Project F body engine upgrade

[gtsdude]

Been on the board for a couple years but not much time to work on my 78 Aspen I bought 2 years ago. I traded a snowmobile and a little cash for it. Car came from North Carolina and the body is decent, frame is not rusted like most I have seen around here. It has a 73 340 with the original 904 lock up trans and 8 3/4 rear in it when I got it. The Aspen is an original 318 car and still had the factory 318 exhaust manifolds with a performer intake and eddy carb and stock 340 cam. Engine had been rebuilt at some point, ran good and didn't burn oil but was just a slouch. Here is a pic of what it looked like when I picked it up.

 

[gtsdude]

I have been working on it off and on, also collecting parts for a cam/intake/carb/header and trans swap. Also picked up a stock 904 non lockup trans with a reverse manual valve body and a coan 10 inch converter, should stall around 3k or so.

 

[gtsdude]

I pulled intake and heads to see what I had for pistons, expecting to find the stock low compression pistons in it. Instead it has a set of stock high compression pistons.

 

[gtsdude]

Here is a pic with the wheels I put on it

 

[gtsdude]

I got a good deal on an old Mopar cam P4529959, its a circle track hydraulic cam and uses the same springs as the stock 340 cam and no head work needed, just slide it in. The heads are 587 that came on the 73 340's and still have the 1.88 intake valve. Also put a set of 273 adjustable rockers and shafts I had

Advertised Duration 288/288
@0.050" 245/245-
centerline 108
Lift 497/.497
recommended springs P4120249

 

[80 Aspen RT]

That's a sweet looking car!

 

[Jack Meoff]

Nice ride!

 

[gtsdude]

Here is where I am at now, cam installed and degreeing it in with 4 degree advance key. Was at 107 when I checked without the advance key, should be 103 when I get done. The transmission and converter will be next after the cam is in. I also picked up a Holley strip dominator intake and 650 Holley DP and Holley electric fuel pump and regulator. The carb will be getting a pro form main body later, 650 is too small IMO. I plan on running new 3/8 fuel lines as well.

 

[gtsdude]

Forgot I had this pic, on the trailer ride home. My 19 y/o son is also helping me with the car, trying to get him into working on it as much as he likes to drive it.

 

[gtsdude]

Just an update, motor is back together and up and running. will try and get some pics and/or video up soon. Fired right off after a minor timing adjustment, got cam broke in, no leaks, and runs good.

 

[Monkeyed]

Just an update, motor is back together and up and running. will try and get some pics and/or video up soon. Fired right off after a minor timing adjustment, got cam broke in, no leaks, and runs good.

Awesome! Something with sound would be sweet!

 

[gtsdude]

Pic in the garage, I have some temp exhaust with mufflers hanging on it just to start it and few little things to finish before I can take it for a test drive.

 

[NoCar340]

That's a very sharp-looking car! I love the slots!

Just out of curiosity, why did you advance the camshaft 4°?

 

[gtsdude]

Its more of a street car, it helps with the low end a little. Can't get the video to load, will have to get that figured out.

 

[gtsdude]

My first youtube video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=movFrE_5Tfc&feature=youtu.be

 

[NoCar340]

I read about advancing the cam many times when I was younger, and even saw some dyno tests in magazines showing the effect... however, in practice, I've never had it work as intended and always went back to the camshaft being installed "straight up" as it was designed. I tried it on two cams in my 440, the one in my Pontiac RA-III, and in a friend's 340 Cuda. In those cases, every example just plain ran better throughout the range with the cams installed as designed, regardless of totally retuning carbs & timing. You might want to run it for awhile and see how you like it, then try installing it straight up to see back-to-back how it runs that way. The reason I suggest it is because it's a pretty mild cam designed for very short oval tracks, so its strong point is probably midrange power, rather than spinning to the moon. For the cost of a few gaskets and an hour or two, it might be worth seeing.

Just my 2¢ worth.

Sounds great in the video, by the way!

 

[Monkeyed]

I read about advancing the cam many times when I was younger, and even saw some dyno tests in magazines showing the effect... however, in practice, I've never had it work as intended and always went back to the camshaft being installed "straight up" as it was designed. I tried it on two cams in my 440, the one in my Pontiac RA-III, and in a friend's 340 Cuda. In those cases, every example just plain ran better throughout the range with the cams installed as designed, regardless of totally retuning carbs & timing. You might want to run it for awhile and see how you like it, then try installing it straight up to see back-to-back how it runs that way. The reason I suggest it is because it's a pretty mild cam designed for very short oval tracks, so its strong point is probably midrange power, rather than spinning to the moon. For the cost of a few gaskets and an hour or two, it might be worth seeing.

Just my 2¢ worth.

Sounds great in the video, by the way!

I agree 100%. there are so many different cam designs out there nowadays, literally ANYTHING you can dream up they can custom make, on the spot, for no more money than an off the shelf one, that if you wanted one that's advanced 4*, you could just order one made that way.

nice video! :thumbsup: more cars should sound like that!

 

[Jack Meoff]

My first youtube video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=movFrE_5Tfc&feature=youtu.be

Nice! :notworthy:

 

[gtsdude]

I may end up doing that with the cam or an entirely new cam and head combo later. For now this one was $80 and worth a try. The last 340 I had was similar with a MP 508/280 solid oval track cam. I installed that one straight up and ran it one summer, over the winter I advanced it 4 degrees and had noticed it was more responsive off idle. Not sure if it was any quicker or slower because I had changed intakes and carb at the same time. It ran best of 13.3 @ 102 and after advance and intake/carb change it went best of 12.8 @ 105 in 1/4. It was most likely more carb/intake as I went from an old TM5 single plane I had got with the car to an air gap, and a pro form main body on a 750 dp holley. Here is a pic of my old dart, I am curious to see how this one runs compared to the dart. The dart had X heads and 727.

 

[Monkeyed]

I may end up doing that with the cam or an entirely new cam and head combo later. For now this one was $80 and worth a try. The last 340 I had was similar with a MP 508/280 solid oval track cam. I installed that one straight up and ran it one summer, over the winter I advanced it 4 degrees and had noticed it was more responsive off idle. Not sure if it was any quicker or slower because I had changed intakes and carb at the same time. It ran best of 13.3 @ 102 and after advance and intake/carb change it went best of 12.8 @ 105 in 1/4. It was most likely more carb/intake as I went from an old TM5 single plane I had got with the car to an air gap, and a pro form main body on a 750 dp holley. Here is a pic of my old dart, I am curious to see how this one runs compared to the dart. The dart had X heads and 727.

Nice! Makes me wish my motor was thrashed so I'd have an excuse to tear it apart and rebuild it mean!