Torque

[Guest]

As a proud owner of a 350 Buick in a '76 Skyhawk, I do appreciate acceleration, and <BR>understand the physics of torque! I can understand, due to the 350 Buick's longer than average stroke, the extra torque it gives. <BR>Question: What are the published figures comparing the Buick 350 engine's torque to some of the significant other's ?<P>KS_Skyhawk<BR>

[Guest]

It sucks. Get a real engine, 430 455. Now theres the torque 475 to 510 from the factory!

[Guest]

Boogerman,<BR>Thanks for that "thoughtful" reply.<BR>Thankfully, yours is not the kind of response one usually gets from our knowledgable correspondants,

[Guest]

BOOGERMAN, that is good. <BR>Booogerman, read the question. Significant others, meaning: Chevy 350's , and Pontiac 350's, and OLDS 350's, chrysler 340-360's etc. even fords. Everybody knows that 455's have more power. And if you knew anything about what KSskyhawk has, putting a 455 in a skyhawk is about as easy as sucking a bowling ball through a garden hose. I am sure that if a 455 was easier to put in a skyhawk, a 455 would be in it.<BR> He just wanted to know about what his 350's performance compared to similar size SMALL BLOCKS. Most people would agree: Small Block or Big Block? BIG BLOCK!<P>Anyway, I read that buick 350's only put out 10 foot pounds more than a chevy 350. I know that that is not true. Can someone verify.

[Guest John Chapman]

Beyond the raw numbers, you need to look at what RPM they were generated at. Buick motors produce a lot of low RPM torque. I bet (without documentation in front of me)that the others mentioned are quoted at pretty high RPM relative to the Buick 350.<P>JMC<P>------------------<BR>John Chapman<BR>BCA 35894<BR>1965 Skylark Convertible (Some Assembly Required)<BR> jmchapman@aol.com

[Guest]

The lower RPM is very important. Horsepower is work done over TIME (33,000 foot/pounds per minute) the sooner the engine is doing its max torque the sooner and over a longer rpm range near max bhp is accomplished. This is what makes a 383 Chevy (400 crank 350 block) pull so well. Ask anyone who has driven both a 377 and 383 chevy (377 is 350 crank in 400 block) so you can do the machine work or build a STOCK stroker motor ie BUICK. 340s with the small ports and over square bore and stroke are the biggest torque to ci engines I have ever driven. They could power a battleship>>>or 66 full size Buick>> about the same tonnage JIM

[Guest]

Here are some numbers for 1970:<P>Buick 350-2 = 350 lb./ft. @ 2400 9.0:1<BR>Buick 350-4 = 375 lb./ft. @ 3000 9.0:1<BR>Buick 350-4 Hi Comp. = 410 @ 3200 10.25:1<P>Chevy 350-2 = 345 lb./ft. @ 2800 9.0:1<BR>Chevy 350-4 Hi Comp. = 380 @ 3200 10.25:1<BR>Chevy 350 "LT-1" = 380 @ 4000 11.0:1<P>Olds 350-2 = 355 lb./ft. @ 2600 9.0:1<BR>Olds 350 "L-74" = 390 @ 3200 10.25:1<BR>Olds 350 "W-31" = 360 @ 3600 10.50:1<P>Pontiac 350-2 = 355 lb./ft. @ 2800 8.8:1<P>Mopar 318-2 = 320 lb./ft. @ 2000 8.8:1<BR>Mopar 340-4 = 340 lb./ft. @ 3200 10.5:1<BR>Mopar 383-2 = 390 lb./ft. @ 2800 8.7:1<BR>Mopar 383-4 = 425 lb./ft. @ 3400 9.5:1<P>FMC 351-2 = 355 lb./ft. @ 2600 9.5:1<BR>FMC 351-4 = 380 lb./ft. @ 3400 11.0:1<P>AMC 360-2 = 365 lb./ft. @ 2400 9.0:1<BR>AMC 360-4 = 395 lb./ft. @ 3200 10.0:1<P><BR>It is easy to forget about those AMC mills, but the 360, derived from the old 343 by a slight bore increase and use of the 304 Trans-Am crank, was one hell of a motor. It used aluminum pistons and could be had with a forged crank as a "dealer kit special service option." The more potent 390 mill which powered the "Rebel Machine" had unique intake and exhaust manifolds and dealer kits could be ordered for an aluminum high-rise topped with a Holley three (remember those?) or four barrel.<P>Of all the numbers listed above however, the one that most impresses me is for the Buick 350-2, followed by the venerable 318 Mopar mill. I just picked up a 60,000 mile original Skylark with a 350-2 engine and I have to say I am quite impressed with the smooth, broad power available. It doesn't have quite the full throttle giddy-up of my '67 340-4, but around town it sure leaps from stop light to stop light. And because of the 2.73 rear end it moves from 75 to 95 (even without kicking into 2nd) very quickly... great for passing those four and five long convoys of big rigs!<P>Matthew

[Guest]

In the mid 70s I was working in Az as a wrench at one of the top shops in town. The AZ. Highway Patrolmen (yes all men) where issued their cars, one guy one car it went home with him at night. Most of the guys in our area brought us all their work from routine service to major stuff. My boss was an ex Highway Man himself. Anyway they had Mopars,Chevys,Fords, and AMCs. Hands down the fastest, most stable, most reilable of all was the AMC 401 Highway patrol special. But none of the boys wanted to be seen running down Corvettes in a Rambler. SOO many picked the Chevy with the new 400 small block. 20 mph slower than a 400 Mopar or 400 Ford and would throw ever belt if driven over 110mph for more than five minuites. another two and the engine was toast and the bad guy got away. Worse than that was the paper work to explain the loss and a visit to Phoenix to see the Captain. Oh and all the backup cars where AMCs. Chevy would put in the first one on them, we got the next four or five until the car had six or 120,000 miles. Fords overheated, Mopars went through brakes at least once a month and where unstable above 135mph. I test drove a 60,000 mile AMC at 145 for five minutes (you gather up some real estate) power to spare, on rails, and 180 degree water temp. I still love Buick best. A few of the 401s ended up in Jeeps Oh what a ride. JIM

[Guest]

in 1970 only book i have the buick made 375, the chevy 380, chrysler 383 425, the 351's were 355 and 385 for the winsor pontiac was 380 and the olds w-31 was 360 hope this helps