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Indy 440-1 345cc build

J

Jordan Yale

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Hey guys,

I have a new set of fully ported Indy 440-1 345cc heads and fully ported Indy 440-3X intake done by Wilson manifolds as well a few other unused quality components.

I want to set up either a 400 or 440 stroker, ideally between 505 -540 c.i. that would be used 70% on the street and 30% on the strip. Not going to use it for cross-country road trips, just casual cruising and the track. With a good block, billet main caps, and quality bolts, I’m sure I can get longevity out of a factory block for this use.

I want to be able to push a heavy B-body down the track with respectable time and I don’t necessarily want to spend money on an aftermarket block (unless someone has one at the right price). What combinations have you guys used that have worked that are similar? Thanks!
 
What do you consider a 'respectable' time?
 
Jordan Yale said:
Hey guys,

I have a new set of fully ported Indy 440-1 345cc heads and fully ported Indy 440-3X intake done by Wilson manifolds as well a few other unused quality components.

I want to set up either a 400 or 440 stroker, ideally between 505 -540 c.i. that would be used 70% on the street and 30% on the strip. Not going to use it for cross-country road trips, just casual cruising and the track. With a good block, billet main caps, and quality bolts, I’m sure I can get longevity out of a factory block for this use.

I want to be able to push a heavy B-body down the track with respectable time and I don’t necessarily want to spend money on an aftermarket block (unless someone has one at the right price). What combinations have you guys used that have worked that are similar? Thanks!
Click to expand...

Both of those parts are really big for street use unless you have a super big engine. The biggest comfortable build in a factory 440 block is a 505 with a 4.25 crank. You can go bigger than that but you have clearance problems with internal oiling. I would think that a 440-3X is just too big for a 505 on the street. If you come up with an aftermarket block and build a 540 or a 572 then the 3X might work okay. If you want a street engine you should probably sell those parts and buy smaller stuff.
 
I agree with other posts.I'm using those heads on a 500 inch 13 to 1 Max Wedge in my drag car w/ a 700 lift roller cam aand they work nice for that set up.
I would thing also that the intake you have is somewhat much for the street. RUFFCUT
 
Jordan Yale said:
Hey guys,

I have a new set of fully ported Indy 440-1 345cc heads and fully ported Indy 440-3X intake done by Wilson manifolds as well a few other unused quality components.

I want to set up either a 400 or 440 stroker, ideally between 505 -540 c.i. that would be used 70% on the street and 30% on the strip. Not going to use it for cross-country road trips, just casual cruising and the track. With a good block, billet main caps, and quality bolts, I’m sure I can get longevity out of a factory block for this use.

I want to be able to push a heavy B-body down the track with respectable time and I don’t necessarily want to spend money on an aftermarket block (unless someone has one at the right price). What combinations have you guys used that have worked that are similar? Thanks!
Click to expand...
https://www.hotrod.com/articles/mopp-1301-535-inch-bracket-big-block-monster-indy-cylinder-heads/
 
I know the guy who owns that car and motor now. Here is a video of it running. Now the funny thing is that he has yet to get it to the track. It will be a sweet ride when he has it done. He is in the process of going through it with a fine tooth comb.

 
andyf said:
Both of those parts are really big for street use unless you have a super big engine. The biggest comfortable build in a factory 440 block is a 505 with a 4.25 crank. You can go bigger than that but you have clearance problems with internal oiling. I would think that a 440-3X is just too big for a 505 on the street. If you come up with an aftermarket block and build a 540 or a 572 then the 3X might work okay. If you want a street engine you should probably sell those parts and buy smaller stuff.
Click to expand...

A 540 was my original intention but then I was curious if I could make it work in a stock block and spare the wallet a bit. Thanks, Andy!
 
Jordan Yale said:
A 540 was my original intention but then I was curious if I could make it work in a stock block and spare the wallet a bit. Thanks, Andy!
Click to expand...
Those parts will work on a 505 but they won't work great. But if the car is fairly light and you have some steep gears out back it will work well enough to run 10's. The engine might not run that great cruising down the freeway to the track though since the intake velocity is going to be a bit low. Just depends what you're trying to accomplish.

I tried a 440-3X on my 514 race motor and it lost torque and power. That was a 900 hp race engine and the 3X was too big for it. The best intake for that 514 race engine was a ported Super Victor.

You should be able to sell a Wilson ported 3X for at least $1500 if not $2000 since that is what they cost to buy. Some racer will want that beast. The -1 heads are probably too big for a street 505 too but once again, they are worth good money to a racer. Or double down on the combination and order up an Indy aluminum block and build a street 572.
 
andyf said:
Those parts will work on a 505 but they won't work great. But if the car is fairly light and you have some steep gears out back it will work well enough to run 10's. The engine might not run that great cruising down the freeway to the track though since the intake velocity is going to be a bit low. Just depends what you're trying to accomplish.

I tried a 440-3X on my 514 race motor and it lost torque and power. That was a 900 hp race engine and the 3X was too big for it. The best intake for that 514 race engine was a ported Super Victor.

You should be able to sell a Wilson ported 3X for at least $1500 if not $2000 since that is what they cost to buy. Some racer will want that beast. The -1 heads are probably too big for a street 505 too but once again, they are worth good money to a racer. Or double down on the combination and order up an Indy aluminum block and build a street 572.
Click to expand...

Would a Super Victor fit -1’s? It’s going in a fairly heavy car so it might be best to get an Indy block. But I could always sell the Indy manifold like you mentioned or use it for a more appropriate combination
 
I built this engine for my street car. It’s been 10.90’s with a lot less than your thinking. Car weighs 4000# w me, runs through exhaust, has 50 year old biased leaf springs and a welded up snubber. I currently have an Indy intake on it with a dominator and I’d say it probably knocked off a few tenths. I don’t have any time slips for that set up though...

build in link

https://www.forbbodiesonly.com/moparforum/threads/roadrunner-8-4.101032/
 
Last edited:
Hemirunner said:
https://www.hotrod.com/articles/mopp-1301-535-inch-bracket-big-block-monster-indy-cylinder-heads/
Click to expand...

Both the flow numbers and TQ/HP seem way low in that article(like 25-30cfm on the intake side, and about 50ft/lbs and close to 100hp low).

Something I found odd.....I’m not sure why new CNC’d heads would need the ports bead blasted.
The intake port openings don’t look as big as the 345’s I’ve had here....... wouldn’t surprise me if they were really 325’s.

Then there’s this gem in the pics of the build:

5EDCB7D4-2125-47E8-AC43-278EBD57BDE0.png

(That’s not a pic of an Indy head)
 
Last edited:
For the type of combo the OP is talking about
used 70% on the street and 30% on the strip
Click to expand...
the 345’s & 440-3x combo are clearly the wrong parts for a street/strip build based on a stock block.

A set of TF 270’s or Indy EZ’s are more suitable for that type of application.
 
Last edited:
PRHeads said:
Both the flow numbers and TQ/HP seem way low in that article(like 25-30cfm on the intake side, and about 50ft/lbs and close to 100hp low).

Something I found odd.....I’m not sure why new CNC’d heads would need the ports bead blasted.
The intake port openings don’t look as big as the 345’s I’ve had here....... wouldn’t surprise me if they were really 325’s.

Then there’s this gem in the pics of the build:

(That’s not a pic of an Indy head)
Click to expand...
That whole article was strange, but was the only thing I saw online claiming to use those heads. The power was off and I thought the peak was low for even a 325cc port on that size shortblock. We’ve made way more power with much less for sure.
 
Well, going back one month to the previous installment answers a few questions......
https://www.hotrod.com/articles/mopp-1211-building-a-bracket-big-block/

It was bought as a used motor, then got revamped....... which explains the “used” heads.
They built it as a 4.350 x 4.500.

The cam was [email protected], and installed 6* retarded(doesn’t sound like a good idea to me at all..... and the results seem to agree).

I freshened and tweaked a similar combo, 540”(4.375 x 4.500).
I hand ported the -1’s and used 2.25” intake valves. Flowed 360/270.
Similar CR(mid-12’s), similar sized cam([email protected]).
With a port matched 440-2/4500 adapter and an 1150 carb it made 692tq/805hp.

With the Indy TR and 2-1050’s it made 712tq/848hp.

CNC 345’s on a 14:1 572, same 440-2/adapter/1150 as used on 540 above , [email protected] cam......786tq/872hp.

811tq/911hp with Indy TR and 2-750 carbs.
 
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I guess I’ll have to read that one to understand the logic on the retarded cam... bizarre...
 
Jordan Yale said:
Somewhere in the 10’s if possible. A big heavy b-body with a full interior is a tall order to get moving. Thanks!
Click to expand...

A customer of mine bought a semi-finished 493 project this spring.
It had unported 440EZ-1 heads on it, and I can’t remember if the cam was a SFT or HFT....... but it got swapped to a SR.
I did some porting to the heads, and he’s running a port matched 440-2.
I don’t remember the CR exactly, but mid-11’s is what I recall.
It’s in a full weight 69 GTX(3850-ish) that sees some street duty.

Recently in some good air it got into the 10.40’s.
Was 10.60’s in more normal air.

After re-reading the first installment....... they say the cam was installed 6* retarded...... but then mention after that how advancing the cam would keep the power at lower rpm.
So...... in typical magazine fashion...... it’s “unclear”.
(Do the editors know anything about the subject matter?)
 
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The author is using the terms retarded and advanced as interchangeable. He probably also doesn't understand the difference between bore and stroke or torque and horsepower. I doubt you can trust anything in that article to be correct.

I agree that the OP should sell his big race parts and buy Trick Flow heads and intake for a street car.
 
Stock 440 block with aluminum caps running no more than 34 degrees timing and good fuel. Car ran 10.30s average. 498"@3400# with untouched -1s and a factory crossram. Pulled the front 2 main webs out of the block at about 200 passes.
Doug
 
dvw said:
Stock 440 block with aluminum caps running no more than 34 degrees timing and good fuel. Car ran 10.30s average. 498"@3400# with untouched -1s and a factory crossram. Pulled the front 2 main webs out of the block at about 200 passes.
Doug
Click to expand...
I’ve built several stock block 493s with ported 440-1 heads and dominators that went mid 9’s in full weight b-bodies. That’s been a great cylinder head for years.
 
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