A8 sprint block and W9-RP in drag trim?

Also if you have the timing hardware and cover there should be a special snout where a manual starter tool will engage on the front of the crank it screws to the front of the crank. Thats how these engines are started...

Do you think that a stock style 340 crank will go in this block or am I going to need billet? Also, they had no starter at all on this. Sprint car push started.

I use the same block and w8 heads! Must use a remote waterpump and a midplate for the starter. Blocks require a lot of machining! Use a billet crank but not the lightweight version. Plan on spending a lot of money!

We race these motors in our sprint cars.
1) The A-8 is the newest version. The bottom end looks like a standard Mopar SB. The older blocks had a Hemi style cross bolt bottom end.
2) They have no haraminic balancer. You can't use the sprint car front cover with a balancer.
3) The sprint car front cover only has provisions for a dry sump pump and KSE water pump.
3)The sprint car cranks has a "generic" (Cheby)crank flange. Some have 6 bolts and super lite cranks have 4 bolts. Our aluminum u-joint only use 4 bolts.
4)Mopar Dirt late models mount the dry sump pump and starter on the bellhousing. They use a front cover that looks more like a stock one.
5)These aluminum block are NOT heavy duty. They just have enough meat in them to last a few races. They have have a short life in a sprint car. They develope cracks. Beware buying a used block.
6)A sprint car must pass the scales at 1375 Lbs or DQ. Put one in a 3800 Lb car with a clutch or high stall converter and it'll rip the the block in two at the starting line. I've allready broke off the front mounting ears in a crash.
5)I've throught of converting one of my old motors to a Carb and putting it in a 1600Lb street rod. One of these days I'll bolt up a 727 and see how the starter goes.
Don

So aside from the flange the crank is the same? I would want a normal 6 bolt chrysler flange anyway so my JW wheel would bolt up. I was planning on mocking starter and everything else up in car to check clearance and see what Im going to run into. Thanks

I used to work at Mopar Performance and did the sprint car engines. There appears to be some mis-information on these engines.

The stock 340 Crank & bearings fit these engines. Most sprint car racers make the crank w/ a special rear flange to fit the U-joint that bolts to it.

If you want to run a damper, you need a special timing cover available from Gary Stanton at Stanton Racing (this timing cover also has room to fit a special water pump.

The small Denso style starter fits most small block transmissions & bolts to the transmission - same as all small blocks.

The bell-housing bolt pattern is the same as all small blocks.

Thanks,

Jim