Automotive

The Elcamino had 383 stroker but was built a while back with out much details on the build. We decided to go with 406 cu in aka 6.6 liter built on the ragged edge between a race engine and still being a reliable street car. Here are some shots of the new ...  

what’s the expected torque output ?

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Z28 ?

I can smell the assembly lube and Loctite ... and I can hear Bill saying to the guys at Cars & Coffee — “Honest, these heads came off a Nash ...” Mike

It fought us but we won. Always ugly to see how the sausage is made. ...  

. . . seated next to a couple of car guys. One happened to be a blind engine builder from Bakersfield who specializes in big block Mopars. (He must have employees doing the actual work.) If you think making a watch to your own specs is fun, try building a... 

(Actually I just made that up) because you do need to calculate first, but once calculated you have to make it fit - whether we are talking about piston / valve clearances, timing chain / gear / belt alignment and tension, or just slipping the whole enchi... 

We swapped the 700r for a th400 so we need to get a new drive shaft cut.

. . . for the launch?

. . . mostly to pick his brain about engine components. He seemed tickled to bump into a stranger that shared his interest in Mopar hi-performance. Art

do you have specs on te cam / and what connecting rods you using for this 500 hp build . you chevy guys have it good wit many parts to choose from and low prices , compared to Mopar

Bow tie or die. Cam spec. I will get the rods specs tomorrow. ...  

. . . . An engine builder once told me, "You can build for low end, mid-range, or top. You might be able to get two out of three. You can't get 'em all." This was before computers, of course.

good combo you have there , that El Camino is going to surprise many . looks great as well

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Sbc 406 first start up

. . . on the home computer I'm using at the moment.

youtu.be

Isn't it great when an engine starts and runs for the first time? I never believe it's going to happen, but then it does! Yay! Mike

. . . judging by the volume of the AFR combustion chambers, flat-top Ross pistons, and bore - stroke relationship of a 406 (0.030" over 400, correct?) If that's the case, then I can see why you went with a fairly wide-duration cam with tight lobe separati... 

Correct on every statement you made. 91 pump gas was important as race gas gets super expensive for street car. On the brake we have a hydro boost set up and willwood for the stopping power.

After listening to it, I’d say your engine at idle probably produces vacuum like a diesel (i.e. none!) My Lotus’ wiper linkage once hooked a vacuum line and tore it open. The idle went to pieces, the defrost / heat wouldn’t work and the boost gauge died. ... 

568 being built in the shop. ...  

RB just ain't for rhythm 'n blues . . . this was coming.

That is going to be a monster , one day when I grow up I want to build a 440 , starting with a Mitchel alu block to keep the wieght down for my A body . Nothing like the torque of a big block

. . . line-bored to take a steel 440 crank, sewed up with Milodon four-bolt mains. Nothing stronger than a 400 block. Edelbrock heads - yeah, aluminum up top. And obviously the manifold, too. But bang-for-the-buck, nothing beats a 400/440 combo. So says t... 

Not me! Gratuitous Hot Rod photo ...  

. . . just to dine at Jocko's, reputedly the best steak house west of the Mississippi. We were told there would either be an hour wait for a dining room table, or a table in the bar immediately. So we took the available table. Noisy, TVs, and crammed, but... 

it also give better clearance in the A body, what makes the 400 stronger than the 440 blok , come to think of it have seen quite a few 440 crack the blockat least 3 this year on the yno at my buddies shop. plenty of old 400 blocks around , that is for sur... 

. . . around the mains. When you couple it's shorter height with it's increased strength and modify it to accept a forged 440 crank, the result is > 450 cubes, depending on the overbore.

Eagle are in my engine similar (left) to the scat on the right just weight is removed from the sides. ...  

YOU NEED GOOD RODS IF YOU ARE MAKING 500+HP , I'M USING Molnar billet rods on my build , no point taking chances . I like to build once . Sound healthy on that video . You are running 91 octane gas and you have no pingimg ? lucky I wish i could run the ch... 

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. . . which solves most engine problems, and is even less costly than regular gas. (Lower mileage, though, so net fueling costs are about the same.) I don't know if there's a station in your neighborhood that offers it. There's a couple not ten miles from... 

Not a problem if building and tuning from scratch, but you’ve got to compensate for 10-20% more fuel consumption for the same horsepower, offsetting any saving per gallon. Mike

. . . compression ratio is no longer a limiting factor. An engine with iron heads can spec out at over 11 - 1 and still run without pinging on E85. Aluminum heads, even higher. For guys with muscle cars like Pontiac Super Duty 421s or Mopar 426 wedges, it...