BUMP!!!!
After sitting on my hands (read: saving money) for a year and a half my dad and I finally brought the block into the shop (Mopar Engines West in Newark, CA)! The plan is to make a 451 stroker!
I have a lot of parts purchased, even more spec'd out.
I am now trying to finalize cam selection... After hearing horror stories of hydraulic rollers with sticky seats and hydraulic flat tappets flattening cams, Angie at MEW has convinced to (at least) look at solid flat tappet cams (with EDM solid lifters). I am curious, what is the max duration I can go and still get good vacuum for the brakes? I have usually tried to limit myself to 230 deg @ .050". Is this too conservative?
I have looked at Hughes cams which seems to offer only too high of a duration (237+ @ .050) and Comp who offers too low of a lift (<.500"). Lunati seems to be in the middle, but doesn't offer many high-lift AND short-dur choices... Pretty sparse. I will look into Engle... any particular choices I should be looking at?
I also got to thinking about torque converters: I will probably need to update my torque converter for the new engine/cam, so.... Does anybody know of a good quality, low buck place to buy torque converters? I took at a peak at B&M, but was suprised to see they wanted $700+ for a converter. A quick search brought up JW Performance who wanted ~$350. Do you get what you pay for? Experiences?
Thanks! As usual, you guys
!
Thanks again,
Evan