To Six Pack or Not to Six Pack

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charger426

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So I'm probably asking this question entirely to early in my build in some people's mind but I'm the type of person that likes to plan out things like this so I can buy parts/pieces as I go along rather than just pay a huge lump at the end. From my research the concise is a single 4 barrel carb can out perform a six pack set up in a pure race car/dyno situation. It also sounds like it would be easier to tune (one carb vs three). Finally the single 4 barrel would be A LOT cheeper from what I've seen. The flip side would be gas milage and the cool factor of the six pack set up.

I'm looking at doing a 512 stroker motor that I want to be able to get in and drive whenever I feel like it. This car will likely only see a track once maybe twice in its life as I have another car that was my dad's bracket racing car I plan on using when the time comes to go bracket racing again. I want this car to be a fun cruiser that wouldn't have a problem driving to the ocean (about 2 hours away) so I was thinking about using some 3.23s I have sitting around.

So given my goal of a fun car that is going to mainly street driven with at least a little thought for gas milage (not looking for geo numbers here just something better than 13 on the highway). Would the Six Pack be a better or even a good idea? Also I've hear mix things on whether you need to change the stock hood out. Some people say you have to due to clearance while other say you don't HAVE to but should as the six pack set up was meant for a ram air style hood scoop set up.
 
Six-pack is pretty much all for looks compared to the options available nowadays for single or dual 4-bbl setups. you can tune a properly-sized modern 4-bbl to get good gas mileage and pretty much the same performance.

My choice would be a vac. secondary holley-based carb with around 900 cfm rating
 
If this was a stock stroke 440, I'd have no issues at all with the 3x2 setup, just for the cool factor.

The long stroke with the 512 kind of throws a wrench into that to me. How stout are you planning to build this.....Heads, compression, cam?

With a mild build, kind of like a massive torque, low rpm engine, the 6pk may be workable. If you're going big in any of the above mentioned criteria, you'd have to do some serious carb tuning to fill the higher rpm needs. Let's face it, that center 2bbl will be nice for cruising, but only go so far when you use some serious pedal.

If this turns out to be a fairly stout engine, I'd probably look at a single carb...

By the way, don't worry about the 3.23's. Nothing a proper converter can't overcome no matter which way you go.
 
single 4 would make more HP with less hassle. That said I'm happy i ditched it and went with this older mechanical Holley setup, it rated at about 1,100 cfm and is much more tunable than the stock 950cfm vacuum setups. My 360 loves this setup! The stock BB intakes work well and will get you deep in the 10's with minimal work. The mechanical carbs pop up for sale time to time for around the $700 to $800 range. Here is a link to my rebuild of these carbs.
http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=275946&highlight=4782
 

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I'm planning on going somewhere in the 9.5:1 CR with a set of edelbrock alum cylinder heads that will at a min be port matched. I haven't really dug into the cam or converter decision yet. I don't plan on turning the motor pass 6000-6500 I love big low end tourq motors which is what I plan on making this motor. I also like the idea of a choaked carb just from an easy starting/drivability prospective. I know 440 source said I would need at least 950cfm for this motor on the street which is a harder number to reach with out going to a dominator set up.
 
charger426 said:
I'm planning on going somewhere in the 9.5:1 CR with a set of edelbrock alum cylinder heads that will at a min be port matched. I haven't really dug into the cam or converter decision yet. I don't plan on turning the motor pass 6000-6500 I love big low end tourq motors which is what I plan on making this motor. I also like the idea of a choaked carb just from an easy starting/drivability prospective. I know 440 source said I would need at least 950cfm for this motor on the street which is a harder number to reach with out going to a dominator set up.
Click to expand...

get on hughs engines web site. they have some good articles about dyno tests on various intake and carb systems. the 6 pack fools a lot of people. the dave hughs and the boys are pretty darn smart, take what they tell you to the bank!!----bob
 
I've been collecting the parts for a stock stroke 440 six pack
myself. Piece from here and there over time. I found a set of the mechanical carbs as pictured above for a lower price
than I could find the factory carbs. They should be more compatible with a non stock engine. Haven't run them yet
to give a reveiw but most seem to like them.
 
for the 6pak money you could go efi.

4bbl would be to save money.

EFI are what many are going to nowadays, as the price has come down some. works better than carbs, easier to tune and better mpg. and more power.
again 4bbl carb is by far the cheapest route. 6pak you will be buying lots of doodads
 
ssba said:
I've been collecting the parts for a stock stroke 440 six pack
myself. Piece from here and there over time. I found a set of the mechanical carbs as pictured above for a lower price
than I could find the factory carbs. They should be more compatible with a non stock engine. Haven't run them yet
to give a reveiw but most seem to like them.
Click to expand...

Sounds like you did/are doing what I want to do with my motor. Hence why I would rather decide now what I want for this motor so I can find pieces here and there for cheep.
 
moparlover said:
for the 6pak money you could go efi.

4bbl would be to save money.

EFI are what many are going to nowadays, as the price has come down some. works better than carbs, easier to tune and better mpg. and more power.
again 4bbl carb is by far the cheapest route. 6pak you will be buying lots of doodads
Click to expand...

The money is really the biggest block for me. While I have the money to do the 6pak set up it is a TON more than just a simple 4bbl. Thats not even factoring in how much I could save by buying used on the 4bbl rout vs the 6pak.

As far as EFI while that is were most are going I still love carbs. They just make more sense to me and I really enjoy the art of getting a carb just right. BTW before you jump on me for being some old dude stuck in my ways I'm only 24 and just enjoy rebuilding/tuning carbs more than EFIs.
 
charger426 said:
Sounds like you did/are doing what I want to do with my motor. Hence why I would rather decide now what I want for this motor so I can find pieces here and there for cheep.
Click to expand...

It can be done without putting a whole bunch of money into
It at one time. It is how I am still doing it. You will probably
have as much or more in it when done as if you just bought
a complete kit.
There is a lot of parts that go into it that you don't think about
when you start out with just a manifold. Things like the coil brackets and return spring and bracket. I am still buying small stuff like the lines. Wait till you find out what the filter element
cost.
The trick is to have your list and be patient, the deals will come around on a used part. I put the items I needed on my
Ebay watch list and waited for the cheaper than average
winning bid. It has taken a great deal of time.
Overall I am happy with the setup I am ending up with.
I will post a picture up.
 
Here's a picture of the six pack I pieced together over the last
4 or so years. I made it harder to accomplish than it needed to be by choosing to go with the old chrome direct connection parts.
It will be easier and cheaper to find the stock painted tin parts.
Good thing is you should be able to get this style carbs cheaper since they differ from the stock carbs and most buyers are building to OEM. The fuel lines are on the driver side rather than the passenger side like OEM. The best thing
about them is they have accelerator pumps on the outboard
carbs. They behave similar to a performance Holley double pump carb. I guess you could think of them as a triple pumper.
 

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Weiand also made a six pack manifold I had considered going
with but chose not to as it had driveability issues. They required dams and modifications done to get the fuel distributed equal to each cylinder. More of a super stock race only part that I didn't care to deal with on the street.
 

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You might check through FBBO. Usually a bunch of six pack stuff there.
 
charger426 said:
I'm planning on going somewhere in the 9.5:1 CR with a set of edelbrock alum cylinder heads that will at a min be port matched. I haven't really dug into the cam or converter decision yet. I don't plan on turning the motor pass 6000-6500 I love big low end tourq motors which is what I plan on making this motor. I also like the idea of a choaked carb just from an easy starting/drivability prospective. I know 440 source said I would need at least 950cfm for this motor on the street which is a harder number to reach with out going to a dominator set up.
Click to expand...

The OE 6 pack carbs flow something like IIRC, 780 in 4 bbl. ratings.
Hughes engines did some 6 pack dyno tests where they did very well.

I myself am doing a 360-6 pack. I waited and waited for good deals on NEW parts only.
I put my entire OE 6 pack togther for approx. $1200. Web searches have turned up dealers dumping there stuff, fire house sales, out of biz sales, etc...
Year One once has a snow bound sale when Ga. Was shut down for (IIRC) 2 weeks. Nothing moved out of the Year One store and they were itching to move stuff. Scored a '73 Cuda front and rear valances for $200 to the door!
Due note that I have nothing but time to burn in waiting. And I can wait.

It is my opinion that not only can a 6 pack perform and do it well, but they are limited. High limits IMO, but non the less, it should be considered in and as the entire package to work well.

I often tell people that you do things like a 6 pack because you want to. You have to want to do it. And not worry about it. The WOW factor is great and fine but it is also the least reason I'm doing it. I've always wanted one. It'll be sitting under my AAR Cuda hood, nice and snugly. And if no one see's it, that's fine, they'll just be victim to it.
 
Thanks for all the feed back guys. If I could hunt and find a six pack set up for 1200 for new parts or less for used parts that might need a rebuild the six pack would be a done deal for me.

SSBA that air cleaner lid looks really cool. I'm thinking I want to make this car look stock (hence the question about the hood clearance) always love the sleeper look :)

Guess its time to hunt for a six pack set up!
 
If you're gonna be dating, you're gonna want nice ABS....
 
I saw a Demon "Six Shooter" setup for sale recently...any thoughts or insights?
 
Haven't heard anything positive about the six shooter set up. A lot of people have had a lot of set up problems and they are mechanical not vacuum for the outboard carbs if that matters to you.
 
Keep hunting around for parts and do not be In a hurry to do anything except wait.
It took a long time, a couple of years, to find cheap prices on parts. If you wait and hunt constantly, you find biz'z folding or just dumping parts, guys that change directions or just getting rid of old but never used stuff. They just want there money back.

Some great deals I have found come from waiting and searching and waiting. Get to know as many MoPar heads in your area as you can. Also, have cash to spend when you find the deal because he who waits will loose!

I have gotten;
A rebuilt & fully ready to go 8-1/4-$100
A near mechanically perfect '72 LeMans for a case of beer.
(Rolled in a DWI)
A '73 Tempest for the asking. (Needed a C clip)
A '73, 318 Duster with a 3 spd suregrip 3.21 w/ a fold down read seat and moon roof, half Landau for cleaning a garage out and getting rid of a Ford Granada. 3 hours time.
A '66 S/S Impala for $100, VERRY little rust and a excellent interior.
1.000 CFM race TQ and tuning kit to my door for $200
An MP Pro modified LD-340, $100
Hooker Super Comp 1-3/4 B,E body for $300, NEW IN BOX to my door.
There currently as pricey or more than TTI's right now.
(Those last 4 are a awesome set and a screamer of a combo on my last car! OMG THAT SOUND!)

Keep looking and be ready to buy.
 
I picked up my ta 340 6 pack engine in amc sx4/eagle running for 1600 off craigslist 2 years back.

I was going to go the normal 4 barrel route but kept the 340/6 pack set up. Car runs great with it after I tuned on it. Took some time but it pulls hard, idles great and just a nice sey up
 
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