That's great, I don't guess numbers, I've always built engines that exceeded the intended goal.
No rpm performer intake on a 440 in any use case?
We actually were shooting for around 450 hp so we were happy with the numbers it put up. It's really only 1 hp/c.i. (438") which is a basic hot rod engine. We purposely kept it mild for low maintenance and drivability. Regardless, it sounds great, can do block-long burnouts and will break the tires loose when it kicks down from 40mph roll. It would have easily made better power with more compression and a bigger cam. If you think about it, 475 lb./ft. @ 4,100 rpm would certainly be at the top of the heap back in the muscle car days.
There was no need to mess with the heads on the engine I showed, it wouldn't have made a lick of difference - the camshaft was mild and the engine will spend the majority of it's life at part throttle. Plus, it simply wasn't in the budget. I can't do my own valve jobs and I'm dangerous with a grinder so those operations would have been an extra cost which was not in the cards. The beauty of Stealth heads is that they are a bolt-on, stock-replacement deal and relatively cheap. Sinking money or time into brand new heads 'just cause' would have made little sense. Trick Flows would have been overkill for that combo and would never be fully utilized.
Intake choice is generally dependent on application rpm, not displacement. Again, the 438" I showed was a 100% street cruiser combo in a heavy car with highway gears - it needs low rpm torque which is the whole point of a dual plane. It would be pointless for an engine like that to only make power above 3,500 rpm when the car is mostly putting around crowded urban streets or on the highway.
I've seen this comment a few times now, I believe all from you. I'm curious as to why you feel so negative about a brand that has served me and most of the gearheads I know, well for a whole lot of years. If you have a personal story I'd love to hear it...
I haven’t had a Comp Cam fail since 1985, but there are tons of stories out there about them failing in recent years. I much prefer to buy a custom grind from a small cam grinder than from a giant company that is owned by a private equity firm.
So basically, you are repeating stories from individuals you don't know, not from personal experience with Comp products. I encourage you to take a walk through the pits of any major race, be it NHRA (my personal experience) or any other professional, organized event and look for Comp decals on the entrants. Then actually talk to the owners and drivers about their experiences with that brand. There is a reason they are picked to power so many professional and amateur vehicles, not to mention thousands of street vehicles. I'm not saying that Comp is the only cam/lifter brand to use. Everyone has their favorites that have worked well for them. What I'm saying is I don't think it is right to bad mouth a product based on somebody else's post without FIRST HAND knowledge of the build and break-in. And, btw, all cam companies offer contingency money if you actually use their product and win an event...
Most of the NHRA stockers required to run flat tappet cams are running billet cams with Trend tool steel lifters. The good cast cam cores that Comp and the others used are no longer being made or available.
Great link.425 HP and 450 tq, so with a 451 kit there would be the 500 tq even as is, it would be a great driver.
