A friend is finishing up a 588 CID engine with B-1 original heads and KB aluminum block and needs a starting point for setting the ignition timing for the first day at the track (week or two).

The B-1 heads are milled to 63cc, so plenty of quench.
15 CR with flat top pistons, and 588 CID (4.5" bore x 4.625 stroke)
Roller cam, 279/293 at 0.050", 112 LSA, 110 ICL, 0.800"/0.760" with 1.7 rockers
Alcohol carb

What B-1 experience is there to share?

I run close to the same engine, just smaller (512). I run 32.5-33 degrees anymore and the power falls off a little.

You do have some oil drain back lines don’t you?


Joe

What he said ^, And double on the return lines!

on the B1 motor I built and dyno tested last year with two #8 return lines per head I had one pull that got extended do to operator error and we ended up filling the valve covers with oil enough to make it leak out the breathers with a 10 quart oil pan I used 90 degree elbows on the hoses to clear everything instead of 90 sweep ends The next B1 motor will have sweep ends instead of elbows

I just finished dyno'ng mine 528c.i. 14:1 compression on race gas. 33 degrees was the sweet spot. We also had oil drain back issues. We had to restrict the oil to the rockers and have since went to -10 drain back lines.

The more efficient your combo gets, the less timing it will require. I wouldn't be surprised if this thing ended up with 28-30* for best power.

FWIW our 525B1 made almost 1100 last time it was freshened and made max power at 32. Have done two others since one a 572 with near that compression and it was max power at 33 and also did a low deck 572 that made max power at 32 as well.

Interesting amount of split on the camshaft. And he is going to need a really big carb on there! Might be time to step up to one of those 1450 Dominators or something like that.

No idea on the ignition timing other than starting in the low 30's and working from there.

Think mine was 32 or 33 on the dyno.

common shaft rocker setup....does it oil through the head?

I have no idea but I wish that engine was mine.

Yes he has oil drain back lines for the heads to the top/back of the oil pan (see fitting on oil pan in the pic). It has the T&D common shaft rockers that oil from the block/cam like a factory engine. He ran that cam before with these heads in a 511 CID. I didn't notice if the cam has the number 4 journal grooved or not (hopefully not, IMO). In its prior life, the oil drain back lines were in the front of the heads, and we moved them to the rear and added the fittings in the oil pan, the chassis has lots of room between the heads and the firewall.

It has one of those strange looking SV carbs with one big hole and fuel bars. He has been running the carb for awhile and I bet it flows around 1200 cfm, but it is still a single carb, cast, B1 intake.

He might be able to run the car at the Mopar event at Maryland International Raceway this Sat, Oct 29. But it may not be ready, he hasn't started the engine yet...

Thanks for the timing input. I was thinking around 32 also.

If he has excess oil to the heads, the next time the heads come off he can put screw in restrictors in the block. The KB block comes with those oil holes already tapped. I didn't think about it during the build since he ran those heads, cam, and lines before and he never complained.

It is a black 1964 Plymouth Sport Fury, full chassis car, that is all sheet metal body. I forget the weight exactly, but as I recall it is around 2600 lbs with big driver. PG trans. Wild guess at power for the new motor should be close to 1000 ???

{He might be able to run the car at the Mopar event at aryland International Raceway this Sat, Oct 29.}


Good deal Jim...will see you guys Saturday at MIR or MDIR or whatever it's called now days....LOL

I'll be looking for it!

T&D usually oil thru the pushrods don't they? For an engine like that I'd expect a bunch of valve spring pressure so pushrod oiling might be the way to go. You could then restrict the feed hole from the cam and keep more oil for the main bearing. Just one of those things to keep an eye on. If the pushrods aren't turning blue and the bearings are happy then he probably doesn't have an issue.

My T&D rockers with paired shafts (1 per cyl) for 440-1 heads oiled through the pushrods. But his T&D common shaft (1 per head) for B-1 heads oil from the stock location. Interestingly, they do use ball-ball pushrods.

I think he has close to 800 lbs open on the intake (0.800" lift), and slightly less on the exhaust (0.760" lift). Same springs, cam, heads, etc as his previous 511 and it didn't have problems. I did convince him to order the KB block with the lifter oil galley option for any future pushrod oiling build he might have. He is using the pushrods from the previous engine, but he said he may order new ones during the winter. If he orders pushrods with the oil hole so the rockers adjusters get oil from both, will that cause any issues? But it may put too much oil in the heads.
We will take a close look at the pushrods after a few days of racing before ordering anything.

My heads are tapped for a restrictor right under the rocker stand. I can just pull the rockers and change it if I need to. If you do the passage in the block and get the size wrong the heads need to come off again.

B1HeadUser, thanks for the tip.

I just got off the phone with the owner.
He started the engine and checked for leaks, so far so good.
The timing light said 33 degrees, and he is going to start with that.
The track has a test and tune on Friday night, so after work he is going to make some easy passes. Check hot lash, etc. (aluminum block and heads). He set the valve lash about 0.014" tighter then spec when cold. I plan to attend with him.

Wish him good luck !
Looking forward to the Mopar race on Saturday.