Muscle Car Engine Shootout - Chevy Vs. Ford Showdown

Who was truly the king of the small-block hill, Ford or Chevy? We test a bunch of engines to find out.Year: 1971
Ford Boss 351 Vs. Chevy LT-1 350
Due mostly to emissions regulations, 1971 brought major changes to the GM lineup. Compression ratios were dropped across the board. Gone were the days of the snappy 11.0:1 motors like the '70 LT-1, DZ 302, and L76 327, replaced by a maximum compression ratio of 9.0:1. This meant the hottest small-block offered by Chevrolet in 1971 was a 9.0:1 version of the previous LT-1. Things weren't all bad, as the open-chamber head swap actually improved the airflow and flame travel compared with the small-chamber combo. Our '71 LT-1 test motor was a perfect example of what can happen when you drop compression but increase airflow. The '71 version actually produced more peak power than the high-compression '70 version but lost out in average power lower in the rev range. Unlike GM, Ford maintained the '60s-era high compression for one last year and combined the '70 351 Cobra Jet displacement with the '69 Boss 302 cam timing. The result was nothing short of amazing, as the '71 Boss 351 is actually the most powerful small-block Ford or Chevy ever produced.inline_mediumwraptextrightThe big change for the '71 LT-1 was a drop in compression ratio from 11.0:1 to 9.0:1. This was accomplished with a flat-top piston and 76cc combustion chambers.27136114/techarticles/engine/hrdp_1001_muscle_car_engine_shootouthrdp_1001_16+m uscle_car_engine_shootout+.jpgTrue


Photo Gallery: Muscle Car Engine Shootout - Ford Vs. Chevy Hot Small-Block Dyno Showdown - Hot Rod Magazine

Photo Gallery: Muscle Car Engine Shootout - Ford Vs. Chevy Hot Small-Block Dyno Showdown - Hot Rod Magazine


Read More | Digg It | Add to del.icio.us




More...