I need schooling - old vs. new engines
If you have one year porting heads and using a flow bench you would understand that flow is down the list of important ****.
Ok, so you are saying peak flow number comparisons aren't going to be the best way to compare cylinder heads. Fair enough.
The LS head is FAR better than the G3 Hemi. In fact, most decent wedge heads are.
Can you explain that a little more? Better in what way? Packaging? Smaller valve cover?
I dont know why you can’t get something other than a new engine to cold start and idle. That makes no sense.
I'm not trying to say you can't get a LA/Magnum to cold start and idle. I'm just saying that a carb'ed 408 isn't going to do either as well as a 5.7 or 6.4. And the more ragged edge the 408 is built, the less likely it will do it without constant tweaking.
And, I would put a decently prepped W2 head up against a G3 NA Hemi all day long and whip it’s ***. And that head was developed in the mid 1970’s for 340 inches.
I guess I am looking at it from an "other than theoretical" position. I love the ide a of a W2 headed smallblock. But the idea of finding all the parts and making them work together makes me say a 5.7 is the better way. Would a W2 outrun a 5.7 if they were equally built? Maybe, don't really care. Could you build a W2 headed motor that has equal drivability as a small cammed 5.7 and still outrun it? I have doubts.
I would love to see that done though. Don't get me wrong. And it might already have been done. I know
@racerjoe has a trick SBM with EFI and CNP. Maybe he would be a good one to give input on building a nice driving SBM that get's good fuel economy and makes great power. Another one is
@goldduster318. He has a fully EFI'ed SBM and even a T56.
I guess they way I see it, I can buy a BP 465 hp crate motor for $9K and get probably 16 mpg. Or I can do a complete 5.7 swap, including a 6.4 cam and intake, and make about the same power but with 25+ mpg and better drivability. Maybe as you assert the G3 Hemi head isn't as good as the Edelbrocks on the BP motor, but the results kind of say otherwise.
