408 SB versus BB 541

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Brooks James

Brooks James

VET, CPT, Huey Medevac Pilot
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Was taking a break from working on my Dart which is almost finished. Found a 440/541 stroker kit .Kept looking at parts, heads, oil systems, cams, carbs, headers which i will probably have custom made etc. etc. I know that the entire drivetrain and suspension will have to be maxed but I was going to do it anyway. I could be wrong but it looks like the 408 is the same money as the 541 . A “friend “ who has a 200 mph ten second Porsche has been making negative comments about my Dart. I would love to smoke his ***(only in the quarter, there’s no way I’m going that fast.
Your impressions??
 
You can build a 470 or 500 ci with a 400 block. 550 -700 or so HP. easy 10 sec 1/4.
the low deck will provide better header fit in an A-body. plus it will be a tad lighter engine.
and if you gear it right and get the suspension up to snuff it could go 200 mph.
It's easy to build a death ride, I would get the chassis up to snuff before putting the HP to it.
 
fishmens67 said:
You can build a 470 or 500 ci with a 400 block. 550 -700 or so HP. easy 10 sec 1/4.
the low deck will provide better header fit in an A-body. plus it will be a tad lighter engine.
and if you gear it right and get the suspension up to snuff it could go 200 mph.
It's easy to build a death ride, I would get the chassis up to snuff before putting the HP to it.
Click to expand...
Yes definitely suspension upgrades and the possibility of a 400 stroker
I really like the shock factor of “yeah
man I’ve got a 541”. LMAO
 
I would love to hear you got him in a quarter mile, BUT, I lived in Germany for 12 years. I have driven a 850 BMW, an Audi A8, And a Porsche 911. And I watched a 911 eat a Swedish setup Camaro in a quarter mile at the airfield at Fliegerhorst Germany. Yep, they'll do 200, but it takes some pavement to get there. getting to 150/160 isn't that hard. Gettin to 200 is another story. You have your work cut out for you. By the way, I had the 850 to 245 KM. That's roughly 155 MPH.... Rock solid... Made it from the French border to Frankfurt in 55 minutes... Yeow-zur!!!
 
If you're shooting for the "WOW" factor, why not build a 572 Hemi ?
You wouldn't get a WOW from me for having a 541 wedge.
 
The "No Replacement for Displacement" guys will be all over me for saying this, but don't get too hung up on cubic inches. Heck, even Top Fuelers only run 496-500 cubes. Different animal, yes; but proves it's not the end-all beat-all.
The Porsche is what, a 3.6L? So you're going to build a 541 c.i. motor to try to beat a 220 c.i. motor that probably cost more than 10 times what your build cost? Sorry, no glory to be had there, especially if you're still not into the 10s.
Stick with the 408 and get it healthy. Work on your suspension, get it to HOOK and LAUNCH. All the displacement in the world ain't worth hooey if you can't put it down- and you don't have the kind of rear weight bias that German torpedo has, and a big block will exaggerate that even more. A well-sorted stock-appearing suspension gets you into the mid 11s in the FAST series, so a more aggressive suspension without their limitations and a well-tuned 408 could do the trick; and if you want to be sure, give it a shot of happy gas.
 
a 470 would idle into the 10's. lol with nothing being to over the top.
Trick flow has made it easy. lol even if you do a 408.
 
fishmens67 said:
If you're shooting for the "WOW" factor, why not build a 572 Hemi ?
You wouldn't get a WOW from me for having a 541 wedge.
Click to expand...

Valvecovers with plugs will get you the wow factor everytime... As for the BB vs SB it's gets beat to death on a regular basis. Me personally there are things I like about both setups. Both are not cheap. You really have to think about a long term goal for the car (safety upgrades, etc.) before you commit to making big power. That's my take on it. And that's why I sold my 512 besides losing interest. I wasn't interested in hacking up my car. But you may not care and if that's the case BB power will get you to the stripe pretty quick...

JW
 
408 with aluminum heads, intake, and anything else you can think of to reduce weight. Front suspension upgrades also. Built well, you'll also need to address rear tire traction! 65'
 
A 541 anything is a BIG WOW factor. Now with b1 heads WOW.
 
IMHO, he’s not much of a friend if he’s bashing your choice of cars. Find new friends-you don’t need that kind of negativity in your life.
 
LO23M8B said:
A 541 anything is a BIG WOW factor. Now with b1 heads WOW.
Click to expand...
605 wedge with predator 460 head if you want to really WOW. or for a BIG WOW 605 predator headed Hemi.:D
The sky is the limit. lol
 
SLOPAR72 said:
Valvecovers with plugs will get you the wow factor everytime... As for the BB vs SB it's gets beat to death on a regular basis. Me personally there are things I like about both setups. Both are not cheap. You really have to think about a long term goal for the car (safety upgrades, etc.) before you commit to making big power. That's my take on it. And that's why I sold my 512 besides losing interest. I wasn't interested in hacking up my car. But you may not care and if that's the case BB power will get you to the stripe pretty quick...

JW
Click to expand...
Ditto I’m not interested in a hack job
The RBvs theb engine is a good idea but last time I checked most headers for b were torque minded and I’m not going to hack the fenders. So custom fabbed headers. I know $$$$$$$
 
Brooks James said:
Ditto I’m not interested in a hack job
The RBvs theb engine is a good idea but last time I checked most headers for b were torque minded and I’m not going to hack the fenders. So custom fabbed headers. I know $$$$$$$
Click to expand...

Yeah, I poked the bear in a few threads in here about the header deal. With power steering you have a project ahead of you. Manual steering and options open.... It's a tight space for the a B/RB. But it's been done many a time and with success.... Add a third pedal and with a 500ci plus setup the fun factor for a street car is off the charts....

JW
 
520-525 cfm is average for a cnc ported predator 460
 
How much power do you want to make and how much cash do you have.
the sky is the limit. lol
 
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