Street 451 build

[Challenger340]

Here's an oldie but goody, machined & built by me at my Shop a coupla years back.
451 Inchs, 575h.p and 583 Ft/lbs

It's a Pump Premium Fuel Engine, that now proven extremely reliable and VERY quick at the Strip.
Hell, it's even driven the route 66 hwy in California twice now, all the way from Calgary Ab and back !

'73 400 Block
Forged 440 Crank
Eagle 6.760 H beams
Srp Forged Flat Tops W/.990 Pins
Edelbrock RPM Heads
Comp Flat Tappet Solid Cam, 244/252 @ .050, 108 lsa, installed @ 105 ATDC
1.6 Rockers

Block Machining; T/Plate Bore & Hone, Line Honed, BHJ decked & squared, Main Webs clearanced, Enlarged to 1/2" HEMI Oiling
Clrc's; Mains @ .0032", Rods @ .0028", Pin-Fit @ .001" Rod & Piston, Piston to Wall @ .0045"
Stock 440 Forged Crank has had mains turned down to stock 400 sizing, and counterweight edges clrc'd @ 45* to clear block.

I ported the Edelbrock Heads to my "Stage II" Level, and Chamber re-shape/polish(pics upon request)

What a BRAWLER this thing is
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[elacruze]

Good info, I'll be building a 400 block motor this summer/fall.

What do you think about 7.100" rods and high-port stage VI heads, roller cammed?

Heavy hitting street engine in an A- or E-body is my target.

[Challenger340]

Good info, I'll be building a 400 block motor this summer/fall.

What do you think about 7.100" rods and high-port stage VI heads, roller cammed?

Heavy hitting street engine in an A- or E-body is my target.

I can't really see the advantage to the 7.100" Rods in a Low-Deck, it's law of diminishing returns geometrically, plus, even on a 3.75 Stroke 440 crank in the 400 block, your Piston Compression Distance would be down around 1.00", getting tight on the ringpack even with Pin Buttons for "street use" ?
"Best" rod for the 3.75 Stroke is the 6.76" IMO.

I haven't used the high port VI Heads, dunno 'nuff about them to comment ?
What do they Flow ?

"Real" Roller type Cam profiles, on the street, is a BAD idea in my opinion, not "if" but "when", ya end up with an Oil Pan full of broken Lifter Trunions
and
"Street" Rollers as a second option, don't make much more Power than a Good Solid Flat Tappet, but cost TONS more !

How much power are you looking for ?

[elacruze]

I guess I didn't define my target very well.

This engine will be sort of a test-bed for me. It will probably end up in a lightened A- or E-body car, and 1/4 mile performance will be maximized, but the entire package still needs to be realistically streetable. That is to say, cruisable; weekends and perhaps one or two couple-hours-in the slowlane shows a year. The engine would probably never see 10 thousand miles.
The high-port stage VI heads allow RB manifolds on the B block, but I don't have any flow numbers on them. It will be port-injected and electronically controlled. If I saw 600rwhp with a broad torque curve I'd be satisfied.

[1Bad70Charger]

I guess I didn't define my target very well.

This engine will be sort of a test-bed for me. It will probably end up in a lightened A- or E-body car, and 1/4 mile performance will be maximized, but the entire package still needs to be realistically streetable. That is to say, cruisable; weekends and perhaps one or two couple-hours-in the slowlane shows a year. The engine would probably never see 10 thousand miles.
The high-port stage VI heads allow RB manifolds on the B block, but I don't have any flow numbers on them. It will be port-injected and electronically controlled. If I saw 600rwhp with a broad torque curve I'd be satisfied.

When you say 600rwhp that is 100% different than the horsepower the car is making at the crank/engine?  A big block Mopar making an actual 600rwhp (600 rear wheel horse power) would equate to at least 725 HP at the crank!  You would DEFINITELY need some huge cubes 572+ naturally aspirated, to be making that type of horsepower.   When the original poster posts up that his his 451 Big Block engine is making 575HP he is talking about horsepower at the crank/engine, and not the at the wheels (which is rear wheel horsepower).

I assume you probably know this and your post of 600rwhp was a typo/mental mistake, and if not, well then we learn something new everyday!    

[elacruze]

Yeah whoops, was thinking 600 crank hp - 20% = ~500rwhp.

Average HP/torque curve is more important to me than absolute peak numbers-a tenth or two in the 1/4 is less important than some ...controllability...on the street, if you know what I mean.

I could probably do what I want more easily with a big cube engine, but I'm sneaky-you can't hide cubic inches from somebody with a good ear. I like to play the hide-in-plain-sight sleeper game.

[1Bad70Charger]

Yeah whoops, was thinking 600 crank hp - 20% = ~500rwhp.

Average HP/torque curve is more important to me than absolute peak numbers-a tenth or two in the 1/4 is less important than some ...controllability...on the street, if you know what I mean.

I could probably do what I want more easily with a big cube engine, but I'm sneaky-you can't hide cubic inches from somebody with a good ear. I like to play the hide-in-plain-sight sleeper game.

 

[LeadfootBob]

If I interpreted this right you didn't turn down the weights on the crank, only lopped off enough to clear the block? How does this balance?
Got all the parts but the machine shop quoted me 450 bucks just to turn down the weights, then another 400 for the balancing job 

[Challenger340]

If I interpreted this right you didn't turn down the weights on the crank, only lopped off enough to clear the block? How does this balance?
Got all the parts but the machine shop quoted me 450 bucks just to turn down the weights, then another 400 for the balancing job 

That's correct
We were doing them (451's) this way, back in the 80's way before the popularity of turning the counterweights became prevalent.

The 440 Forged Crank ground to 400 mainsize, "fit" in the 400 Crankcase, save for interference issues only at the corners of the counterweights.
The way we used to solve this(being poor bastards with a Race Addiction), was to grind 45* Chamfers about 1/2" wide on all counterweights, then take a 1/2" Carbide "Ball" and cleanup beside the mainweb in the block.
Takes about 2 hrs with an Angle Grinder, but costs "nada", and provides reduced windage(free power).
The Crank Balance job is reduced as well, still in Negative on both planes(remove metal), and costs less.

I'll try an link to some finished Crank & Block photos, but not having success here uploading ?
Bob out.
see here;

[Troy]

I fixed your pictures.

Troy

[LeadfootBob]

EXACTLY the pictures I needed. Thanks!
*Plugs in grinder* 

[Challenger340]

EXACTLY the pictures I needed. Thanks!
*Plugs in grinder*  

Your welcome Bob

Remember to keep 1 foot on the Crank when grinding, preferable the 1 WITH a good workboot covering it ?
and
When cleaning that ridge beside the mainweb in the Block, just "clean", don't dig through to China !
.050" Clearance is all thats necessary.

Let us know how ya make out ?

Bob out.