Quote:
Originally Posted by Frank Lee
Don't get me wrong, I find the results believable and awesome, but I'm just thinking: if all the V8 is ever- or mostly- called upon to do is putter around at sub-1000 rpm speeds, it is generating very little hp and torque down there and those hp and torque requirements could easily be handled by a smaller, lighter engine that doesn't have to be shut off and coddled as much. Could a six or even a four move that wagon around with the same acceleration rates and cruising speeds? A Suzuki G10 probably could!
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Most certainly, a smaller, more modern engine would do the job (of passenger transport, at least), and probably be somewhat more efficient, too. But I would lose the ability to tow 7,000 lbs if I needed to, and it would make the project much more complicated and expensive. And I doubt there are very many other engines that could go 500,000 miles before needing a rebuild (as LT1's often do).
If I do any major engine mods, it will probably be one of two things. Either I'll convert it to run on wood gas using the LT1, or do a (bio) diesel swap. A 6.2 would be the easiest, but one of the new 2.8L Duramax engines would be both more powerful and more efficient. I'll have to wait a while until they're available cheaply in junkyards, though.