440 street engine

[66dartman]

I need to build a street 440 for my friends 71 challenger. The car will be 95% street driven, but he would like to run 13's up here at 5800'. It already has eddy heads on it, but it spun a rod bearing. So any good cam recommendations would be welcome. I think I can get away with 10:1 static compression with the aluminum heads and this altitude. It has a stock stall convertor and 3.55 gears. How is 440 source for cranks? Should I just build a 500 inch stroker? I always appreciate the advice that is given here. I don't have enough experience with 440's and I don't have any idea why it spun a rod bearing.

 

[demon seed]

I need to build a street 440 for my friends 71 challenger. The car will be 95% street driven, but he would like to run 13's up here at 5800'. It already has eddy heads on it, but it spun a rod bearing. So any good cam recommendations would be welcome. I think I can get away with 10:1 static compression with the aluminum heads and this altitude. It has a stock stall convertor and 3.55 gears. How is 440 source for cranks? Should I just build a 500 inch stroker? I always appreciate the advice that is given here. I don't have enough experience with 440's and I don't have any idea why it spun a rod bearing.

Hey dartman, the first thing I'd do is loose the convertor and go to a 3000-3300 stall and change the gears to 3.91. Talk to the cam manufactorers with that combo in mind and they'll hook you up probably somewhere between .505-.525 lift for the street but your vacuum will suffer and maybe your power brakes. Hooker or Hedman headers with crossover and I'd go with a 850 Demon or Holley which will still be streetable. 10-1 at that altitude may be pushing it but you can always back the timing off 2-3 degrees to keep it out of detonation.
As far as the spun bearing is concerned there are a few thing that can cause it like overspeeding, wornout to begin with and tried seizing. You're going to have to go through the entire oil system from the oil pickup all the way to the rocker shafts looking for dirt or debris. Good Luck

Lastly I think you can get to you're target et without super sizing that puppy but if the crank is damaged and you've obviously got one bad rod then I'd stroke it.

Terry