Opinions - How much is my 440 worth?

[Schober Motorsports]

Hey guys,

Currently I have a 67 Coronet with a 440 in it out of a 76 Motorhome. The engine runs great and I have done a bit of bracket racing in it and very little street driving... Maybe 250 - 500 miles since rebuilt 2 years ago. A few details about the engine...

440 CID
8:1 est. Compression
Balanced Rotating Assembly
Forged Crank, LY Rods w/ ARP Bolts
452 Heads, Valves were lapped when rebuild, Port matched to Intake
Edelbrock TM7 Intake
440 Source 7qt Oil Pan
Windage Tray
Hughes Whiplash Cam .518 Lift w/ Valve Springs to Match Cam
3/8 Manton Pushrods
440 Source Roller Rockers
750 cfm Holley Double Pumper

727 Torqueflite - 2500 stall
Cheetah Manual Valve Body - Forward Pattern

Best time of 12.96 @ 105 w/ 4.11's out back.

I'm looking to rebuild another engine for the car, really want to get into the mid 11's. What do you guys think this thing is worth? It has all new bearings, piston rings, and low miles on it. I want to sell it engine and trans together. Or maybe is it possible to get this thing into the 11's maybe with aluminum heads? I don't know, just looking for opinions... Lets hear em! Also that youtube video is the last time I had the car out, maybe 2 months ago or so... Car was running a bit weird that night, was thinking it might of been some old gas.





http://youtu.be/wiwxyqwEZVI

 

[dieseldazzle]

What 60 ft?

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Anyway Im local to you and if you decide to try different heads and cam setup Id be interested in the heads. I already have a nice shortblock.

 

[Schober Motorsports]

From the few time slips I have, I found 2.17 60 ft, was running 8.60's that day 1/8 mile

 

[furyus]

Stay with the engine you have. From listening to it, it sounds like it needs more initial timing. Sounds like it's bogging off the line and breaking up at the top end. Your 60 foot should be around 1.75- 185. That bog is killing your et. What's your timing set at? What's total timing? May need larger squirters, but timing first. There's a lot more performance in your current combo. Just need to dial it in.

 

[dieseldazzle]

Stay with the engine you have. From listening to it, it sounds like it needs more initial timing. Sounds like it's bogging off the line and breaking up at the top end. Your 60 foot should be around 1.75- 185. That bog is killing your et. What's your timing set at? What's total timing? May need larger squirters, but timing first. There's a lot more performance in your current combo. Just need to dial it in.

Agreed.

 

[Charger686970]

I would try launching at a higher rpm and shifting 800-1000 rpm higher and see if that helps the e.t's but I really never drag raced I just beat the crap out of my stuff on the street. in high school I use to run the 440 in my 68 coronet r/t to 7200 a lot on a stock bottom end and never scattered anything in the motor but I might have just been lucky. I know a 727 does not like to be ripped from drive to first going 40mph and while cramming the pedal to floor at the same time, the transmission was not happy with that. fun times.

 

[WileE]

Ok, so you're running a DP on a Tarantula, with 8-to-1 CR, on iron heads with stock valves ? If it was me, I'd drop at least 10-to-1 slugs along with Eddy RPM alum heads on what you got now, & go from there. We used that manifold way back when, that's an upper RPM piece. Whats your RPM thru the traps as it is now ?

 

[Schober Motorsports]

Inital Timing is at 14 right now I believe... I'm not 100 percent on where total timing is at, should be 34-35 roughly. I've always had a problem with timing in this car... For example when I slam on the gas, It'll give me one good back fire pop when I'm in neutral clearing it out (Or notice when I am coming across the finish line it'll pop back at me when decelerating). I am still using the stock distributor with what came with the motor just with a new distributor cap and rotor. Maybe that could be the issue?

As for the intake, I got it at a swap meet for damn near nothing, what would be an ideal intake for this thing?

I'm going though the traps at roughly 6000 RPM, I don't want to put extra strain on the engine even though it is a balanced bottom end... Whats a good redline for these 440's?

Sorry for all the questions, I'm still looking to learning how to really dial these things in.

 

[Garys1969RR]

I would go with more C/R and better flowing heads. Has always worked for me. I had a 413 with that intake on it , ported 915 heads, dome pistons, and Holley 780. Ran low 12s at 5600 feet. 65 Belvedere . Set your distributor to limit the amount of centrifugal advance, to about 16 to 18 crankshaft degrees. Start with 18 to 20 degrees initial timing, 38 total. I run 20 degrees initial advance with 13 to 1 C/R in my 451, and it has strong low end torque with great mid range and top end power.

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Using the old 509 cam in the 451. The old 413 had a Racer Brown mushroom lifter cam with 310 duration, and .650 lift.

 

[WileE]

The Taratula is an excellent manifold... if you use it correctly. You're restricting it with the heads and carb. Get at least 10:1 CR, the Eddy alum heads already with bigger valves ( I'd also get the heads massaged a bit), and at least an 850 cfm carb. You're ok at 6k, so you need more flow along with more squeeze.

 

[GTX MATT]

I'd work with what you got as you already know its a solid engine, not cracked, abused, overheated, spun bearings, etc. How much do you want to spend? Did you bore it out? If not you could find a set of stock early higher compression pistons, swing them in, and be around 9.5:1. If you've got more to spend swing in a set of Wiseco Pro Tru pistons for 500 bucks plus machine work.

I would up the compression, replace the whiplash cam with a 509 Purpleshaft or equivalent (245-250 duration @ .050), and buy yourself some aluminum heads. PS I like your car, reminds me of mine.

My car should go mid 11s, won't know until next year though. 10.5:1 compression, Comp XS290S solid, Stealth Heads, Hooker Comps, TM7, 4 speed and 4.56s.

Tune what you have first and see if you like it. Is it a points distributor? A recurve can do wonders. I agree with the comments above that it sounds like the engine is bogging a bit off the line. I would guess that the distributor has stock springs in it, your timing is not all in at the converter flash point, which also seems to be pretty low.

Get the engine 20 degrees initial and timing all in by 2K and see how it responds.

 

[Schober Motorsports]

Thanks for all the advice guys. I think I am going to go that route and get a little bit more compression outta this thing... Appreciate it. Also GTX MATT, awesome car. How do you like those Stealth Heads? Have you had em running on the car or in the process of building it?

 

[GTX MATT]

I like them, ports looked very nice ootb. Car has been together and running for about a year. I'm running 9 inch M&H slicks and it spins from 30 mph in 3rd.:headbang:

 

[Schober Motorsports]

Did some digging today, specially with that stock distributor... May of found out my issue. Took apart the distributor and found a 13 stamped in the advance plate... Indicating that it was only advancing 13 mechanical degrees since I never have ran the vacuum advance. 14 Inital + 13 Mechanical = 27 degrees Total Advance... So I was running 13.30's off 27 degrees of total advance?? No doubt there is some ET to be gained. Going to get the MSD distributor and the 6AL-2 Programmable and dial this stuff in.

What would be ideal for when to have the advance "all in". I've read in my HP book that they say you want to be 1500 all in with total advance... What are you guys running?

 

[GTX MATT]

13 is distributor degrees, which means 26 degrees. You were running 40 degrees, which may be a little too much but may actually be what your engine wants. It will likely want 36-40. Get the advance in as fast as it will take it without detonation issues. All in by 2000 or less if you can. You just need to make sure it doesn't bounce around at idle.

I run mine locked out but I've got a lot of cam and it starts fine when its hot.