What you all think about putting an old 392 hemi
- Thread starter jerry6
- Start date
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K.O. SWINGER
Meeting in the alley since 1976
very heavy and expensive to build and wont out do a well built wedge ..but very cool !
70DartMike
Too many projects
95teetee
Well-Known Member
yes to both
Nothing like spark plug wires going through the valve covers (or multiple carbs on a slant 6)!
Relax360
Well-Known Member
it can be done a 354 would fit better because its not a high deck like the 392.
So yes it can be done. but you will spend more then you would dropping in a 383 or 440
So yes it can be done. but you will spend more then you would dropping in a 383 or 440
Cool, yes...Crazy, yes...but think about the cool factor. It will be expensive, but what labor of love on our Mopars isn't. Just my opinion.
Divenut
Well-Known Member
I like it. Something to be said for having a unique combo (unlike mine disgust). And a little crazy is not necessarily a bad thing.
Pat
Pat
Jim Lusk
Well-Known Member
They are quite a bit heavier than a 426 hemi. I wouldn't consider 392 in an a-body, but I did think about the early Dodge 325 hemi that I had, but it was way too valuable to keep. $2k is fair for a core 392.
For the Coolness Factor !!!
Do it.
Do it.
itate
Where is that wrench I just had in my hand?
I had gotten a 331 hemi for real cheap and was thinking about putting it in my barracuda, but a rebuild kit was over $1200 plus machine work and it weighs more than a 440. The cool factor is there but the weight was a deal breaker for me.
Anyway, here is what a 392 looks like in an a body.
Anyway, here is what a 392 looks like in an a body.
Relax360
Well-Known Member
the early hemis are heavy but not as heavy as some people think. They are actually a little but lighter then the 426s If you put a 392 on an aluminum diet you can take quite a bit of weight off it. If you have deep enough pockets Hot Heads Aluminum heads will shed 100 pounds or so.
I have a 354 sitting in storage waiting for the right project who kows maybe it will be an A body.
I have a 354 sitting in storage waiting for the right project who kows maybe it will be an A body.
dartcuda1
67 Barracuda 500ci 6sp
I think that engine should have been the small block and the 426 the big block.Do it/ Mark
GaryS
Well-Known Member
Back in the sixties, the Air Force auto hobby shop wouldn't even allow us to use their engine hoists to lift old Hemis. I had to go off base to put a 331 in my '55 Plymouth. Yes, it ran like a turpentined cat, and yes, it was cool, but after a short time the extra weight was more pain than cool. I swapped back to a Plymouth V8.
Before you swap, stack about 6 bags of concrete on your hood and take the Dart for a drive. That's the road feel you have to look forward to.
Before you swap, stack about 6 bags of concrete on your hood and take the Dart for a drive. That's the road feel you have to look forward to.
750 pounds dry weight. Exhaust is easy to get around. Look for the hi po manifolds with the 4 bolt outlet flange. Those outlets are 2.50". I have a pair going on my 331. They hug real close to the engine and will fit almost anywhere,plus they flow nearly as well as block hugger headers. One of the magazines did a shootout about early Hemi exhaust some years back and those manifolds surprised everybody. But they are hard to find in good shape and are not cheap. Prices in this thread are a bit exaggerated. You can get a nice set of 10.1 pistons from Keith Black for about the same as small block pistons. For the camshaft, I sent my core to Oregon Cam Grinders and they reground it to a pretty nasty little grind. .465/.465 240 at .050" on a 106 LSA......for 70 bucks. If you stick with the stock rockers, you need to keep the lift low. The exhaust rockers are LONG and they will be under a lot of stress at high lifts. Besides, the Hemi heads don't need tons of lift to flow. The two best production heads to use are either the "555" heads or the heavy duty truck heads. They both flow about the same, although a lot of folks say the 555 is better....dynos have said otherwise. If you're really gonna do it, pick up Tex Smith's early Hemi book. Like anything else, there are some mistakes, but there's tons of good stuff in it. If you shop around and ask around, you can do a Hemi on a budget. As unbelieveable as it sounds.....I am doing one myself.
Powerflite
Well-Known Member
As far as weight goes, they aren't as bad as the official numbers suggest. There is a lot of weight on the old motor that people nowadays just eliminate. The old intake for instance is super heavy. Just replace it with aluminum and you save 30 lbs. No one runs the original heavy water pump either.. etc. By using lightweight aftermarket accessories, you can take the weight down to a little more than a stock 440. Replace the heads with aluminum and you go down to the weight of a stock small block.
I put a 392 into my '68 Barracuda back in 1981. I was a 16 yr old kid and didn't really build the motor, used terrible hard rubber bias plys, and it went high 13's in the 1/4 mile. The biggest compromise was the exhaust on the left rear. It comes out right on top of the steering column. Because of that you have to raise the motor high to get clearance, and it is still bad. The only good option is to move the steering column and use the alterkation setup.
However, I have seen relatively clean installs of a 354 or 331 hemi. They are just enough narrower that they can barely fit with a custom header over the steering column. Dodge hemis are even narrower. If I were to do it again, I would definitely use a 354 or other smaller hemi instead.
I put a 392 into my '68 Barracuda back in 1981. I was a 16 yr old kid and didn't really build the motor, used terrible hard rubber bias plys, and it went high 13's in the 1/4 mile. The biggest compromise was the exhaust on the left rear. It comes out right on top of the steering column. Because of that you have to raise the motor high to get clearance, and it is still bad. The only good option is to move the steering column and use the alterkation setup.
However, I have seen relatively clean installs of a 354 or 331 hemi. They are just enough narrower that they can barely fit with a custom header over the steering column. Dodge hemis are even narrower. If I were to do it again, I would definitely use a 354 or other smaller hemi instead.
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