Help me finish designing my 440 build. 1973 Scamp

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Kent mosby

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I am nailing down the build for my 73 scamp. The 440 block is stock 1973 casting and is being bored and honed +.030. It will be decked to level as needed, line bored as well.

The plan so far is as follows. I am still debating some items and welcome any comments both positive and cautionary (negative).

440source.com stroker kit 512 ci with the ultralite camshaft

4.350 (.030 over)
pistons -17cc dish Forged platinum series 440 source platinum rods
Compression height 1.480"
Distance below deck -.015"
440 source stealth heads 80 cc chamber for about 10.4 CR --unsure about additional porting
Comp cams pro magnum hyd lifters


Items up for debate ( Well I am open to all advice)

Comp cams Xtreme energy Hi-Lift .564” cam 251* at .050 intake 257* at .050 exh. 110* LSA
Torker 2 intake which I already have but will switch if inappropriate
3200 stall converter (recommended by 440 source for this cam )
3.91 sure grip are the best gears I could get for my 8 ¾ 741 case
Headers TTI 400-200
Carburetor – I have not a clue just yet
Ignition- no clue yet
Shifter no clue
Transmission upgrades (727) not sure


Our plan is to build this car for the street and strip. Hoping for 550 hp+. Would possibly do nitrous or supercharger down the line if the need for speed calls. I will be ordering the Stroker kit this week or so.

I am open to hear what opinions are out there. I also look forward to your wisdom.
 
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With 10.4 CR you can forget about super/turbo charger. You've got a solid start on your build. Get a decent electronic ignition system, min. 750 cfm carb, 727 trans, maybe a dual plane intake. 65'
 
Any thoughts on Carb? There are so many options and I would not know where to start? I am leaning toward an Edelbrock Performer rpm intake manifold.

@Plymouth 65 , You say a "decent electronic ignition". Can you recommend a setup?
 
If you are going to drive this car on the street : the cam is wrong and the converter has too much stall . A 750-800 cfm carb will do . A distributor with vacuum advance is needed . the gears are o.k. If you don't want to use race gas , keep the c.r. around 10:1 . In racing , it's not about going fast : It's about going rounds . A 12 second car that's consistant will out perform a 11second car that can't get off the starting line . Street driving and strip driving are completely DIFFERENT . If you have been on a well prepped track with slicks that hook , you know what I mean . You can break stuff real easy .
 
@383Scampman We plan to drive on the street. What is wrong with the cam? Lift , duration or LSA. I get it on the CR, that is easy to adjust before ordering the kit.
 
Look into a company called RT garage they sell a complete ignition system called the revenator with dist, coil, and control box that is a great system, its priced at 399.00 for all three components, thats what i went with on my big block scamp and so far it runs very well and I have had no problems.
 
something else if you can swing it i would go get a gearvendors overdrive unit for the transmission to help with the revs while cruising the highway
 
I'd go smaller on the cam. I have a pump gas 512 in my car with a 246 hyd roller and it is borderline too big for the street. If I was building that engine I used a Holley Sniper rather than a carb and I'd use a Holley Hyperspark distributor. That will give you a very nice setup that works like a modern engine. You'll need to put a new gas tank in with an internal high pressure pump but those are off the shelf items these days. I just finished an article for Hot Rod on this subject, take a look if you're interested: Holley HyperSpark: Install and Tune - Hot Rod Network
 
Look at Andy F's post . I wouldn't go any more than .525" lift because you need special valve gear plus you'll hate it on the street . Look at the Comp catalog but get the upgraded lifters , it's worth the money . Install the cam straight up . I wouldn't build any motor with cast pistons . they just don't survive .
 
@AndyF I like the setup from Holley. That looks like a clean setup. I noticed that you went with a single plane trick flow intake. Would the Torker 2 work the same for the Sniper setup? It would be good to replace the 45 yo gas tank anyway so EFI looks great to me. Hyperspark looks great as well. Clean setup.

@383Scampman I understand what you are saying about the lift. When you say "special valve gear" what are you referring to? The magnum lifters are the upgraded hydraulic lifters. Do you recommend the Solids or Hydraulic roller?
 
If I wanted to use the sniper setup with NOS for racing, could I do so with the compression ratio at 9.5 to 10.0. What changes to the plan would you recommend?
 
The Torker 2 would probably work okay. I've never used one of those intakes but they are probably fine for what you're doing. The Sniper will control nitrous but I haven't used that function in my own car yet. If you are going to go with a power booster you should make sure that your fuel pump can handle it. I have the Aeromotive 240 pump and it barely keeps up with my engine on the dyno. I'd need to upgrade my pump to run nitrous.
 
We have ordered the stroker kit with the ultralite crankshaft. forged pistons and arp2000 bolts from 440 source . When I told them that we would be using a super sniper with the capability for using nirous, he did not recommend the cam that I was considering. He did not have a recommendation. Considering that the motor will be a 512 stroker that will be EFI and we will be only using the Nitrous for strip time, what recommendations or considerations should I look for when I call the cam companies. We should be at 10.5/1 CR with Hydraulic lifters. Can we run that kind of HP with Hydraulic lifters and a stock valvetrain?
 
Dont get caught up using power adders yet. Get it together and in the car. 512ci will be an animal with 3.91. I think the cam is pretty good for what your doing.
Dont be afraid to spray a 110LSA cam. Just make sure you have good gaskets, a step or two colder spark plug, and enough fuel pressure for your tune. Ive got my buddies car (chebby) mild 383 sb, pump gas... 109LSA going 10.70's on the jug (175 hp hit) It loves it!
 
@IQ52 Would it be more appropriate to use different lifters or different rockers or both. what would you recommend?
 
AndyF said:
The Torker 2 would probably work okay. I've never used one of those intakes but they are probably fine for what you're doing. The Sniper will control nitrous but I haven't used that function in my own car yet. If you are going to go with a power booster you should make sure that your fuel pump can handle it. I have the Aeromotive 240 pump and it barely keeps up with my engine on the dyno. I'd need to upgrade my pump to run nitrous.
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The torquer 2 can be worked to flow about like a stock victor for a r/b, w/ only about 25 cfm scatter between the runners. A professional could probly do better ! It`ll probly flow w/ ur stealth heads unless u go far out w/ them, altho it doesn`t quite keep up w/ my heads, but I can run a 14x4 1/2" filter w/ it under a 6 pck scoop.
I run one w/ a f.inj. set up, I did have to go to a wider lobe separation cam for the f.inj. tho . JFYI
 
Well, I must not be planning correctly. Since I am not as well versed as you guys, I seek your advice and wisdom. What lifters and rockers and cam would you recommend for this setup? It will be on the street but will go to the drags during the summer. With a 512 ci stroker with a 727 trans and 3.91 or 3.73 gears. We will have the stealth heads and Super sniper EFI as well. Please help me round out a combo that will work. I am torn between the simplicity of hydraulic lifters, the power increase with solids, or the performance of the hydraulic rollers with the higher costs..... any counsel appreciated. I have adjusted solids before so that is not a hinderance. No experience with hydraulic rollers. Is the only drawback the cost? Help..
 
Kent mosby said:
@IQ52 Would it be more appropriate to use different lifters or different rockers or both. what would you recommend?
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Lot's of people like to recommend which parts to buy, I no longer like to do that, being as I'm getting out of the designing and building engines for others. I do tend to warn when I see a problem. So along that line, I will say this, I've tested my engines with hydraulic lifters and I never run a hydraulic lifter on any engine for myself, or in a customer's engine, unless they wanted them. Right or wrong, I'm a solid lifter man.
 
IQ52 said:
Lot's of people like to recommend which parts to buy, I no longer like to do that, being as I'm getting out of the designing and building engines for others. I do tend to warn when I see a problem. So along that line, I will say this, I've tested my engines with hydraulic lifters and I never run a hydraulic lifter on any engine for myself, or in a customer's engine, unless they wanted them. Right or wrong, I'm a solid lifter man.
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So you don't see any problems running solid lift on the streets ? I saying like 1000 miles or so a yr.
 
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