HotRod Mag 408 build w/TrickFlow heads NEW

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Impressive, but the 770 Street Avenger seems like an odd choice. I would think something more like a 950XP would be more appropriate? But I’m no engine master......
 
I would think there’s 30-40hp left on the table(maybe more) with a cam/intake/carb swap.

As is, it falls into the “okay” catagory IMO.
I don’t feel like it’s doing anything to showcase what the heads are all about.
 
Well before everyone chimes (too late) in with the dinky this and the tiny that and where’s the big cam, carb and single plane because it’s a “stroker” let’s focus on what the build was, and how it did. Looks like a typical street mill, a get in and drive using pump gas, easy on the valvetrain cam and strong air/fuel signal tire shredder build. Non fussy stroker that’ll be a blast in general. An Everyman build. Easy to achieve as it showed. Now if you’re a street/strip sort, or prefer living on the ragged edge of streetable or are only drag race guy then of course you could do much better. Keeping things in perspective it looks like an easy recipe for a stonking all around brawler for the general masses to achieve.
 
They had to lower the final output- cant show the LS guys up with 40+ year old "MoPar technology."

Here is where people will point how wrong I am... LOL! it was funny, don't care how boring you are.
 
qkcuda said:
Not sure how it qualifies as a budget build?
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Agree. Budget build, with a forged crank, forged pistons, roller cam, and tf heads. NONE of that is "budget" to my mind.
Edit: oops, forgot the $500 carb, $600 ignition system, and the $400 pan and pickup. ("Budget" is a $100 swapmeet carb, stock distributor, with a box upgrade, and a stock pan).
 
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After reading the somewhat sparse article, I'd consider it impressive if output did'nt change while using the typical HYD flat tappet that most "BUDGET" 408's seem to employ. I guess though if they supplied an every nut and bolt parts list then if it made that power and anyone could assemble it's a pretty straightforward build. J.Rob

p.s. I see they are pivoting away from "Budget" friendly to "Wallet" friendly
 
12many said:
Well before everyone chimes (too late) in with the dinky this and the tiny that and where’s the big cam, carb and single plane because it’s a “stroker” let’s focus on what the build was, and how it did. Looks like a typical street mill, a get in and drive using pump gas, easy on the valvetrain cam and strong air/fuel signal tire shredder build. Non fussy stroker that’ll be a blast in general. An Everyman build. Easy to achieve as it showed. Now if you’re a street/strip sort, or prefer living on the ragged edge of streetable or are only drag race guy then of course you could do much better. Keeping things in perspective it looks like an easy recipe for a stonking all around brawler for the general masses to achieve.
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I'm one of those guys that like to optimize what I've got (character flaw, I can't help it), so when I see obvious ways to improve things, I like to go after it...I just can't leave it alone. To each their own though...me personally, if I have heads that flow like that, I want to leverage that potential to see what it can do. If I were building a "budget" cruzer, I probably would not be selecting those heads on a stroker...just my opinion.
 
flyfish said:
I'm one of those guys that like to optimize what I've got (character flaw, I can't help it), so when I see obvious ways to improve things, I like to go after it...I just can't leave it alone. To each their own though...me personally, if I have heads that flow like that, I want to leverage that potential to see what it can do. If I were building a "budget" cruzer, I probably would not be selecting those heads on a stroker...just my opinion.
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Absolutely. I’d go bigger too, but just commenting on the build, It’s a typical Hot Rod article build it’s easy to see. Likely appeals to the casual enthusiast. An easily achieved power level.
 
How “big” of a cam could this motor support and still be a reasonable street driven car? I love that torque curve and would think a single plane intake would help the hp without hurting the torque too much? Surprised they didn’t use the new TF intake.
 
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So they came up with slightly over 500 horsepower on the dyno. Be lucky to see 450 at the track. If I paid that much for that little I would be pissed off to the max.
 
Typical Hot Rod build w/OOTB stuff on a engine.
As said above, “Typical Enthusiast Build” for the typical reader. I myself would use a 800 DP carb and a better valve spring in hopes to eek out a few more rpm up top.

I can see this in a way as targeting the current 408 guys looking to up the anti on there current mill with out much fan fare. It’s basically saying just swap out the heads and rockers! (AKA = Buy Trick Flow!) Not a bad upgrade for the buck and the even better when you sell the Edelbrock heads the engine came with. If you only have a short block 408, which head would you get?

No answer required since it is really a no brainer.

So I see this is as a really nice street strip drivable engine. It should be a lot of fun.
 
The springs in those heads can take up to .700” lift iirc, for rollers. I have wondered how much spring can soft Babbitt cam bearings stand? You never read in many builds about the cam bearing selection with roller solids. Babbitt, aluminum etc. Something to consider when going roller with stout springs you’d think. Someone here knows the answer
 
12many said:
The springs in those heads can take up to .700” lift iirc, for rollers. I have wondered how much spring can soft Babbitt cam bearings stand? You never read in many builds about the cam bearing selection with roller solids. Babbitt, aluminum etc. Something to consider when going roller with stout springs you’d think. Someone here knows the answer
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Maybe that's why many of the race blocks are setup for roller bearings and sometimes larger cores?
 
The point of peak TQ does seem pretty low....... but that’s what the SF graph shows.
I doubt the numbers or that graph have been manipulated.

8B7E9E2B-454E-43C4-BFCB-BD172C408675.png
 
I thought this statement was interesting:

"After figuring out that 36 degrees was the sweet spot for timing,"

36 degrees for a modern closed chamber design seems odd to me. If the burn time is meant to be faster why would it need so much total like an open chamber head.
 
pittsburghracer said:
So they came up with slightly over 500 horsepower on the dyno. Be lucky to see 450 at the track. If I paid that much for that little I would be pissed off to the max.
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Agree, I always read/heard that westech dyno always read hi---------
And , I thot trickflows were all cnc machined .-------???
 
Interestingly, every single time Brûlé is involved with a SBM dyno test and they use his dyno headers they always get the header size wrong. That is NOT a 1.750 diameter header. It never was.

Either they can’t read a tape measure or a dial caliper, or they have forgotten what size they really are, but that’s not a 1.750 diameter header.

Probably the 5th or 6th time I’ve seen that. Maybe I should send an email to Westech and tell them to grab a tape and get the size correct so the reader doesn’t get misled any more than usual by these articles.
 
yellow rose said:
Interestingly, every single time Brûlé is involved with a SBM dyno test and they use his dyno headers they always get the header size wrong. That is NOT a 1.750 diameter header. It never was.

Either they can’t read a tape measure or a dial caliper, or they have forgotten what size they really are, but that’s not a 1.750 diameter header.

Probably the 5th or 6th time I’ve seen that. Maybe I should send an email to Westech and tell them to grab a tape and get the size correct so the reader doesn’t get misled any more than usual by these articles.
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Too funny, I was thinking the same thing! I was looking at those thinking "those look WAY fatter than my 1 3/4 headers Headman Hustlers.
 
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