. It just goes on,,, ask me,,, I got boxes of smiles than frowns! Good luck! don't worry on HP numbers, just build the best you can!
my dreams crushed I guess I got a little delusional with all the shiny new parts I've been buying but the problem is I have no way to pull the engine to put in a cam and the money it would cost for someone else to do I'd would be outrageous. .........cries in corner..... but I appreciate the honesty and tips
dpa Cometking, join the rest of the crowd in the world of Reality HP. When you get your (oh, so disappointing) numbers from the dyno guy that surely must not know how to read his own damn machine, remember - you still have to face that long, arduous journey- the quarter mile trek. . . if you have the gonads to challenge it (and you will ). My first time out, like those among us who will admit it, about the 1/8th mile marker, I was wishing I'd packed a sandwich, chips, a Big Gulp, and a Snickers bar for the insurmountable challenge that lay ahead - the last half of the quarter mile! About 3/4ths the way through (the 1/4 mile), I tried to remember if my cigarette lighter worked or not - after nonchalantly dispensing a Marlboro Red into my cotton mouth - along with a hint of crow and resolve. Eventually, you'll get your car to the Holy Grail - the turn around road! As much as you wish the timer was on the fritz, you'll collect your bona fide time slip from the calloused old lady in the booth who could've told you that "the timers might be off tonight" but doesn't. You'll blip the accelerator one more time between shifts in defiance as you leave the senile lady in your dust - and then turn on your interior light to count the dead and wounded. "No way", and "Oh my god, this is horrible" are the phrases that you will likely hear yourself say back to yourself when you finally figure out the Grand Total of time that it took you, your pride, and your joy to conclude your odyssey. Once you've succumbed to the five stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and finally - acceptance), only then will you truly love to hate your addiction - your less than perfect Comet. After that sobering experience, months afterwards, you'll realize that "all it takes is money" to go faster. Good luck - and, you're not alone. :Handshake
Rick Book, that's good.But, can't you guys see a LITTLE increase in HP? Still at 160 with headers/duals, and 4V? I'm gathering parts for Holley 600, Edelbrock Performer, electronic ignition, cam and headers (w/duals, of course). Maybe some head porting. Someone suggested it was all fruitless w/stock '72 302 heads. Is that what you guys are thinking?
72 started with 140 HP. Not too shabby for our little old motors and light cars, but not what you were hoping for. Dual and headers might add 15 hp, maybe another 20 or so for intake and carb. I have heard that AC sucks 8 HP. That puts you at currently around 150, then 170-180-ish after the intake and exhaust are added. you won't pick up decent numbers (over 200-ish) until you swap heads, cam, and get the compression up a bit. But, keep in mind that with our little cars, 180 HP can be a LOT of fun... The pic at the bottom was done with approx 180-200 HP.
160 LOL!!!!! stupid 302s with crappy horsepower i guess i could lie to myself all that matters is if it FEELS fast to you... mines kind of drifting off lately but it was due to the battery scrapping against the altenator.. WOOPS!!! did i just say that (or type it) thats another story witch i will not get into
Engines were rated with SAE gross horsepower up until 1971, in other words the engine with NO accessories on an engine dyno. Starting in 1972 that standard changed to SAE NET HP, what an engine put out with all of it accessories attached AND operating at the rear of the crankshaft. This created confusion but gave a realistic HP rating based on what the engine would do in the chassis of the vehicle it came in. In 71 a 302 in a Maverick was rated at 210hp, in 72-77 138-141hp are the numbers I have seen. Now with all that in mind, I justed ran my car on a chassis dyno and netted 166.71 rear wheel horsepower so I have gained a few over stock. Consider ratings at the rear show a 15%-20% loss from the crank to the ground at the rear wheels. Which nets me approx 190-195hp at the crank. Here is the list of my mods: 1. Holley contender aluminum intake 2. Holley Street Avenger 670cfm carb (WAY TOO MUCH CARB) 3. Dual exhaust: 2.25 with 'H' pipe and Walker Dyno Max Turbo mufflers 4. K&N air cleaner with extreme filter top 5. One inch phenolic carb spacer 6. HEI distributor, upgraded coil and 8mm wires 7. Fan clutch on water pump 8. Timing advanced to 12* BTDC vice 8* as new. Now also understand this is the original engine, never been rebuilt, never even had the valve covers off (does have new oil pump, bearings, and timing chain set, all installed in the car from underneath), original cam and valve train, original 3 speed, and 2.79 rear gears. Car gets 22mpg on highway and about 14-15 around town. rk
