aifilaw's latest rebuild *Dyno Update*

[firefighter3931]

Looks great....going for the correct "stock" look/color i see ! 

Are you painting the heads and top end ?


Ron

[aifilaw]

That is factory mopar blue yes.
Just painting the block and oil pump... considered the water pump housing... but perhaps no...
considered the valley pan, but I think I will also leave that alone since it is protecting it from dust and I don't want to remove it for the 4+ hours to dry slightly.

Why get aluminum heads if I can't show off their aluminum? 

[firefighter3931]

Why get aluminum heads if I can't show off their aluminum? 

I like the way you think ! 


Ron

[aifilaw]

Called it a night around 11, got a good 4-5 hours in on the engine.

I had forgotten what a PITA it is to set up a valve train geometry, non-adjustable rockers will make you soft I guess.
I ended up using 90% of the shims that come with the complete 440-source kit, they aren't there just for show.. important to note for those who have them and plan on using them, much like a washer they have a smoothed side and the other will have a hard edge where it was stamped by a machine, you want to keep that facing either another hard edge from another washer, or the hold-down blocks.
Pushrods finally showed up, so I finished up the valvetrain and prepped the pan and windage tray to dry and be put on tomorrow.
Missing or replacing a lot of bolts.... so this will take more than a few trips to the store, I'm also trying to figure out where my @#$@#$ oilpan plug ran off too, and what to plug hole under the fuel pump connection with.

[aifilaw]

You can always tell a mopar nut just by his toolbox, if he's got a 1-1/4" socket in there, 8/10 times its a mopar guy. The other 2 are usually oilfield or diesel mechanics.
I used to have (much like so many of my other tools that either got borrowed and never returned, or lost during the move back to Texas) a special extra long crankshaft bolt and washer for easing in the harmonic balancer the first 1-2 inches until the real bolt can reach threads...oh well, rubber mallet will have to do.

[Rolling_Thunder]

looking good man     

[Musicman]

Outstanding... Looking real good 

Mike

[Hemidog]

Outstanding... Looking real good 

Mike

[aifilaw]

Pamela is drying before I torque the oilpan past 5 ft lbs.
Discovered my drain plug is gone.....
I'm going to have to make a list tomorrow morning of all the bolts, sizes, and lengths I need to finish putting it back together... missing so many. Having to use some of the old valvetrain hold-down bolts for the water-pump, Completely missing everything for the fuel pump cover-plate, Missing the bottom 4 timing cover bolts, Missing half the valley-pan hold-down bolts, probably missing half the valve-cover bolts.

Side-note for 440-source customers, the rear main seal side-slat seals are a big pain to get in, until you figure it out and then wish you hadn't wasted 15 minutes. Set them about 90% in, then slide the block in with thumbs while helping the seals in on each side with your fingers, oil will be needed to help them move, and it will still take a few tries to get it right. Their instructions are useless.

Also, the holes in the base for the oil-pan are not deep enough for stock bolts, you will need two washers (standard size washers for that size shank on the bolt).

[Chryco Psycho]

 

[aifilaw]

Well, the complete long-block is fully assembled with the carb ready to drop in the car... and yesterday I get a call from 440source...

and I quote:
The hydraulic roller lifters you ordered back in August of last year have been recalled!
Only 24 of the thousands we sold have been recalled...
No the manufacturer is no longer making them... I guess you could buy comps.


I will say some of them seemed a little tight in the galleys.



Guess I need to pull apart the top end again and buy some comps

[Musicman]

In your case, it's always better to find these things out now than later
It's a real PITA for sure, but at least your engine is still on the stand and not in the vehicle 

[aifilaw]

It's been months!!

But the comp lifters finally showed up. I tore the top end off and cleaned it, re-assembled the valve-train, reset the lash and put it back together last weekend.
This weekend I finished a little modding on engine mounts (drilling a hole through the elephant and placing a carriage bolt in there to keep the driver-side from shearing off due to torque as is what usually happens to my stock or high performance engine mounts.

Dropped the engine back in the hole... next step is affixing the transmission to it, the starter, carb, headers and linkage... and maybe if I'm lucky firing it up!!

I remembered to place the headers in with zip-ties as the engine was halfway down, so installing the headers will not be a PITA as it always is. This set of hooker comps looks like they fixed their clearance issue of the starter... but we shall see...

if I do start it, I will pull a new line from fuel pump out of a gas can. I don't trust whatever gas was in the main tank, and it really ought to be cleaned.... besides the level gauge hasn't worked in over a year. so many things to fix.

Battery tray is rusted out, only rust on the car.... I will need to fabricate a new one, since I doubt anyone makes a reproduction for a reasonable price.

[Chryco Psycho]

I was going to suggest Smith bros for the Pushrods they will make any lenght or strength within 2 days & ship them to you

[aifilaw]

Spent 4 hours doing a job that should have taken 1.... bolting the transmission back to the block and the passenger headers..

bought some hood hinges, sandblasted and painted...

[ralley72]

Interesting read, those hinges never looked better.


Mike

[aifilaw]

Got the accessories mounted this afternoon and the driver-side header and starter in.
Checked the spark gap and installed all of those and ran into something I hadn't anticipated...

I'm used to being able to do about 1/2 of the plugs with a standard 13/16ths spark plug socket, and the remaining with a 13/16ths combo wrench.... but these heads were designed improperly, such that the base of the cylinder head interferes with the spark plug during the last 1 full turn. It was a nightmare getting them all "torqued" properly (and I say that in quotations because it was impossible to torque more than 3 plugs).
I'm guessing people typically have to order longer base spark plugs for these applications to get around that issue, since as you screw them in you can no longer get a wrench or socket onto the standard spark plugs.

Also, hooker competition headers appears to have redesigned their header design!!!
This is the first time I've ever not had to get out a torch and a hammer and "adjust" some headers on the driver side to clear the starter, or steering box. They slipped right in there with the proper amount of room all around. Or at least the first time on a set that was not made by TTI.

[Smokey Bear]

I'm used to being able to do about 1/2 of the plugs with a standard 13/16ths spark plug socket, and the remaining with a 13/16ths combo wrench.... but these heads were designed improperly, such that the base of the cylinder head interferes with the spark plug during the last 1 full turn. It was a nightmare getting them all "torqued" properly (and I say that in quotations because it was impossible to torque more than 3 plugs).
I'm guessing people typically have to order longer base spark plugs for these applications to get around that issue, since as you screw them in you can no longer get a wrench or socket onto the standard spark plugs.

Yer guessing right - you have the wrong plugs. Check w/ 440 source and get the right 5/8" plugs.

Looking at the top of that motor I would never guess what lay underneath. Stealth bomber!

[aifilaw]

Anyone got a part number cross-reference for NGK ?

[dstryr]

Here's a thread on NGKs.  Hope this is what you are looking for.

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,42598.msg468653.html#msg468653

[aifilaw]

Bingo, thanks

[aifilaw]

I think I will officially fire this thing up on Saturday morning. open headers (no choice due to collector bolts not matching to existing exhaust) off of a dropped line into a fuel jug.
get it running, spin it around in the garage so I can drop the fuel tank and make sure its clean, fix the sending unit were off.

[aifilaw]

It's alive!
sounds mean, audio cuts out very loud noises on the video....

After wasting 2 hours hunting down a wiring problem which turned out to be the ignition switch failing and swapping that out, I re-primed the engine and got it fired up right off the get-go; had to adjust the timing about 5-10 degrees perhaps. I know for some that is a foreign concept, but if you take your time and remember to do the little things (like find TDC on cylinder 1, map that to the spark plugs, ensure air and fuel and spark are all going to be there on queue... things go so much quicker and with less wear/tear/damage)

http://www.mediafire.com/file/mnzlz2twgy2/CIMG5491.MOV

http://www.mediafire.com/file/ydeygqw4nmm/CIMG5492.MOV

[Musicman]

No thanks... to many viruses pop up on those links

[aifilaw]

Took it to a Dynojet today and fought through some carb issues. Still have a nasty flat spot between 2600 and 3400 RPM that I can't seem to get rid of, and the best run was running about a point rich.

But it put down 402 HP @ 5500 RPM and 412 ft. lbs of torque # 4400 RPM at the wheels through an old tired 727 and converter to 3.55 8-3/4 rear on 29"tires.

I know this to be a fairly conservative dyno (see: realistic) seeing as he regularly runs about 10-25 HP less than other dynojets in the area and Dallas when people run their cars in both places to compare.
I would guess the losses of the drive-train in this case are ~20% so the power at the engine is probably 507HP and 520 ft lbs of torque.

As a Re-Cap here is everything laid out:

Camshaft: XR280HR-10
Advertised Duration: 280/288
Duration @ 0.50: 230/236
Lift: 0.541/0.537
IVO: 9
IVC: 41
EVO: 52
EVC: 4

Rockers: 1.5 Ratio 440Source Roller Rockers
Lifters: CompCams hydraulic roller lifters

Heads: 440Source Stealth Heads
15-degree locks and retainers
stock springs (will be changed soon)
30-degree back-cut on intake and exhaust valves

Rotating Assembly:
440Source 383->430 stroker kit, fully balanced and blueprinted (checked and clearanced properly). Flat-top pistons with valve reliefs

Block: 383, now 430 Cubes

Currently have a Holley 870 Street Avenger on top, will do fuel injection as the end-game, and possibly a 750DPer if I can ever find one.