Boost vs Cubes vs The Budget
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Boost vs Cubes vs The Budget
I'm still in the process of mapping out the finer points of my 460 build and I am at the point where I am trying to make the decision between adding extra cubes in the form of a stroker kit or if I should add some smallish turbos to the setup, so here I am asking for as much input as I can get. The parts I already have are a D1VE block, a D9TE block, Edlebrock Victor intake (4500 pad), D0VE builder heads, D2VE builder heads (more like home porting practice heads), D3VE heads ready to go and that is about it so far (other priorities and whatnot). I figure it will cost roughly the same for a stroker kit as it would for a set of turbos and the necessary plumbing and tuning to make it go, the big difference is that I can add the turbos to the engine after it's already built whereas the stroker kit is pretty much the starting point of the build. I'm not looking to do crazy bumper stands or knock down the 9 second door, just add a bit more power and perhaps squeeze a little extra MPG out of the motor at the same time. Initially I had wanted to build an all motor 600ish HP 460, but as time has passed the plan changes here and there until now I am looking at boost or more cubes.
Last edited by torkair on Wed 30 Nov - 2:03; edited 1 time in total

torkair- Posts: 372
Join date: 2009-08-27
Age: 28
Location: Tucson, Az
Re: Boost vs Cubes vs The Budget
Boost can get pretty in depth if you aren't up to speed on what it will take to tune and run it properly, where as the extra cubes are pretty straight forward. Turbos will require some extra thought and fab work to install, and route the intake and exhaust, but they sure do make a lot of power when done right. For just a simple deal looking for medium range power like you are after, I'd think you might be better off with the extra cubes and stay away from the turbos.
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schmitty- Moderator

- Posts: 2896
Join date: 2008-12-02
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Re: Boost vs Cubes vs The Budget
OR put a 8-14/71 Blower on it

res0rli9- BBF CONTRIBUTOR

- Posts: 2205
Join date: 2008-12-02
Age: 62
Location: sarasota FL.
Re: Boost vs Cubes vs The Budget
A 460" turbo motor done with quality (Not Ebay Turbos) parts will cost more than a 557" N/A motor with a stroker kit.
However your bottle neck in the N/A motor is enough head to make any real power, with out a substantial amount of $$ put into them. Even with some big time money in them your still leaving alot on the table over a set of aftermarket heads.
IMO A 466", Stock Crank, Hbeam Rod, Dish Forged (TRW / Probe Type), utilizing the dove heads, Blow thru carb on the victor you have, with a Quality single turbo, should be able to do 675-700hp with about 7-8 lbs of boost and run on pump gas with ease.
The smaller inches will work better IMO than a big inch motor with the heads you have avaliable, even with the turbo.
However your bottle neck in the N/A motor is enough head to make any real power, with out a substantial amount of $$ put into them. Even with some big time money in them your still leaving alot on the table over a set of aftermarket heads.
IMO A 466", Stock Crank, Hbeam Rod, Dish Forged (TRW / Probe Type), utilizing the dove heads, Blow thru carb on the victor you have, with a Quality single turbo, should be able to do 675-700hp with about 7-8 lbs of boost and run on pump gas with ease.
The smaller inches will work better IMO than a big inch motor with the heads you have avaliable, even with the turbo.

dfree383- BBF CONTRIBUTOR

- Posts: 6746
Join date: 2009-07-09
Location: Everywhere
Re: Boost vs Cubes vs The Budget
just seen a stock block procomp headed single turbo deal over on the bullet than ran some 8.50's at 169.................

richter69- Posts: 8195
Join date: 2008-12-02
Age: 41
Location: warmin' up my pimp hand
Re: Boost vs Cubes vs The Budget
http://www.theturboforums.com/smf/diy-and-junkyard-turbo-tech/some-info-on-gt45-y2004k-china-turbo-(new-pics)/ Read this thread all the way through. There is a guy with a twin turbo nova in there that you should see.

BLK98MK8LSC- Posts: 3
Join date: 2009-09-13
Age: 49
Location: FAR NOR CAL
Re: Boost vs Cubes vs The Budget
From what I have been reading (and seeing what other people have done) I should be well served using a turbo off of a 7.3 Power Stroke. The fab work is gonna suck for the exhaust but it'll be worth it once it's all said and done I think. I plan on having a 3 pass a/a intercooler mounted right in front of the radiator on the passengers side and a remote oil cooler mounted on the drivers side. I'm somewhat up in the air (so to speak) on the fuel delivery, on one hand a blow through carb is easy and effective but takes much needed space on top of the intake while port injection is compact and more precisely tunable but costs a small fortune and adds more wires and complexity to the setup. The overall plan is to build an engine that could make about 500hp on it's own and then throw the turbo at it with about 7psi and see where that lands me.
I have A LOT more reading to do but that's to be expected, lol.
I have A LOT more reading to do but that's to be expected, lol.

torkair- Posts: 372
Join date: 2009-08-27
Age: 28
Location: Tucson, Az
Re: Boost vs Cubes vs The Budget
Now as for the connecting rods, would I be better served by reconditioning one of the stock sets that I have or should I just man up and get some forged H beams? I seem to remember a few people saying that a set of stockers, properly reconditioned, can handle somewhere in the neighborhood of 750 HP with lite forged pistons, please correct me if I'm wrong though.

torkair- Posts: 372
Join date: 2009-08-27
Age: 28
Location: Tucson, Az
Re: Boost vs Cubes vs The Budget
If you are only after 750hp, there is no way you should feel the need for any type of power adder. I used to use D0VE headed 514cid motors that made that with a stock block and a cast crank. You can make more than that now, with a whole lot better parts.
That was back when 5.13s in a 1850lb draster was the cats meow!
That was back when 5.13s in a 1850lb draster was the cats meow!

Curt- Posts: 1680
Join date: 2009-02-08
Age: 49
Location: Henrietta, Texas but mostly on the road
Re: Boost vs Cubes vs The Budget
Curt wrote:If you are only after 750hp, there is no way you should feel the need for any type of power adder. I used to use D0VE headed 514cid motors that made that with a stock block and a cast crank. You can make more than that now, with a whole lot better parts.
That was back when 5.13s in a 1850lb draster was the cats meow!
True, I CAN go ahead and make the 750 all motor but then I am looking at feeding it race gas/alcohol and that doesn't exactly work out so well on a car that I want to drive to the track, swap out the rear tires, get a few good passes in, swap the rear tires again, and drive home in the same car. I also would like to do road courses and some day possibly even Pikes Peak

torkair- Posts: 372
Join date: 2009-08-27
Age: 28
Location: Tucson, Az
Re: Boost vs Cubes vs The Budget
torkair wrote: I want to drive to the track, swap out the rear tires, get a few good passes in, swap the rear tires again, and drive home in the same car. I also would like to do road courses and some day possibly even Pikes Peak.

Curt- Posts: 1680
Join date: 2009-02-08
Age: 49
Location: Henrietta, Texas but mostly on the road
Re: Boost vs Cubes vs The Budget
Curt wrote:torkair wrote: I want to drive to the track, swap out the rear tires, get a few good passes in, swap the rear tires again, and drive home in the same car. I also would like to do road courses and some day possibly even Pikes Peak.
![]()
Ya, I have a lot of things I want to do, probably won't do half of them but it's good to have goals.

torkair- Posts: 372
Join date: 2009-08-27
Age: 28
Location: Tucson, Az
Re: Boost vs Cubes vs The Budget
Curt wrote:If you are only after 750hp, there is no way you should feel the need for any type of power adder. I used to use D0VE headed 514cid motors that made that with a stock block and a cast crank. You can make more than that now, with a whole lot better parts.
That was back when 5.13s in a 1850lb draster was the cats meow!
I would like to know why you feel cubes would be better than boost. I'm not disagreeing with you that it is possible I just want to know why, I need as much info as I can get and I feel that you have more than enough to back it up.
On a side note, I've been looking at how much abuse a set of stock connecting rods can take before they become a liability. If they can hold past 750 hp then I don't see any reason to change them but if there is even the slightest hesitation then forged H beams will be added to the built without question.
Edit: Also, depending on cost vs. benefit I may just have the crank offset ground for some of the other forged connecting rod options and grab a few cubes that way while reducing bearing speed at the connecting rod.

torkair- Posts: 372
Join date: 2009-08-27
Age: 28
Location: Tucson, Az
Re: Boost vs Cubes vs The Budget
IMO what your after is easily obtainable n/a w a stroker deal, by no means would I use a stock rod..................the H beams are pretty much the same $$$ for a stock length vs a longer unit for a stroker. That and the stuff thats out there now is not overly priced that one would need to offset grind a factory crank etc................20 some years ago maybe, but not by todays standards. I say a n/a deal is still gonna be cheaper than a boost application, packaging easier etc.

richter69- Posts: 8195
Join date: 2008-12-02
Age: 41
Location: warmin' up my pimp hand
Re: Boost vs Cubes vs The Budget
Low budget ... high budget??? Saying the word "budget" just tells people that you have one and the build is not "whatever it costs".
I don't know of any inexpensive turbo or supercharger kits of any brand.
I don't know of any inexpensive turbo or supercharger kits of any brand.
rmcomprandy- Posts: 1881
Join date: 2008-12-02
Location: Roseville, Michigan

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