Getting the most out of a low comp 440

First engine build, I want to do my homework to get the most out of the engine for the least coin and to avoid mistakes. I've been reading up on 440s online for a couple weeks and have 3 books on them in the mail from Amazon. Decided to join this forum as is seems to be about the best place for 440 tech. Devil's in the details, so I'm trying to nail them all down, sorry it's a bit long.


What I have :


'77 440, disassembled, ran ok but smoked before the HG blew due to some loose and one broken head bolt. Never got to drive the truck with it in it, so don't have a feel for how a stock 440 would run.

850 CFM Tquad from long time carb man Rick Walker in SD.

Stock intake

Stock 452 heads

Block - cylinders are worn a few thou, front pass is the worst, .009"

Pistons down in the hole probably .150" (need to double check)

Stock cam, .010" bent in the center, bend discovered while determining lobe lift in a lathe.

Looks to be factory double roller timing chain, sprockets probably OK, chain very slack.

Cast crank, .020" under rods and mains, bearings worn to copper.

Unknown long tube headers. (need to check size)

Pics

http://s142.photobucket.com/user/DavidWhymore/library/440?sort=3&page=1


Vehicle :

'70 Shortbed D100 weighs ~4000#

727 (Will consider converter change, maybe a 4spd or switch to NV4500 I have)

Currently 3.55 8-3/4", 4.10 Detroit locked D60 waiting in the wings, along with a Browning-Lipe auxiliary transmission, 2:1 underdrive, direct, .73 OD.

Vehicle use/environment: Below sea level, triple digit summers, will get AC. 87 octane

Daily driver, cruiser, hotrod, maybe some light towing, trips to local desert/sand dunes if/when I get some paddles for the back. Trips up hot, steep grade from desert over 4000ft mntns to San Diego.

Experience: 15 years playing with 4x4s. '81 CJ-7, I-6, locked D44s, 35"s

'88Blazer, TBI 5.7, locked D60s, 39"s

'95 Ram 2500 Cummins, locked, 39"s 434 hp/800tq

Couple stock V6 4runners, 3.4L and 4.0L

I have always done all my own wrenching and fabbing at the family shop except for major engine work/builds.

Abilities/tools: General (non-auto) machine shop. I don't have a setup to bore the cylinders accurately, but I could make a fixture to deck the block and heads. I have a mostly retired friend who does have automotive machining capabilities, but may no be able to get him to do much, and I have no other machine shops in my area.

Theories/options: (open to input)

I've kicked a lot of stuff around (new pistons for quench, Stealth heads, etc. to hopefully raise compression for mpg and power efficiency) and come back to hopefully throwing rings and bearings in it, annealing the stock shim head gaskets, and putting it back together, with a cam change to try to increase cylinder pressure and maximize performance of the setup. I don't want a motorhome or 1 ton truck low RPM only stump puller like my Jeep, but I don't want a high RPM hp only engine either like the Toyota V6s.

I could mill the heads, up to .060", some guys go up to .120" is what I've read, but risky. Not sure how much I can raise compression without quench on 87. Not sure how much I could deck block, maybe .050"??? Shorten pushrods or shim rocker shafts.

Input much appreciated, thanks!