Forged Ross 440 pistons steal of a deal?

[Penstarpurist]

So, sitting around in the house cruising the local craigslist ads, as the weather is unseasonably for us frozen and snow covered. So all the outdoor chores outside of feeding livestock is on hold. To my suprise their is a guy listing a set of 30 over Ross 440 cid forged pistons with wrist pins for best offer. Well we have several big blocks laying around, 400, 383, etc. But no 440 currently. Not that it's any reason not to check out the stuff. So I replied to the ad, asked him what price range he is in for the set. He says, make offer, so I say $50. He says, no they cost $700+ to buy new. Which I have done my research and know that's accurate. So he comes back at $100, he is local to me, so I grab up the keys and my boys and I headed over and picked up the set. Also, as luck would have it, the guy was a buddy from way back in the day. Said he thinks he can find the rods that match and possibly a bb trans. I do remember him having some bad mopars in the days. The pistons, he said he thought were used, if so they were very little as they look brand new and are in the box. So, time to find a 440 to build. They are rated to handle 250hp of nos. Hmmm, maybe the next engine for either my sons duster after we have fun with the 400, or a motor for the A body baracuda we want to do next. What do you guys think of the Ross forged pistons for $100 deal? Glad to have the cold weather once in awhile now. Lol.

 

[sst3193]

Got a block already bored and honed for those, you should sell them to me. $250 maybe?

 

[Penstarpurist]

They are a dome with valve reliefs. I'm certainly not opposed to selling them to you. Just got to decide if I want to hold onto them and build an engine for them. In my neck of the woods complete 440 engines are dirt cheap. Like under a few hundred bucks often times. Sure, r.v engines usually but whatever if a guy is going aluminum heads anyways and a forged crank. P.m me and we can talk about it, not sure where you are and what shipping would be.

 

[jbc426]

They are a dome with valve reliefs. I'm certainly not opposed to selling them to you. Just got to decide if I want to hold onto them and build an engine for them. In my neck of the woods complete 440 engines are dirt cheap. Like under a few hundred bucks often times. Sure, r.v engines usually but whatever if a guy is going aluminum heads anyways and a forged crank. P.m me and we can talk about it, not sure where you are and what shipping would be.

Those domed forged Ross's pump the compression pretty high up there. Well into race gas territory anyway.

 

[Penstarpurist]

Yeah, that's what my son was telling me. He said if we kept the cc's down on the heads maybe stay on some high octane pump gas. But, then again if we end up building it for his duster to the point it's on race fuel, it's all good. With our rainy northwest seasons 6 months a year it's not like it would break the bank the 10 weekends a year it would be at the track. But if sst3193 is really interested in them and we figure something out. May be his fuel bill. Lol.

 

[mopar65]

Can you post some pics of the Ross pistons? I ran a set of the Ross dome pistons in my old 65 Plymouth. It's been a few years, but I think they had big block Chevy size pins. They were 990 size. Also I think they came out to 11.5 to 1 compression using felpro head gaskets and 84 cc edelbrock heads.

 

[Penstarpurist]

Yep, will get some pics taken and post them up today.

 

[Penstarpurist]

Here are some pics. First time adding photos hope they come thru.

 

[mopar65]

Here are some pics. First time adding photos hope they come thru.View attachment 1714999622 View attachment 1714999621 View attachment 1714999604

View attachment 1714999602

I am pretty sure those are the same ones that I used in my first 440 build. I also used a set of eagle H Beam Rods.

 

[sst3193]

Hey thanks for offering to sell the Ross pistons. I've got a perfectly good set of Venolias' that I will use. Never run the type of forging Venolia uses, so I'm gonna get an education with them. I was given this set along with some factory rods that were polished and shotpeened but, the shop I took the block to, for boring, put the rod and piston assemblies into a bath and ate the small end bushings, out of the rods. Time to buy some bushings or rods, I'd say.
Thanks again,
Mike.

 

[Penstarpurist]

Hey mopar65 how did you like the power output on your build with those pistons? What heads and cam did did you go with? Lol, sorry to bombard you with questions. But if you have a proven power making combo with it, rather then guess what to expect or hope for I'd sure like to pick your brain about this.

 

[RustyRatRod]

The guy totally saw you comin a mile away. You got way ripped off.

 

[hotrod68]

I'm running those pistons in my boys demon, 440 eddy rpm heads comp xs290 cam m1 and 1000 cfm 4150 carb, runs 10.70 in the quarter

 

[Penstarpurist]

Wow, Rustyratrod I'm not sure what to say to that. How would you figure $100 for forged Ross pistons is a bad deal? Lol, at the worst they are decent trading stock. Best case scenario they help build a wicked 440 like hotrod68's. That sounds like a set up, anything in the 10's is no joke.

 

[RustyRatRod]

I don't know what to say about someone getting a 700 dollar set of pistons for 100 bucks and having to ask if they got a good deal or not.

Wow, Rustyratrod I'm not sure what to say to that. How would you figure $100 for forged Ross pistons is a bad deal? Lol, at the worst they are decent trading stock. Best case scenario they help build a wicked 440 like hotrod68's. That sounds like a set up, anything in the 10's is no joke.

 

[Penstarpurist]

Lol, Rustyratrod I didn't mean to ruffle any feathers, just trying to share my find with a group of guys who can appreciate it. As all of us here are buying mopar and paying steeply usually. I guess I should have said "can you believe the score I found?" Instead. Anyways for those of you who gave me some good build info, I will certainly keep you updated on the progress of what they become. My son and I are thinking stroker 470 maybe. Don't worry Rustyratrod, I'll keep you informed too.

 

[RustyRatRod]

No ruffled feathers here! I wish I could run into a deal like that!

Lol, Rustyratrod I didn't mean to ruffle any feathers, just trying to share my find with a group of guys who can appreciate it. As all of us here are buying mopar and paying steeply usually. I guess I should have said "can you believe the score I found?" Instead. Anyways for those of you who gave me some good build info, I will certainly keep you updated on the progress of what they become. My son and I are thinking stroker 470 maybe. Don't worry Rustyratrod, I'll keep you informed too.

 

[Penstarpurist]

Yeah, deals like that are definitely too few and far between. I think what worked in my favor was the holiday stress of someone needing money for presents for their kiddo coupled with just the right timing on my end of being lucky for once. Lol, I usually tell people if I didn't have bad luck, I wouldn't have any.

 

[mopar65]

Hey mopar65 how did you like the power output on your build with those pistons? What heads and cam did did you go with? Lol, sorry to bombard you with questions. But if you have a proven power making combo with it, rather then guess what to expect or hope for I'd sure like to pick your brain about this.

I thought the car ran great for what i had in it. here is a lit of what i had in the engine.
1973 440 bored 0.030 over with ross dome pistions
eagle H beam rods
stock steel forged crank
mopar 312/590 solid lift cam advanced 2 degrees
billet timing chain
Out of the Box Edelbrock performer RPM heads 84CC
mopar M1 Tunnel Ram with 2 Edelbrock 750 carbs
TTI 2 inch headers
727 trans with 8 inch turboaction converter stalled around 5500
Dana60 4.56 gears
M/T 31x10.5x15W slicks

The car was a 1965 Plymouth Belvedere II that weighed right at 3500 with me in it
The car would run 10.50 at 126-127 in the 1/4
I really miss that car and wish i would of never sold it. I think you got a great deal on those pistons.
here is a picture of the 65

 

[Penstarpurist]

Nice!!! That car looks badass. That is a healthy quarter mile time in a car that size. I think it's a safe bet to say that these pistons are 10 second car set up.

 

[wbk]

id be interested if you sell them

 

[Penstarpurist]

I think we are going to keep them and build a motor to suit. I am hoping the guy we bought them from calls me with the rods he says he has for them if he can find them. I hope to find a 440 block cheap in the near future to bore for it. But if plans change. I'll let you know right away. Thanks.