Need advice for 71 Satellite

[Flynbrd]

My friend wants to beef his 318 727 71 satellite to something worthy of the car.

Currently the 318 has performer rpm intake , holley 4 barrel (nothing fancy) , headers and MSD distributor plus coil. I was suggesting going with mid 90s 5.9 magnum short block with all the accessories. Swap on edlebrock heads with LA? ports to run the old holley and performer. Thoughts?

 

[HT413]

IMHO, that's a heavy car., if he wants it to move he needs a big block. and besides, for as much as he'll have in that magnum, you can build a mild 383 or even a 440.

 

[ma mopar nutz]

More ci=more fun!!but more money to !! But its a B-body not an E plenty of room for a BB !!:icon_super:

 

[Flynbrd]

Just trying to give the best bang for the buck. With a big block he's looking at new intake, exhaust , ignition system. I rather see that money goto 8 3/4 rear with better gears. A 400+ 5.9 should move that car just fine. I'll run the big block idea by the owner and see what the budget allows.

 

[Bruzilla]

I've always upgraded to 440s in my cars. My reasoning is I know that's where I'm eventually going to end up, so why waste money putting in intermediate engines? Once the power & performance bug bites you, the sickness doesn't get less over time.

One thing about 440s, and that is you need to do things right with one. I see lots of guys dropping old motor home 440s in thinking they're going to get tons of performance, and all they get is lower mileage and no real gain due to the engine being so low compression. You need a high-compression engine that runs on pump gas and has good heads. That's about 75% of the equation right there.

As for budgeting, always spend someone else's money. Don't go paying $5,000-$7,000 having an engine built. Find the guy who's already spent $5,000-$7,000 getting an engine built up then decided to nix the project car it was going in and is willing to sell for a fraction of what he paid.

 

[HT413]

Just trying to give the best bang for the buck. With a big block he's looking at new intake, exhaust , ignition system. I rather see that money goto 8 3/4 rear with better gears. A 400+ 5.9 should move that car just fine. I'll run the big block idea by the owner and see what the budget allows.

But what do you really get with a 5.9 magnum? You'll have to refresh the block, then $2k into the heads and you end up with a 350 hp low torque small block.

You'll get more hp and torque with a stock rebuild 440 with a mild cam, iron heads and iron intake and exhaust manifolds than the magnum. And i bet you'll have less into the mild 440 build than you would those aluminum magnum heads, so long as you pick the right long block.

 

[Matthew Maloney]

My friend wants to beef his 318 727 71 satellite to something worthy of the car.

Currently the 318 has performer rpm intake , holley 4 barrel (nothing fancy) , headers and MSD distributor plus coil. I was suggesting going with mid 90s 5.9 magnum short block with all the accessories. Swap on edlebrock heads with LA? ports to run the old holley and performer. Thoughts?

Cant run LA heads on a magnum block. Top end oiling holes are not there for the LA shaft rockers in the magnum block unless you find a real early production magnum block where they have drilled these passages.

EQ monster magnum iron heads are the way to go, closed chamber set up for big valves, and the engine quest EQ heads have eliminated the cracking prone with stock magnum heads. They can be had drilled for either the magnum intake or LA intake manifold. I think they are $100-$200 new each bare.

If staying magnum small block go 360 as the bore is bigger to give you better valve clearances for monster magnum heads. Oh an LA 5 bolt valve covers will fir the magnum heads if you dont like the look of the magnum valve covers.

 

[BeatersRus]

EQ monster magnum iron heads are the way to go, closed chamber set up for big valves, and the engine quest EQ heads have eliminated the cracking prone with stock magnum heads. They can be had drilled for either the magnum intake or LA intake manifold. I think they are $100-$200 new each bare.

That is Very useful information.
Thank you,as the intakes for the magnums are still out there in price.

btw,to the Op,
i used to drive a dukes of hazzard charger clone with a 318 hopped up mildly,around 300hp and it moved that charger to 100mph just fine.
yes,i had it geared right,but thats what a total package means anyways.
in these days,where you can build a streetable 400hp 360,fairly cheap,thats the way id go if it was my car and he already has the components you speak of.
esp with the heads mentioned above because it was terrible to find good magnum heads for a long time.

and im sure you have looked at the 380 horse crate motors?
and their Specs?
Crate Engine, Stage 3, Long Block, Assembled, External Engine Balance, Cast Iron Heads, Dodge, 5.9L, Each
Part Number: HPE-HP73C More Detail...
Estimated Ship Date: 6/5/2017 (if ordered today)
$4,844.00
https://www.summitracing.com/search/product-line/atk-high-performance-chrysler-360-290hp-stage-3-crate-engines?SortBy=BestKeywordMatch&SortOrder=Ascending&autoview=SKU&keyword=mopar crate engine&ar=1

heres a breakdown of the engine itself.
http://www.hotrod.com/articles/mopp-0303-360-crate-engine-buildup/

 

[polywideblock]

I have a 340 roadrunner and its no slouch

I'd go with one of the 408 crate motors easy swap for a 318 car . or the 393/402 , 318 stroker motor kit and keep it "original "
http://www.cmengines.com/Engines/Dy...erformanceCrateEngines/tabid/117/Default.aspx
http://blueprintengines.com/index.php/products/bp-chrysler-crate-engines-landing/chrysler-408-main
https://www.summitracing.com/int/se.../crate-engine-cylinder-head-material/aluminum

http://www.hughesengines.com/Index/...TWFnbnVt&level1=U3Ryb2tlciBLaXRz&partid=25284
http://www.hotrod.com/articles/mopp-0402-upgrading-your-318-stroker-crate-engine/

 

[Matthew Maloney]

Even though you cant put LA heads on a magnum block unless its an early casting with the oil gallerys coming off the cam, you can however put magnum heads on LA blocks. To do this you have to use AMC V8 lifters that oil thru the pushrod, and comp cams makes a hollow pushrod that is the right length for the magnum headed LA hybrid. ARP also makes special headbolts for this.

Also any SBM V8 weather LA or magnum benefits from the automatic chain tensioner that the magnum 3.9L V6 uses. This tensioner setup takes the place of the cam thrust plate. If you havent seen one of these, it spring loads a teflon shoe on either side of the timing chain preventing chain slop and timing irregularities. MP sells it for $45, but you can find em for about $33 on evilbay.

If you decide on exhaust manifolds as opposed to headers, concider the magnum exhaust manifolds. They flow well, and if you look for the 1992 1993 castings they are a 2&1/4" diameter on the outlet. You may be able to hog em out closer to 2&1/2" and make em flow a little better

Hope this helps
Matt

 

[Matthew Maloney]

Definitely much easier swapping in a hot small block in place of an existing small block. Its a bolt in, and its lighter than a big block unless you put that big block on an aluminum diet plan. But you can put a small block on an aluminum diet plan too I mean unless you got a big block donor car, or just gotta have a big block.

I have a nice set of procomp LA aluminum heads. I bought em bare. For the longest time nobody would touch these. I got em cheap on ebay. Now people are using em and making decent power with them. I have not built these up yet. Funds are low The guides are actually junk, very soft, and drilled for chevy shank 1.60 - 2.02 valves. I took em to my machinest, and was told they are very good for the price. Basically edelbrock copies. He will put good guides in them, and ferrea stainless undercut valves, and give em a mild port job. The chambers and runners look like magnums, but the heads are cast for 5 bolt valve covers, and shaft rockers.

BTW whats a hot rodders favorite candy bar?

Hersheys BIG BLOCK

 

[BeatersRus]

the problem? with the 408s and even the 380 horse crates,is the cam.
those things idle like a guy with one half a lung left and a fresh pack of smokes.
you have to decide going into this what your rpm range is gonna be and buy accordingly.
nothings gonna irk you more if after a week you are tired of driving a rev happy top end motor that cost you 4-5 grand.
versus a well built Low and Mid end motor with lots of torque that pulls you to 100mph quickly,because thats where most of your street driving is going to be anyways...

thats where the 440 has the advantage,gobs of torque down low,but then theres the weight penalty up front,and the expenses,and the upgrades for the rear and the brakes and the suspension And all the correct pulleys and the shiny new radiator,so forth and so on.
before you know it,that cheap 440 has cost you at Least 5k and you still need another 3-4k before you get the car streetable.
this is why so many build a 440 and then sell it.

in the end,again i think youll get out cheaper and still have a lot of fun with a nice smallblock 360 magnum.
this is just my opinion.
ps,dont forget the 360 is externally balanced/flexplate/flywheel.

 

[Matthew Maloney]

I picked up a 6 bolt billet steel dual drilled 134T flywheel from 440 source for my 360. It was set up for neutral balance, and had a bolt on external weight for external balance engines. I will be having my 360 crank balanced and drilled and filled with mallory metal to make it internal neutral balanced. Just makes **** much easier. BTW i think my flywheel at 440 source was about $95 thats a pretty kick *** price for a billet steel flywheel.

 

[BeatersRus]

EQ monster magnum iron heads are the way to go, closed chamber set up for big valves, and the engine quest EQ heads have eliminated the cracking prone with stock magnum heads. They can be had drilled for either the magnum intake or LA intake manifold. I think they are $100-$200 new each bare.
Oh an LA 5 bolt valve covers will fir the magnum heads if you dont like the look of the magnum valve covers.

hey matthew,can you link us to these heads?
i cannot find them cheaper than i think 300 apiece bare and i also cannot find them drilled w the la intake pattern...

 

[Matthew Maloney]

Did you go to the enginequest website? A&A midwest

CH318A magnum head bare with magnum intake pattern

CH318B magnum head bare with LA intake pattern

They used to be about $200 bare, and you could direct buy right from their website. I cant find that feature on their website anymore. Secret must be out. They sell those heads along with some hopped up version of the SBC vortec head. These must be some sort of deal originally dreamed up by them for dirt track guys. Most classes require use of iron cylinder heads. Allowing for aftermarket as long as they are made from iron.

I also looked for the procomp LA alum cylinder heads for LA blocks with the magnum shaped ports, runners, and chambers on evilbay. Apparently they now sell them CNC'd with valves n springs already assembled. I could not find them bare. I bought mine 3 years ago when everybody was shying away from them. Now the secrets out on the procomps and the price has gone up as well. Plus no bare castings either. I only trust my machinest to machine and assemble any head i use, over trusting who knows on an assembly line in Chinna.

Wish i had more info for you.
Sorry

 

[Matthew Maloney]

Tech tip. Use engine tech TT387 cloyes, or similar about $25 -$35 for dakota 1990-1993 magnum 3.9L V6 also fits LA and magnum V8. I recommend drilling an 1/8" hole in the thrust plate of this tensioner over the drivers side lifter gallery end for chain oiling or use the hollow drilled bolt that goes on that side for the same purpose. Prevents chain slop and bouncing timing or jumped chain as timing set loosens up from use. Even true double roller chains get sloppy after some miles. Pull ring in picture on left side is to allow for chain setup, then it gets removed to allow tensioner shoe to rub the chain. Only better way than this is an expensive gear drive set.

 

[Matthew Maloney]

More ci=more fun!!but more money to !! But its a B-body not an E plenty of room for a BB !!:icon_super:

Isnt the engine compartment dimensions on 71-74 B bodies pretty much the same as 70-74 E bodies? Or am i mistaken?