June 2001 Issue of Car Craft Mag

I am only 1/16th as old as dirt. So I have a great variety of CAR CRAFT,HOT ROD, PHR, etc., 1987-early 2Ks.

I can't remember the company but they were building 580 hp 509 , 600 hp 540's and 775 hp 632 pump gas BBCs(Merlin Blocks).

Even with 9.1:1 CR shouldn't a 468 BBF exceed 581 hp and the hp made by the 632 couldn't it be matched by a 528 cid even with a stock block?

As I recall, the old Ford Motorsport 514 crate engine was advertised at 600 hp.....conservatively.

Have to also remember that the rags were notorious for a little exaggeration. They wanted to sell more magazines. So a 350 hp 454, that was already in everyone's driveway. Figure a majority of those soft load dyno numbers were exaggerated by 10% to 20%.

kim wrote:Have to also remember that the rags were notorious for a little exaggeration.  They wanted to sell more magazines.  So a 350 hp 454, that was already in everyone's driveway.  Figure a majority of those soft load dyno numbers were exaggerated by 10% to 20%.

I don't know how you got such information but, they print the numbers exactly how the writers are told that the dyno spits 'em out.

Maybe some dyno's are happy however, it is not the writers who do the exaggerating.

The issue in question is already over 13 years old.

Always told, believe half of what you hear, and less of what you read. Every car rag out there, especially those shilling car parts for venders, have had "unique" dyno reports depending on part used....... bolt on intake x over y and gain this performance envelope. But they failed to mention had they optimized for Y with a better carb, or cam, or simply adjusted timing Y was really a better manifold for most buyers. etc.

kim wrote:Always told, believe half of what you hear, and less of what you read.  Every car rag out there, especially those shilling car parts for venders, have had "unique" dyno reports depending on part used.......    bolt on intake x over y and gain this performance envelope.  But they failed to mention had they optimized for Y with a better carb, or cam, or simply adjusted timing Y was really a better manifold for most buyers.  etc.

I don't know how many articles have been written about some of your ACTUAL dyno tested engines but, there have been more than 20 of my own first hand experiences with articles written about some of my dyno tested engines and NEVER has the dyno recorded power amount been inflated. Sometimes they do knock a few power numbers down so, it will be more believable to the reader.

As for equipment comparisons ... NOT the same thing.

Do you have some first hand experiences with magazine articles which you can share with us where the MAGAZINE WRITER has embellished the outcome...?

I've only had a handful of engines that had been on a dyno. Well hand full is a bit of an exageration, only 4. First hand experience for magazine embellishments, can't say that I have any because only 1 of my engines was ever in a mag albeit an internet mag. And then it was a copy of the dyno print.

I read your response as you feel as if I was attacking your engine builds. Definitely not. ..

I am sure there were a few embellished dyno numbers on a couple projects through time when the sum of parts didn't add up to expectations.

Doesn't hurt my feeler 1 bit... if chevy engine this; had to have more magazine hp than ford that. I'm not going to change my plans based on a magazine article.

kim wrote:

I read your response as you feel as if I was attacking your engine builds.  Definitely not. ..  

That's not it at all ... before coming on an internet forum and badmouthing a magazine to everybody about embellishing and exaggerating dyno numbers in their engine articles is just irresponsible; there should be some actual evidence presented that this has been done.

"I have been told" and "I am sure" is not any REAL evidence of any kind; it is merely conjecture and opinion , whether correct or not. Lumping those articles in with all other magazine exploits is just not reality.
You are certainly allowed to have your opinion and believe whatever you wish but, it should not be construed to others as FACT.

I was simply making that clear.

dfree383 wrote:

Dark Horse of Apocalypse wrote:I am only 1/16th as old as dirt. So I have a great variety of CAR CRAFT,HOT ROD, PHR, etc., 1987-early 2Ks.

I can't remember the company but they were building 580 hp 509 , 600 hp 540's and 775 hp 632 pump gas BBCs(Merlin Blocks).

Even with 9.1:1 CR shouldn't a 468 BBF exceed 581 hp and the hp made by the 632 couldn't it be matched by a 528 cid even with a stock block?

You're compairing apples to oranges...... They are crate engines not specific build race engines. Let us know how much power you can make with a 9:1 iron headed engine....using out of the box parts and line type assembly that you can sell cheap......Please post your results.

Almost forgot.    It needs to have a idiot proof warranty too.....

So what you are saying is Crate Motors like any mass produced item will have compromises built in unlike custom built items built for a specific end user?