taking hp away from 540

[Ryan0348]

i havnt posted on here in awhile. awhile ago i built a 540 bbc with afr 315 rec port heads ported single plane vic jr intake larger solid roller cam, dart big m, block decent forged rotating assembly. 10.4 compression so on...
I built this motor for a buddy for his 64 chevelle while he had the body work being done. 2 months ago he passed away from covid and his wife would like to finish the car for her and there 8 year old son to drive once he of age to do so. the motor either need sto be sold and put a stock small block in it till his son is atleast 20 something lol. my question is has anyone on here ever tried to take hp away from a larger cubic inch motor like this with say a stockish 454 cam and stock or eddelbrock dual plane. maybe even a 2 barrel carb. im not sure even with all that it will take away enough hp for a 16 year old kid to drive. at some point when the son is old enough to be responsible he will wana put it back to the way his dad had me built it.

[lefty o]

even tuned down, with a peanut cam, its going to make 500ish hp. how many 16yr old kids can be trusted on the street with that. id fog the heck out of it with a good corrosion inhibitor, shrink wrap and stick it in the corner until such a time as they want/need it. plop a doggy mild 396 in it for the mean time.

[mag2555]

With the way our government is trending now, in 8 years when her son is old enough to get his license there may not be gasoline allowed to be made and or purchased for things like this any more and in effect the motor if wrapped up and saved could not be used anyway!

[dannobee]

The clandestine way to do it would be to change the throttle linkage so that the throttle doesn't open fully. Or put a restrictor plate under the carb.

Gasoline will be here quite awhile longer. And if not, I know how to make my own alcohol. An old girlfriend taught me how. To this day, I love her still.

[bentvalves]

The clandestine way to do it would be to change the throttle linkage so that the throttle doesn't open fully. Or put a restrictor plate under the carb.

Gasoline will be here quite awhile longer. And if not, I know how to make my own alcohol. An old girlfriend taught me how. To this day, I love her still.

I was going to say the same thing using a restrictor plate though.

don't allow the engine to move the air it can.

[1980RS]

Run it with a puppy cam and take the link off the sec side of an 850 Holley, it will be pretty tame for the street and still get up and go.

[F-BIRD'88]

Find a old smog era stock low cr 402 BBC. Swap in a Thumpr cam. It will sound the boss. Lube up and wrap up the 540 complete for storage till the kid matures.

[i82much]

there is nothing you can do to a 540 that a 16 year old can’t easily undo ...

[rustbucket79]

Find a old smog era stock low cr 402 BBC. Swap in a Thumpr cam. It will sound the boss. Lube up and wrap up the 540 complete for storage till the kid matures.

Lots of those 50 year old engines laying around your area FB?

[rustbucket79]

Easy fix, Holley Sniper EFI, set the limiter to 3500 and disconnect the controller.

More than likely the kid will want a EV or bus pass.

[BLSTIC]

I wouldn't trust a kid in a car like that with more than about 150hp... But it probably needs to be convincingly faster than a shopping trolley and sound cool to keep interest. And be able to get into a freeway safely.

My vote is for a mild small block that sounds the part. Problem is I'm struggling to build ( on Engine Analyzer) a 350 with a cam big enough to lope that makes less than 260hp, and that's with swirl port heads, a 465cfm carb, and 1 1/4" headers... (without needlessly strangling it in some manner anyway)

260hp should be low enough, no? If the kid wants the big motor later he can earn it by drag racing and spending a few $ on warming the 350 so he knows the value of the power.

[NXBOY]

Won't be good for M.P.G. but a slow ignition curve on top of limited throttle would be nest IMHO, Torque can still swap there a$$ around pretty and thats when they over compensate and wreck when unexperianced it seems.

[6.50camaro]

My vote would be for something like a flat top 327 with vortec heads a little cam a mild dual plane intake and a 600 ish cfm carb. The 327 because its a '64 . that's more than enough for a 16 year old to get into trouble with. When he matures and if he still has an interest. Then mom can surpise him with the 540.

[olei]

I used a restrictor plate under the carburetor to reduce power on a Mopar 318. I bought a restrictor plate for inserts, and made the inserts myself.

[panic]

Making a car slow enough to be safe with a 16 year old driver: no such thing exists