Anyone know the specifics about the SB that Nino Cavallo is running in NMCA Pro Stock. Its a 400 inch dual quad with in a Stratus body.

R4P5

It is an P5 head on an R4 block. Was originally developed by Mopar for Pro Stock Truck with Rick Waters and others. It was the replacement for the W8 stuff they had been using. Cavallo was originally an RWR customer til be went to Book. Awesome parts EXCEPT there are no blocks and you really need the billet head otherwise its a crap shoot on whether they will be good or not. There are a few P5 deals running here in Comp as well, most at 358". It is a very good platform unfortunately with little aftermarket support. Billet heads are produced but blocks are a big issue. Other than possibly a billet block. There was also a "clamshell" version of the P5 head. There is a pair in the classifieds here. There are a few differences in that head and the later P5 stuff. The later heads looks more like an asymetrical 99 Hemi head, which is still used in Pro Stock along with the symmetrical version.

...and there you have it.

Question?
Can a Ritter Block support the P5 head?
I thought a Ritter could be machined to except a Baby Hemi?

More than likely, it would have to be ordered with blank lifter bores and deck surface. However, it would be no good for Aussie Pro Stock and what was Bob Book's NMCA class. The deck height is too high, far, far too high, many of these engines are around the 8.35" deck height. Lower if the casting allowed.

The P5 cast heads tend to crack in the intake bowls, probably what drove companies to make billet versions. VED were the first, although the Slawko offerings are what Bob Book has had success with. CFE offer a billet P5 also. I have been told that MBE make a billet P5, but I've only seen their ported cast heads.

As Al said, blocks are the real issue. The recent castings are flimsy, the take 8 sleeves, an almost complete fill with grout and they still beat the pistons skirts up in half the time.

What are the Aussie using for blocks?

I thought they were using baby Hemi heads on quite a few engines over there.

I believe there are three teams using them. From what I saw at RWR those teams have multiple engines and parts. I recall pallets of heads and blocks at one point on the floor at RWR for one team.

Slawko's heads seem to be the best version going right now. Just not enough parts out there for many to persue this combo. There are a couple of comp teams but they either bought old Pro Stock truck operations or ran PST back in the day. The Mettler Brothers in Cali are one of those teams. From what Ive seen block prep pretty much what has already been said.

Can R3 blocks without the lifter bores bored be used or is the head bolt pattern different also?

I guess there is a possibility that the casting does not have enough meat where the lifters need to go also.

There is a PST with a P5 Patterson motor flying in Comp Eliminator right now. Pretty sure its a 358.

Thanks,
Bill

Isn't this the same type of combo that the copper colored challenger from Texas was running is X275? Marty Pearcy? Whatever happened w/ that car?

Yes he was with billet heads and block as I recall. The car was for sale last year or so. Not sure what happened with it or if Marty still has it..

I always wondered why Jegs still lists some of these blocks and even lists a shipping date.

Pro Stock rules over here mandate a mopar block with a mopar head. So they're in the same boat as everyone else. Billet blocks aren't allowed in the class.

Marty Pearcy runs an aluminium A block, it was some prototype block or something like that.

A partially machined R3 could be used, but the deck height is too tall for these guys.

The current casting blocks are too thin, they will run out eventually. To be as good as the Ford and Chevy blocks, the R4 needs a redesign

I thought there was a guy over on mopar W7-8-9 page working with mopar about getting the casting to have the blocks recast not sure what is going on now when Don Shoemacker deal fell threw i think the block deal fell threw also

Mason Baxter, put in a lot of leg work, tried to obtain all the patterns from Mopar. Despite his efforts, couldn't get it done. He's a pretty stand up guy.
He was looking to do a tall deck 48* R3 block and seeing how he went. No R4 blocks though.

Like Alan said, Mason Baxter is a very stand up guy. He put in a ton of work to buy some surplus parts from Chrysler and distribute them at his costs to other racers.

Bill