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Jpoole
New User
Aug 25, 2019, 4:16 PM
Post #1 of 5
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Engine lack of power
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1976 el Camino, 350ci, 30 over, flat top piston, mild comp cam camshaft, edlebrock performer rpm manifold, edlebrock performer rpm heads, holly 650cfm double pumper, comp cam roller rockers msd ignition, th350 tranny with shift kit and b&m 2600 converter. Live at 8500ft altitude, have changed jets and power pump to lean out fuel. Car has no power from standing start, very slow to build power and will not pull thru rpm range at cruise speed without dropping down a gear. RUNS slightly better at lower altitudes, but still very little power, less than stock 350.
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Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Aug 25, 2019, 4:27 PM
Post #2 of 5
(2202 views)
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Re: Engine lack of power
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Have you checked the exhaust backpressure?
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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Aug 25, 2019, 5:38 PM
Post #3 of 5
(2194 views)
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Re: Engine lack of power
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8,500 ft. altitude and live there? OK then you should be aware there's no air in the atmosphere worth a dang - right? I did spend better part of a year in Denver @ about the mile high it's known for and went into Rockies all the time with some otherwise OE powerful cars didn't do squat up higher namely Mt. Evans.
OK, so wasn't there to work on cars did some anyway can't help it. From sea level or close enough 232 to be exact alt. doesn't matter now. OMG what a difference.
The only thing I know of for performance worth a crap at altitude is turbo charging you don't have a density of air otherwise to make higher compression is what you did to this doesn't work or can't make the whole difference?
If hot air too you lose density of air yet again even more. You know this if you live there. Airports close no air if too hot at altitude for take off or landings happened just his year again can't do it with a load at least.
Seriously - what do you expect?
Just observations from being there and back a lot with a low altitude vehicle all were carbs didn't mess with them except idle speeds when adjustable and was on all I had of 3 cars there I owned, two I bought there in Denver just because rust free Colorado no salt.
Said wasn't there to work on cars still had to use them and owned them no power at all at a mile high never mind 8,500 too much more nothing works for crap,
Tom
(laugh - try opening can of soda ((of course)) from low alt up at 12,000 or so is quite the show!! ))
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Jpoole
New User
Aug 26, 2019, 5:12 PM
Post #4 of 5
(2162 views)
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Re: Engine lack of power
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I understand that I'm not going to get muscle car performance at this altitude. WHAT I am getting at is this engine has less power now than when it was stock. My 1992 Saturn can run circles around it. IS it a transmission/converter problem or a timing/ignition issue.
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Aug 26, 2019, 6:24 PM
Post #5 of 5
(2156 views)
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Re: Engine lack of power
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There sure could be other very real problems. It becomes opinion only of mine. All that garbage for parts tossed at a '76 Block Chev. if so didn't work well new then that stuff looks real nice if into that. The trick of higher compression for more power is over that Saturn was/is low compression to start with and designed for it so they can use junk for fuel like everything else.
You can "double pumper" carb this all of that still needs atmospheric PRESSURE to be "sucked in" you aren't pushing anything in or if creating a total vacuum only so much air can squeeze thru. I dare say that stuff made it worse than OE all by itself but test away. Boring the block out plain ruins balance of the thing could be fighting with itself over "balance" of it now??
Exhaust restriction even new stuff.
It would take another total novel and calculations to adjust for altitude but liked and is still useful to use intake manifold actual pressure meaning VACUUM "T" in something that reads real intake manifold vacuum. Test a idle, part throttle with some load, WOT and no load with say 2,000 RPMs. If you get that post the info I'll do the math.
Note any bouncing or floating around motion of needle basically none of that is a good sign.
See what you can find and let's take it from that,
Tom
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