Back Yard 440 Build On A Budget (Hopefully)

[bobs66440]

I've decided to document all the ups and downs and ins n' outs of my first engine build so those of you thinking about doing this may avoid the mistakes I have, and will, make.

While the current 440 runs ok (albeit very tired) it uses a remarkable amount of oil; 1 qt. per 200 miles. I tried changing the valve seals and intake gaskets, both of which were doing nothing to contain oil in the engine. No difference whatsoever. Must be the rings I figured.


So the next plan was to try to rebuild the engine. Or more accurately, have the engine rebuilt on a budget by a local builder. He assured me that I could get mine running like new for around $3000-$3500, but that would be a basically stock 440. The good news is that he had a dyno and he would break it in and dyno it for me for an additional fee. This was music to my ears as hearing all the horror stories about engine break-in terrified me. 

Then, one day I was looking through Craigslist and found an ad for a "fresh" rebuilt 440 for sale nearby for $1800! Carb to pan! Wow, this is a miracle! When I went to look at it, the owner (for my purposes, I like to refer to him as the perpetrator) assured me that this was a 400hp drop-in-and-go affair. We struck a deal and loaded the beast into the back of my truck. I drove home giggling like a giddy school girl. Nice huh?




Since this is an attempted budget build, I will try to keep a running tally.

Spent so far  $1800.

[bobs66440]

The next few days were the beginning of my enlightenment. First, I found no matter how smart you think you are, you are never too old to be fooled by a good salesman. And every cliche along the lines of "If it sounds too good to be true..." came rushing to the surface and smacked me in the face. In other words, with some help from members on Moparts, DC.com and here, I quickly learned that this motor was, at best, a good rebuilt bottom end with heads taken directly from the scrap heap and installed in haste as to feign a run-ready motor. Most of the valve train and hardware was scrap also. I tried calling the perpetrator to ask why he sold me a bill of goods but he did not answer his phone (shocker). As I dug deeper though, it was apparent that the bottom end was put together with care and seemed to be done well. After speaking to some of my more knowledgeable buddys, it seemed that while I may have been duped, I could still sell some parts off the motor and end up with a pretty nice short block with all new parts for less than the machine work alone would have cost on the original engine. And I would still have my running engine in case anything went wrong.


Spent so far (after selling spare parts)  $1400.

[bobs66440]

It turned out the 906 heads were basically good for cores only.



There was way too much preload on the lifters because the valves were sunk way into the seats ("the heads have only one year on them" yeah right...). It probably wouldn't have even run the way it was.



There was a huge difference in the valve stem heights.



Good thing I took it apart. This big nut was sitting right there waiting to drop into the works and tear up my new motor.

[bobs66440]

I took the engine almost completely apart and checked clearances, bolt torques and basically checked it all over. Everything checked out good.


I decided to degree the cam and double check all the specs. I fabricated a piston stop out of aluminum angle and a lifter extension for the dial indicator out of an old brake line and washer.





Here's the specs...


This is what I came up with:
Int open - 1* BTDC = 2* retarded
Int close - 41* ABDC = ON SPEC

Exh open - 54* BBDC =  2* retarded
Exh close - 2* BTDC = ON SPEC

Lobe centerline - Int 109* ATDC = ON SPEC
Lobe centerline - Exh 120* BTDC = 1* advanced

I decided with some trusted advice that it was close enough for my purposes. Though the crank sprocket has provisions for 4 degree advance or retard. I may do some more research to see if advancing the cam will be a benefit.

[bobs66440]

The main issue with this engine build, as I would eventually understand it, is that he used flat top pistons on a stock deck height block. The problem is that the pistons are .085" in the hole (below deck) at TDC and therefore can not take advantage of quench (getting the top of the piston to within .040" of the head surface, which creates turbulence (good burn) and allows the use of pump gas in a high compression engine.


The other issue is the cam. It's a good low end torque grind, but the spec calls for a minimum of 9.5:1 compression. I gathered all the info regarding combustion chamber volume on different heads, 906/516/452, and ran them through the compression ratio calculator. The 906 heads that were on the motor have 79cc heads, which will get me in the ballpark, but they were in need of a complete rebuild which would cost $600-$700 locally. This was above the price range of new cast iron Aeroheads which are rebuilt castings, but with the bigger valves. So, might as well do that huh? Well, the price on those heads had since gone up and to get them to me would be close to $1000! About the same price as 440 Source aluminum Stealth heads.

[bobs66440]

So, after some soul searching, yes, I decided that the Stealth heads would give me the best bang for the buck. I had to get new head bolts also. The bill with shipping was about $1150. A little pricey for a budget build, but I figured that it wasn't too bad considering what I was getting.






They are actually pretty nice for the money. Stainless steel valves, Comp valve locks. 130 lb. springs. Perfect for my cam.

They are advertised as having 80cc chambers, so that would put me on the money with the compression ratio (9.6:1)I was looking for if I used the .020" steel shim head gaskets I have hanging on my wall. And because the gaskets came with the car, they're free! Life is good!

Spent so far -  $2250

[bobs66440]

Well, it was good until I found out you can't use steel shim gaskets with aluminum heads.  I have to use the .040 composite gaskets. That knocked the compression ratio down to 9.25:1. Not great, but do-able.

Then I decided to cc the heads just for fun. Much to my dismay, they aren't 80cc, they are 82cc! 

Well, that drops it to 9.1:1! Not good.

Then I found out about a company named Cometic that makes multi-layer stainless steel gaskets that can be used with aluminum heads. And they are offered in .027". .That bumps it back up to 9.35:1. Still not optimal, but much better. I was assured that there will be no significant difference between 9.35:1 and 9.5:1. The bad news is they are $170/pair! 

Spent so far - $2420.

[bobs66440]

Another innovative trick that was apparently left out of the engine building handbook is to use a shock washer in place of the correct cam bolt washer. I ordered the correct bolt & washer.

I'll say it again...good thing I took it apart   



Spent so far $2448

[bobs66440]

Unfortunately, after looking closely at the rockers, it was apparent they were also scrap. I mean, the holes that the shaft goes through aren't even round anymore lol! There was about 1/8" slop. Really bad.


Fortunately I was able to scare up a really nice set of used ones from my buddy...FREE!! I like that price! It adds nothing to the tally!    

[bobs66440]

I got my headers in the other day. Hedman Shortys. They look pretty nice though I'll have to strip and paint them with hi-temp paint



I bolted them to the heads to check the spark plug clearance as I've seen so many that make access to the plugs a nightmare. For the exception of one, there seems to be plenty of room compared to others I've seen. I called Hedman and asked if dimpling the one tube for clearance will affect anything. He said as long as it's not like half collapsed, it will be fine.





This one I may have to clearance a bit.

[bobs66440]

I mocked the head & header up to get a feel for the clearance as discussed. They really do tuck under quite nicely.





At first I couldn't understand why they require a change to a mini starter, but now I see. It might be wise to get a heat shield.

[bobs66440]

I got the new Cometic .027" thick head gaskets. They are just 3 layers of very thin coated stainless gaskets riveted together. Hopefully they work well. They've gotten good reviews, so we'll see.

[bobs66440]

I was disassembling and checking the lifters and I found that some are different. The short one measures 1.850" and the tall one measures 1.90". As you can see, they are completely different looking from the side. I looked at the ones on Summit and they don't give a height spec, only diameter (.904"). I measured the plunger height and they are exactly the same measurement from the base of the lifter to where the push rod sits.  The oil hole height is .050" different, but since it goes up and down in the bore, it shouldn't matter. The tall one is stamped "Johnson HT 2011" which I found on Summit and application is for this (and many other) motors and are sold separately. Maybe he was missing a few and just got replacements.

In the end, I decided to just get new ones from Comp. Just to be safe... 

[bobs66440]

After all the bad stuff I am finding with this motor, I decided to check all the main & rod bearing clearances with plastigage. It isn't as accurate as a micrometer/bore gauge, but it's supposedly within .0005", so that's close enough to get an idea of how it was put together.

This is what I came up with:

Mains
.0020
.0019
.0017
.0019
.0018

Rods
.0017
.0018
.0020
.0020
.0018
.0021
.0020

It's a little difficult to get an exact (to the ten-thousandths) reading because the lines on the paper aren't broken down that far, so it's really a best guess. I did it with the red and green and the red tended to read the same or a little higher than the green. For instance, I did one with the green and it read .0016. I double checked it with the red and it read .0020. So, who knows which is accurate.

These are a little tight compared to what I have read is optimal (.0025-.0027) but I understand that the plastigage tends to read a little on the low side compared to a micrometer/bore gauge. I called Clevite tech and he said it's well within the spec window. For the 440, he showed a huge acceptable range, for example, one I remember is for the mains which was .0008-.0030!

So, this is good news and I can move on to the valve train.

[Chryco Psycho]

Cometic is the best gasket to use with alum heads .They work great & allow for the different expansion rates of the iron & alum .
Good thing you tore the engine down !!

[bobs66440]

Cometic is the best gasket to use with alum heads .They work great & allow for the different expansion rates of the iron & alum .
Good thing you tore the engine down !!

You betcha!

[bobs66440]

I sandblasted then painted the headers. Hopefully they will hold up.





...and installed the new rear main seal...

[bobs66440]

I scored a nice 402 oil pan from ebay. Really nice shape with a perfect original pickup tube and windage tray.




I installed the pickup in the motor and adjusted it so it just touches the bottom of the pan as the FSM calls for.

[bobs66440]

I bought a new Std volume oil pump from Autozone. I went to install it today and there was no gasket or o-ring. And, of course there wasn't one in the gasket kit!! It turns out that no-one includes this in the gasket kits. Why??? Makes no sense!

[bobs66440]

I installed the new rear main seal using this set up from the FelPro gasket kit for the side seals. It consists of two pipe cleaners that you are supposed to dip in water. First, you fill the side cavities of the retainer with silicone, then push the wet pipe cleaners into the slot. It's supposed to cure the silicone since it requires moisture (never knew this). The first time I installed this, I just filled the cavities with silicone and nothing else. A week later, it was still as wet as the day I did it. So, maybe they know what they're talking about? I hope so, I don't want to pull it apart again...especially when it's in the car...   

[bobs66440]

I recently learned about cam operation and static compression ratio (SCR) as opposed to dynamic compression ratio (DCR).

At first I was using the specs from my engine on this calculator which uses the @.050 specs:
http://www.rbracing-rsr.com/comprAdvHD.htm
and I was coming up with a surprisingly high 8.53:1 (considering my lowish SCR and cam)which is borderline for comfortably running on pump gas.
But there was a lot of contention on Moparts about whether to use the @.050 specs or the seat to seat specs.

Then I used the one listed "DCR Calculator with VB6 Runtime" files at the bottom of the page on this site.
http://cochise.uia.net/pkelley2/DynamicCR.html

It calculates dynamic stroke length, cam timing / overlap and static and dynamic compression, but it uses seat to seat (advertised) timing and I think it's more in line with reality. There, I came up with a more believable 7.13:1 which will be more pump gas friendly.

Frankly, I'm not 100% sure which is accurate, but in any case I should be ok on pump gas.


Engine Specs:

Heads 82cc
bore 4.35
deck .085
piston (flat top) 0cc
stroke 3.75
gasket .027
gasket bore 4.38
Static CR 9.35:1




Here's the actual info after degreeing the cam:

Int open - 1* BTDC
Int close - 41* ABDC

Exh open - 54* BBDC
Exh close - 2* BTDC

Lobe centerline - Int 109* ATDC
Lobe centerline - Exh 120* BTD

[justcruisin]

Using your second choice - the Pat Kelly DCR formula my 440 works out to 8.14, the engine runs fine on 91.

[Musicman]

  It's time for your reality check again. 

[Chryco Psycho]

Well that is weird or new , every FelPro gasket kit I have purchased has had the oil pump oil ring & gasket & the pump usually does as well so I end up with extras .
I do not understand what was wrong with the fiber inserts for the sides of the rear main seal , I far prefered that to these pipe cleaner pieces .
Are you going to dimple the #5 pipe near the spark plug it looks close .

[Challenger340]

Oil Pump O-Ring and Gasket should be WITH the new Pump, and in the Fel-Pro Gasket Set like Neil said...very weird !

Pipe Cleaners for side seals
I just silicone them and leave them empty ?