440 problems/quenching?/advice needed

Doosterfy
I agree with everything except;
1)I like to spend some time with the vacuum advance.A lot of time,actually.All my experience is with cams of 292/550 or less.I like to balance the initial timing against the Vcan,using the sparkport only.By using the can, I can bring 40 to maybe 50* degrees in at PT, and up to 55* or so at cruising speed. This really helps with drivability and fuel economy.This combo at 11.5/8.7 will be tricky for sure.The initial might need to start a little lower and the rate might need to be slower. For a 440streeter this is no biggie.It all ready has a preponderance of torque. We're not looking for every last drop.So maybe start at 14*,bring another 14* in by 2800, and then slow it down to finish at [email protected] sounds like a crappy curve, but you mighta forgot; it's a streeter. 3600 is 35mph or so in first. We're done.Stick it in Drive and let's cruise.Plus with the Vac sec. 650 or so, It might not even have opened the secondaries yet. So it's lightly loaded and primaries WOT to 3600, and cruise.I think I could make it work. Then cruising at 35mph/1550rpm(3.55s), the total timing might be as much as 37*. You just can't get that without the Vcan. That 37* will smooth that 292 cam real nice. Without the Vcan, and setting the initial to 20*/36*@2000, the same 35 mph/1550rpm might be 30*, which, since none of it will drop out when the hammer falls, will surely be too much, whereas in the Vcan equipped engine 20 or more will drop out leaving just 17*, which stands a real good chance of not detonating.Certainly I would try to bring more in earlier, but I'm just throwing conservative numbers out there.
---At the 10.25/8.0, it will need/want/take,all the Vcan you can find.
2) If you're not going for track-time, the power timing can be dialed back, making tuning the sub torque-peak timing so much easier, and since the closed chamber heads are already on there, it just makes leaving them on,for me, an easy decision.And the smaller vac.secondary carb should keep it out of detonation, esp. with 3.55s or better and the 2800TC.
Man I would try everything I know to try and make that tyre-fryer work with those heads before I would yank them. And then, if I just couldn't do it, I would stick a bit more gasket under them and try all over again.If it can be made to run this way( remember,we're not going racing, and most of it's life will be spent below 4000rpm/62mph/2nd gear, and very lightly loaded), it will have a dynomite lower end. In a lightweight Dart without traction aides, or tubs, it will light em up anywhere, anytime.I mean 275s is about all you are gonna fit in those stock tubs, and almost any warmed over teener can light those up ,under the same circumstances.So it's like hunting rabbits. Why use a cannon if a 22 will do the job.The rabbit is gonna be just as dead. And the 440 will annihilate those tires even easier.
3) so this is not just engine science; this is whole pkg, street science.By his opening post, he just wants to enjoy the car, and he's on a budget. So fix the rocker issue, tune it, and drive. Badaboom.
Did I mention that I once put a complete teener top end on a 340.Same idea here. Plenty of compression, small carb, sharp tune,go like stink to speedlimit. And on low dollars spent!