Choosing an engine for 65 Sat

[BenH]

65 Satellite: Option A is the numbers matching 361 which is pretty meh, 2bbl. To give it a fighting chance, I do have a set of rebuilt 452 heads and HP exh manifolds that could go in it. A 4bbl intake and carb are easy enough to find, something 600-750 cfm I would imagine. Could replace the cam pretty easily. Would have nice open dual exhaust installed afterwards of course. I am not going to go light up the pavement but I’m concerned this setup would lose some compression and leave a lot to be desired. The flip side is the car is very original and so is this engine.

Option B: A freshly rebuilt 440 .030 over with a 507/510 cam, with 906’s, a torker or performer rpm, and a Holley 750 probably (maybe bigger). A bit of a misfit engine as far as parts but it is at the machine shop waiting on me.

WWYD and why?

 

[JimCoronette]

If you have room to store the original engine, I'd go with option B.

Plenty of performance with the 440 and no worries of grenading the matching numbers motor.

 

[cheeseburgerhead69]

65 Satellite: Option A is the numbers matching 361 which is pretty meh, 2bbl. To give it a fighting chance, I do have a set of rebuilt 452 heads and HP exh manifolds that could go in it. A 4bbl intake and carb are easy enough to find, something 600-750 cfm I would imagine. Could replace the cam pretty easily. Would have nice open dual exhaust installed afterwards of course. I am not going to go light up the pavement but I’m concerned this setup would lose some compression and leave a lot to be desired. The flip side is the car is very original and so is this engine.

Option B: A freshly rebuilt 440 .030 over with a 507/510 cam, with 906’s, a torker or performer rpm, and a Holley 750 probably (maybe bigger). A bit of a misfit engine as far as parts but it is at the machine shop waiting on me.

WWYD and why?

Always like # matching !! More value IMO... Gears could make a big difference...

 

[BenH]

Always like # matching !! More value IMO... Gears could make a big difference...

That’s a good point I should go crawl up under it and see what’s in the rear, I never checked!

 

[BenH]

If you have room to store the original engine, I'd go with option B.

Plenty of performance with the 440 and no worries of grenading the matching numbers motor.

True

 

[toolmanmike]

It could be the original engine the car was built with but there was no "numbers matching" until 1968. FYI

 

[68Moparmaniac]

No replacement for displacement. 440 that bad boy and don't lose any sleep over it

 

[440Coronet500]

440 it, you won't regret that decision! Lotsa torque = Lotsa fun! 440'

 

[toolmanmike]

65 Satellite: Option A is the numbers matching 361 which is pretty meh, 2bbl. To give it a fighting chance, I do have a set of rebuilt 452 heads and HP exh manifolds that could go in it. A 4bbl intake and carb are easy enough to find, something 600-750 cfm I would imagine. Could replace the cam pretty easily. Would have nice open dual exhaust installed afterwards of course. I am not going to go light up the pavement but I’m concerned this setup would lose some compression and leave a lot to be desired. The flip side is the car is very original and so is this engine.

Option B: A freshly rebuilt 440 .030 over with a 507/510 cam, with 906’s, a torker or performer rpm, and a Holley 750 probably (maybe bigger). A bit of a misfit engine as far as parts but it is at the machine shop waiting on me.

WWYD and why?

What are you planning to do with the car? If just a street cruiser keep the 361. Throw a 4 barrel and some nice exhaust and cruise on. If you're a hot rodder kind of guy, go with a 440. You can build a pretty mild 440 that makes 500 horse which is a lot of fun. We always want more power. It's in our dna. (until it's too much and too radical to drive on the street. Then it's not as much fun any more.)

 

[BenH]

It could be the original engine the car was built with but there was no "numbers matching" until 1968. FYI

That is very helpful info, I did not know that. Thanks!

 

[BenH]

What are you planning to do with the car? If just a street cruiser keep the 361. Throw a 4 barrel and some nice exhaust and cruise on. If you're a hot rodder kind of guy, go with a 440. You can build a pretty mild 440 that makes 500 horse which is a lot of fun. We always want more power. It's in our dna. (until it's too much and too radical to drive on the street. Then it's not as much fun any more.)

I’m a hot rod type of person, but the car may be sold after a while so I can build another.

I would definitely do the Hot Rod magazine 440 build approach and shoot for the 500~550 mark.

 

[BenH]

I guess one of the biggest questions I have is if y’all think it’s worth it to put an open chamber set of heads on it or not, if the 361 stays. I haven’t scraped the gunk off yet but I’m sure 516’s are what’s currently in it, and I’m not crazy about throwing $ at getting some 516’s street worthy with hardened seats etc. when I have a set of 452’s freshly rebuilt that I grabbed at a Carlisle for $100.

The issue is whether the compression numbers will make much of a difference.

 

[toolmanmike]

I guess one of the biggest questions I have is if y’all think it’s worth it to put an open chamber set of heads on it or not, if the 361 stays. I haven’t scraped the gunk off yet but I’m sure 516’s are what’s currently in it, and I’m not crazy about throwing $ at getting some 516’s street worthy with hardened seats etc. when I have a set of 452’s freshly rebuilt that I grabbed at a Carlisle for $100.

The issue is whether the compression numbers will make much of a difference.

You might loose a half a point or more with open chamber heads. If the 452's have larger ports you won't use much of that with a stock 361 bottom end.

 

[POMONAMISSEL]

ring and bearing the lower end , slap a afb package with an alum intake , those 452 on her , put a stock hp cam , duel exhaust min , headers best hp . and don't forget the trans , at least a shift kit , and brakes to stop you new monster ! i'd did it to my 130k miles 383 in my 65 , i just twin fours , then 6 pack , never put the webers on it . it was a great driver / hot rod . easy to driver with okay performance .

 

[MCODECUDA]

How about building a 426 Street Wedge for it.

 

[IQ52]

Boy, the thought of a numbers matching 361............sure gives me the goose bumps...........not!

 

[Nate S]

How about building a 426 Street Wedge for it.

View attachment 1005446

In the same spot that’s what I did. Could make the 440 look the same way too. As for the higher hp, just need to decide if you want the gears and converter to let it work. That cam will suck with a 12” converter and 2.94’s.

 

[wyrmrider]

I'd never use a stock hp cam especially in a smsll motor
figure what your real compresion is going to be
the hp cam WAS ok in a high compressiom 383 but a dog in a 400 cordoba with stock converter and gears- they used the hp converter even with the stock cam i sucked so bad off the line and rge cars would creep with the large converter cuz the gadto set the idle high for smog
remember no vac advance till 28 mph or third gear?
those days were no fun
and the heat wven with all the shuekds and it was not just the cats

 

[1 Wild R/T]

361= small bore & short stoke... It'll lose more compression due to those 452 heads than a bigger bore and/or longer stroke engine would... Stick with the 516 heads on that engine IMO....

I would probably use the 440.... Unless you have 3.7+ gears I'd consider slipping a smaller cam in the 440...

If it's a 4 Spd you could probably get by with a 3.55 gear..

 

[BenH]

I appreciate everyone’s input on this. I got a free 70-71 4bbl intake and a Holley 650 today that needs rebuilding, and a set of hp manifolds on the shelf here like I said, so for now I might clean it up and let it ride like that. 516 heads will stay, and I may pull them if I have to and have some hardened seats put in and a pressure test done, put a thin gasket back on, etc... the compression drop is just too severe going to an open chamber head that’s been cleaned and valved without decking the 361 and buying pistons. Clearly the cam is probably a waste of time given its stock driveline specs, but I did build a 65 383 in a polara and put the hp cam in and it did help it out a little, and with a 2.76 rear to boot... and I know the 361 isn’t immensely popular but I’m not racing the car either so it is what it is.

In terms of the 440, all of the parts were previously purchased and it’s just hanging out at the machine shop waiting to be put together. It’s a total mush of parts, late 70’s truck block, late 60’s 906 heads (or maybe the 452s?) cast crank, 6 pack rods, 510 cam, older torker intake and a free rebuilt Holley 750 that needed a new front bowl... you get the idea. Fortunately the shop is owned by a family member, so I’m not digging money holes with it and it will be balanced accordingly, crank polished and new everything.

To the “back when” stuff - I’m 32 so as much as I’d like to remember how it used to be, I can’t lol.

Fir the 440 lovers - I work fast so once this car is done, and I change my mind, it’s a simple weekend swapping that 361 out ... there’s a 4.88 Dana 60 for sale locally after all, and a great 727 builder in town.