Cheap 440 question on power!

[ChargerKid74]

Hey guys I'm new to the forum, this is my first post, and I was wondering what you think I should run in the 1/4, Its a 1973 440 from a motorhome basically brand new with 30k miles, aluminum torker intake, long tube headers, and a 750 holley, 4.10 rear end, also going to run nitrous(thinking 100 shot-150 shot RARELY) all of this in a 74 charger that i daily drive. Also is that a safe shot of nitrous? Very excited to go to the track for my first time in the next month!

 

[jess]

hello
i am new myself so i dont think i will be much help
but it is hard to say what ET you should aim for
car set up is also a very big and most often overlooked part
big power dosent mean anything with out proper car set up
my opion is i would spend money on a cam kit
befor nitrous
maybe a good set of drag radials i assume you have a posi rear
and gear ratio is also a big factor
i am in kinda the same boat but i am not a NOS fan

 

[RustyRatRod]

Low 14s. Maybe some high 13s if you get to where you can drive well.A stock cast piston motor will take about a 150 shot with no worries as long as it ain't runnin lean. Run it lean and kiss it goodbye.

 

[fatecaptured]

Low 14s. Maybe some high 13s if you get to where you can drive well.A stock cast piston motor will take about a 150 shot with no worries as long as it ain't runnin lean. Run it lean and kiss it goodbye.

I agree, my Coronet was running nos (150 super power shot) on the 71 383 hp, which was a .030 over cast piston steel crank. Make sure u use an electric fuel pump along with a mechanical. Any fuel starvation will kill your engine. It would be like a cutting torch to your cast pistons.. Nos is a good way to make cheap power unless u get spray crazy, then u mite want to think about upping the cubes or some sort of supercharger. Also i would use a full throttle switch just to be one the safe side...

 

[ChargerKid74]

Some drag radials are in the works..eventually. main reason for wondering is a fellow mopar driver has been talking trash towards me! I think a charger vs. srt4 would be a fun match up at the strips and I think i can take him if I launch right. What is the estimated horsepower and torque before nitrous? I'm guessing little over 300 because stock it had 280? Either way itll be better than what i had before! oh and no cam yet because i am contemplating milling the heads to gain compression so i can run a bigger cam and more hp from it. milling the heads to be around 9.5 to 1 a bad idea?

 

[RustyRatRod]

I never have liked using an electric WITH a mechanical pump. If the mechanical pump's diaphragm fails, you're gonna end up with an oil pan full of fuel. Not good. Even with small setups, I like running a complete stand alone fuel system with nitrous. There's just so much more control to be had.

 

[RustyRatRod]

milling the heads to be around 9.5 to 1 a bad idea?

IMO, bad idea. Bad idea because in order to go almost two compression points up, you're going to have to mill a TON off the heads. Your engine now probably blueprints in the high 7s for compression......and no, I'm not joking. Chrysler engines were notorious for having much lower than advertised compression due to crappy machining tolerances, particularly very high deck heights. In order to gain that much compression change, you're probably looking at around a .100" or more cut. Your best bet to gain compression is either a cylinder head or piston change. I would work on optimizing your current combination while saving up for a more in depth build later on down the road.

 

[fatecaptured]

I never have liked using an electric WITH a mechanical pump. If the mechanical pump's diaphragm fails, you're gonna end up with an oil pan full of fuel. Not good. Even with small setups, I like running a complete stand alone fuel system with nitrous. There's just so much more control to be had.

I didn't like the constant drone of the electric pump myself. Good point Rusty. Once again, i'm put in check. :headbang: party on wayne :grin:

 

[RustyRatRod]

If I were in your shoes, here's what I would do. Don Dulmage is the author of "Old Reliable The Practical 440 Race Motor". Email Don here: [email protected] For 15 bucks he'll send you his book on CD. It's well worth it. You build that motor, and you'll not have any trouble with any crapblowers.

 

[ChargerKid74]

I'm pretty familiar with the compression ratio it had before I started working on it as I was a lurker to this site and many others researching what to do. so far I'm going to run it as it is but later down the road if I keep the compression ratio the same I have a friend who can make me a custom turbo kit for a good price. Or I have an old 6v71 blower stored away waiting to be converted lol. If this was your car what would you do to get it into the mid to low 13's without replacing anything I've bought(intake-headers) I didnt get a cam because I had a very limited cam selection with the compression when i talked to summit..

 

[fatecaptured]

I'm pretty familiar with the compression ratio it had before I started working on it as I was a lurker to this site and many others researching what to do. so far I'm going to run it as it is but later down the road if I keep the compression ratio the same I have a friend who can make me a custom turbo kit for a good price. Or I have an old 6v71 blower stored away waiting to be converted lol. If this was your car what would you do to get it into the mid to low 13's without replacing anything I've bought(intake-headers) I didnt get a cam because I had a very limited cam selection with the compression when i talked to summit..

Not to be a smart *** here. But ur gonna have to change something. Or add that nos u were talking about. Rusty is a pretty smart guy, u mite want to listen to him. And I hope you stomp some new school *** with your old school muscle. :headbang:

 

[ChargerKid74]

Haha I know I will have to change a lot and spend a lot to make power but i meant just keep the intake and headers, anything else I'm cool with changing eventually. Not to be an idiot but were the 1/4 mile times earlier in the post what you would think it would run with the nitrous or without? You guys sure do know more than me thank you!

 

[fatecaptured]

here's what was printed in the Mopar Performance book for big block drag racing packages. under the 13 second bracket.

-Stage V cast iron heads (which i believe are comparable to 906's and 452's)
2.08" intake and 1.74" exhaust
-M1 intake( single plane )
- mopar purple cam(Duration 284/284, Lift .484/.484)
-9.0.1 piston 9.0.1 compression
-4.10 rear axle

and there were other miscellaneous items, but that's the basic gear they advised in their package. Now keep in mind they will recommend their own stuff, there is a lot of other places to get better prices then mopar performance

 

[fatecaptured]

not sure where ur time would be with nos added to your current set up. I'm gonna go with Rusty's 14-13 second estimate. Hard to say. Do u have an auto or 4 speed?

 

[RustyRatRod]

I mean this with respect....so please don't take it any other way. The way you type you sound kinda inexperienced with all this to begin with. Everybody has gotta start somewhere......BUT IMHO, I think you oughtta just mod what you have with bolt ons, learning as you go. Maybe even get a whole nuther engine and keep drivin what you have. That way, there's less chance you'll get discouraged. The turbo thing is a GREAT idea for a stock, or near stock engine. It does however, open up a whole new set of parameters to learn about. Now, please understand, I don't know your ability or what you know.....just what you've posted. But, as I said, if I were you, I would optimize what'a there and running first. Sounds like you are well on the way. What do you have as far as ignition?

 

[RustyRatRod]

Rusty is a pretty smart guy.....

Thanks for the kind words. I am not sure I would agree. I have learned what I "know" through YEARS of mistakes and down right fu<kin up. LOL I am smart enough to know this though......there's more than ONE way to do things. So, I try to keep an open mind about stuff. Sometimes, in my old age and hard headedness, I lose track of that sometimes. But I am trying to get better.

 

[fatecaptured]

here's what was printed in the Mopar Performance book for big block drag racing packages. under the 13 second bracket.

-Stage V cast iron heads (which i believe are comparable to 906's and 452's)
2.08" intake and 1.74" exhaust
-M1 intake( single plane )
- mopar purple cam(Duration 284/284, Lift .484/.484)
-9.0.1 piston 9.0.1 compression
-4.10 rear axle

and there were other miscellaneous items, but that's the basic gear they advised in their package. Now keep in mind they will recommend their own stuff, there is a lot of other places to get better prices then mopar performance

sorry i misrepresented mopar there, that was for the low deck's. lol
Here's for the 440:

-9.0.1 compression
-mopar purple cam( Duration 280/280, Lift .474/.474)
-same heads as before
-single plane M1 (although i bet a performer rpm would be just as good)
-3.90 axle
-750 cfm carb

so it doesn't look like your far off from their recommendations, maybe swap heads to closed chamber iron heads (915's). idk if that will get you 2 points or not. And a cam swap (idk what the stock cam is rated) can't be too far off. Good ignition maybe an orange box and high performance coil.

 

[ChargerKid74]

Auto 727 with no stall converter and stock motorhome electronic ignition as of now. Fatecaptured- thank you for that information that was very helpful there are some heads I was looking at locally, 452's that have been port/polished but it would be a little overkill on my almost stock 440 haha
Rusty- I would say I'm an amateur at all of this, but I do know enough about an engine to rebuild one and do all of this work on it myself. You sound like you have a lot more knowledge on the subject than me and I appreciate the help!

For the next few months I'm going to use what I have and see how I like it, that was the plan, I just like knowing the options for future power upgrades. Everyone has been a big help!

 

[RustyRatRod]

You email Don and get that CD. It will be very helpful on down the road.

 

[fatecaptured]

If I were in your shoes, here's what I would do. Don Dulmage is the author of "Old Reliable The Practical 440 Race Motor". Email Don here: [email protected] For 15 bucks he'll send you his book on CD. It's well worth it. You build that motor, and you'll not have any trouble with any crapblowers.

Hey I'm interested in that and sent an email. I could always learn more. Thanks Rusty.:headbang: