512 with Trick Flow top end

Ran a 512 low deck today with the full Trick Flow top end kit. That includes the 240 heads, intake, cam, lifters, rocker arms, etc. Ran really good, made 630+ hp and 660 torque. Best numbers I've seen so far for a pump gas, hyd cam engine with OOTB heads and intake. The engine was run with a new Holley XP 850 carb that worked just fine right out of the box. Nothing trick in the engine, just good machine work and careful assembly. Engine is going in a Duster, should run 10's without too much trouble, maybe faster if the car is all sorted out.

If you had both B and RB to choose from for blocks, which one would you prefer for this cid?

Did you do any other pulls above 6000 RPM?
I'm wondering at what RPM where the HP would start down the mine shaft

I don't think it matters. The 400 block is probably a little bit stronger but it is easier to find headers for the RB block. So it just depends on the car and what you're doing with it.

No point in pulling this engine past 5800 rpm on the dyno. I suppose a guy could shift it at 6000 at the track but I doubt it would go any faster if it was spun harder.

Andy what is the compression ratio of the engine?

This has always been my favorite kind of combo, simple, affordable, low maintenance, pump gas, and a ton of fun!
I've had 3 motors like this, ran anywhere from 9.80s to 10.60s, sure I could have went more aggressive to go faster but I like the fun factor more than anything else. Nice motor 👍

Shows that if you can live with the lumpier idle, the tighter lsa(TF cam is 108lsa) helps punch up the mid-range power.

Intake manifold ootb or tweaked a little?

What did you do for a baffle for the PCV valve?

Hp/ci almost identical to your 496.

78 Ramcharger. I've purchased the mad dog 2" fenderwell headers, not sure how much leeway there is in their headers for block height differences.
I've talked to a few machine shops about this kind of build, its a 50/50 split it seems, some preferring the long rod and piston, some preferring the shorter 400 for its stronger block and requiring less overbore so cylinder wall strength is greater. I have both blocks, I've been hesitating on dropping a block off to get machined until I pick the heads and see where the exhaust port location is. But I think I could hit my power goals with the 270 , and it says the exhaust port is in the standard location.

Nice!

Yeah it appears that the TF cam adds a little power but I'm not sure what it does to the street manners. On the dyno it works just fine, driving thru a parking lot at 5 mph is the true test. The intake is OOTB. I think the valve covers are from Summit and they have build in baffles but I'm not 100% sure. The customer bought a lot of the parts himself and I wasn't around for the build.

Thanks for posting this Andy! I've been planning to build an engine like this for a while now. Did the customer build his own top end kit? I don't see a low deck kit from TF.

For the fun of it I built the same kit with a low deck intake on the Summit site using all of the parts listed in the RB kit and the price came out almost the same. $3955 vs $3925 for the kit. When I swap out the 240 heads for the 270 heads the price increases about $500 to $4566. Assuming I can get a solid roller cam for about the same price as the hydraulic one in the kit and port the intake to fit the 270 heads, would I see about 80-120 horsepower improvement over Trick Flows kit?

Cool stuff. I like it.

Trick Flow has never released a top end kit for the low deck block but they have almost all the parts on the shelf to make one. The 270 heads will make more power on a 512 than the 240 heads but I'm not sure if you'll see 80-120 hp improvement. I was able to make 750 hp with the 270 heads on a pump gas 470 but it took a lot of work. The Trick Flow intake is too small for the 270 heads so you have to go with an Indy intake. A solid roller will make more power than a hyd roller but you have to be very careful about the cam selection. Trick Flow heads are very picky when it comes to the cam profile.

Thanks! When you say the TF intake is too small. Do you mean too small to make 750hp or to small for the 270 heads? I thought there was enough material to port the intake to the size of the intake ports on the 270.

Both. If you are shooting for 750 hp then skip the TF intake and go straight to an Indy 400-2 or 400-3. You'll most likely also need to get the Indy intake ported to hit the 750 mark with a pump gas 512.

And talk to Dwayne about the camshaft. I was using a 264/268 duration solid roller in my 470 with dual conical valve springs and 1.65 ratio T&D rocker arms. If I was building a pump gas 512 and I wanted to hit 750 hp I'd use the same lobe family but maybe add a little duration. I'd probably use the same springs and rocker arms and I'd use a Wilson ported Indy 400-3 with a 1050 Dominator with 2 inch headers. I'm pretty sure that combo can make 750 hp with the 270 heads.

You could use the Eddy Super Victor , works ok on my 270's

Tex

Edelbrock has never released a low deck Super Victor. If they had I would've used it since the Super Victor is better than the Indy 440-3.

Ooops got caughg with the bounce between b/rb


Tex

Andy can you explain what 2 inch headers play well with the trick flow heads and a low deck block...or anyone that has used them on a low deck and what car you installed them in ..... Thanks