Hello to all.
I have several questions about turning up a Big Cam 400. I have searched the internet and have not found the specific answers that I am looking for.
First, let me say that the truck that I am talking about is a work truck. I am an extremely gentle driver (I will be the only driver of this truck), and I feel that if I up the horsepower I can get better mileage (being light on the pedal, driving by gauges). The engine is going into a Freightliner FLD.
Can anyone answer what is a safe horsepower for a stock engine? The dual line feed is supposed to give about 25 hp. So that's about 425. The truck that the engine is going into has a charge air cooler that will replace the aftercooler (using the intake from a n 14). This combined with a hp air filter system I am guessing will make another 25 hp. Does that sound accurate?
If so, that puts the engine at 450 without yet touching the fuel pump.
Now I have read that some guys say to just screw out the throttle shaft screw. Others say to change the button and not touch the shaft screw, others say to do both, others say to do neither and get new injectors and have the pump recalibrated.
Does the throttle shaft screw and the button do the same thing except the button is the big jump in fuel pressure? Is the shaft screw just for fine tuning?
In raising the fuel pressure, does it raise at idle also, or is it higher only through acceleration?
Is raising the fuel pressure hard on the camshaft? Again, some say yes, some say no. I have read that PP engines run at (full throttle) 450 to 600 pressure. If this is true, how is that not hard on the camshaft?
My common sense tells me that if I turn the engine up, and it makes no noise, doesn't carry on with smoking, starts easily and idles correctly, and I can pull hills loaded without the pyro cooking, then the stock engine and timing can handle this amount of fuel. When it starts smoking and getting hot, that means it is time to back off and turn the pump down. Is this correct?
Also, what do you guys think about the high volume oil pump?
Whatever I do, I do NOT want my truck to blow up or have a greatly reduced service life (meaning that I turn it up and only get one or two years out of my engine). How much hp can a stock crankshaft take without problems?
Sorry for such a long post, and thank you in advance.
I have several questions about turning up a Big Cam 400. I have searched the internet and have not found the specific answers that I am looking for.
First, let me say that the truck that I am talking about is a work truck. I am an extremely gentle driver (I will be the only driver of this truck), and I feel that if I up the horsepower I can get better mileage (being light on the pedal, driving by gauges). The engine is going into a Freightliner FLD.
Can anyone answer what is a safe horsepower for a stock engine? The dual line feed is supposed to give about 25 hp. So that's about 425. The truck that the engine is going into has a charge air cooler that will replace the aftercooler (using the intake from a n 14). This combined with a hp air filter system I am guessing will make another 25 hp. Does that sound accurate?
If so, that puts the engine at 450 without yet touching the fuel pump.
Now I have read that some guys say to just screw out the throttle shaft screw. Others say to change the button and not touch the shaft screw, others say to do both, others say to do neither and get new injectors and have the pump recalibrated.
Does the throttle shaft screw and the button do the same thing except the button is the big jump in fuel pressure? Is the shaft screw just for fine tuning?
In raising the fuel pressure, does it raise at idle also, or is it higher only through acceleration?
Is raising the fuel pressure hard on the camshaft? Again, some say yes, some say no. I have read that PP engines run at (full throttle) 450 to 600 pressure. If this is true, how is that not hard on the camshaft?
My common sense tells me that if I turn the engine up, and it makes no noise, doesn't carry on with smoking, starts easily and idles correctly, and I can pull hills loaded without the pyro cooking, then the stock engine and timing can handle this amount of fuel. When it starts smoking and getting hot, that means it is time to back off and turn the pump down. Is this correct?
Also, what do you guys think about the high volume oil pump?
Whatever I do, I do NOT want my truck to blow up or have a greatly reduced service life (meaning that I turn it up and only get one or two years out of my engine). How much hp can a stock crankshaft take without problems?
Sorry for such a long post, and thank you in advance.