1969-1970 440ci Nascar engines???

[500Jon]

Hi Aero's,

Just when you thought everything was known!
Ever heard of Weslake Engineering UK?
A small Kent based engine development company.
They were empolyed by Mother Mopar in 1969-1970 to develop a 440 RACE-engine.
What for though, I was told for Nascar!
What else would it be made for then???

A sixpack 1969 block build, with sixpack pistons and shortened hemi-rods!
That's not unique, but this is.............................
'One off' pair of iron 'W2' ovalport heads!!!
Open chamber as per 906 but W2 'OVAL' intake ports and 'D' exhausts.
Well almost unique as there was another set cast with closed chamber design.
Those are documented in the Mopar Performance book of the early 70's.
Topped off with an Edelbrock STR manifold and a 'sand-cast Dominator!

What was they for???
Sources here in England connected to the old Weslake Company say........... a Nascar Hemi replacement?
Maybe Mother Mopar got wind of the impending ban???

Who knows now, but still a super rare limey find!!!
Pictures to FOLLOW>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
5J

[Aero426]

Weslake developed cylinder heads for a 5 liter Plymouth Indy car engine that raced in 1969 and 1970.   

[Ghoste]

Didn't he also do some consultant work on the 426 Hemi?

[tan top]

Didn't he also do some consultant work on the 426 Hemi?

yes  , think he designed  a smaller  D  port hemi head   for pro stock ,  by all accounts  it was a disaster , from what I can remember , Dandy dick tried a set & swapped back to the  earlier head

[thehemikid]

Are these the one's?


My camera does a funny thing with how it reads light sometimes.

[odcics2]

    more photos of the rest!!   

[thehemikid]

    ...odcics2. 

  It's from this 1975 print.



  Some of the info may be a bit outdated. There's 3 sections about the B heads, and it's the last section on "Increasing  Port Flow" that talks about this head, & doesn't do that till the latter half of it.  But this whole section is only about 2 pages long & the part about this head is about half a page, if you still want I'll post it.

  Side note: I think I could have copied and posted it quicker than typing all this.

 

[500Jon]

Here's the 'open-chamber' set!
Where's the moulds for these???
Mother Mopar has got them hidden somewhere!

As you can see they were cast as pass-car heads with 'Heat-crossovers'!
If they were meant for RACE use only, they would be more like Max-wedge design???

Intake is 2.250 the 'closed chamber set' had tiny 2.140's???

More than JUST a flowbench head, this engine has lots of miles on it!!!

5J

[500Jon]

D-port 426!

They look sexy next to a low-port pass-head!!!
There were a few sets kicking around in the UK!!!

5J

[500Jon]

Weslake internals!

Shortened hemi rod with Sixpack piston, 1.09 pin.
(Normal length 426 rod in front 1.03 pin)

5J

[Ghoste]

Interesting. 

[68pplcharger]

 

[tan top]

   good info & pictures , thanks for sharing  5J   

[thehemikid]

Here is the whole section that includes the part on the "B" W2 head, which starts in the 6th pic.  And I correct myself,...it's from a "1978" printing.

[500Jon]

Thanks hemi-kid for the info!

There were probably more than one 440ci Dyno engine at the Weslake shop for the development work.
Some engines were sent back to mother Mopar as requested, whilst a few were held back for further testing.
What was left seemed to be the more street friendly version of the 'W2' set-up.
I was lead to believe this particular 440ci build was fitted into a roadcar for personal use?
Details are vague as the whole Hipo scene was in a mess in the early seventies.

The only Nascar type manifold available for the 440 in 1969, was the STR Edelbrock plenum.
Extensive work was done to make it flow properly as it had some 'bad habits' as all these manifolds do!

5J

[odcics2]

 
Great info here. 

Got the intake and headers?  Wonder if they were special ground up of modified from stock ?

[500Jon]

Intake!

[500Jon]

Some more!

SB W2 gasket sizes for comparison.

WESLAKE Porting plate as well!

[500Jon]

Even the lid was modified!

3/8 of an inch radiuses.

Funky valley tray too.

[500Jon]

I'm getting all excited with the Weslake again!
I'm gonna put it in my C500 instead of the HEMI.
Then I can drive it to Dega in 2019 WHOOPPEE!

Now thats a plan!!!
Exhaust manifolds being worked on already LoL.

PS, That line about 'THEY JUST DIDN'T WORK'?
How would Larry Atherton know that???

A reprint is needed with hey, the closed chamber heads were funky but the OPEN CHAMBERS worked FINE!!!
5J

[Ghoste]

Then get it in there and make it work. 

[500Jon]

Hi Mr.Ghoste.

I know it works, its got lots and lots of miles on it already!
Would I run it WOT, I don't think so, its too rare!!!

Maybe get the engine in the 500 and take her to the UK Nats.
I suppose a 400 mile round trip won't hurt it too much?

Maybe just maybe I will donate the WESLAKE 440-W2 to Don, as long as he signs my 500!
(oh yes and says it was his Crower-cam Car)! LoL!

5J

ps the red/orange on this model is well off!

[Ghoste]

Well I still think it would be a great idea to put it in your car even if just for a short trip.  It would make a great addition to Garlits museum without a doubt.

[odcics2]

Cool stuff, indeed!   

[tan top]

 

Cool stuff, indeed!  

  thanks for sharing ,

just realised I have the same book (Thehemikid)       forgot all about having& what was in  ,  till I saw your posts  

[TiMopar]

Hey John, I used to own these heads, intake and carb before you... I showed detailed pictures of them to Larry Shepard at the 84 Nats, and he flat refused to speak to me about them, despite knowing of their existence...

[Ghoste]

Why would he refuse to even talk about them?

[TiMopar]

Why would he refuse to even talk about them?

I have no idea; he was quite rude I thought. For the record, I bought them from a drag racer who had lots of old race Hemi stuff ( Keith Black blocks, superchargers etc ) and about 3 or 4 street Hemi engines. This was about 79-80. The W2 heads had no valves, so I had them made. Unfortunately, I also had the intake polished, and it came back with the 'STR-14' cast-on name removed. My bad, but that's the sort of thing some of us did in those days....

[500Jon]

Hi Tim,

How goes it you fine fellow?
Must come over to sunny Essex sometime soon for a brew.
Of course I remember where I got the Weslake from, you LoL!!!
You are still the Main Mopar Man in the UK in my Book!!!

I have spoken to Tony O, several times about my C500 and a 426 Hemi I was gonna put in her.
That's why we fell out, he was very upset with me over it???

Fancy polishing the STR lid, you are a bad boy indeed.
I kept 'THE WESKALE 440' through thick and thin for over 30 years now!!!
I flew back to LA in 2005 with every intention of selling it to Dick Landy.
I was in Reseda with some friends 'Tom Nelson' and Peter J. and I got cold feet.
Not sure why, but I had already spoke to Robert Landy and he was rude TOO!
So I thought, I will keep the Weslake in Limey land and stick it in my C500 where it belongs!!!  

Hope you are well and still flying the Mopar Flag!
5J

[69_500]

Jon, I did not know you were friends with Tom Nelson. Hoping it is the same guy I spent a lot of time with before he passed. Ran TEAM racing and restorations in California?

[TiMopar]

Hey John, yes, still up to my ears in Mopars; you are welcome over anytime. Am I right in remembering that there was a cam with that stuff too? About the intake; 'different times'... I would be most interested to see those heads working!

[thehemikid]

I sold a STR-14-6 with carbs, lines, & linkage about 8 yrs ago, to help pay for a restoration.

Not exactly the same as your -14-45,.... but close.

For some reason I took no pix of it.

So I guess it didn't happen! 

[500Jon]

Hi Tim,

Good to hear from you you fine Fellow!
Yep still got the original 'RACER BROWN' cam and lifters.
Bit too wild for the street so I'm going to go 'CROWER' street roller cam.
This ties in well with the Crower-Cam, Don Garlits 500 too!!!
Always like the street rollers, they make real good torque and HP with a low lift.

Like yourself there is a definite hostility to the ownership of the Weslake 440 Engine.
There must be some unknown history surrounding its past???

Once I have run it in my DG-500 I will donate it too the DG Museum.
If Marlene and Don find some money I may donate the C500 too.

Who know's what tomorrow brings?
500Jon