@Rusty-Vandura
NSG370 is officially rated for 272, but some of the TDI folks have successfully used it with more, so 300 is the soft cap I’ve set for my output, which roughly coincides with what a free-breathing, de-accessorized, non-smog 6.2 can comfortably make, and additionally, it’s a number that is more forgiving of any potential issues that might arise. These engines are susceptible to crank harmonic issues, the sources for which are numerous and not worth going into here, but a single illustrative example is to say a dead injector in a 6.2 making 500 ft.lbs is subject to far less damaging crankshaft harmonics than a dead injector in a 6.2 making 300 ft.lbs. Eventually I will have a 6.2 balanced, and I’m building an injector tester in preparation for being able to rebuild them myself at home… For now, and just in case I never reach that point, I’m accounting for a lot of what-ifs.
Anyway, as with everything here, it’s the result of a lot of thought put into the comfortable limits of my components, margin of error, accounting for some unknowns, etc… It’s a conservative, safe number.
To circle back to the transmission for a second, the NSG370 is unique in just how well-suited to this application it is. Only weighs 100lbs, low 1st gear, gear splits much closer than any comparably sized/weighted transmissions, and accepts the vast majority of Jeep’s broad range of transfer cases. If I were to make more torque, the next transmission option is 20% larger, easily 2x as heavy, and I’d need a transfer case adapter to use any Jeep cases, albeit I wouldn’t need an engine adapter, so that’s just a tradeoff. Or, if I were to keep the 370 with more torque, I’d be puckered every time I had to actually use that torque.
This is what’s taken the most time. Threading the needle. I’ve changed my component selection 10, 20 times now? It’s all interconnected. But, I’m at the point now where I’m confident in the strength, versatility, and resilience of my selections, and everything is easy to acquire spare parts for with the possible exception of the transmission, just because they’re kind of expensive for my budget. Still, it’s something I’m willing to work with for all its benefits.