Author Topic: New Engine for the Challenger  (Read 28797 times)

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Offline Steve Wood

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New Engine for the Challenger
« on: September 05 2014, 09:20:54 PM »
I got a lot more for the load of goats and sheep that I sold this week than I had expected.  Looks like the big muslim sheep sacrifice is next month so I guess they are good for something because the market has been up for two weeks in a row....

Anyway, I ordered an engine from Carolina Machine and Engine.   Getting a 522 inch stroker and shipping them my new aluminum heads and associated hardware to use.  They will assemble it and break it in on the dyno...should make around 530 hp......not a buick but with the stiff suspension I put under it, it should be fun to drive
Steve Wood

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A lot of broken parts does not make you a racer; it makes you a slow learner.

Offline good2win22

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Re: New Engine for the Challenger
« Reply #1 on: September 06 2014, 12:01:13 AM »
That should be a lot of fun.  My father in law built a stroked a 429 CJ block to 557 with trick flow aluminum heads. Have it in 64 Galaxie.  Can't hold the tires at all in that beast
Jason

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Offline Scoobum

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Re: New Engine for the Challenger
« Reply #2 on: September 06 2014, 12:02:23 AM »
Dayum!!!
Hard work pays off, dreams come true. Bad times don't last, but BAD GUYS do!

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Offline Charlief1

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Re: New Engine for the Challenger
« Reply #3 on: September 06 2014, 01:10:47 AM »
Looks like you took your viagra today Steve. :rofl:
And remember, when dealing with children, silence may be golden but duct tape is silver.

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Re: New Engine for the Challenger
« Reply #4 on: September 06 2014, 07:40:37 AM »
Steve...what transmission and rear gear is in it?
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Offline Steve Wood

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Re: New Engine for the Challenger
« Reply #5 on: September 06 2014, 10:01:39 AM »
Steve...what transmission and rear gear is in it?

Brad, it has a Torqueflite with a  3.21 rear gear.  Currently, with the 440 and it's cam, I am running a PTC 2500 converter.  It would be okay with a slightly tighter converter but it was not happy at all with the stock converter that was about 1800 stall.

I have been debating this subject for quite awhile.  My original intent was to put a modern Hemi in the car along with the matching OD tranny but it takes more tunnel hacking than I feel like doing.  The engine is a piece of cake fitwise.  I think some guys are using one of the modern GM trannies and it takes less work, or, they use the old small block torqueFlite which takes none.

When I rebuilt the suspension, I used the Hotchkis stuff which is basically an autocross set up so that it turns very well but there is no lift in the front end.  I was looking for a driver, not a racer.  I can feel every pebble in the road, for sure.  Going to lower profile 17" tires did not help that, either.

So, I have a three speed tranny with no overdrive and I pull 3100 rpm at 75 mph.  When I decided I did not want to mess with a modern engine install with an OD tranny, and considered the suspension, I decided to build for torque.

I don't like high stall converters on the street. Buicks have spoiled me.  I want to touch the gas and move instead of sitting there waiting for the rpms to move thru the converter slush.   Yet, I still wanted some punch.  Seemed to me that a stroker was the way to go.

The current 440 is typical of mopar engines of the day...pistons are about 0.060" down in the hole and the actual compression is about 7.9-1 instead of 9-1 and there is no such thing as quench.  To top it, my engine has later model heads that are larger in volume than those of the time (1969) for my engine.  Engine runs good, does not use oil or smoke, but the cranking compression is only 130 psi.

So, in an attempt to bandaid it, I order a set of aluminum heads that had 10 cc smaller chambers and I was going to deck them another 5  ccs which I estimated would put me a bit over 9-1.

I also considered buying a stroker kit and building a new engine but I don't trust any of the machine shops in the area and they probably know about as much about Buicks, which is zero, as they do Mopars...

Then I came across CME which is a mass engine builder but they also build a series of performance and race engines as well as pure customs and the price is right.

So, after an unexpected windfall, I decided to ship them my heads and assorted pieces and let them build me a torquer and break it in on the dyno for me.  I could easily pull another 75 hp or so but then I need a looser converter which I don't want and it would be more temperamental pulling AC, or idling around town.  It will be a 10-1 motor that will run on 91 octane so I think it will suit my purposes.

Unless, I were to buy a Gear Vendors overdrive.... :D
Steve Wood

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Re: New Engine for the Challenger
« Reply #6 on: September 06 2014, 10:15:19 AM »
What would the GV's drop the final drive to with the 3.21's?
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Offline daveismissing

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Re: New Engine for the Challenger
« Reply #7 on: September 06 2014, 10:29:48 AM »
.....This engine is our "Almost Daily Driver".
or
?
-Drain plug by Earl Brown, custom oil pan by Rich's Auto

Offline Steve Wood

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Re: New Engine for the Challenger
« Reply #8 on: September 06 2014, 10:51:02 AM »
no, Dave...one below that...daily driver  522/525.   that is what I am working off.  I did not want to step up the converter any more...I hate that slushy loose converter feel
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Offline Steve Wood

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Re: New Engine for the Challenger
« Reply #9 on: September 06 2014, 10:57:23 AM »
What would the GV's drop the final drive to with the 3.21's?

Brad, its a 0.78 out of the GV.....That makes it 2.50 final ratio so that would be about 2400 rpm which is not bad
Steve Wood

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A lot of broken parts does not make you a racer; it makes you a slow learner.

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Re: New Engine for the Challenger
« Reply #10 on: September 06 2014, 12:21:55 PM »
What would the GV's drop the final drive to with the 3.21's?

Brad, its a 0.78 out of the GV.....That makes it 2.50 final ratio so that would be about 2400 rpm which is not bad

If ya' got the finances...go for it. I keep waiting for my 80 Z28 to drop into OD...
Hard work pays off, dreams come true. Bad times don't last, but BAD GUYS do!

RIP Scott Hall AKA Razor Ramon

Offline Steve Wood

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Re: New Engine for the Challenger
« Reply #11 on: September 06 2014, 01:12:43 PM »
I am seriously considering it....they appear to work well and be bullet proof...have to hit another bonanza selling sheep and goats
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A lot of broken parts does not make you a racer; it makes you a slow learner.

Offline earlbrown

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Re: New Engine for the Challenger
« Reply #12 on: September 07 2014, 02:53:47 AM »
'Teve, I can probably build you a set of pistons that'll put you at ''0 deck'' or wherever you want the crown.
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Offline Steve Wood

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Re: New Engine for the Challenger
« Reply #13 on: September 07 2014, 10:44:09 AM »
Earl, I have heard you and pistons mentioned in the same sentence a couple of times.  I guessed I missed it.  Is this a new Earl Endeavor?
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Offline earlbrown

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Re: New Engine for the Challenger
« Reply #14 on: September 08 2014, 01:30:44 AM »
Yeah.  After having to take my entire shortblock apart to deck the crap out of my 4.1....

....then breaking two hyper pistons because my replacement scanmaster/powerlogger was in the mail when I went lean for .75 seconds...


I teamed up with a race piston company in CA and designed some ''Earl Brown forged off the shelf/custom pistons".

I met these guys though a speedboat messageboard when I was looking for BBC slugs for my jetboat.  One thing led to another and I ended up designing some pretty sweet cost effective forgings.  The head engineer I worked with used to work with Den Duttweilder when he was with JE way back when so he had a good idea where I was trying to go.

  The really cool thing is I can change the ring pack (1.5mm or 1/16"), OD, and compression height without having to pay extra.  Moving a slug up is as easy as saying what CH I want.
 I can also put any pin in there I want which is pretty cool if a guy wants to save a spun crank buy turning it down to a BBC journal.  That way you can run a chebby pin and buy some plain old 6.135" BBC rods.  If you've got a little end on some nice Buick rods that's slightly out of round, I can put in some .945" pins instead of normal .940"s.

Pretty cool stuff.


I've had them done for a while now. I was going to try and get 3 or 4 sets on hand in ''common'' sizes like (.005", .031", and 4.000")and officially announce them in the next month or so.   My piston guys get hammered around January so I want to get any Buick interest done before they have to concentrate on their race teams.
« Last Edit: September 08 2014, 01:39:09 AM by earlbrown »
'87 GN - 4.2L SFI Turbocharged innercooled V6 - Chrome valve covers - supra pump - 14" K&N - 52mm throttlebody - rocker shaft supports -  1/2 intake spacer - TB coolant bypass - 3" ATR exhaust tip - Alum intake pipe - NOS timing cover - chip - relocated charcoal canister - CR42's - stock

 

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