Update on my (estim.) 218 hp 280GE :-)

[Ken C]

Hi, all. I've been driving around with this really big GRIN on my face, and am confident that it's time to provide an update. For background, see posts:
1) "Now About 25% more Power in my GWagen" (3/16/01)
2) "Update on my 190+ hp 280GE" (3/25/01)

A couple of minor problems that were fixed, namely a transmission leak and subsequently a little trouble getting the shift linkage adjusted afterwards, delayed my putting some miles on the engine. I've now got about 3,000 miles on this new customized* Long Block of an M110, and have given it some "tests".
[ * includes not mere 9:1 but 9.25:1 compression ratio pistons, hotter cams from Euro cars, etc. -- see the above posts for details and history.]

When I first got this '84 280GE/LWB with automatic transmission and 31" tires, at about 80,000 miles, I put it through some paces, including a zero-to-60 test on a particularly straight and level piece of barely used local road. At that time, it performed a fairly consistently with other G's of its type -- the 0-60 time (after correcting my speedometer with a Garmin SreetPilot GPS) averaged 17.4 seconds (I made four runs, two in each direction). [to other GWagen owners of this model and equipment -- is that about what you folks would normally expect?]

Well, hold on to your hats! My new engine has accomplished this same test at an average 13.0 seconds!
As a scientist, I appreciate the value of repeatability, and I followed through in my testing protocol.

The engine, as I've already reported in earlier posts, feels stronger throughout its rpm range (e.g., no more downshifts to third in suburban traffic and rural hills, etc). The engine rebuilder told me that, asking for more power as I was, I was really going to love this new engine; but he was too modest. Frankly, I expected about 190 to 200 hp, based on a little more compression ratio compared to Euro cars' 185 hp from 9:1 pistons. But with this quantified improvement, I'm daring to make this estimate:

As most engineering formulae relate performance (0-60, quarter-mile times, etc.) to a cubed increased in horsepower, I'm making this rough calculation that I've now got about 218 horsepower. And I think it's believable, based on reported 0-60 times of mid-'90's GWagens using M104 engines (rather than the earlier M103, with a mere 177 hp) of about this same horsepower (~215-220) ratings.

What do you folks think about these estimates? Comments?
Best regards to all.