Dyno Testing And The Big SurpriseWe had to find out what we were starting with before we began digging into this unmolested small-block. We are happy to report that, in yet another case, Ma Mopar underrated an engine. The factory claimed 175 hp, and we were a bit surprised by the 176 horses the Diplomat cranked out at the wheels. Not a bad baseline considering the restrictive exhaust system, with not one or two catalytic converters, but three! Because of questionable tire condition, all pulls were made in second gear to limit tire speed. Even still, we saw 89-mph tire speed. Gotta' love those 2.94 gears!
| CHASSIS DYNO RESULTS |
| RPM | Horsepower | Torque |
| 2,800 | 121.0 | 226.2 |
| 3,000 | 139.6 | 243.1 |
| 3,200 | 148.5 | 242.9 |
| 3,400 | 158.5 | 244.2 |
| 3,600 | 164.5 | 239.8 |
| 3,800 | 170.6 | 233.8 |
| 4,000 | 174.7 | 228.6 |
| 4,200 | 176.0 | 218.7 |