Re: Improved Cooling or *not* improved cooling,

[cleaving@domain.elided]

> That is the question.  Everything else being equal, for a *Scout*
> application (as opposed to Loadstar), would one be better off picking the
> Improved Cooling 392 over the Non-improved Cooling 392.
 If you'll be using 392 heads, then I don't think there's any real difference.
I've never talked to anyone who's had cooling problems with the non-
improved cooling 392s, so I don't think the improved cooling is really 
'better' from that point of view. There are more changes than just the 
water tubes going into the block vs. into the heads - the water passeges 
between the block and heads are different in the improved vs. non-improved 
cooling 392s - that's why the head gaskets are different. The one big 
difference is the ability to use 345 heads on the non-improved cooling 392s. 
The 392 heads do have bigger valves than the 345 heads, but it turns out that 
you probably won't see the benefit of the bigger valves - if you put 392 
heads on a 392 block, and look up at the head through the cylinders with 
pistons and crank removed, you'll see that the intake valve is partially 
blocked by the top of the cylinder. That tells me that using 345 heads 
gets you the benefit of higher compression, and you don't really give up 
much in the way of breathing.
 I found out about the cylinder blocking the intake valve after I already
started rebuilding an improved cooling 392, and I've got another improved
cooling 392 in the garage - Doh!

 Later,                curt_cleavinger@domain.elided  Louisville, CO
   Curt                Binder Bunch: http://www.off-road.com/~jweed/binder.htm
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