Yeah you did say 9/73 308 on are the same as a HJ - they are not as I already explained. A late HQ or early LH 308 may look the same as a early HJ engine, but that is where it ceases. The block is different, the pistons are different, the cam is different and the timing gear on the cam is different.
Where do I say a HJ engine's performance is identical to a HQ? I know for a fact that is wrong, the HJ performs far better. I don't say that, GMH and everyone I know that owned them new (either in Torana or in a Holden) says it other than you.
I fully understand how cam and compression works. So did GM/Chevrolet and so did GMH. They used the SAME grind camshaft for all engines from 8.5:1 (GM with the 327/240 and 1971-1974 L48 and GMH with the carby VL 5.0L) up to near 10:1 (GMH with 9.7:1 HJ-HZ engine and GM with the 1967-70 L48). GMH wanted more power and torque for the HJ as they had dropped the 400ci engine, so they went back an revised the 308 for a bigger cam and more compression.
I have the full specification from GM and from GMH - cam grinds are basically identical, the difference being due to the different rocker arm ratios used on SBC vs 253/308.
All I can say is garbage to the next statement. The HJ cam is used in late red 308 at 9.4:1, blue-black 308 at 9.2:1, black VK 304 at 8.8:1 and black VL 304 at 8.5:1. All of these have the same basic heads apart from EGR port shape, only the VL has bigger valves and also run on ULP. The DIN power and torque of these do not vary much at all, and these you can compare DIN as they were tested on the same dyno with the same dual exhaust. Figures for these are:
VB Red L31 9.4:1 308 - 125kW@4200.
WB/VC-VK Blue-Black L31 9.2:1 308 - 126kW@4400.
VK black LV2 304 - I think this stayed the same as the 308.
VL black 8.5:1 LV2 304 - 122kW@4400rpm.
Hmmm, no real power drop with the drop in compression. Might be a few hp difference in peak figures on an engine dyno but not a lot to write home about.
Pollution laws started with A.I.R. for California from 1966-7, didn't happen until the rest of the country until 1968. The HJ cam has NOTHING TO DO WITH ADR27. ADR27 arrived in 8-9/73. HJ engines a year later. ADR27 and ADR27A ARE EXTERNAL stuff only, no internals were changed with the exception of the EGR valve on auto engines - it was blanked off on manuals.
SAE Gross hp figures in Engineering documents are not made up, they are read straight off the graphs. You are talking about advertised hp, but these were changed for marketing all the time and not restricted to Gross, Net or DIN were also changed by marketing. I never use marketing figures, only the Engineering data. What do you mean I know HQ and HJ performed the same, I have never said that, quite the opposite in fact, you can feel the 25 odd hp difference easily. Yes, HX was 216hp@4800 gross, compared to the HT-HQ 225hp (might have been 227hp, will confirm - edit: see bottom of this post). Garbage again on the camshaft, enough said.
Again you are wrong, NO 308 Torana EVER got a single exhaust. In fact SLR or SS 4.2 Torana were all dual exhaust until a short period post ADR27A introduction when a single exhaust appeared for a while.
Not all 308 LH Torana got a 2.78 rear axle, 3.08 was available and fitted to some especially some L34.
Most 308 (and 253) Holden from HT through to the end of HJ got a single exhaust, dual exhaust didn't become standard until HX GTS if I remember correctly (apart from the HQ SS package).
I agree, all the claims about the 308 being gutless are from people who either: drove a flogged out one with busted cam or Quadrajet badly needing a service, single exhaust or tall diff and auto. If you wee lucky enough to get a drive of an original 308 HJ manual with dual exhaust (STD with 3.36) or an LH-early LX with a HJ 308 engine then you got a totally different idea. Even the HZ 308 went well, if equipped with a dual exhaust. A9X's were certainly never lambasted as a dog like the HX's were, and GMH were very careful to ensure that the road test A9X's were not the really early A9X's with the HX engines - they always got the better running HZ engine.
L34 has flat top pistons with no dish, if used with standard heads probably would have been 10:1, but Perfectune machined the heads for bigger valves and thus the chambers were opened up a bit so compression was 9.8:1. The cam wasn't touched, it kept the early 253 cam retarded by 5deg just like every other HT-HQ 308. This was a race car, not a road car hence there was no need for GMH to use the upcoming HJ cam in it. The cam was top be changed for race duty. HDT offered the L34 bottom end in their VH based GroupIII as a HO engine, they must have decked the heads to gain some more compression back as they rated them as 10:1.
June 1970 dyno curves for HT 308 engine, statement made under oath before Public Notary by Fred James Engine Engineer. Curves give both Gross hp/torque and Net hp/torque (I think these are called GM1 and GM20 tests respectively and show the corrected barometric pressure and temperature for both tests).
Gross:
226hp@4800rpm
300ftlbs@3200rpm.
Net:
160hp@3700rpm
240ftlbs@2000rpm.
The ADR27A HX engine curves I only have NET figures for:
Net
167hp@4000rpm
251ftlbs@2400rpm.
Edited by user Thursday, 19 April 2018 8:16:46 PM(UTC)
| Reason: Not specified