Moparchat - Home of MOPAR enthusiasts worldwide!



Go Back   Moparchat - Home of MOPAR enthusiasts worldwide! > Technical Forums > Performance Talk

Click here to search for Mopar cars and parts for sale.


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 03-14-2002, 12:08 AM
JoeM29 JoeM29 is offline
Inactive User
 
Join Date: May 2001
Location: old bridge NJ
Age: 40
Posts: 116
Default newbie (engine) questions???

ok i dont know much about engines, i have stock 452 heads on my 440, the compression is 9.2:1 i would like to get more hp out of this engine, i was thinking about getting some head work done, maybe porting and bigger valves, along with some roller rockers, but with suck a low compression i cant go with a "much" bigger cam, so if while my head was at the shop i had him mill off some and raise my compression, then i could get a bigger cam, and the combination of the cam, head work, higher CR, and roller rockers, i think that could result in a nice hp increase. will that work, like i said i dont know much about the internals of engines, so what measurements could i do to my engine to determine how much i can take off and where, how do you cc your heads, i am guessing i have to take them off. also could a thinner head gasket result in lower compression, i know it works for the ricers i work on, is it safe, and one last ? is are mopar head studs re-usable, i know the ones i am used to are strech bolts and will break if re-used, thanks for all the help also the car is mostly a strip car that will be cruised on weekends
Joe
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 03-14-2002, 06:47 AM
440Ramcharger's Avatar
440Ramcharger 440Ramcharger is offline
Inactive User
 
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: Tempe AZ
Age: 65
Posts: 382
Default

A thinner head gasket will slightly raise compression. What thickness are you using now? New head bolts were one of the Mopar bargains. Last time I bought new head bolts for my 440, (2 years back) they cost around $20 for ALL 34! (17 per head). Have you found the hidden HP in your distributor? Lighter springs, recurving etc.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 03-14-2002, 08:28 AM
cuda66273's Avatar
cuda66273 cuda66273 is offline
Banned
 
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Beaverton Oregon
Age: 71
Posts: 3,685
Default

Yes cutting the head will bump compression, decide what fuel you want to run. If you plan on using unleaded 92 you should probably stay around 9.5.
However, if you polish out the combustion chambers and dress the tops of your pistons you may be able to sneak another 1/2 point of compression in there.

Measure the depth of the piston in the hole and CC the combustion chamber to calculate your exact compression and you'll be fine.

If you have head studs, there probably ARP and Yes they can be reused, they are not stretch to tork.

Bull hog the back of the valve and unshroud it, do a mild port job and polish up the exhaust runners like glass, grind down the plug boss and smooth them out, shape the valve boss in the runner to a point and shorten them by about 50% to get smoother air flow and velocity.

When doing a mild port job you don't want to change the shape of the runner, just open it up and get the air in and out smoother.

440's are sleeping monsters it takes very little to wake them up, and once you do....hang on!
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 03-14-2002, 03:03 PM
71383bee's Avatar
71383bee 71383bee is offline
Inactive User
 
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Milwaukee, WI
Age: 48
Posts: 654
Default

9.2:1 Compression too low!?! Actually that is a great starting point. For Iron heads you don't want to go much higher than 9.5:1 compression to run on 92 octane. Are you sure that is the compression? Where did you get theinfo if you haven't pulled the heads yet? A change to the thinner gasket alone will put you close to 9.5:1. The head work that cuda suggested would work well with what you got. To get your compression you need to know what pistons you have (dished, domed, valve reliefs, flat...) and how far down they sit in the cylinder at top dead center you gasket thickness and have your heads cc'd. If you are using composite gaskets then they are thicker around 0.040". Since you have iron heads you can use the stock 0.020" steel shim gaskets. 452,906, and 345 castings all had similar head volumes ranging from 88-92cc's

As far as cams are concerned you have a lot of good choices. Hughes makes some really good cams as well as comp cams. I personally run Comps Extreme energy on my 383 and I like them and I have around 8.9:1 compression. You don't need a ton of lift to make a Mopar run well. (It's not a Chevy)

It is just good practice and insurance to replace your head bolts every time you pull your heads off. If your going to do it regulaly then studs are the way to go. Those you do not need to replace. But if your just going to bolt these on and drive and your not going to be regularly switching heads then I would not bother with studs.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 03-14-2002, 09:31 PM
Doug Wilson Doug Wilson is offline
Inactive User
 
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Sheridan, Oregon
Age: 79
Posts: 2,510
Default

The easiest way - and cheapest - that I know of to cc your heads is to buy a horse medicine syringe at a pet store, feed store, equine supply place. The cost about $2. Put your head on a flat surfacuc and using a level, block it level with 2X4s and chunks of wood. Go to a glass shop and get a scrap piece of flat glass - have them drill a quarter inch hole in it. Use a little vaseline, or if you're one of THOSE people, some K-Y jelly you have on your workbench - a thin coat to seal the glass to the mounting surface of your head and a little around the valves where they seat. Then, using ATF, squirt the fluid into the combustion chamber. Do it on each combustion chamber a couple of times, and, there you are. Did I mention to pull your heads first?
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 03-14-2002, 09:52 PM
Fast One Fast One is offline
Inactive User
 
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Adelaide South Australia
Age: 66
Posts: 329
Default

Always nice to hear when someone is planning to do up their Mopar.

Do you have a quarter mile time in mind?
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 03-14-2002, 11:49 PM
cuda66273's Avatar
cuda66273 cuda66273 is offline
Banned
 
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Beaverton Oregon
Age: 71
Posts: 3,685
Default

"s are
mopar head studs re-usable"

You did say studs ...right?
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 03-15-2002, 01:48 PM
JoeM29 JoeM29 is offline
Inactive User
 
Join Date: May 2001
Location: old bridge NJ
Age: 40
Posts: 116
Default

yea i said studs, i think thats what they are right, if not i am stupid, as stated before i dont know much about engines, and i am doing a lot of research, i got the engine with my car, and he gave me a spec sheet, i think it is reliable, this guy had some sweet cars, and he was a very nice cool guy, typical mopar guy, i would like to eventually go 11's but how realistic and in the future that is i dont know, in a week or two i will have some base numbers with this setup, then i will go from there,
thanks, joe
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 03-15-2002, 08:05 PM
cuda66273's Avatar
cuda66273 cuda66273 is offline
Banned
 
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Beaverton Oregon
Age: 71
Posts: 3,685
Default

Let me understand this..bear with me I'm old and crotchety.....

You've got a 440 in a Dart, 727, 4.10 gears and headers along with the basic go fast stuff for guts......and your worried about running an 11 second pass?

Sleep in peace my son.....you'll blow the doors off any 11 second car with that combo....concentrate on traction and weight of the car, get it as lean as you can, spare tire, battery remount, aluminun radiator, fiberglass bumpers make her lean and mean and you may find yourself in the high tens...

This does not all come without a price....better check the NHRA rule book and see what you'll have to add to run that quick...off the top of my bald head....roll bar, helmut, driving jacket, drive shaft loop...etc.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Newbie with 440 questions carnut57 Vintage MOPAR chat 13 04-03-2008 11:54 AM
Questions from a Newbie GO 4LO Diesel & Turbo Diesel Chat 7 11-14-2002 08:31 PM
Newbie: car questions dartgeek74 Performance Talk 23 05-26-2002 03:16 PM
Newbie questions... nbfdexp901 Ram Truck Chat 11 02-28-2002 09:12 AM
Questions from a newbie Cams96Ram Ram Truck Chat 9 05-22-2000 08:49 PM




All times are GMT -4. The time now is 04:04 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
. . . . .