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440 question

chad

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I just picked up a 440 short block from my buddy for a really really good deal.. its a 69 block. 030. L2295 trw forged pistons. Line honed, decked etc. Ly rods. All arp hardware forged crank gear drive. Balanced. Set up for external oiling... never been fired... now the problem is the deck height is sitting at 0. The camshaft is a 640 lift 308 duration solid roller. I know the compression will be high but is there anyway I can make this monster run on the street with pump fuel ? What head should I run ?
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Those pistons have a solid dome, have the dome removed. It's the most reasonable priced thing. Thicker head gaskets and a 88cc open chamber head maybe, but thick cometic head gasket get pricey..Probably need more cam info, lsa and .050 to know what compression to shoot for. Figure DCR, Sounds like that cams pretty big, 10.5:1 comfortably....maybe higher. Depends on how hard you want to push it. Imo...With good heads you may exceed the power of what a LY rod can handle. Valve to piston clearance needs checking to.
 
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For me, the cam is to damn big for street/high perf. driving just my opinion. What heads are you using would be my first question and what gear are you using. Cam swap sounds awful easy to me and good head gasks are all expensive and they make them in Many thicknesses. need to find out what comp. ratio the pistons will provide with open chamber heads plus gasks.
 
Agreed the cam is really aggressive... but for what I paid for the whole thing is less than half of what the machine work is worth. . I paid $500 for it all with a set of 1.5 harland sharp roller rockers. I am Not sure what heads to use just yet.. it'll have to be something with a large chamber for sure. Milling the domes is an option as well.. just throwing around ideas right now.
 
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You need to do the math. Do you have, or can you get the net volume of the piston?

This might get you close: Get the Eddy 84 cc closed chamber head, send it to someplace like MCH for CNC porting. They can make the combustion chambers 90 cc's and you get to keep the quench. This will probably get you close. If you need a little more, putting valve reliefs in the cylinder bores, and DIY piston fly cutting can get you there for sure.
 
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With an .080 cometic head gasket you'd have 10.4:1 with those pistons (11.1cc dome) at zero deck with an 88cc head.

Jegs Part Numbers...

844-L2295F30 Powerforge pistons, but the same number as your TRW's

245-C5460-080 Head gaskets
 
Did you wear a mask when you stole that?....LOL seriously good deal brother

If it's for real and solid you made out well. I agree with the above, open chambered cast iron heads (906's are still pretty easy to find) would help with the CR. I would recommend staying under 600 lift for a street/driver. Flat tappet, 278 adv. [email protected] w/1.6, 110 LSA degreed at 105 is a bump stick profile that makes good streetable power with a nice lope at idle. If this build see's more track than street... then throw the sink at it.
If you have to increase the eyebrow depth in the piston's for valve clearance the balance job is pretty much toast. Coil bind is always a concern when running high lift cams, do the math, double check your clearances and you should be fine. Sounds like this could be a fun engine to drop the hammer on....:thumbsup:
 
Did you wear a mask when you stole that?....LOL seriously good deal brother

If it's for real and solid you made out well. I agree with the above, open chambered cast iron heads (906's are still pretty easy to find) would help with the CR. I would recommend staying under 600 lift for a street/driver. Flat tappet, 278 adv. [email protected] w/1.6, 110 LSA degreed at 105 is a bump stick profile that makes good streetable power with a nice lope at idle. If this build see's more track than street... then throw the sink at it.
If you have to increase the eyebrow depth in the piston's for valve clearance the balance job is pretty much toast. Coil bind is always a concern when running high lift cams, do the math, double check your clearances and you should be fine. Sounds like this could be a fun engine to drop the hammer on....:thumbsup:

This was one of those deals where he and his wife split and she wasnt getting everything... he sold a lot of stuff super cheap to spite her... I have done lots of body work for him over the years and didnt charge him much. So he returned the favor. This motor will ne going into my 64 fury.. I am doing the "super stock" theme..
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Also, if that piston is at zero deck, you might want to pre-check head/intake fit. That piston would normally be 0.050" below the deck.
 
Dang! I have the same brand new pistons fer my 440! Thanks Guys! Just what I needed to
know. Those domes are 0.140 Tall?
 
Place the indicator plunger in line with the pin and see if you get the same reading.....shouldn't be much but where you have it can give you a different reading.
 
Bolt a pair of aluminum heads on it. Eddy, Trick Flow, etc. Aluminum heads will allow an easy 11-1 compression ratio with that cam. Heck that short block was so cheap you can afford to mix a little race fuel in needed.
Doug
 
flat to those pistons and cut eyebrows and you have a 6 pack build 10:1-11 or so
u could even D dish them for 9:1 10
regrind the cam to whatever
think heads
 
You may have gotten a smokin deal, but without knowing what his intentions were with this motor? You may wind up spending more than you bargained for, and still have a engine that runs like crap on the street. You need to get any and all documentation and what his plans were for this, so you can go from there with the build. Otherwise everybody is just spitballin you with answers without the real deal. Get the straight dope from him on this and report back. Good Luck
 
If the dome/valve reliefs are a net positive 10 cc, pistons at zero deck, add an 80 cc head and 0.040" gasket and your at 12.4:1 CR. 84 cc and 0.051" about 11.5. 88cc and 0.051" about 11.1. The details will matter.
 
He cut you a heck off a deal considering it was listed at $2500, does he have anything else to give away?
 
He cut you a heck off a deal considering it was listed at $2500, does he have anything else to give away?
Was a buddy deal.. he owed me . pretty sure is ex wife is taking car of the rest of his stuff....
 
TRW says those domes are a net 12.1 cc. Blueprint rod length, deck height, and stroke puts those pistons .061 in the hole, so Bsb67 is dead right, block has been decked a bunch, check intake and head fit. 2.029" comp.ht.
I ran those pistons (but at stock deck height) in a bracket race 440 with a 312/.590 purple shaft on pump premium, but did end up with a collapsed skirt and a divit in one cylinder. With that monster cam you've got, and an aluminum head, you might get away with pump gas.
I fixed my 440, got one new 2295, put in a .557 purple shaft (so I could use my edelbrock rpm with the stock springs) and re-used my 906s for a while. I'm using avgas mix as a booster now too.
 
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