Hot Rod Forum banner

Strong Enough??

1K views 11 replies 8 participants last post by  jimfulco 
#1 ·
Is a 8.5 10-bolt Strong enough to with stand the power of a BBC 396 375HP engine out of a 69 camaro? the rear end has 28 Spline axles, open differential, 2:73 gears, street tires, 5 leaf leaf springs, completely stock rear end out of a 72 nova. the car will be used on the street with a occasional burnout and racing once a week.

do some research on the 8.5 before answering because the 8.5 is the strongest 10-bolt gm ever made.

thank you
 
#3 ·
Is a 8.5 10-bolt Strong enough to with stand the power of a BBC 396 375HP engine out of a 69 camaro?....do some research on the 8.5 before answering because the 8.5 is the strongest 10-bolt gm ever made.....

Is this a rhetorical question?

One huge problem is the one wheel burnout. This will have your spinning wheel going at twice the normal speed, and the spider gears and cross shafts are crying for mercy. If you're serious about racing with the rear end you'll keep the housing and replace the guts.
 
#6 ·
curtis73 said:
More than strong enough considering that the HP rating on that 396 is Gross HP. SAE net HP which is todays standard, that engine probably doesn't make 250 hp
I doubt that, 250hp sounds really low. The 396/375hp Novas of the period were running solid 12 second quarter miles, can't do that with 250hp.

Vince
 
#8 ·
True, but as in the other thread I was operating under the false assumption that it was a 396/325hp. A 375 gross hp engine will put a solid 290-300 net to the flywheel.

I also wonder where those solid 12s are coming from. I have data from many of the major magazines that puts them solidly in the low 13s, but not 12s.
 
#9 ·
All that was needed was a pair of cheater slicks and the proper rear gear selection when ordering and it was a solid 12 second car, ask Deuce :thumbup: . The mid 13 second times reported in the magazines of the period also mention the lack of traction of those cars.

Vince
 
#10 ·
curtis73 said:
I also wonder where those solid 12s are coming from. I have data from many of the major magazines that puts them solidly in the low 13s, but not 12s.
Mine went low 13's .........street tires and stock......
Mid 12's with a little work....11.90 without ever having the heads off or the engine out.....

I replaced the 12 bolt....after about 6 months......the axle tubes twisted on the housing ......plus it was a P in the A ..........to change gear ratios...I was still driving it on the street and the 4.56 was a little too much for everyday.....with the 9 inch Ford I could switch back and forth easily between the 3.70 and the 4.86 ......

.
 
#12 ·
Yeah they were quite creative with horsepower ratings. That same engine was rated 425hp in a Corvette.

Are you running a manual trans or an automatic?

It's not a bad idea to have the axle tubes welded to the center section. They spin all too easily. I had a '69 Nova w/230 6-cyl. that spun them.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top