Hot Rod Engine Tech 505ci Mopar Stroker Top End Kit

505ci Mopar Stroker Top End Kit

ADDING TRICK FLOW SPECIALTIES CNC 270 POWERPORT TOP END KIT TO A 505ci 440 BASED CHRYSLER 440

Part two of our 440 Chrysler stroker build gets to the meat of this project which was initiated to show the power potential of Trick Flow's PowerPort 270 aluminum cylinder heads. The 270 indicates the 270cc intake port volume. There is also a 240cc version that accepts standard 440 intake manifolds.They can be used on regular 440 builds and any stroker combination you might apply. The 270 PowerPort heads are intended for very high performance street and race versions. They feature raised Max-Wedge style ports and they are compatible with factory style big-block Mopar pistons, roller rockers and headers. They are available as bare castings or fully assembled with three optional spring packages depending on your requirements.They have larger 1.34 x 2.63 -inch fully CNC'd raised ports that require a Fel Pro 1218 gasket set for use with Trick Flow's high port Track Heat single four barrel intake manifold.

Trick Flow's PowerPort 270 heads are competition CNC ported with a port volume of 270cc. Follow this Summit Racing link to review the various spring and valvetrain options available with both the 240 and 270 PowerPort cylinder heads. If you are using the hydraulic roller cam specified in Part 1 of this build, select Option 1 to get the most compatible seat pressure to complement hydraulic lifters. For a race application with solid rollers, select Option 2 or, if using bare castings, outfit your heads with the appropriate valvetrain components for your application. Our heads had the full competition package with Option 2, but switching to street friendly Johnson hydraulic lifters required us to re-configure the spring package. The ideal Option 1 components were back-ordered so we chose a mix of aftermarket parts to get the desired results. Summit was able to accommodate our order change and we'll show you how we adapted for this story.

The competition package features CNC'd 78cc chambers with 2.190-inch stainless intake valves and 1.760-inch exhaust valves with blended 45 degree seats and 15 degree valve angles that have five blend cuts into the ports and chambers. The heads come with bronze alloy valve guides and Viton seals. The spark plugs specified for these head are Autolite 3924s.

In setting up the new Isky springs, PN ISK 8205-SP we determined that we had a 2.010-inch installed height with the spring locator in place. The springs were recommended with a 1.970-inch height to give us a hydraulic lifter friendly 133 pound on the seat and 410 over the nose with .600-inch valve lift. Rather than use shims, we opted to use Comp 609-16 valve locks which are recessed .050-inch to accommodate lash caps. Lash caps were not necessary here, but these valve locks had the effect of pushing the retainer lower and compressing the spring to the desired 1.970-installed height without shimming the springs.

Since we were replacing the springs and setting up new ones, we decide to check the guide clearances while the heads were bare. They seemed good for a street use, but for a higher performance application we decided they were a little too tight especially on the exhaust side. You're likely to never have a problem, but we decided to open them up a couple more tenths and three tenths on the exhaust guides. This vehicle will experience some drag racing application, but also a lot of street and road time. so we preferred a few tenths more. It should be emphasized that this was a personal preferece. Trick Flow's guide clearance is perfectly adequate and they have experienced no issues with them.

Next, we mocked up to determine the required pushrod length. We cut the decks .020-inch and we're using a .040-inch Cometic MLS head gasket and Johnson Lifters hydraulic lifters so we had to accommodate the deck cut, the gasket thickness and the cup height in the chosen lifters. The pushrod length checker indicated a require length of 8.706-inch. This was measured with a 5/16 cup style top and a 5/16 ball inserted into the cup. The final height was figured by subtracting half of the ball diameter. This provided the effective length which is the length Manton Pushrods prefers when determining the final length for them to build. We could have done fine with 8.700-inch, but Manton hit them right on the money with our measured 8.706-inch. And they had them ready in two days. Trick Flow clearances the heads for 3/8-inch diameter pushrods so we ordered Manton's 3-Series, 3/8 by.095-wall with EFF 5/16 cups on the top.

Top quality Manton pushrods and the pushrod length checker used to home in on the required length. Trick Flow engineers encountered a significant difference in the cup height on different brand roller lifters. That's why it is important to check for the exact dimension with these heads, Harland Sharp shaft rockers, and in this case, the Johnson hydraulic lifters we used for this build.

Manton Pushrods says the best way to home in on the ideal pushrod length with Mopar cup style pushrods is the measure the total length from zero lash on the lifter with the appropriate size metal ball inserted in the checking pushrod cup. Then subtract one half of the ball diameter to determine the effective length. The length we measured gave us full thread engagement of the adjusters in the Harland Sharp roller rockers and plenty of clearance between the back side of the rocker arms and the pushrod cup adjuster interface. You can also measure the pushrod checker without the ball inserted, but you have to let Manton know that's how you did it and they will compensate for it. Follow the link in the Sources bar below and call their tech line if you need help.

With these Johnson lifters and the proper length Manton pushrods we achieved the best possible rocker arm geometry with the roller tip using only a small amount of space on the center of the valve tip. This is not only good for consistent valve action, it is also easier on the guides because the valves stems are not cocked during the valve event.

PowerPort Head Spring Options. You must specify according to your application and lifter type. Option 2 is for solid rollers only.

Trick Flow specifies its 1.5-ratio Harland Sharp shaft-mounted roller rockers for use with the TFS cylinder heads. The shaft saddles are machined to optimize the roller tip to valve tip interface for best geometry. The Isky springs we selected due to the parts shortage of PAC springs provide 133 pounds on the seat and 410 over the nose which complement the hydraulic roller lifters.

Another important thing to remember on any Mopar build is to install a new oil pump shaft guide bushing. This ensures proper mating at the pump/shaft connection allowing it to run true. It also maintains the position of the bronze distributor gear, making it less likely to wear poorly against the cam gear over time. Basham Motorsports uses a homemade brass drift tool machined down to fit inside the bushing to drive it into the block.

If you're using the standard port 240 PowerPort heads you can use the stock style tin valley cover with double intake gaskets shown on the left. The raised port 270 PowerPort heads require the use of the machined aluminum valley cover plate and its accompanying larger port intake gaskets seen on the right. In this case the valley plate must be installed prior to installing the cylinder heads. The ends are sealed with a 1/8-inch bead of silicone sealer. When installing each head, another bead of silicone is applied to the beveled edge on each side of the valley cover. Add a small bit extra at each corner. Then install the head, allowing it to compress the fresh sealer. To ensure a leak free install, do not trim the sealer after it hardens. A removable center cover is provided so you can access the lifters during a camshaft change. It seals with an O-ring that you cut to fit into the receiver groove as shown. Dab a small bit of silicone where the ends of the O-ring meet to ensure a good seal. It''s one trick piece that is functional and really adds to the visual appeal of your engine.

Prior to buttoning up the removable valley cover we poured a quart of Driven BR40 Breakin Oil over the lifters and the distributor and oil pump drive gear. Seven more quarts were added to a Summit Racing Preoiler to pressurized the system prior to startup. Milodon's Pro street oil pan calls for seven quarts including the filter, but we added another quart because we are using a remote oil filter with long feed lines.

Trick Flow's Track Heat aluminum intake manifold is specifically designed for the PowerPort 270 cylinder heads. We used all ARP fasteners on this build incluing an ARP Accessory bolt kit with all stainless fasteners to dress up the outside of the engine.

Instead of drilling both of the Trick Flow valve covers for a breather and PCV valve, We modified the lifter valley plate by adding a 90 degree fitting that connects to a billet Trick Flow air/oil separator mounted on the inner fender panel of our 1974 Cuda. For the breather side we installed a ProForm billet Mopar logo breather on the driver's side valve cover. The air/oil separator has a sight gauge so you can tell when to drain it.

Every engine should be pre-lubed prior to the initial fire up. Summit Racing's Engine Preluber/Fluid Transfer unit makes the job easier than ever. The 3 gallon aluminum tank incorporates a 120 psi safety pressure release valve and 1,5-inch 0-150psi gauge. It connects to the engine oiling system via an 6-foot hose with swivel fittings on both ends.

On the ignition side we installed a Summit Mopar Electronic Distributor and electronic ignition box. This polished distributor mimics the look and feel of the original Mopar distributor and feature fully adjustable mechanical and vacuum advance. For the plug wires we chose ACCEL's Extreme 9000 Ceramic 8mm wire set that features high temperature resistant ceramic boots and female socket ends.

Summit Racing's ceramic coated headers are a great affordable deal and the fit and finish is superb. We used Trick Flow specified Cometic MLS multi-layered steel exhaust gaskets and ARP stainless header studs for a perfect seal. We were concerned with header fitment so we selected a set of longer ARP Buick V6 header studs PN 420-1412 to ensure full thread engagement with the steel header gaskets and thick header flange on the Summit headers. An Earl's billet remote oil filter mount was selected to Mount on the Cuda's inner fender panel and we topped it off with a WIX 51060XP high-performance filter.

For clean street performance we selected a set of NGK projected tip R5724-8 resistor plugs. We quickly discoverd that most of the gaps were almost closed up solid, so we gapped them at .034-inch. This reinforces that you always have to check everything. This thing would not have run well at all on initial startup at the dyno.

If you chose the 240 PowerPort heads, you can complement them with an Edelbrock dual plane intake and AVS carburetor or even a Sniper EFI system if you're so inclined. This combination should pump even more low speed torque into the engine.

Here's the completed and aligned front dress system featuring a great looking CVF Racing front pulley kit and Tuff Stuff accessory alternator and power steering pump.

The polished Tuff Stuff one wire alternator and black accented power steering pump and reservoir fit right in with the rest of the black and orange and polished look of the overall engine dress theme. Still very Mopar looking but complemented with high performance front dress components guaranteed to offer top performance.

Here's the complete system viewed from the front. It shows the clean installation, and the photo to the right shows the belt alignment we were able to achieve with the CVF Racing V-Belt Pulley Kit. Note how precise and compact it is with ample clearance for the radiator. With a pulley extension it will easily accommodate a fan and fan shroud should you choose to run one instead of electric fans. We like their serpentine belt kits too, but we chose this one to illustrate what guys on a tight budget can get. It's every bit as shiny and zoomy as a serpentine system, and may be more in line with your budget. Very cool pieces and the perfect complement to the Tuff Stuff alternator and power steering pump unit.

SOURCES
Most of the parts in this build are available directly through Summit Racing and the links below will take you directly to the page for that particular part. If they are not available through Summit, the links take you directly to the
manufacturer's website where you can read their info, peruse their catalog or call their tech line for assistance.