Why is there such a big difference in dyno numbers?
Thread Starter
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 9,711
Likes: 999
From: Evansville,IN
Why is there such a big difference in dyno numbers? What I mean is why do some cars with budget heads/LS6 intakes make more power than AFR/Trick Flow heads w/ ported FAST intake?
I have seen AFR ported FAST combo's make 440hp and budget builds that make 470+.
I know dyno numbers aren't everything and track numbers where it's at but I still wonder.
It makes me wonder if it's worth to spend money on aftermarket heads/ported intake when "some" people make great power on budget stuff.
Again I know dyno numbers aren't everything and I am not trying to be an internet racer. I just wonder why there can be such a big difference?
Please don't flame me. I am just asking.
I have seen AFR ported FAST combo's make 440hp and budget builds that make 470+.
I know dyno numbers aren't everything and track numbers where it's at but I still wonder.
It makes me wonder if it's worth to spend money on aftermarket heads/ported intake when "some" people make great power on budget stuff.
Again I know dyno numbers aren't everything and I am not trying to be an internet racer. I just wonder why there can be such a big difference?
Please don't flame me. I am just asking.
I'm with you, I spent a ton of money to get AFR 205's and you can see the #'s in my sig. I could easily have the same #'s with heads that cost half as much. I wish someone would explain it to me as well.
I did alot of research and decided to go with the budget TSP PRC Stg 2.5 5.3 heads/MS3 cam. Glad I did....made 450 RWHP 402 RWTQ without a Fast intake. Still using a stock LS6 intake manifold. I like the best bang for the buck, that why a 383 is in my future. 
What I mean is why do some cars with budget heads/LS6 intakes make more power than AFR/Trick Flow heads w/ ported FAST intake?
I have seen AFR ported FAST combo's make 440hp and budget builds that make 470+.
I know dyno numbers aren't everything and track numbers where it's at but I still wonder.
It makes me wonder if it's worth to spend money on aftermarket heads/ported intake when "some" people make great power on budget stuff.
Again I know dyno numbers aren't everything and I am not trying to be an internet racer. I just wonder why there can be such a big difference?
Please don't flame me. I am just asking.
I have seen AFR ported FAST combo's make 440hp and budget builds that make 470+.
I know dyno numbers aren't everything and track numbers where it's at but I still wonder.
It makes me wonder if it's worth to spend money on aftermarket heads/ported intake when "some" people make great power on budget stuff.
Again I know dyno numbers aren't everything and I am not trying to be an internet racer. I just wonder why there can be such a big difference?
Please don't flame me. I am just asking.
This statement may be a bit generalized but heads and the size of your motor will be the limiting factor on how much power your combo will/can make. There's only so much HP you can make per c.i. hence why power adder combos do such a great job in getting the most out of the least.
...and if you do enough research you will find ppl who changed combos, made less hp on a dyno but ran a quicker ET!
Last edited by cdubbzz; Jul 17, 2009 at 09:11 AM.
well most people really don't need the expensive aftermarket heads out there. The stockers with some work to them flow very well for stock cubes. Now if you are going to bigger cubes down the road some people will buy bigger/better heads for the engine in their future.
You can make 450 pretty easy with a decent heads an cam package, but if you are looking for a all out combo- 475+ you really don't see too many budget parts on there.
You can make 450 pretty easy with a decent heads an cam package, but if you are looking for a all out combo- 475+ you really don't see too many budget parts on there.
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Thread Starter
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 9,711
Likes: 999
From: Evansville,IN
I appreciate the replies. I wish I had some threads to refer to what I am talking about but I think everyone has seen them.
For example I have the TR230 cam that I am looking for a set of heads for. I have seen people make anywhere from 370rwhp to 420. I few people who had ported heads made 400.
I'd be pissed if I had a H/C/I car and it only put down 400hp. Unless it ran 10's
For example I have the TR230 cam that I am looking for a set of heads for. I have seen people make anywhere from 370rwhp to 420. I few people who had ported heads made 400.
I'd be pissed if I had a H/C/I car and it only put down 400hp. Unless it ran 10's
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I think it comes down to the combination of supporting mods to maximize the H/C combo and the specs of the cam designed to reach that persons goal. Its been great reading all the tried and true combos to see what works and you are right, even budget "stock" parts when well combined from several years of engineering from GM can prove to be just as good as the more expensive aftermarket pieces.
I would go with some ported 243s for your TR230...TSP should be posting some dyno comparos on the stocker 243s vs St 1 vs St 2 here very soon.
I would go with some ported 243s for your TR230...TSP should be posting some dyno comparos on the stocker 243s vs St 1 vs St 2 here very soon.
In my case I had the budjet heads(ported stockers ls1) and my supporting mods. I switched to the afr heads and gained big at the track. I did 463hp 414tq,m6 and ran 11.1 at the track in a car that weigh 3,680lbs with me in it.
Combination and motor are the difference. We see a 30-40hp swing just in stock motors. About 20% of the high hp cars post here.What you don't see are the other 80% of the people out there running the same combo's pushing out alot less hp.
Same combo as in budget setups or aftermarket head setups with all the goodies? I agree there are a ton of people running setups who never post up or have never even been on the site.
Every dyno is different(Dynojet = high numbers, Mustang = lower numbers, Superflow even lower)...
Air conditions are different,humidity is hard to correct for...
Correction factor used (SAE/STP/no correction)
Calibration of the dyno
Engine temps (coolant/oil)
chassis dynos are almost worthless they take almost ZERO data.
Dyno operator....
You also have to remember shops make lots of money on repeat customers. Large dyno numbers makes people come back again, they error to the high side for a reason.
Air conditions are different,humidity is hard to correct for...
Correction factor used (SAE/STP/no correction)
Calibration of the dyno
Engine temps (coolant/oil)
chassis dynos are almost worthless they take almost ZERO data.
Dyno operator....
You also have to remember shops make lots of money on repeat customers. Large dyno numbers makes people come back again, they error to the high side for a reason.
Last edited by SweetS10V8; Jul 19, 2009 at 09:43 PM.
I made 475 on a superflow with AFR 205s milled to 62cc and the 6016 cam, But then again i wasnt a budget build either. The little things like a chromoly flywheel, underdrive pulley, head intake and tb porting add up. there is probably a good 10-15 more hp left to gain when i get the air intake and z06 mufflers on there as well. plus the stock runflats are about to go, lighter tires should be worth a few as well i would imagine.
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Explain to me why one guy makes 460rwhp and the next with the exact setup to a tee makes 420.
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What I mean is why do some cars with budget heads/LS6 intakes make more power than AFR/Trick Flow heads w/ ported FAST intake?
I have seen AFR ported FAST combo's make 440hp and budget builds that make 470+.
I know dyno numbers aren't everything and track numbers where it's at but I still wonder.
It makes me wonder if it's worth to spend money on aftermarket heads/ported intake when "some" people make great power on budget stuff.
Again I know dyno numbers aren't everything and I am not trying to be an internet racer. I just wonder why there can be such a big difference?
Please don't flame me. I am just asking.
I have seen AFR ported FAST combo's make 440hp and budget builds that make 470+.
I know dyno numbers aren't everything and track numbers where it's at but I still wonder.
It makes me wonder if it's worth to spend money on aftermarket heads/ported intake when "some" people make great power on budget stuff.
Again I know dyno numbers aren't everything and I am not trying to be an internet racer. I just wonder why there can be such a big difference?
Please don't flame me. I am just asking.
Just as every car is different, so is every dyno. I have seen C6Z06's vary as much as 30rwhp off the show room floor on our dyno. I've also seen cars on our dyno make 60 more rwhp on another dyno (Mustang Dyno to DynoJet). I've seen cars that make 390rwhp run 9.30's and cars with 500rwhp run 14's. Dyno's are good for one thing, to tell you if the changes you made, whether parts, or tune made more power or less.
"just as every car is different, so is every dyno. I have seen C6Z06's vary as much as 30rwhp off the show room floor on our dyno. I've also seen cars on our dyno make 60 more rwhp on another dyno (Mustang Dyno to DynoJet). I've seen cars that make 390rwhp run 9.30's and cars with 500rwhp run 14's. Dyno's are good for one thing, to tell you if the changes you made, whether parts, or tune made more power or less" qoute from straightline.
Do you have any details of this car that made 390rwhp and ran 9.30's? What's funny is my STS GT67 set up w/3200 3.73's only made 330rwhp @8psi. car ran 13.1 @105 spinning 400ft and coasting across the finish, wasn't supposed to run faster than 13.9 (convertible) my car runs and the data (injector duty, airflow, etc) says the car should be making 425-450rwhp.
Do you have any details of this car that made 390rwhp and ran 9.30's? What's funny is my STS GT67 set up w/3200 3.73's only made 330rwhp @8psi. car ran 13.1 @105 spinning 400ft and coasting across the finish, wasn't supposed to run faster than 13.9 (convertible) my car runs and the data (injector duty, airflow, etc) says the car should be making 425-450rwhp.