http://www.supercarraces.com/phpBB3/

Fastest Small Block 444 ci buildup redux
http://www.supercarraces.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=271		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  CJK440 [ Thu May 28, 2009 9:56 am ]
Post subject:  Fastest Small Block 444 ci buildup redux
Unfortunately we lost the nice little tech writeup I did on my 444 build. I'm gonna try to duplicate it so we can archive it.

I started with a 1968 340 block. It was 1/2 filled with hardblock, square decked, torque plate bored and honed. The main caps were replaced with Pro-gram steel caps with ARP studs. The block was then line bored and honed. The pass side oil galley was "tubed" to block oil to the tappets and the drivers side feed blocked entirely. Don't need the oil with solid rollers.

Image

A custom 4.25" stroke Callies magnum crank was ordered up with 2" diameter rod journals. I also got a set of 6" chevy rods from Callies Compstar line. The pistons are Diamond forgings with a teflon coating on the skirts and a thermal barrier coat on top.

Small block mopars have lots of room to accept extra stroke and 4.25 didn't require much especially with the smaller big end of the chevy rods. This is all I needed to do to get everything to clear. 2 notches per cylinder.

Image

The counterweights were smaller on this crank which necessitated quite a bit of mallory to get it to internally balance. You can see all the slugs in the crank in this pic.

Image

Rods and pistons....

Image
Author:  CJK440 [ Thu May 28, 2009 4:23 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fastest Small Block 444 ci buildup redux
Here is the rotating assembly installed. You can see the Ishihara Johnson double crank scraper on each side. Needed a bit of fitting due to the custom stroke. It takes the place of the stock cork strips and installs with RTV. The oil pump is a stock volume pump, no need for HV especially with restricted oiling.

Image

You can see the beads of RTV because I am about to bolt on the pan. Its a milodon stock volume pan with baffles.
Author:  AdamR [ Tue Jun 02, 2009 7:23 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Fastest Small Block 444 ci buildup redux
Show us more !!!!
Author:  CJK440 [ Wed Jun 03, 2009 8:53 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Fastest Small Block 444 ci buildup redux
OK!

Heads are 915 J heads that were worked by Dwayne porter. They were fully ported and Ferrea 2.055 / 1.625 valves installed with comp springs and retainers. They flow about 271 on the intake and 180 on the exhaust. They still have the stock pushrod location unlike the T/A heads. The TA heads are the same casting as my car uses but the pushrod hole was drilled in a different location to allow for more porting in the Trans Am series. I could have used those heads on my car if I wanted to buy them and cut them up, but I did not.

Image

The springs are larger diameter than stock and there was concern for rocker arm clearance. Norris makes a nice investment cast piece that clears just fine. They are nice rockers but pricey too. They ride on chromed shafts and 4 of the 5 rocker shaft studs have been drilled and tapped for larger 3/8 studs. The one stud that feeds the oil still remains at 5/16.

Image
Author:  CJK440 [ Wed Jun 03, 2009 9:09 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Fastest Small Block 444 ci buildup redux
The cam is a custom Comp solid roller grind. Dwayne picked the best profile that would fit in an off the shelf cam blank. His ideal grind required a custom blank which doubled the cost. In the name of getting the car out to baseline it we went with the cheaper cam which is still in the car. It seems to work pretty damn well. Makes me wonder what the "ideal" cam would do.

Its installed with a comp timing set and mopar tensioner. No need for a fuel pump eccentric with an electric pump.

Image

The comp solid rollers are not the easiest install. Due to the oddball tappet angles the link bars cannot face in, they must face the cylinder bank, however there is no clearance which requires lots of grinding. There is tons of meat in this area but it took quite a bit of time with the carbide burr.

Image

Interestingly the pump gas 408 that Tom Cannon bought from me was based on a 360 block which only needed a little bit here and there.

Timing cover is on, flow cooler water pump too.

Image

The SFI balance was marked incorrectly. New mark verified with a piston stop.

Image
Author:  AdamR [ Thu Jun 04, 2009 9:50 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fastest Small Block 444 ci buildup redux
What brand was the balancer ? Did you run a fake mechanical pump ?
Page 1 of 1 All times are UTC - 4 hours
Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group
http://www.phpbb.com/