I'm getting a 440 built this winter. I am looking to get 600 horse,
it is going in my 74 duster drag car.

I have;
69 440 HP block.
Steel crank.
440 Source heads
CH28 edelbrock dual 4 intake
Mopar 590 Solid cam
Or a 600 roller, can't remember the exact specs, don't have the spec sheet with me.
PRW Roller Rockers


I still need to buy rods and pistons.
But, I am debating on just getting a stroker kit from 440 source.

I'm shooting for 600hp as I think that is the upper limits of the 440 source heads, maybe I'm wrong-just my opinion.

I don't want to break the bank but I do want a solid engine that will run for years.
Any thoughts or advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Pete

i would go with the stroker, & to get that kind of hp the 440 source heads will need port work,out of the box they flow about 267 cfm,you need about 290cfm
if your talkin a real 600 hp,that would make a 3300lb car go 10.3@130

If it truly is a .600 ROLLER you money would be well spent on a REAL set of rockers. Those cheap chinese junk rockers are begging to cause havoc. That big a roller your money is well spent on Harland Sharps.

stroker kit will get you a more streetable 600hp , a 600hp 440 is fairly radical , invest in a decent set of rods if you stay at 440 inches .

If you truley want to cross the 600 horse threshold, I'd re-conisider the source heads. I'm not a source head basher! In fact, I have a set myself on my 451 and think they were a GREAT buy. But I think if you're serious about 600 horsepower, you should be looking at some Indy EZ's or even something in the raised port variety??. The basic recipe you've outlined sofar, is more likely in the 550 horse range, IF you go to 12:1 compression or more. If you want pump gas to be an option (10.3:1), you're likely around 525 horse. I suppose 600 horse is doable with a set of CNC'd source heads, but you'd likely be at their max right away. I'd advise to spend your money on something that isn't maxed out.

You also mentioned reliability. More cubes means hitting any given performance level with a little milder combo than less cubes could. milder = more reliable. So, your question of "should I stroke": Not absolutely necessary, as a 3.75 stroke 440 can hit 600hp, but its gonna be a handful that lives a little closer to the edge, While a 493 or 512 combo would hit the same numbers and be a little more reliable and livable. So in essence, the choice is yours. The heads will also make the most of whatever you build down below them, so again, stealth heads just dont seem to fit the bill for a 600 horse race motor to me.

You'll have no shortage of info coming on this thread, though. Since building a 600 horse / 10 second 440 has been done a zillion times, so people here will know what works and what doesn't.

Have fun!, and good luck with your goals

Thanks, thats exactly what I am looking for. I don't want to do this with unrealistic expectations. If in the end I can only get 550, well thats the way it is, but this way I know going in what others have done, and what has worked.

Pete

talk to Deaks on here,i think he has a stock stroke 440 in a late sixties Dart runs into the 10's.
don't think the heads will cut it without a lot of work.
i have the source heads on my 440 +0.055.with a pocket port only i make around 520-530HP.they seem to have hit their current limit at this,have tried 3 cams and 3 different intakes with no appreciable gain.
next year i hope to step up to better heads then maybe more cubes.

Tex

I got very close to the 600 HP mark with my engine that had Stealth heads. 69' 440 block + .030", MP .590 solid lift cam, Ohio Crankshaft H-beam rods (standard length), Ross Domed pistons, stock stroke, stock forged crankshaft, Team-G intake and a 1050 dominator. The car is a '72 Barracuda, SS leaf springs w/ MP "50/50" long shocks, 11.5 X 29.5 tires, 6 cyl torsion bars up front w/ Calvert shocks, 4:56 Dana, 727 trans w/ a Turbo Action manual valve body and a Turbo Action #17509J converter. Weight was 3100 lbs. I was able to get this car consistantly to go 10.5x's/6.4x's.
The heads had very little port work done to them, mostly in the bowl area to clear the piston dome, then blended. I wound up with approx 585 hp and more torque than you would ever need.
The one thing that I will strongly suguest is for you to plan on installing a main stud girdle at the VERY LEAST. I broke a main cap during the first season. Billet main caps would be even better.
If I forgot anything, just ask.

Brian Dunnigan

I don't know how much hp it takes but my 73 dodge dart that weighs 3520 with me in it has ran a best of 10.66 at 124 in the 1/4. it has a 0.030 over 440 that is run on 93 pump gas. My friend that weighs 110 pounds less than me ran two back to back 10.49 at 125 in the 1/4 last weekend. the heads are a set of stock port Indy ez heads that have been very mild ported in the bowls. Mopar65

I'm hoping to get the results that 72CudaRacer got. The girdle is a great idea and a must, so I will do that. I'm hoping that if I go with the roller cam instead of my 590 solid It will get me to the 600 mark. I bought the PRW rockers and 590 cam on here about two years ago. It was from Gary ?? in the Indianapolis area. If I remember correctly the parts only had dyno time on them for an engine buildoff (I think). But if the PRW rockers aren't very good I won't chance it and i'll get something else.

If anyone knows of Don Dulmage who who built the 440 that was in Mopar Muscle about 15years ago, he called it "Old Reliable", he also published a small book. He was able to get 550hp out of a 440, 906 heads, flat top pistons. Anyway I thought about duplicating what he did, all the particulars are in his book and it is very tempting to do. I might do that later for a street engine.

Thanks again to all replies.
Pete

Have you considered going with a 400 based stroker? If you are going to buy a kit, and want 600 hp you can build a 512 inch motor and make your power at or below 6,000 rpm. Other advantages are you will have more header options with raised port heads should you ever go that way. You should be able to build a 400 stroker 25 to 50 lbs lighter also. Your parts may be worth enough for it to be an advantage if you can find a good 400 block cheap. I have two 400 shortblocks, but am about 600 plus miles away.

I do have options, I have 4 complete 400s, 3-440s. So, I could go with a 400 if I decide to go with a stroker kit. I haven't bought rods or pistons yet so I'm not locked into any particular path.....yet.

i haven't completely read all the replies and i'm not going against any of them but i don't think 600 is all that hard to get.

the 451 in the sig car has home ported RPMs, ross FT pistons, around 11.5:1 CR, .585/.585-275°/275° flat tappet, HS 1.5 rockers and an M1 4150 intake with a 950 HP carb. car weighs around 1800# with me in it and runs 160 mph all the time (best of 162) so it has to be close to 600 HP.

not everyone has the budget to make changes but imho i would NOT use that manifold, those rockers or those heads in that order. unless there's some reason you really want or have to use that manifold get rid of it pronto.

you say this is a drag car so you don't have to worry about constraints you would with a street car

also if you have a performance target in mind remember there are a lot of other parts surrounding the engine that should not be overlooked

Y'know, if I had to fit the motor into an A-body, the 400 block will make for a narrower & shorter motor than the 440 block, which might make more room for headers. Last guy I knew running a 440 A-body in NHRA Stock Eliminator said that the tight packaging meant his headers (Hookers, IIRC) were a 40-HP "cork" compared to headers (probably for a B-body) on the dyno. That was several years ago, however. You might want to look into header availability for various head/block combos.

Get the source heads ported, with a 590 or a similar roller you can get close to 600hp easy-------and a stroker kit from them would be nice

I will cause some crying and butt-hurting with this comment : ive never had any problem with my stroker kit from 440 Source. Neither has anyone I know.

Still beating on it since 2008.

I don't think that CH28 intake will support 600HP either.

Sheldon

If were me I would get a set of Super Victor Max Wedge heads and the Super Victor Intake 4500. Get a good roller cam and build something around 500CID. This kind of combo will get 600 all day long.

The steath heads are just a 906 aluminum head.

One more thing I would use aluminum caps and forget the girdle.

Good luck! Keep us posted.

the stealth is nothing like a 906

Good luck making 600 with them.

ok