Engine Build Question

[727]

I am going to build a 440 for my '66 charger. Not looking to build a fire breathing monster just something fun for the street. I wanted to stay with the stock HP exhaust manifolds. Right now i'm looking at using

'77 440 block going to bore .040 over
Speed pro forged 6 pack pistons
440 stock forged steel crank
Stock 440 LY rods with ARP bolts
452 heads with stock valves no port work
.020 head shims
Stock HP manifolds
Stock cast iron 4 bbl intake manifold
Street Demon 750 carb.
3.55 sure grip 8-3/4 rear

I'm undecided about the cam. I have a new .455 lift purple cam that I initially wanted to run. I have heard good reviews of the .528 solid lifter purple cam. It looks like the lash is run really loose on this cam. Does anyone have any experience running this cam through HP exhaust manifolds? Any opinions on which valve spring to use with this cam?
I have a set of Isky ductile iron adjustable rockers and a set of 915 heads with .510 lift springs. Would this make a better combo with this cam?
Being this is a .528 lift cam but the lash is set at.028/.032 would lift really be at or under .500"?
Which compression ratio works best with the .528"?

Any thought or opinions?
Thanks FBBO

 

[Bruzilla]

Ixnay on the intake. If you're going to upgrade the carb and displacement, pop for another $200 and get a good aftermarket intake.

 

[727]

I wanted to get an Edelbrock RPM, but have heard there may be hood clearance issues.

Also forgot to add: Will be running an 833 4 speed with the above combo

 

[hangn0ut]

Stay with the smaller cam. You can always swap cams later.

 

[Bruzilla]

I wanted to get an Edelbrock RPM, but have heard there may be hood clearance issues.

Also forgot to add: Will be running an 833 4 speed with the above combo

Get a lowered air cleaner.

 

[JAmes Dodge]

I have the hood clearance issue with the Performer RPM intake, will swap it for a Holley street dominator, it's ~ 1" lower. My 440 is pretty similar, but with the Mopar 284/.484 camshaft, 3,23 gears, 4 speed. I can't drive it at low rpm. Will try the 284/.528 mech. cam, seems more streetable and will gain some hps.

 

[Longroof]

727, im guessing you are running an automatic based on your screen name...

What stall speed converter are you running... or willing to run? If you are set on a stock converter run the .455 cam. If you are willing to get something that stalls about 3000 it opens up your options. The bigger cams are lazy down low.

 

[727]

I know the screen name is deceptive. Its has a 4 speed 833.

 

[Longroof]

Ha. Right on. Disregard.. you can make your own stall speed then... haha. The bigger cams will like more gear too but 3.55 isnt too bad...

 

[moper]

If it was me, I'd use a hypereutectic piston rather than the old battleships, and replace that cam with anything designed after Carter was in the Whitehouse. The intake will give up a little, but not much. A modern cam, with more lift and duration on the exhaust side, and a wider LSA will help make decent power with the stock manifolds too. You have a solid build plan as you have it. But it's very dated and you could tweak it with some more modern parts and get a bit more from it.

 

[Longroof]

A couple years ago... there was a member over on Moparts, AndyF who did alot of dyno testing and found that the .528 cam made more hp/tq than any of the "modern" offerings with stock manifolds... i think it was in the neighborhood of 550 hp... if you do a few searches i bet it pops up...

 

[Derwud]

A couple years ago... there was a member over on Moparts, AndyF who did alot of dyno testing and found that the .528 cam made more hp/tq than any of the "modern" offerings with stock manifolds... i think it was in the neighborhood of 550 hp... if you do a few searches i bet it pops up...

Yeah I read the same thing, it has to do with effective scavenging with stock manifolds.

 

[727]

I know there are a lot of opinions on this subject, but wouldn't a forged piston be better than a hypereutectic . I guess the Speed pros are heavier. What advantages do Keith blacks offer?

 

[moper]

I'm not disputing any work Andy has done I simply see this build as a different animal than his various tests. IIRC he tested it in bigger engines too. What I see as differences include the OP's engine will be lower compression with the head & piston choice, he asked about a smaller hydraulic cam first so I took that as preferred, and because he has stock heads, stock intake, and stock manifolds.
As a comparable - the 496 I did uses a custom flat tappet Comp that is smaller than the MP .528, and that made 460hp, 480tq at the tires and won stock appearing in Carlisle. But that had a better set of heads, more compression, and a better (a camouflaged RPM) intake manifold.
I think the .528 is a good cam especially in a big block. At least in my case it was usually used with better manifolding and many times with head work: things that allow a more conservative camshaft to excel as with my comparable.
But it's loud unless you tighten the lash down (I did on mine), and IMO there are hydraulics available that will be quieter and make similar or better torque lower than the .528 can in a car with stock intake, stock ports, and stock exhaust manifolds.

 

[moper]

Everything has it's application. KB Hypers are (much) lighter, are made with a good compression height to allow for real compression, are inexpensive, have a modern top ring placement again to help compression, have tighter piston to wall which helps ring seal and oil contamination of the chambers and noise especially in cold climates, and will last very well in an application like this (non nitrous, reasonable rpm limit).

 

[snakeoil24]

skip the stock intake anything is better in aluminum. also use a multi layer head gasket instead of steel skim. use a mild cam

 

[727]

I used KB's before in a 383 build years back. I had to replace one of the pistons. It didn't damage the block but the skirt got scuffed really bad. Not sure how or why. The replacement KB piston didn't have any issues

 

[727]

Thanks for all of the great input FBBO!

 

[727]

Moper,
I see there are several KB piston designs to choose from. Which one would you suggest for my particular application and why?
727

 

[moper]

Sometimes things do just break. Most times with these pistons my experience has shown it's installation error. When they first came out everyone installed them just like any other hypereutectic piston: same ring gaps - ".004" inch of bore"; same general piston to wall clearance. So they would butt the rings and break, or they would scuff the bores or be noisy, or a combination of those. If a block gets "bored .030 over" and then pistons bought and installed, the piston to wall clearances are a crapshoot because the guy final honing the bores has no point of reference. You ALWAYS buy pistons before the block gets honed is you care to get top performance even out of stock replacement stuff. Not saying this was the reason for your failure. but that's what it usually is. The real questions would be what was the piston to wall on that engine, and was the block sonic tested to make sure no bores would get hotter?