eric'sz

I need help , bad . I'm building a 396 lt1 with trick flow heads that are ported & polished . I'm not shur on the cam but would like to keep max lift too under .625. And under 6500rpm.my goal is to have a high 10 low 11 quarter mile car that can be driven on the street but not offen. it will be forced induction . Cost is a factor but not the final one . I have come down to two systems .ATI Pro-charger Stage II Inter-cooled with Twin Hi-Flow inter-coolers D-1 cost $4,299.99.But i would rather have the PTK LT1 F-body kit W/ no Inter-cooler and pte-76gts plus hot part coting.cost 4,837.xx $ . but should i get the inter-cooler system , or will need it and if so, the air to air or air to water . And how many psi will it take to get to my goal. I would just like peoples thoughts and ideas. thanks

onlyone07

A properly built 396 should run those numbers on motor. If cost isn't "that" big of a factor and you don't mind more tuning, go with the PTK kit. I don't know why you would want a turbo without some sort of intercooler. Definately get one, or use some sort of water/methanol injection. A/A or A/W is a personal choice on whether you want to fill a small cell with water/coolant or let the ambient air take care of cooling things. From what I've heard the twin i/c's aren't that great at cooling things down. People usually upgrade to a large front mount. There's no set amount of boost that will help you attain your goal. It's just a number.

Either choice will get you your goals. Just to clarify, I have an ATI myself.

breakmyfootoff

If you're looking for big power (which I believe you are) with forced induction, some type of charge cooler is almost mandatory to help keep detonation away. I would recommend alky injection or an air to air intercooler. The air to water intercoolers are more efficient initialy, but as you drive the car the water used to cool the heat exchanger keeps heating up and looses some of it's cooling capacity. I believe the best way to go is a front mounted air to air and meth injection with the meth injection being triggered once higher boost pressures are reached. If you're only going to drive the car short distances though the air to water may be better for you. As far as turbo vs blower, there have been many debates here about that. I like blowers better on street tires because boost is proportionate to engine rpms therefore making the blower a little easier to finesse with the throttle, a blower engine will have a power curve more like a naturally aspirated engine starting low and gradually building up. Turbo's however have proven many times to be the more efficient compressors and will normally make a tad more peak power than a blower and have a broader powerband as well, but the boost usually comes on stong and sudden and is harder to hook up on street tires. If I were building an all out drag car I like turbos, for a quick street car I like blowers. That is only one persons opinion though. Just get what you like, it'll be fast either way

engineermike

I agree with onlyone07 that a 396 lt1 can run high 10's on motor pretty easily.

I disagree with breakmyfootoff about water/air not being effective when you drive some distance. Actually, air/air heat soaks much quicker. I made 4 - 650+ rwhp dyno pulls after sitting in traffic and my water was barely warm.

HOWEVER, I think I have just the idea for you. Save some dough by building a 355 instead of a 396, and put in a mild hydraulic roller maybe 218/218. Get the PTK non-IC kit then add AlkyControl Methanol injection. You could run 15 psi non-intercooled with an 8.5/1 motor all day long with no detonation as long as it's tuned right. That would give you 600+ rwhp with an auto or closer to 700 rwhp with a stick, which is good for 136 mph in the quarter at full street weight on pump gas. The added bonus is that it would be easy to work on and install since you don't have the complicated plumbing, leaks, and heat soak associated with intercoolers.

Mike

eric'sz

well the 355 idea is nice but i already have the 396 crank. could sell the crank.

breakmyfootoff

That may be true for you, but you have a 5 gallon tank in your trunk for the cooling water, most are not going to go to that extreme and have a gallon or less of water for the heat exchanger to cycle, those systems will heat soak a lot quicker than your 5 gallon set-up. Not to mention that your's is mounted far away from the heat generated in the engine bay.