smartest way to go with stock hp440?

[Vintage dude]

Hello ya all! and id greatly appreciate all suggestions/pointers how to tweak  a bit more hp/torque out of stock -69 440 magnum.

Engine is totally stock, like rest of the car(-69 charger), that i bought few years ago. I'm replacing sheet metall(usuall stuff, quarters, etc.) right now and would
like to get little more power without doing anything too radicall(since the car is #matching).

My first thought was to go with a stiffer cam, headers and maby new carb(edelbrock avs), since the orig. carter needs some tlc.

I saw mancini racing offering power pak combos at reasonable price, but would it be waste of money since i was thinking holding on to
original heads, gears(3.23) and leave the 727 untouched for now.

Engine was overhauled/blueprinted by previous owner to stock specs along with 0.30 bore, execpt ss.valves and hardened seats.

Plan is to build a nice driver for sunny days, that can keep up with "things" they drive out there these days.

Thanks for any advice/suggestions!

[greenpigs]

Well if it has the correct replacement pistons & was blueprinted it should be good as is. I would not get an Eldelbrock and look into getting your original carb rebuilt. If you want to keep up with traffic on the highway I would not go bigger than a 3.23 gear so it is a good thing you plan on keeping it. Headers will help with some good mufflers & a X pipe. I use Headmans and they fit good and I use DynoMax UltraFlo mufflers that give it a NICE sound .

Give it some good plug wires and all the timing it can take then possibly a 10 inch tourqe convertor later on. I think what you have is preaty good if it was built to 69 specs.

[Cooter]

Porting the heads will definately help, as well as Upgrading the valve sizes. More cam seems to be a popular upgrade..Headers are another one. Aftermarket intake/carb work really well with all these too...

[Ghoste]

I'm with Greenpigs.  You say you want a daily driver that can keep up with things but most of the things are going to want to keep up with you.  Unless you want to get into some serious drag racing or go after people for their top end charge and then you will have to look at changing gears in the differential and the trans mods you say you want to avoid.  The usual bolt ons are likely all you will ever want, mild cam, headers, maybe an aftermarket intake but it doesn't sound to me like you want to get too serious about being faster than everyone else.  That 440 will hold it's own.

[elacruze]

If you want to keep it 'stock' including exhaust manifolds, I'd pick up a copy of the Mopar Performance "Mopar Engines" book- http://chucker54.stores.yahoo.net/mo9thedensps1.html

That will have all the tricks to making your stock motor as fast as it can be. It will also have recipes for various stages of build, and bracket category builds which give the most bang for buck within a given 1/4 time category.

Cheapest gains are headers, free flowing exhaust and rejetting the carb.

[Vintage dude]

Thanks to everybody for your tips and oppinions so far! (will gladly hear more)

My first thought was to go with stock heads. Since i didnt feel comfortable with the idea of modifying them, i asked my friends oppinion and he said that if id decide to pull the heads off, it makes more sense finding a pair of closed chambered 915 heads and having them ported and fitted with bigger valves. I dont think ive ever seen such heads (good ones?).

What would be proper size for headers, would 1 7/8 primary be enough? I kind of remember reading/hearing that oversized headers will eat up low end torq?

Any suggestions for cam/lifter kit?

thanks!

[Challenger340]

HOLD THE PHONE !

This Engine has a prior rebuild !
the FIRST THING you do,
is remove a Cylinder Head and VERIFY, that is actually MEASURE the Downfill Volume of the Piston @ TDC, as is "How Far" down the hole it is when at the top.
Apologies here,
for using capital letters to make my point ?

I've seen this pitfall a hundred times before, when guys are trying to come up with accurate rec's as to "where' they should go, without knowing from WHERE they are starting ?
Piston deck height is CRITICAL to moving forward.

Just because it's a 69 Engine means ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, especially, since for decades the "Correct Replacement", "Factory Specs" Pistons, that were used by rebuilders,
WERE NOT !
and yielded no more than "Popcorn Fart" for static CR & Quench !


Pull a Head and CHECK First, before moving ahead with any plan !

My opinion only
Bob

[Ghoste]

Pull a Head and CHECK First, before moving ahead with any plan !

My opinion only
Bob

Keep in mind Vintage dude that Bob's opinion comes from a background of building race engines for a living.

[Vintage dude]

Good advices are allways worth more than gold!

Pulled out right side head and hasty measurement showed 0.053 for deck clearance. Im guessing its not too far of from possible stock measurement?

[greenpigs]

Sounds like it wasn't blueprinted sitting that deep. Using a .020 thick head gasket like it had new I get around a 9.5 CR using an on line calculator. I used 0 for piston volume as I don't know what yours are and ASSumed they were flat top without eyebrows. This isn't too bad of a CR but you need to find the specs for your piston and check CC of heads to come to a REAL value for compression. used 88 cc for formula.

I guess my mistake was going from what the previous builder said he did to the motor. Who knows what his idea of blueprinting is.

Link to calculator I used:http://www.rbracing-rsr.com/compstaticcalc.html

[Cooter]

Just pull that "Stock Appearing" engine out and build the hell outta one for it..When your tired of "Keeping up" with everybody, then pull it out and sell it...

[Challenger340]

.053" is a Good Number, (meanining you are in the minority), and actually have something to work with to get results moving forward.

Too often, people with prior rebuilt engines, do this measurement only to find that their "prize" 1969HP Engine, is really nothing more than a re-popped 1978 smogger, because of the .125"down Hole rebuilder Pistons, very sad !

The 9.5:1 CR with Iron Heads for Pump Premium Fuels, should be easily attainable with the stock open chamber castings that you have(906 ?, 452, 346, etc., etc.)

[BSB67]

.053" is a Good Number, (meanining you are in the minority), and actually have something to work with to get results moving forward.

Too often, people with prior rebuilt engines, do this measurement only to find that their "prize" 1969HP Engine, is really nothing more than a re-popped 1978 smogger, because of the .125"down Hole rebuilder Pistons, very sad !

The 9.5:1 CR with Iron Heads for Pump Premium Fuels, should be easily attainable with the stock open chamber castings that you have(906 ?, 452, 346, etc., etc.)

Be sure to clean the top of the piston and measure with accuracy the actual compression distance on a few cylinders.  You'll need 87 to 88 cc combustion chamber volume and 0.020" gasket to get to 9.5:1.  Alternatively, an 80 cc, 915 head and a .0.040" gasket will net about 9.7:1.

[Scaregrabber]

The stock 375 HP 440 was a great package as is (when in original shape). You are in good shape with your pistons, if it were mine I would get your current heads fitted with larger valves and bowl blended by a pro. Then I would install a modern camshaft, good 2.5 or 3" exhaust behind the stock manifolds and have the ignition and original carb worked by a pro as well. You'll have a great running car with all the original cast iron.
Lots of cars have big $$$ parts inside with a lousy tuneup and will be blown away by something closer to stock but set up correctly.

Sheldon