500hp anybody?

[GOOSE]

My latest Diesel Power has the buildup of a 6.2/6.5 GM diesel. 5,000rpm's and a land speed record. I feel our IH's are a far superior motor and can't help but to wonder if a high hp target is more feasable than we know of. Studs everywhere, lightening up the rotating mass of the lower end, maybe cyro treating the cranck and rods. It seems to me that filling part of the water jacket to add strength is a must.

It's a pipe dream for me but why has it been done to an IDI GM but not an IDI IH? And I'm talking more recently and more reliably than Max Lagod's legendary 6.9.

 

[Diesel JD]

Goose, I imagine with enough $$ dumped into it a 6.9 or 7.3 could make even more HP than a 6.2/6.5 as I do agree with you on them being the superior motor along with the many shared characteristics. If I can save the money and gather the parts I plan to build a 6.9 that has the following:
head, intake, exhaust studs, custom 18.5:1 6.9 pistons bolting to 7.3 IDI turbo rods, an intercooler, a DT466 turbo, Moose Misters and a DB4/DB2 hybrid pump and whatever that is HP wise I would consider about the streetable maximum for an IH IDI. Some would say even that won't be very streetable because of the low compression ration, but no one has ever told me why a 6.5 TD can start reliably at 18.5:1 and a 6.9 can't. In fact I don't believe it for a minute that they can't.

 

[6.9poweredscout]

6.5's are cheaper than a 6.9. and there's probably less beef so they're lighter? got me.

-Jon

 

[Brutis]

Does Bill Gates have a hobby? We need to get him excited about IH IDIs. Anybody on here got connections?

 

[crashnzuk]

I read that article too. I wouldn't call that a street engine, the water jackets are filled up to 5/8" from the deck with block filler. I wonder what that guy gets out of a liveable street engine that can be used for real work? It would be nice to know some ways to get more power out of these IH things though.
Travis..

 

[Diesel JD]

Yeah I haven't read the DP article, but now I'm going to have to. I figured 500HP in ANY IDI isn't going to be a streetable engine. Maybe in a marine app. but not in a truck, for all the reasons we've discussed here before...., my goal would be 300 RWHP to be in the same range as a lightly modified 94-97 PSD or 12V Cummins. Once you get into more aggressive mods, these DIs will ALWAYS win the day, in my opinion. I know Dave Spounagle has a pretty powerful IDI over on FTE, and before Flatlander ran out of cash and patience on his compound turbo "Damn Truck" that one was hot too. But as far as here, the best streetable trucks have been Hesutton's at 185RWHP and the Enterprise at 201RWHP and Darrin's Big Ed at 215 with propane. Dave nor Flatlander have ever dynoed theirs as far as I know.

 

[93cc7.3]

i read it the motor gets torn down every 1500 miles and a complete rebuild is done but he runs 5w-30w motor oil to lighten it even more

 

[Diesel_brad]

500 hp out of any mechanically controlled diesel cant be a DD every day. The engine is what it is. Even 12 valve cummins' cant be daily drivers at that HP level. Too tempermental


But an electronic one can be, because you can turn it down at the flip of a switch to 300hp for street use then turn it to whatever for racing, pulling, whatever you want to do with it, hence the advantage if electronic diesels

 

[cetanefreek]

500 hp out of any mechanically controlled diesel cant be a DD every day. The engine is what it is. Even 12 valve cummins' cant be daily drivers at that HP level. Too tempermental


But an electronic one can be, because you can turn it down at the flip of a switch to 300hp for street use then turn it to whatever for racing, pulling, whatever you want to do with it, hence the advantage if electronic diesels

who told you that? my mechanically injected 24 valve cummins dyno's a bit over 700 HP and its been a daily driver since I've owned it.

I've driven 850 HP rigs that were less tempermental than some 400 HP rigs, it's all in the setup.

 

[Diesel_brad]

who told you that? my mechanically injected 24 valve cummins dyno's a bit over 700 HP and its been a daily driver since I've owned it.

I've driven 850 HP rigs that were less tempermental than some 400 HP rigs, it's all in the setup.

How much nitrous are you running?

 

[cetanefreek]

nada dude, just 75 pounds of boost, all the numbers will go up once I get the primary charger changed out. I don't mess with spray, it's ******* things and I kinda feel like it's cheating. that may be the key to a drivable high HP IDI, a properly sized set of compound turbochargers.

IF you have the chargers sized properly and the tuning right you don't need to de-tune to run on the street, it only goes as fast as you stick your foot down.

I've driven electronically controlled diesels on the street that were north of 1000HP, with the hot tune in them, same deal, if the chargers are sized right and whoever does the tuning knows what they are doing, they are perfectly streetable.

 

[Diesel_brad]

I'd like to drive a 750hp streetable truck. I havent been in anything over 400 that you could call streetable GAS or diesel. Just too much to control for everyday driving. unless you are talking a signature series cummins

 

[cetanefreek]

well damn... too bad I wasn't on here when I lived in north VA, I'd have let you take it for a spin one of the times I came through PA

I didn't own an IDI at the time so I didn't even know about this place.

back to the matter at hand, I'm really interested in this thread, I've got 3 6.9's here, none of which are in good shape, and I've stopped considering them for my '86 just because I'm not sure I'd be happy with the power I could get out of them, been looking at different options from the DT360 and 638 detroit all the way up to the DT466 and 8.3 cummins.

if in fact I could get a RELIABLE 300+ HP out of one of these I may have to change my mind.

I have to wonder if I took an S475 and had it pushing into a wastegated ATS turbo setup, with a nasty pump and injectors from MEL, O-rings and studs..... well.... that's what I'm wondering anyway.

 

[Diesel_brad]

I think the block is the weak link at 300+

 

[cetanefreek]

any idea where in the block? as in would a bottom end girdle help? I built one for my cummins, they are factory on the cummins marine engines. should be able to do the same for this one.

or would I need to build something that would be a girdle top and bottom and huge studs to hold it all together? they do something like that with the puller tractors, huge studs that basically hold the engine together from crank to head.