Is there anything adjustable under the valve covers of a 360 magnum? I have the 300hp 360 crate magnum and am trying to figure out what else i can do to squeeze a little more torque out of it. I am currently unning long tube hedman hedders with true dual exhaust 2 inch pipe with n h pipe and 24 inch glass packs, running a dual plane edelbrock rpm air gap intake and a 600cfm manual choke edelbrok performer carburetor. I'm running the newer style mopar distributer with adjustable mechanical advance. I have timing sitting at 12 degrees initial and 32 total all in by 2800 rpm. I am not to familiar with whats under the valve covers with this engine and if anything is adjustable under there or not? I have been told i could take the intake off nd have it port matched to the engine to get more power and to have something done to the valves? race prep'd or something like that?
360 magnum valve train
- Thread starter pjc360
- Start date
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mischiefdart
Well-Known Member
There is nothing to adjust under the valve covers. They are what known as positive stop rockers. Tighten them down and they are within the range of adjustment of the hydraulic lifters.
MRL Performance
Well-Known Member
Get a set of cheap SBC 1.7 roller rockers, some 3/8 studs from comp or ARP, guide plates and call it good.
I have thought about getting a hooley carb many times. But since this engine is in a 4x4 i like the easy avaalability to work on it, and i have been told that running a 600cfm on this engine is best for throttle response specially since this truck will never see anything higher then 6000 rpm anyways.
I have a street avenger 670 on my 97 magnum. Power off the line greatly improved going from a street avenger 770.
LXguy
Well-Known Member
The truck avenger is a really nice carb.
Is your air gap intake an edelbrock or is it the Pro products deal?
If you're feeling adventurous, you could buy a timing chain with adjustment and advance the cam 2*. That should help with low end a bit.
Before you go spending money modding the stock heads, I'd buy a set of Iron Rams from Hughes (or EQ heads from someone else-whatever). They're relatively inexpensive and will make significant power and torque over your stock castings (and won't crack like the stock stuff either).
The best part is that they make a casting with the LA style bolt pattern, or you can have them dual drilled for LA style intake manifolds. you could then install an intake that was a little better suited to your truck. I've got an air gap and its awesome, but its definitely softer down low than something like a Weiand Stealth, plus cold start manners will be better with a non-air gap intake.
Is your air gap intake an edelbrock or is it the Pro products deal?
If you're feeling adventurous, you could buy a timing chain with adjustment and advance the cam 2*. That should help with low end a bit.
Before you go spending money modding the stock heads, I'd buy a set of Iron Rams from Hughes (or EQ heads from someone else-whatever). They're relatively inexpensive and will make significant power and torque over your stock castings (and won't crack like the stock stuff either).
The best part is that they make a casting with the LA style bolt pattern, or you can have them dual drilled for LA style intake manifolds. you could then install an intake that was a little better suited to your truck. I've got an air gap and its awesome, but its definitely softer down low than something like a Weiand Stealth, plus cold start manners will be better with a non-air gap intake.
LXguy
Well-Known Member
Hey:
Have you had luck with this? I got a set of stuff from Comp and wasn't really happy with the sweep and such.
Idaho
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I'm interested in this as well. Are there issues with going to 1.7? Springs?
My air gap intake is a edelbrock, so i should get some differen cylinder heads and then run a dul plan stealth intake? how much are the heads ball park price? and how much would it cost to get them installed? would you guess anyways?
MRL Performance
Well-Known Member
In order to get the sweep right, you have to have the right pushrod. Springs may be an issue, as with anything you change, just have to check and make sure first.
MRL Performance
Well-Known Member
No
Well i took a look at the hughes iron ram cylinder heads. To me they look and sound alot like the magnum r/t cylinder heads. Would these iron rams provide more low end torque to my engine? and i wouldnt have to change cams when switching to the iron rams? They are 1300 bucks for a pair. If i knew how to install cylinder heads myself i would buy them right no but i dont and i need to keep in mind how much it will cost me to get them installed. Anybody have a ball park estimate on how many hours it would take to change the heads over to these iron rams? looks appealing for next years tax return. All i am looking for is strictly tork i am not after horsepower as much. This engine right now is in the nieghborhood of 300 to 320 horse power and 375 to 400 ft lbs of torque. The horsepower is plenty for this 4x4 truck just wish i could get about another 50 to 75 more ft lbs of torque and i'd be more then happy with it. This engine was purchased back in 2002 but it only has about 20 to 25 thousand miles on it max. I read on the hughs site that the sock magnum heads like to crack around the exhaust seat? I hope that hasnt happened to my heads but i doubht it has there is hardly any miles on them at all like i said 20 to 25 thousand miles on this engine if that and its always had synthetic oil ran in it since break in and its never been ran above 220 degrees. But those hughs iron ram heads look ver appealing deffanatly putting those on the wish list, be nice to get them and then have my rpm air gap intake port matched to the heads bet it would squeeze out at least 50 more ft lbs of torque wouldnt you think? I read an artilce in mopar muscle magazine where they took the exact same engine i have the 300hp crate 360 magnum ad they put a mopar dual plane m1 intake on it with a demon 750 carburetor with hooker long tube hedders and an msd distributer with the timing set at 34 degrees total and it pushed out 319hp and 424 ft lbs of torque. I have a set of hedman long tube hedders with 2 inch dual exhaust wih an h pipe and a dual plane edelbrock rpm air gap intake and a 600cfm edelbrock manual choke performer carburetor with the newer mopar distributer with adjustable mechanical advance i have the timing set at 12 degrees initial and 32 total all in by 2800 rpm so there is no reason my engine shouldnt be putting out very simular numbers to the engine they did in the mopar muscle magazine article i pretty much have same set up long tube hedders dual plane intake and a 4 barrell carb.
LXguy
Well-Known Member
If you were paying to have it done, that changes the equation a lot. Depends on where you had it done, but its expensive. Around here, I bet you'd have $1000 in labor to get it done.
I don't like paying for this sort of thing because on the off chance that Hughes screws up the machine work or something you're paying to have it done a couple of times.
Hughes sells this set of heads complete for $895.00
http://www.hughesengines.com/Index/...HM=&searchmode=partnumber&page=2&partid=25426
These are the heads that are on my car.
Another option would be a different camshaft. Comp sells some stuff that has been reviewed well. I'm sure others do too.
Those factory magnum heads all crack. Lots of the time it doesn't effect how the truck runs. The truck my motor came out of only had around 70K on it. both heads were cracked. #1 was leaking through the intake valve on a leakdown so it might have made the truck run funny.
The iron ram heads will definitely pick up horsepower and torque. They flow better, the combustion chambers are smaller. It was designed as a factory replacement head (because the stock heads all crack), it just happens to work as a hot rod head. Australians rock.
Theres a gigantic difference between a 750 demon and a 600 edelbrock in terms of horsepower production. magazine numbers can tend to be very optimistic as well.
Some more initial timing would probably help your truck too, but you would probably be getting into premium gas territory before too long.
I don't like paying for this sort of thing because on the off chance that Hughes screws up the machine work or something you're paying to have it done a couple of times.
Hughes sells this set of heads complete for $895.00
http://www.hughesengines.com/Index/...HM=&searchmode=partnumber&page=2&partid=25426
These are the heads that are on my car.
Another option would be a different camshaft. Comp sells some stuff that has been reviewed well. I'm sure others do too.
Those factory magnum heads all crack. Lots of the time it doesn't effect how the truck runs. The truck my motor came out of only had around 70K on it. both heads were cracked. #1 was leaking through the intake valve on a leakdown so it might have made the truck run funny.
The iron ram heads will definitely pick up horsepower and torque. They flow better, the combustion chambers are smaller. It was designed as a factory replacement head (because the stock heads all crack), it just happens to work as a hot rod head. Australians rock.
Theres a gigantic difference between a 750 demon and a 600 edelbrock in terms of horsepower production. magazine numbers can tend to be very optimistic as well.
Some more initial timing would probably help your truck too, but you would probably be getting into premium gas territory before too long.
I'm running 12 degrees initial 32 total. I can bum it up to 14 or 15 degrees initial and be at 34 or 35 total. I was just always told the magnums dont need as much total timing and make more power at 32 total. Dont know how true that is??? i suppose it could handle 34 degrees ok. Or i could just pull my distributer out and set the mechanical advance at 16 or 18 degrees so i could run 14 to 16 initial and stay at 32 total. right now i got the mechnical advance set at 20 degrees with 12 degrees initial for 32 total. I could drop mechanical advance down to 16 and run initial of 16 for a total of 32 total. I have the mopar spring kit so it wouldnt be a problem to do that.
And the premium gas doesnt matter thats what i am already running it. I still have the paper work that came with this crate from mopar and they suggested running 32 total timing and 91 octane fuel. The compression ratio is 9.5.1 i believe? or 9.0.1 cant remember id have to dig thru my paper work to find out for sure, but i know it says we reccomend setting timing at 32 total and running 91 octane fuel. The regular fuel where i live is 85 octane at every gs station and the plus is 87 octane and the premium is 91 so i have just always ran premium in it thats all its ever had ran thru it.
So since i am running premium fuel (91 octane) do you suggest i go ahead and crank the initial timing up to 14 or 15 degrees and let the total land at 34 or 35 degrees, or would you sugges i pull the distributer and drop the mechanical advance to 16 degrees so i can maintain 32 total and be able to run 14 to 16 initial? I'm thinking since i am running premium i can just turn it up to 14 degrees initial and let it land at 34 total and i'd be ok but just wanted to ask what you'd do.
LXguy
Well-Known Member
I would up the initial timing. Obviously if it starts pinging on you drop it back down.
Mine likes 20* initial and 36 total, and that's with the smaller combustion chambers. Doesn't ping with 93 octane. Not meaning that you should put that much in yours. Truck is going to put more load on it than my car does.
Mine likes 20* initial and 36 total, and that's with the smaller combustion chambers. Doesn't ping with 93 octane. Not meaning that you should put that much in yours. Truck is going to put more load on it than my car does.
I bumped the initial timing up from 12 to 16 and my total timing is sitting at 34 degrees. It helped it run better too i think. Throttle response was better going from 12 to 16 i dont think im going to try and get any more then 16 for initial i bet if i go up any higher then that it will start kicking back against the starter. !6 initial 34 total running 91 octane fuel i dont hear any pinging ether. I wish i had 93 octane available highest octane fuel we have here is 91 and plus is 87 and regular is 85 i caant believe how they do gas here in this little town. I'm here cause my job requires me to be here but wher i am from regular gas is 87 pus is 90 and premium is 93.
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