408 Stroker build who's keen to watch this one :)

[Bruceynz]

First of all a BIG thank you to Eric for making all this happen! With out your help this project would of struggled to start! Many thanks for storing all my bits an pieces at your place until I was ready to ship to NZ! You are a true moparian and a life long friend!!!

Well here we are again, at the start line, another build going on down under, with gas rocketing to $9 a gallon here not sure going to a 408 is what I should be doing, but I am so far committed I have to keep going, here we go, hold on for the ride, it will take time but hang in there!

I scored a set of KB416 pistons off racing junk for not a lot of $$$, seem to be in good shape. Been cleaning them up!

Before

After - No idea what the crop circles are, but they all have them, any ideas? is it when they were tapped into the block?

 

[80mirada]

Those look like Mark's from a clamp, maybe they had the valve reliefs adjusted, or they had the piston weight adjusted

 

[Bruceynz]

Ok apparently talking to engine guy in chch it happens where the mill head touches or finishes, can't remember which way he said now, all pistons are the same. So makes sense, he said nothing to worry about.

 

[Bruceynz]

The rhs Indy x heads have been dropped of to have the pep titanium coated valves (stock size) lapped in and all the spring pressures set the same. Should see them back in a week or so.

 

[FredMcJoe]

At $9 a gallon, I'd want a Cordoba that's going to make a big stink and a lot of smoke when I turn it on and burn it, too!

Happy to help, Bruce. Looking forward to seeing the project move ahead.

 

[Bruceynz]

Fist snag - the install height is 1.58" making seat pressure 160, got 2 options, machine seats or offset retainers. Hmmmmm

Seems huges had similar problems

 

[jasperjacko]

did you ever take the car down the strip, or do you even have one near you?

 

[Bruceynz]

No never have yet, its got an open diff and don't really have the know how to put the LSD unit in and set up the wear pattern, soon as you hit the gas it spins one wheel. The 408 has always been something I have wanted as a kid but now I am in my 40s I kinda have some money to play with engines as in the past I never did! I would think it would be a 14s - 15s car at a guess.

 

[Oldiron440]

How much does your car weigh and how much horsepower do you think your 408 will make.

 

[Bruceynz]

I am hoping to have 350-380 HP range, shit I would love 450 but thats just unrealistic with my set up.

Camshaft Type: Hydraulic Roller
Basic RPM Range: 1200 to 5700
Valve Lift Intake: .507
Valve Lift Exhaust: .533
Duration Intake: 274
Duration Exhaust: 278
Duration at 050 Intake: 221
Duration at 050 Exhaust: 225
Lobe Separation: 110
Intake Centerline: 108

This is all I can find, but I have stock size intake valve so flow will be down a bit. As you can see .550" is about where they stop I am .507, but then getting big lift at install heights of 1.64" is a problem, I have some after market Mopar Perfomance springs good for .600" lift so we should be safe. I can't remember now, take spring down to install height, then squash it down, measure that and take 10 thou off per turn on the spring, I think its something like that. Howards have said 110 - 130 on the seat and 320+ at max lift.

 

[Bruceynz]

I am setting this 408 as a street car, I wanted just noticeable idle and tire shredding take off power as I drive 99.999999% on the road I didn't go for huge top end hp!

 

[charlesvolare]

No never have yet, its got an open diff and don't really have the know how to put the LSD unit in and set up the wear pattern, soon as you hit the gas it spins one wheel. The 408 has always been something I have wanted as a kid but now I am in my 40s I kinda have some money to play with engines as in the past I never did! I would think it would be a 14s - 15s car at a guess.

I have a sedan with a built 360, basically stock magnum heads, open diff w/ 3.55 gears. Cam with pretty similar specs- yours has a bit more lift in it and your heads will probably flow better than mine. My car will run low 14s and possibly high/mid 13s once I get everything sorted out tune-wise. I'd imagine 14s would be pretty easy for your setup!

 

[Oldiron440]

Again what does the car weigh, 3500lbs?

I think with the ideal gear/ tire for the dragstrip the car would be in the 13s.

 

[Bruceynz]

I have not weighed the car, it's got headers and alloy Intake, no ac and all the unwanted crap hanging under the hood is gone.

 

[Oldiron440]

Your can is close to the 80s version of the Hemi cam in duration but has more lift. It should work well with the cubic inch combination you have.

 

[Bruceynz]

Yes hope so, not looking for the most powerful 408, looking for nice Street manners. Hence stock valves and no radical cam.

 

[Bruceynz]

My current tqc stalls when going down the road at approx 2200rpm, so that should work in nice for the 408, not sure how much more the 408 will push the converter but it should really help with the take off. AJ forms and I went through many cam options and this off the shelf cam from Howards was about as good as it got for what I wanted to do.

 

[Oldiron440]

What I liked about the old hemi cam was it had a nice sound at idle but would clear up just of idle and pull hard to about 5500.

 

[Bruceynz]

What are the hemi cam specs?

Sounds perfect for what I am aiming for!

 

[jasperjacko]

I hope you can dyno the new engine. I'll say 420 h.p. 440 tq.