76 Hornet

cjmike67

Sorry here all im new to the 1/4 mile stuff and could use some input.I have a 1976 Hornet with very little if any rust[california car].It is a 258 six with the 2 barrel carb.A blown up Torqueflite and a crappy old model 35.So here is where i need some input.I have a Currie 9 inch 31 spline custom rear end that i have received last month.I am wondering or hoping for some input as to what gears to put into this diff?I have already located a 700r4 tranny for free[ will rebuild as needed] and will NOT be running the 258 as a drag motor.I have been given a set of new `5:29 gears for it and am wondering am i wasting my time with the auto or should i just spring for a Richmond 6 speed ???I know its a sort of weird application here but i love this car and want to beat the every day Mustangs Camaro or rice rocket that is running around here in Vancouver.Will a 290 built to rev be a good power plant or???? :oops:

The PIG Smith

cjmike67 wrote
I know its a sort of weird application here but i love this car and want to beat the every day Mustangs Camaro or rice rocket that is running around here in Vancouver.Will a 290 built to rev be a good power plant or???? :oops:

I would like to suggest a AMC 360 V8 instead of the 290, unless you already have the 290.
360's are common as grass and you should be able to pick one up for cheap.
401's are the uber AMC V8, but not as common (at least not around here) as the 360 and may cost some coin to get a builder.

Someday, I would love to own a AMC powered Boulevard Bruiser to spank some Mustangs, Camaro and Ricers! hehehe

cjmike67

Well thx for the input!I I was thinking that a 290 could be built a little better to rev higher then a 360.Am i being to optimistic in running these gears?Got the gears for free so its not that big of a deal and the rear end was ordered for this car.Aiming for around a ten inch slick/street slick or so.Everything i have built have been for my jeep big torque at low rpm.This 1/4 mile stuff is totally alien for me but cant wait to hop this car up! :lo1l: Mike!Will post pics when i can get the pic thing figured out!lol

tufcj

You're going to need a real revver for 5.29 gears. My AMX has 3.73 gears with 26" tall tires. At 6000 RPMs, I'm doing about 105 MPH. Bigger diameter tires will gain you a bit, but not a lot. I wouldn't spin a 290 or 360 past about 6500 without spending some serious money on forged pistons and rods, and some crank work. Over 7000, I'd suggest 4 bolt main caps, but you'd need an early 360 block with the thicker webbing to install them. Bob tufcj

cjmike67

Thx im thinking ill go with a set of 3:90 gears and build a bigger motor! :lo1l:

dbesade

tufcj wrote
You're going to need a real revver for 5.29 gears. My AMX has 3.73 gears with 26" tall tires. At 6000 RPMs, I'm doing about 105 MPH. Bigger diameter tires will gain you a bit, but not a lot.

I wouldn't spin a 290 or 360 past about 6500 without spending some serious money on forged pistons and rods, and some crank work. Over 7000, I'd suggest 4 bolt main caps, but you'd need an early 360 block with the thicker webbing to install them.

Bob
tufcj

Hey bob, the 290 came with a forged crank but not sure about the rods.. AMC was tryin' to get there V8 out there and couldn't want to QA an iron crank.

Either way though 5.29 seems a bit much (jesus.. as a jeep guy I never thought I would say that :mrgreen: )

-Dave

tufcj

I understood that SOME of the 290 cranks were from Armasteel(?), which was somewhere between cast and forged. Those cranks are stamped with the Amrasteel name. The rest were just cast. Only the 390 and 401 got a forged crank (and rods) from the factory. Someone correct me if I'm wrong. Bob tufcj

The PIG Smith

dbesade wrote
Either way though 5.29 seems a bit much (jesus.. as a jeep guy I never thought I would say that :mrgreen: )

-Dave

LOL!
I am also a Jeep/truck guy, so I do not know much about the 1/4 mile Go-Fast cars, so I was keeping quiet.
5:29 seems rather extreme on the low scale, with maybe the monster Rockwell tipping the Low Scale on the ultra extreme with 6.72:1. :shock:
I am happy with the 3:73 in my J20's Dana 60!

dbesade

tufcj wrote
I understood that SOME of the 290 cranks were from Armasteel(?), which was somewhere between cast and forged. Those cranks are stamped with the Amrasteel name. The rest were just cast. Only the 390 and 401 got a forged crank (and rods) from the factory. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

Bob
tufcj

Hmm I always understood that in the rush to get the 290 out.. AMC used the forged tooling .. oh crap.. I think I'm thinking about the AMC 250 (first V8..) I dunno.. MC needs to chime in here..

-Dave

tarior

Armasteel is a trade name for nodular cast iron. IIRC, there were some forged cranks made available for the 290/343, but I don't think any were used from the factory. All non forged AMC cranks are nodular cast iron.

fifesjeep

tufcj wrote
.I wouldn't spin a 290 or 360 past about 6500 without spending some serious money on forged pistons and rods, and some crank work. Over 7000, I'd suggest 4 bolt main caps, but you'd need an early 360 block with the thicker webbing to install them.
Bob
tufcj

What about oiling mods??? I fried a "Decently Built" 304 due to the oiling... By the time I noticed the pressure it was too late, chewed the rear bearings... So there's nothing more to do other than run her hard for a couple more trips, mostly over 7000rpms with a peak rpm just over 8200 on the recall.... knock knock knock... and I still did another pass..... hahaha. I tried blowing it up... chewed the lower half "a little" more... =D> (Nothing was re-usable)... Not even the heads... hehehe
When it's time to put it down it's time to put it down... ($3000 and change in the motor went down with a gulp)... But I was already in the mix of building the 360 that I have now... Now if I blow this one up I'll cry... :smile: 🙁: and then go back to CHEVY... and Build SB Monster... I figure I dumped a little over $6K in this motor... and with that money I can build a nice 4 bolt SBC that'll scream without any of the AMC issues... #-o