Early Dyno Don Nicholson ?

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Truckedup
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Early Dyno Don Nicholson ?

Post by Truckedup »

Is this him in a 1954 Bill Fisher Chevy GMC 6 cylinder spped manual...?
Of interest is he 270 GMC ohv truck engine could make more power with reliability than a Ford flathead V8 . They powered WW2 2-1/2 ton trucks and surplus engines were inexpensive after the war...But most were geared up to run the Ford so .....
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Re: Early Dyno Don Nicholson ?

Post by PackardV8 »

Truckedup wrote: Thu Sep 10, 2020 7:35 am Is this him in a 1954 Bill Fisher Chevy GMC 6 cylinder spped manual...?
Of interest is he 270 GMC ohv truck engine could make more power with reliability than a Ford flathead V8 . They powered WW2 2-1/2 ton trucks and surplus engines were inexpensive after the war...But most were geared up to run the Ford so .....
For true, but the choice wasn't from ignorance. Most rodders preferred the look of the '30s Fords; that the Ford V8 is light, incredibly compact and already in there made it a natural. The GMC is long, tall and heavy. Six big pistons don't rev as smoothly and as quickly.
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Re: Early Dyno Don Nicholson ?

Post by MichaelThompson »

I agree Jack. Those big Jimmy’s were great engines for sure. In a land speed car or drag only car they’d be tough to beat with a Flatty.

The Flathead V8 powered Ford’s were as much about balanced vehicle dynamics as they were about horsepower.

The stock 221” Flatty in my ‘41 Coupe is downright sporty for an antique car.

I also maintain an open wheel channeled ‘37 Coupe with a 260” Merc that I consider to be fast by any standards. It handles like it’s on rails too.

In both cars the V8 sits behind the the spindle centerline.
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Re: Early Dyno Don Nicholson ?

Post by Truckedup »

On the freight terminal scale, a 302 GMC with manifolds , bellhousing and flywheel weighed 550 pounds...How much does the stock flathead weigh?
Back when, 270 GMC street engine with the typical 3 carbs, reground cam, milled head, Fenton exhaust and careful tune could make about 18O HP. A same cubic inch flathead would need to be in a much higher state of tune to match that, yes?
Of course the Ford had the hot rod history and a huge knowledge base
...
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Re: Early Dyno Don Nicholson ?

Post by piston guy »

No surprise that it's Don. We all had to start somewhere.
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Re: Early Dyno Don Nicholson ?

Post by MichaelThompson »

Truckedup wrote: Thu Sep 10, 2020 11:47 am On the freight terminal scale, a 302 GMC with manifolds , bellhousing and flywheel weighed 550 pounds...How much does the stock flathead weigh?
Back when, 270 GMC street engine with the typical 3 carbs, reground cam, milled head, Fenton exhaust and careful tune could make about 18O HP. A same cubic inch flathead would need to be in a much higher state of tune to match that, yes?
Of course the Ford had the hot rod history and a huge knowledge base
...
I don’t think it’s so much the overall weight. More just that a six is upright and longish. Especially those big Jimmy’s. They were huge. Powerful though.
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Re: Early Dyno Don Nicholson ?

Post by Truckedup »

Yes, high and long, but less wide.....under the hood of my 37 Chevy pu, the 302 just cleared the radiator and firewall, wall to wall mill, lol
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Re: Early Dyno Don Nicholson ?

Post by PackardV8 »

Truckedup wrote: Thu Sep 10, 2020 11:47 am On the freight terminal scale, a 302 GMC with manifolds , bellhousing and flywheel weighed 550 pounds...How much does the stock flathead weigh?
About the same, but the weight is carried much lower and further back. In a light car, the handling advantage of the flathead V8 would be noticeable.
Truckedup wrote: Thu Sep 10, 2020 11:47 am Back when, 270 GMC street engine with the typical 3 carbs, reground cam, milled head, Fenton exhaust and careful tune could make about 18O HP. A same cubic inch flathead would need to be in a much higher state of tune to match that, yes?
It's very much more difficult and expensive to make 180 horsepower with a flathead V8 and it would be much less durable than the GMC.
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Re: Early Dyno Don Nicholson ?

Post by piston guy »

The Jimmy 6 had WAY more torque than the flatty. Torque gets you moving.
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Re: Early Dyno Don Nicholson ?

Post by Truckedup »

The 302 GMC I built for the 37 Chevy pu has Venolia 9.25 pistons, unported head with SBC valves and some bowl clean up. Reground cam about 210 degrees duration at .050 and .440 total lift. 400 cfm AFB on a Cifford intake, home built short tube header. 5 speed manual, 3.36 gears. 4800 was maximum useful rpm, yes a lot of torque at midrange. Maybe 220 hp and 300 ft lbs....enough to move the 2900 pound tin can truck at a brisk vintage rate of speed. The engine was smooth running with a moderate idle lope. Large diameter single exhaust sounded like a UPS truck on methamphetamine...
I do prefer the V8 sound...and a SBC is a lot less money...
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