543 0R 505

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oldkimmer

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I got a couple of friends that feel my Indy SR heads (flow 350/250)will be more at home on the 505. They don’t think they are up to the task of feeding the 543. I do have a Super Victor and a 1250 Dominator to top them off. Both would be using the same roller cam. Comp 275/[email protected] 108 .625 lift. I do have 1.6 rockers also. 543 will be 11-1. 505 12-1 Compression 543 uses external oiling. 505 internal oiling. What does the FABO crowd think? This is for bracket racing. I will need to use a 4.5 gasket to clear the combustion chambers in the SR heads. Thanks. Kim
 
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You could make the argument for either one.
The 543 will have noticeably more TQ, so the car would have to be up for that.
The 505 should make peak hp a few hundred rpm higher, but using the exact same cam and top end on both, I don’t see the 505 making a higher HP number.

Last fall we had a high CR 580” bracket race build with EZ heads on the dyno.

While not the optimum head for a motor that size, the motor pulled willingly to 7k.
 
Depends what it's going in, but I like the 543 with a powerglide or other type of two speed drag race transmission, as long as it's in a relatively light car. It helps deal with the extra torque off the line and is usually more consistent.
 
74 duster race car. 3300 with driver. Has SS springs, Competition Engineering Slide a links. Viking double adjustable rear shocks. 29.5 x 10.5 x 15 slicks 4.10 gears 727 with light weight parts. 5000 stall converter. 2 inch headers. Kim
 
The way I see it, it's a tweener. The horsepower gain will be minimal between the two. toss a coin.
 
In my mind if pushing the envelope for something with earth shattering gains, I'm with more cubes and in Predator territory.
 
oldkimmer said:
74 duster race car. 3300 with driver. Has SS springs, Competition Engineering Slide a links. Viking double adjustable rear shocks. 29.5 x 10.5 x 15 slicks 4.10 gears 727 with light weight parts. 5000 stall converter. 2 inch headers. Kim
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If it were me I'd go the 543, seems like the car set up is a great match. The gearing may keep the rpm low enough as to be a good long lasting engine. I think !
 
oldkimmer said:
I got a couple of friends that feel my Indy SR heads (flow 350/250)will be more at home on the 505. They don’t think they are up to the task of feeding the 543. I do have a Super Victor and a 1250 Dominator to top them off. Both would be using the same roller cam. Comp 275/[email protected] 108 .625 lift. I do have 1.6 rockers also. 543 will be 11-1. 505 12-1 Compression 543 uses external oiling. 505 internal oiling. What does the FABO crowd think? This is for bracket racing. I will need to use a 4.5 gasket to clear the combustion chambers in the SR heads. Thanks. Kim
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What year 440 block is the 543 using ?
 
Bracket racing is consistency so making it more simple would be my choice. For that matter you can use a slant six...
KISS...:thumbsup:...
 
oldkimmer said:
Yes I know I should go bigger but I’m gonna use what I have. I do have a .660 solid mechanical cam Kim
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I wish I had the specs to my old .690 lift cam I had in my 500 cubic inch 440-1 headed engine. Those heads were probably in your flow area and although light (2450-2500) ran 8.60’s@155mph. I ran that combo for years without touching a valve spring. I later updated to T&D 1.6 rockers but by then was running a different combo.
 
If it were me building a bracket motor I'd build the 543 and let the extra torque work for me. Keep the rpm's down and it'll live forever.

A buddy of mine runs a 500" or 505" with a glide in a light tube chassis Dart. He turns it something like 6400 and it runs 5.80's. It goes a loooong time between rebuilds. The lifters get changed every couple years and the springs checked but that's about it.
 
pittsburghracer said:
If I ever wanted to build a higher horsepower stock block big block (which I won’t be doing) it would have aluminum main caps on it.
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Where's the cutoff point where you say aluminum main caps are a necessity ?
 
MOPARMAGA said:
Where's the cutoff point where you say aluminum main caps are a necessity ?
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Well let me start off by saying I’ve never raced a car that weighted more that 3300 pounds and most were under 3000 pounds so that helps a lot. I ran what I call junk parts, example stock rods, cranks, TRW heavy azz pistons, etc for years twice a week and I got to the point where after three good years I would throw 440 cranks on the scrap pile to save money from magnifluxing them and finding cracks. If I remember right all of those years I cracked one or two main caps with zero other damage. I never hurt a block back when I was running 9.80-10.40’s but I was on top of my maintenance and never shifted much over 7200, Usually 6800. Both of those cars were 2600-2800 and ran race gas and never over 36 degrees timing. At 8.60’s I cracked a block at 275 passes and it had steel billet caps which in my eyes was a mistake on my part. At that time I bought a Keith Black aluminum block which I still have. When I bought my green duster I kicked around building an 8.80 type engine for it and when I sat down and calculated the costs of building an aluminum main cap engine I grabbed a Mega block that was race ready for 2700.00 instead of going down that road. It still sits on an engine stand but is costing me nothing. Probably totally didn’t answer your question but lightweight, mild tune, lower rpm, good fuel, etc and they can last. At least now you can easily get good cranks and lighter weight engine parts.
 
pittsburghracer said:
Well let me start off by saying I’ve never raced a car that weighted more that 3300 pounds and most were under 3000 pounds so that helps a lot. I ran what I call junk parts, example stock rods, cranks, TRW heavy azz pistons, etc for years twice a week and I got to the point where after three good years I would throw 440 cranks on the scrap pile to save money from magnifluxing them and finding cracks. If I remember right all of those years I cracked one or two main caps with zero other damage. I never hurt a block back when I was running 9.80-10.40’s but I was on top of my maintenance and never shifted much over 7200, Usually 6800. Both of those cars were 2600-2800 and ran race gas and never over 36 degrees timing. At 8.60’s I cracked a block at 275 passes and it had steel billet caps which in my eyes was a mistake on my part. At that time I bought a Keith Black aluminum block which I still have. When I bought my green duster I kicked around building an 8.80 type engine for it and when I sat down and calculated the costs of building an aluminum main cap engine I grabbed a Mega block that was race ready for 2700.00 instead of going down that road. It still sits on an engine stand but is costing me nothing. Probably totally didn’t answer your question but lightweight, mild tune, lower rpm, good fuel, etc and they can last. At least now you can easily get good cranks and lighter weight engine parts.
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Somewhere in that the answer lies, I'll have to decipher it, 100% agree with the last sentence
 
Alum main caps on a high HP engine? Not something stronger like steel?

What am I missing?
 
Bewy said:
Alum main caps on a high HP engine? Not something stronger like steel?

What am I missing?
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Supposed to help soak up the pounding of stroker cranks.
I know a guy that had a low 9 second duster, he split a few blocks , then went to alum. main caps , backed the dominator off to 9:60`s to keep from splitting them ---------
 
Personally, I think the stroke on the 543" makes the block a time bomb. The 505" would be much easier on the block. I guy a know loves those 505's. Built and raced several weekly. All are still together. He doesn't swing any larger crank as he still uses stock blocks.
 
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