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440/500hp. what is the easiest way to accomplish this

49K views 24 replies 10 participants last post by  abqdart 
#1 ·
OK,I want to build a 500hp 440 i have a 73" motor home steel crank i have been told without taking it apart yet that it has six pack rods and flat tops,it also has a pair of 75" 452 heads on it,i seem to be having trouble looking this motor up,is the bore and stroke different on this engine being in a motor home.do i really need to go to 2.14 and 1.81 valves to acomplish 500hp. or can i run the stock valves. with a template port job or do i need to be more agressive porting the heads,the cam i have is a flat tappet 509/292 purple cam,i am not opposed to changing the cam.this motor is going to take a little while for me to put together anyway beacause of a remodeling on a home,i would like it to be responsive on the lower end i was gonna run a eddy performer rpm intake with an 850 eddy,do i need to get rid of the six pack rods and heavy pistons,i was gonna use a set of 4barrel rods from a 71"motor and the pistons with valve reliefs in it to but if i run the 71 pistons i will be giving up around 5cc if i am correct.i would like to keep my CR. at 9.5:1 if possible what do i need to do with what i have to work with to accomplish the 500hp. i will also be using a 727 on the back how big of stall will i need i have a 3.55 sure grip right now and i want to put a 3.91 in it for running it,i would like to be led in the right direction and i know there are alot of knowledgable people on here that can give me some good advice,remember i want to do this as cheap as i can 2 tenths of a second does not mean nothing to me i just want to make some good clean hp. for the street and maybe take it to the strip and see what it will run but not making a habbit of it,just want a nice driver it is going in a 73"swinger...........Ted
 
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#2 ·
Re: 440/500hp.

This link is to the build for my 63.  It has the specs on the 440 I used in my 63 and I guess it makes right about 500 flywheel HP.    I use factory 906 heads and the MP .557 cam at 10.0 comp with KB pistons.   It has pushed my 3700 lb 63 to 11.50's so I am happy as I built it on a budget shooting for high 11's.   Good luck with your car.   :)    Ron

http://www.1962to1965mopar.ornocar.com/mmo82008.html
 
#3 ·
You don't need the bigger valves. The 4bbl rods and pistons will require a new neutral balance dampner and converter/flywheel. Along with rebalancing the crank and rotating assy. If your "other" 440 pistons have valve notches in them then they are not 4bbl pistons. They are six pack pistons and have a higher compression distance than any of the flat-tops. They're stock pistons right? The notched pistons will raise your compression and would be a good idea assuming they are in good shape.

Whatever you decide. A raise in compression will net throttle response and horsepower. Like 383man says the .557 solid is a great cam and will make more HP than the hydraulic .509 and be more streetable.
 
#5 ·
500 horses is almost a no brainer in a 440. One of the first I ever built made 512 hp on my boss' very stingy dyno. I ran the 509 cam, 906 heads I pocket ported and installed Manley Pro Flo valves, stock size, At the time, the Performer RPM didn't exist, so I used an Edelbrock CH4B and an 850 Holley. That engine ran great and made more power than my boss' roller cammed, Hilborn injected 350 Chevy.

Lose the six pack rods. I swapped up to them and the engine revved slower and cost a fortune to balance. If it isn't a total budget build, get some 440Source H beam rods and .990 pin pistons.

My last engine was a 440 with stock stroke, Eagle rods, .990 pistons, a Comp 288 Street roller, the same 906 heads and a Performer RPM. Car ran almost a full second faster, but then again, I was not the king of consistancy with a 4 speed and street tires.
 
#13 ·
thanks steve
that is really amazing the increase in hp. they made by bolt on stuff that is what i am interested in,i read on here somewhere in the last couple days a guy said it was a no brainer to get 500hp easy out of a 440,he said he did just a few things and got 515hp out of one of the first ones he did.i noticed that article was april of 2001 also,dick landy had an issue out how to get 505hp out of a 440 with 906's with the chrysler template porting and a few other things,i got the 452 heads but they flow good this is something like i want to do thanks steve for all the help
 
#14 ·
I built mine for 11,000.00.

1967 440 .030 Balanced and Blueprinted
Steel crank .010/.010
Edelbrock aluminum Heads Big Valves
Harland Sharp Roller Rockers
Manly rods
Lunati Voodoo Cam .556 Lift
Speed Pro 2295 LF Popup's with .147" Dome 10.5/1
Edelbrock Ch 28 Dual Quad split plenum intake
2 Edelbrock 500 performer Carbs
MSD Ignition system Pro Billit w/6AL box
Cloyes hex adjust chain
High volume pumps Oil and Fuel
TTI 2" primary 3-1/2 inch collectors

Rods were re-sized, aluminum everything to save weight and run on the dyno, all this and all I got was 459 horse@5400 with 475 Ft.lbs. of torque, Is it the dyno or is it me I spared no expence building mine and I was shooting for 500 horse too but the numbers said otherwise and that was at the flywheel. Dave
 
#15 ·
I think every dyno is probably different, maybe take it to the dragstrip and let that be your dyno. But it seems like you should have been more in the 500 hp area, maybe there's some more left on the table with carb and ignition tuning?


The build Steve posted is pretty much the build I did. My only changes were I used the 6-pack pistons for a little more compression and zero decked, an Engle cam with similiar specs, Performer RPM instead of Street Dominator intake, and 850 DP instead of 850 vac secondary.

Once I get it all together, running, sorted-out, hooking up, maybe someday I'll hit it with a 200 shot of N.O.S. nanr tossmoney
 
#16 ·
wow i am really sorry to hear ya did not hit your goal of what ya set out for,i am no expert on this but you have some expensive parts to from alot of what i have been reading up on alot if it could be in your intake and carbs,i know you can get more hp. out of what you have there.I know the set up you have is capable of more power with probally some minor changes, someone will have some better answers than i will.I know that motor is cable of more than that
 
#17 ·
67Satty said:
The build Steve posted is pretty much the build I did.  My only changes were I used the 6-pack pistons for a little more compression and zero decked, an Engle cam with similiar specs, Performer RPM instead of Street Dominator intake, and 850 DP instead of 850 vac secondary. 

Once I get it all together, running, sorted-out, hooking up, maybe someday I'll hit it with a 200 shot of  N.O.S.  nanr tossmoney
are you running stock heads as stated in his post or did you port them,and how does that thing run are you satisfied with it
 
#18 ·
Stock heads just like the build-up he posted a link to and I haven't run it yet. Still sitting on the engine stand waiting for me to get the rest of the car ready for it. I'll put some 440 Source stealth heads on it the next time I have $900 I don't know what to do with tossmoney (which isn't very often with three kids in Montisorri pre-school all at the same time).
 
#20 ·
67satty
there is another link i saw also one that dick landy had out similar to that one but they had the 906's template ported with the performer intake on it i can't remember if it was the rpm or not with an 850 carb if i can find the link i will try to post it they made like 505hp. with it,i know what you mean about the money for the heads i would like a set of the stealths myself,musle motors carrys them there around 100mi.
from me,are you gonna throw that motor on a dyno or just run it
 
#22 ·
tedster said:
are you gonna throw that motor on a dyno or just run it
I will probably just let the dragstrip be my dyno but if I can scrape up the money a dyno session might be a good way to break in the motor.
 
#25 ·
Bad69440 said:
I built mine for 11,000.00.

1967 440 .030 Balanced and Blueprinted
Steel crank .010/.010
Edelbrock aluminum Heads Big Valves
Harland Sharp Roller Rockers
Manly rods
Lunati Voodoo Cam .556 Lift
Speed Pro 2295 LF Popup's with .147" Dome 10.5/1
Edelbrock Ch 28 Dual Quad split plenum intake
2 Edelbrock 500 performer Carbs
MSD Ignition system Pro Billit w/6AL box
Cloyes hex adjust chain
High volume pumps Oil and Fuel
TTI 2" primary 3-1/2 inch collectors

Rods were re-sized, aluminum everything to save weight and run on the dyno, all this and all I got was 459 horse@5400 with 475 Ft.lbs. of torque, Is it the dyno or is it me I spared no expence building mine and I was shooting for 500 horse too but the numbers said otherwise and that was at the flywheel.  Dave
Christ! 11k and 459 horse and 475 ........ does not sound right to me? I would get with Steve DeTar or some of the other engine guru's. something is miss matched or put together wrong. At least thats my opinion...... sorry man.
 
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