The Ball Stud HEMI… What could have been!

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FJ5 Duster

FJ5 Duster

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I remember reading about this engine several years ago in one of the Mopar mags. With more development time it would have been quite the engine! Also if I remember correctly Chrysler was going to offer it in bigger cubic inch sizes 440 +… The Sox & Martin / Tom Hoover Cuda they have it in looks great too! Anyway found this on another site http://www.streetlegaltv.com/news/video-1969-plymouth-barracuda-sox-martin-ball-stud-hemi/ They show a video of it idling.
 

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I think it would have proven to be a mistake. The ball stud valve train is decidedly weaker than the shaft mount style. That's one thing that makes Chrysler engines very strong, IMO. Removing that design, I believe would been a downgrade.
 
I thought I read that it was a cost-saving move over the original Hemi. It sure seems very big block chevy-ish. It still would've been a nice "what-would've-been" if it had been developed and refined over the years.
 
That ball stud Hemi was the brain child of Tom Hoover..........I think the mule was a 68 or 69 barracuda. Landy got the engine, hoover kept the car. John Arruza got the hemi from landy at a later date and Arruza bought the Barracuda from Hoover. thats all I know. LOL
 
I remember that article, but have never seen it running and in a car.

Sounds like they were consolidating the big block program and probably would have been very GM-ish with a 400+- and a 450+- CID (perhaps 392 and 451)
 
I think all you guys are correct… The Ball Stud was developed under Tom Hoover as a more cost effective mass produced replacement for the 2nd gen Hemi. It was possibly going to become the next generation of Chrysler big blocks replacing the currant B/RB & Hemi engines.
 
I've seen engineering drawings and photos of the heads, color me not impressed. Reminds me too much of the cantered valve big block Chevy.

It might have some benefit over a wedge head, but I don't think it would have the flow potential of a true opposing valve hemi head.

Regards,

Joe Dokes
 
This thread is the definition of... IRONY.
I keep a vast array of magazines in my "reading room". Just yesterday I was reading about this very thing. Life is really strange sometimes.
 
Is true. Considered the emission war regulations, at the time.A punchy ,low rpm mill,with cleaner emissions capability was needed. The cat converter,would have killed it anyway.Just too much Ford ,in it for mr.
 
FJ5 Duster said:
I remember reading about this engine several years ago in one of the Mopar mags. With more development time it would have been quite the engine! Also if I remember correctly Chrysler was going to offer it in bigger cubic inch sizes 440 +… The Sox & Martin / Tom Hoover Cuda they have it in looks great too! Anyway found this on another site http://www.streetlegaltv.com/news/video-1969-plymouth-barracuda-sox-martin-ball-stud-hemi/ They show a video of it idling.
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Well, I hate to say this as I know it might make you guys sick, But in 1991 I stopped at a junkyard in panama city fl. My old slant six developed a leak in the radiator while I was heading back to georgia. While I was looking around, I saw what looked like a GTX type body. It looked like it was a dark burgondy (if I remember right) color and really rough. I happened to look under the hood, and I saw what I thought was a 454 chevy big block stuck in it with no intake or valve covers. It had staggered valves and angled push-rods. I then spotted a chrysler star embossed on the block. The problem was that the spark-plugs were located where a wedge head motor would have them. I found the manifold with other stuff piled in the back seat. The manifold was the right one and it had a large 2 BBL carberator. Yes, you read right, a 2BBL!!! Years later, A fellow told me that it was a 400 Ball Stud Hemi. He said that they actually made a 444 CI version that was thought of as a 440. He collected mopar muscle car stuff and I happened to remember this and told him about it. He knew what it was when I mentioned the 2BBL carb. A few years later I stopped by that yard again, while in fl. and found out that the car was scrapped.
 
The Aussie Hemi 6 was a ball stud rocker arrangement....would rev over 6,000 rpm.
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