I'm sure this has been tried over the years, but please enlighten me.

The 4 inboard head bolt / head stud positions, can you make a wedge block accept Hemi heads ?

I know the main caps won't be the same.

Isn't the only really tricky part the 4 head bolt mounts?

Is it possible, just not feasible or practical ?

Even the motor mounts you can get around.

I would buy the better newer thicker Hemi blocks form World, FHO or Bill Mitchell

they did that in the 70s in pro stock

Look at all the filler in the water jackets on that old pro stock block. The front water jackets on the deck don't line up, so you'll have to do some work there. I think you break into water when you grind the pushrod clearance also. Probably not a huge deal if it's gonna be a dry block/alcohol combo. A little more work if you need a cooling system.

I remember a magazine article years ago about a guy that had a sand rail/dragster that had a modified 400 low deck block to accept hemi heads. Ran it NA, but alcohol injected IIRC. They'd welded tubes in the valley for the inner head studs.

another pic i had,anything can be done if you have enough time and money.looks like they use wrist pins for the tube,this block is a 383.but you would have to build a intake for it

I forgot about the pushrod clearance.

Then the head oil return holes at the block corners. Could use a stud-nut like the Stage V conversion head did, they used a different rocker arm instead of cutting for the pushrod.

what about a cam?

Well it has to be a Hemi cam.

Just build a wedge engine. If you are afraid of going that fast put a throttle stop or a two barrel carb on it.

I've made more power per C.I. with a wedge with good heads than with a gen 2 hemi motor with comparable parts

agree cab,for the money and power cant go wrong with a wedge

I think this conversation was about making a wedge block into a Hemi block not which engine is better.

My question would be a pretty simple one WHY? There are plentiful sources for a new Hemi block these days so why bother. Back in the day it was done out of necessity.

Bigger question, why do we do anything? I’m sure every endeavor in history was asked that same question

For enjoyment, pleasure. But why reinvent the wheel when there is a readily available source for blocks? This was done in the dark ages because there was no option. If it is being done to "save" money then I would have to ask why one would be doing this at all

While I agree completely...if I had the time, skill, and the tools to do the work required, I'd probably try it just for the heck of it.

Everyone's comments are good.

My thinking was, A lot of Street-type Hemi engines are making less than 700 horse,
so a 440 block would be strong enough just for tooling around.

The oil drainbacks at the bottom corners of the hemi heads obviously won't line up w/ the wedge block. You could plug them from the bottom of the head and then drill and tap it from the side for an AN fitting and run hoses down to the pan like on a B1 head.

Never realized how much work it entailed to put Hemi heads on a wedge block. I remember back in the early-mid 80s someone wrote one of the car mags asking about putting wedge heads on a Hemi block. The answer was it would not be a problem and that if they weren't running NASCAR, they must be running 'shine.



Tim