I agree with much of what Hank Scorpio says. That said, I am not optimistic about the results of LS swap featured in the YouTube videos… (I’ll leave it at that.)
"Horsepower sells cars, but torque wins races”. I think it’s part of the American psyche to think in terms of horsepower. But in a Tucker Sno-Cat application you want torque. And, you want gobs of it: you want it at a low RPM, and you want a very flat torque curve.
The 360 pictured in the video isn’t “it” for a Tucker. I listened to what was said more than watched the video, but that engine produces its peak horsepower at 5,800 RPM. You won’t see that in a Tucker. Peak torque was at 4,600 RPM which you might see on a very rare occasion... briefly. The compression ratio is 10.5:1 which would mean premium fuel. The carburetor is a Holley 750 CFM “Double Pumper”, meaning two accelerator pumps. It also has mechanical secondaries which is great for a high performance street machine, but not so much for a Tucker Sno-Cat. Did you notice the choke plate was removed from the carburetor? Good luck getting it started in 0 degree temperatures. That engine also had a nice set of headers. Great for making the engine breathe better, but finding a set that would fit in a Tucker without clearance issues would be a challenge. But it does look pretty, and it sounds nasty…a good thing!
Interestingly, the Chrysler 440 Industrial was the base engine in the Tucker 1700 series for a time, so there are Tuckers with 440 engines out there! My impression is the 440 wasn’t offered in automotive applications for very long. It was available in pickup trucks for a while and was pretty commonly installed in motorhomes back in the 1970’s. But it’s a big block and it weighs a bunch. My perception is performance parts for that engine are harder to find, and more expensive when you do. Different bell housing bolt pattern than the LA series engines.
LS series engines offer a number of great features. They’re reliable, last a long time (when properly maintained), start easily in virtually all conditions, produce excellent power, decent economy, and they can be readily found at reasonable prices. There is also considerable aftermarket support in terms of parts and general information for LS swaps. Honestly from my perspective, what’s not to like? I will say, though that an off-the-cuff number for the parts necessary to make the conversion in a Tucker is about $4K; and that doesn’t include the engine or a nickel for labor. It also doesn’t include a transmission.
Kirk, I am pleased though that you’ve taken an interest in repowering a Tucker. As someone who is a “made man” in the Snow Track Mafia, I’m encouraged by your involvement in this topic. (I think it’s outstanding!)
WBJ1 brought the 1544 back from the mountains of Colorado yesterday. Scott and I intend to get back to work on Thundercat on January 2nd and hopefully soon I’ll have two operational Tuckers (for the first time…ever)! If/when that happens I’d like to take both machines out for head-to-head comparison testing: same day, same place, same conditions; which means no excuses. If that happens I’ll try to take good notes, and hopefully some videos.
Happy New Year!
