408 update

[jbc426]

Jbc426

Which torque converter did you go with, 9.5 or 10.5? Is it a single or duel disk lock up?

It's the full sized converter with a 3 carbon fiber disc lock-up clutch, anti ballooning plate and billet flywheel.

 

[dusterbnb]

It's the full sized converter with a 3 carbon fiber disc lock-up clutch, anti ballooning plate and billet flywheel.

Thank you and did you get it through Vigilante Torque Converts? I have read so many of these write ups on the 200r4, that I can't remember who said what anymore. I think I would be happy with your set up, since my Duster is a 408 as well. I'll just need to get some 3.91 or 4.10 one of these days too.

 

[JoeSBP]

very interested as well..

 

[273]

For those of you that are on the fence to install a 408, I'm assuring you it's worth it. The more I drive it, the better it runs. Smile will not leave my face while behind the wheel. I'll get some pics posted soon. 10-1 compression works on the lousy 91 pump gas with ethanol. Very streetable build and WOW does it sound good without the weight of a big block. The Mopar M-1 manifold works much better at lower rpm's than I expected as well.

What are you running for gears ??

I personally think if you want bigger than 360 go big block but I'll probably add to the 408 ranks one day or at least 3.79.
Simply cause as I add power to my 380hp create engine I will have too much invested into the small block platform.

 

[dusterbnb]

What are you running for gears ??

I personally think if you want bigger than 360 go big block but I'll probably add to the 408 ranks one day or at least 3.79.
Simply cause as I add power to my 380hp create engine I will have too much invested into the small block platform.

Three bad things about going with a big block, and by no means am I against a big block.

One, is that you have the obvious heavier weight of the big block. Which is the opposite of the advantage of the A-body being lighter.

Two, just the size of it. It makes everything just that much tougher to work on and fit in.

Three, is that if you only stick with Chrysler auto transmissions, then you are limited to just using 727. Which is heavier and has more parasitic draw than a 904.


My dad and I, before I bought the Indy/Edelbrock heads, had the same exact set up in our engines. Except his was a 340 with 3.91 gears and mine is a 408 with 3.55 gears, but everything else was the same. The heads, cams, and headers. We raced down the road and I pulled away from him pretty easily, but that was with me having 6 cracked pistons. My car smoked a lot, but ran good. So, I lazily didn't do anything about it till a blew a head gasket, and pulled the heads and seen why I was smoking so bad. My guess was the ring gap was to tight, and broke the edges of the pistons.

But, in all my rambling. There is a definite advantage having a 408 over smaller cubes.