Prove me wrong.
There's a reason most tube frame Nissans use the SOHC versus the DOHC. There are some 300+whp KA24Es out there, last time I checked Nissan even sold some pretty die hard race parts for the SOHC from the Nissan Motorsport catalog.
Now obviously this is a $10,000 engine...but...lol Yeah on the street bolt ons versus bolt ons a DE would probably be better.
The reason someone would chose a SOHC over a DOHC for a na engine is because the rocker ratio on a SOHC is adjustable vs fixed on a DOHC and it has to compress 12 valves vs 16. The only way to increase lift on DOHC is bigger cam lobes, which also contribute to the valve train resistance difference between the 2 engines. That small amount of valve opening resistance on the engine benefits the SOHC, but the DOHC would offer you a bigger range of power. Both engines have the same bore and stroke with interchangeable internals, so like you said... "theres a bunch of hardcore race parts available", that would apply to both.
In an absolute power making contest, the SOHC would win, for aforementioned reasons.
The DOHC provides more range in the power.
If you were building a drag car, i can see how the SOHC at it's peak would be better than a DOHC at it's peak...
but for a road car, i feel like it would depend on the track length and other variables....
I see very small differences in these engines.... none worthy of saying one or the other is "FARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR" better than the other one. I see a matter of preference. There are 300hp NA DEs also, but im not sifting through the sea of turbos to find one for you. I'm sure there's one in the picture below though...........
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Last edited by Sinfix_15; 11-18-2012 at 03:30 PM.