Charger R/T V8 Built for Boost Gets Big Numbers Sans Blower
Building an engine for boost means you pick far different parts than an all-motor build, but how much power can this Charger really put down?
Some builds aren’t completed overnight. That’s a truth that can be applied to this Charger R/T that belongs to YouTuber R/T Life. He’s the type that couldn’t just leave his R/T stock, but when you’re building a car for more power, there’s a number of ways to do it. He could have kept the car at 5.7 liters and put a supercharger on it, but with stock internals, it is possible to add too much boost. If he went fully N/A, he could get a 400ci stroker and end up with about 500 horsepower, but he’s looking for more than that.
Ultimately R/T Life decided on the path he wants to go, saying, “I opted to do a fully forged stroker 345. So it is basically a 397 with a Jannetty Racing cam and the whole thing is designed for massive amounts of forced air.” The Arrington crank, rods and pistons bring compression to 10.4:1. The number is obviously is low for an all-motor build, but excellent for boost.
So he has the engine, but what if you’re still waiting for your blower? That’s exactly what R/T Life wants to find out. He explains that he knows the setup isn’t ideal but, “that doesn’t stop the curiosity for how it runs in its naturally aspirated state.”
Ted Jannetty, from Jannetty Racing Enterprises is not only the camshaft provider but also the host for the dyno runs. Before even starting, he knows not to expect much from the low compression engine. Jannetty says, “This was not an N/A build. If it was, I would have done things a little bit differently. I would have put more compression in it, I would have looked at a different cam profile and maybe a different intake manifold.”
Total power numbers? Actually they aren’t all that bad. A total of 449 horsepower and 454 lb/ft of torque aren’t all that bad. It didn’t come without its problems though. Chasing down programming in the ECU was essential to truck the computer into disabling variable valve timing with the new high performance camshaft. The end result is impressive for this kind of build, and R/T Life is looking for some big numbers once the blower goes on.
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