Cam is in, car is running, now the TUNING begins!

[Xp29h]

I was catching up on the thread and hitting the agree button a couple times, then realized the posts were 2013! I need more coffee!

Glad it sorted out out though!

 

[Sweet5ltr]

What the hell...It has been 4 1/2 years, why not post an update?
To all that looked at your screens and saw a HUGE increase in alerts today, it was because I went back and read this whole 7 page thread just for the sake of nostalgia. I hit the alert buttons too many times to count.I like reading old threads and stuff...It helps show how things have changed over time.
The thicker head gaskets solved my detonation problem, period. No knocks, no pings, even in 100 degree weather. The cranking PSI went from the 191 range down to 165-168 !
I didn't leave the combination alone though. I got tired of the lazy part throttle performance of the big cam and loose converter. It was a great straight line performer at WIDE open throttle, a great burnout setup....but I wanted it to feel more like how a late model performance car feels at part throttle. That meant a smaller, milder cam and a tighter torque converter.
First though, I tried advancing the Lunati cam. I knew from when I degreed it that I had a HUGE amount of piston to valve clearance several degrees before and after TDC so I moved it to a 102 centerline. THis moved the cranking PSI up about 2 points. It idled slightly better, felt a little more responsive but still felt lazy at 40-55 mph in overdrive. I still blamed the converter for most of that but I figured that the cam shared some of the blame.
I switched back to direct drive and sold the Gear Vendors. I had Lenny at Ultimate Converter Concepts build an 11" converter for it and swapped the 3.91 diff for a new 3.55 setup. With this, the car was greatly improved but that rough idle was still bugging me. I swapped in a Mopar 528 solid cam. The idle vacuum nearly doubled. The rough idle and lope was almost totally gone. That was a bit of a bummer, I would have liked to kept a little more lope but sometimes you take what you get. Cranking PSI went to 175, NO knocking and better street manners by a long shot.
I miss the WOT performance of the Lunati sometimes. I still have it stowed away with the lifters kept in the proper order. I don't know if I'll reuse it though since I am adding A/C to the car soon.
Thanks for tuning in, thanks for all the advice. It all worked out though it sure was a long road to get there!

In 2018.. I'm still happy you got those thicker cylinder head gaskets! You have a great combination with the .528 MP & 3.55 gears, excellent camshaft choice for a daily driver style build. It probably makes similar power IMHO, but dropping from a 3.91 gear, you're going to feel that pretty heavily, most likely more than a cam change at this level.

100% agree, the .528 MP SFT leaves everything to be desired in terms of sound, mine sounded nearly bone-stock. Then again, I ran the .590 MP SFT for years with 106 LSA, but my current Lunati SFT with 267* @ .050 / 110 LSA sounds more aggressive than that did surprisingly. So, overlap and ramp rates are good indicators of sound, but not everything.

 

[Bee1971]

Just put together 440 Source 432 Stroker - 10.5 to 1

Edelbrock E Street 75cc Heads

Comp Cams XE275 HL

Fel Pro .039 Gasket - Pistons .015 in the hole

18 initial 35 total

Cold cranking compression 195psi dead nuts on all eight - Checked twice when switching plugs

Slight pinging at part throttle when hot , never under full throttle

Played with jetting , was actually running to rich

Champion RC12YC Spark Plugs

Best thing I did so far , going to a COLDER NGK Plug per a five minute conversation over the phone with NGK

Car runs Awesome on 91/93 Octane

 

[Kern Dog]

That 195 number is a killer. Mine rattled like rocks in a coffee can at WOT with those numbers.....EXCEPT when I ran 110 leaded Sunoco.
Edelbrock suggests the RC12YC plug....Screw that! I stepped down to a RC9YC then later a NGK in a 7 range. THis helped eliminate the "run-on" after shutting the engine off.
Our highest octane from the pump is 91. I was getting responses from guys saying their similar engine ran fine on 93. That is good for those guys but that octane rating was not available here. I could buy 5 gallon drums of 100, 104 and 110 but that was $55 a drum.

 

[wyrmrider]

RC12 is a 9:1 motor plug
firggnxxx Edelbrock
have you screwed with your vacuum advance?
thinner head gaskets like .028
btw whose pistons and compression ht
what's a 432 motor anyway?
Where's the numbers guy on this?
you could try the cam straight up - it's most likely +4 on the intake
what rockers and did you do the half lift drill (yet)
CONGRATS
I've usually built motors for street with lower compression and shorter cams
10.5 with that one is pushing it-but you are looking good
check your temp but running cold may help the ping but screws engine life especially on a carb motor
do you have cold air to the AC?