440 hemi conversion

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71cuda1990

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So I was watching Wrecks to Riches the other night and he was building a pro street style Dart. Whatever, cool they're everywhere right. But then he starts talking about the motor he wants to put in it. He wants a Hemi but doesn't want to spring for a "real" hemi. $$$$ So they do a 440 with Hemi conversion heads. Well of course my ears picked right up and I said, "A 440 with Hemi heads. I've got to check this out." I get on the computer and find Stage V Engineering. www.stagev.com Anybody ever hear of them or see/and or use there conversion heads. I'm thinking 440 Source 548CI stroker Hemi. Can you say 1000HP with a little effort.:burnout:
 
I have a price list for them some where. Talked to a HEMI builder about it a while back. The only thing you will be saving on is the block itself. Might want to contact Richard at Fast Man EFI about it, he was the guy I spoke to about it. If I remember correctly he has built a few motors with the conversion heads. Pretty sure those heads require custom pistons, and the design of them creates some valve train geometry issues, even more so than a conventional HEMI. I will look for the price lists. I posted them a while back....
 
A couple of years old but.....
 

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inkjunkie said:
I have a price list for them some where. Talked to a HEMI builder about it a while back. The only thing you will be saving on is the block itself. Might want to contact Richard at Fast Man EFI about it, he was the guy I spoke to about it. If I remember correctly he has built a few motors with the conversion heads. Pretty sure those heads require custom pistons, and the design of them creates some valve train geometry issues, even more so than a conventional HEMI. I will look for the price lists. I posted them a while back....
Click to expand...

That and you wind up with head bolts in the bottom of the intake runners.
 
71cuda1990 said:
I'm thinking 440 Source 548CI stroker Hemi. Can you say 1000HP with a little effort.:burnout: [/COLOR]
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You WILL need a good block at that level, those heads will not save you much money, if any at all.
 
inkjunkie said:
You WILL need a good block at that level, those heads will not save you much money, if any at all.
Click to expand...
Of course. I was just thinking out loud. If these heads are superior to the originals then you could put together a 600HP street motor for thousands less then a crate hemi. I think there's a Car Craft article on it I'll see if I can find it.
 
Would talk to Richard before I listened to what Car Craft says. Aint no such thing as a "cheap" HEMI.....Wish I kept my notes from when I talked to him, believe there was an issue with the rockr arms and the head bolts trying to occupy the same spot.....
 
Pat Ganahl,Hot Rod Magazine did a neat article late 80's,early 90's on this. Not cheap,pretty cool though.
 
Key point there, late 80s-early 90s. Aftermarket head choices were pretty slim back then.
 
jd340 said:
Key point there, late 80s-early 90s. Aftermarket head choices were pretty slim back then.
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Exactly. These heads were a great idea when the only source for a HEMI block was a used one. But now that there is new HEMI blocks why use a inferior design head...again, contact Richard about this, just to save a few bucks....
 
A good friend of mine had a Stage V conversion Hemi in a 67 GTX back in the early 90's. 528" motor, and it ran low 10's with Hoosier QTP's....thru the mufflers. He scattered it a few times, but it ran like hell when it stayed together. I have a piston from that motor sitting on top of my toolbox. He sold the car mid to late 90's. Dude ran it a few times and parked it in a shed .....and it sits there to this day. :banghead:
 
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