street 440 build?

[hot440roddin]

I'm in south GA.

I finally got around to being able to check my heads, I was right, they are 452 castings, they also appear to be all original, though I don't think the intake it, and I'm fairly certain that the water pump housing isn't either.... Then again, the whole motor could have been repainted street hemi orange and the blue or turquoise was covered up.... Don't really know, don't really care.

[hot440roddin]

I got to wondering a few minutes ago about weight. Obviously these motors are quite heavy, and the factory rotating assembly is heavy too. Since I am going to be going with a light weight forged flat top piston (preferably full floating pins), what will be my best bet?
1: factory rods (assuming nothing wrong with them, then, new ARP hardware, and perhaps polished)
2: Aftermarket H beam rods
3: Aftermarket I beam rods

I'm trying to figure which will be my best bet, and hopefully the lightest rotating weight. Cost is still an issue, so please, no billet rods, lol. I've still not heard anything back from any companies other than KB....

[Chryco Psycho]

LY rods are adequate , relatively light & strong ,just replace the rodbolts

[hot440roddin]

Providing that the rods check out fine, don't see why they wouldn't, these would be find for my application, correct?
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/ARP-145-6002/

[Chryco Psycho]

those bolts will be fine 

[hot440roddin]

I had heard somewhere about polishing factory rods, what's the point in that? I figured that the point of polishing something was to make it look good, but since the rods are in the block, you want see them, so what's the point of polishing the rods? Provided the rods check out fine, and I'm sure they will, I'll ge those bolts to replace the factory ones.

[Chryco Psycho]

you can remove the casting flash from the sides of the beams with a die grinder , this will stress relieve the rods & lighten them a little as well , I generally remove the material in only one direction

[hot440roddin]

Thanks for letting my know that. I've already got the rod bolts on the way (the ones listed above), but still have not heard anything back from any of the piston manufactures (other than KB).....

[hot440roddin]

Well, I finally got over to one of the two machine shops that I would use in the place that I live. Been told about another up the road from me, but couldn't find the place so.... I asked about checking the combustion chamber of the heads to see what they're at, boring the block, line honing it for use with new main studs, clean and magna fluxing it, checking the rods and installing the new rod bolts, remove old pistons (might have bushings installed on the rods for use with floating pistons, but if this is done, will it require the .990 pin instead of the 1.09 pin?), and some other stuff.... Now the bad part, though they do bore the cylinders based on the crank center line (rather the the deck), they don't have a deck plate to distort the block to hone it with.... Wonder if anyone around here has one, since this place doesn't. The guy said the normally only get like one or two BB Mopar motors through each year so they have not bought one.... I guess I can't blame them since the price versus profit wouldn't be in their favor.... I hope the other place has one otherwise I'm not sure what I'm gonna do because I want one bolted to the block to distort it so when the heads are on there, the piston rings will have a better chance of sealing better. Anyway, I already have the ARP rod bolts, and am planning on getting the ARP main studs (they list two, one for use with a windage tray, and one without windage tray, I will be putting new tray on the motor, but it bolts to the oil pan rail, not the main studs, so what gives with this option, which one is right for my application?) and I will have new cam bearings installed, but which ones would be the better choice for this motor? I've seen several different ones out, and different styles, but which set? I'm thinking the Clevite Tri Metal bearings throughout this motor is the way to go... As for gaskets, still undecided between the FelPro and Cometic sets.... Other than the carb base gasket(s), oil pan gaskets, and exhaust gaskets, I'll need a complete set, and each seems to have a different contents. But this much I'm sure of, since I'm going with factory iron heads and iron block, I don't see the need in an MLS head gasket, so.... Any info?

[Chryco Psycho]

I can see a different listing for the main studs in a small block , are you sure the listing is different for the big block , it doesn't make sense that they would be different ??
Clevite / Michigan 77 are a premium quailty brg , you will not have a problem with them .
Either the Cometic or Fel Pro gaskets are top quailty so go for best price . the MLS gasket is not nessisary , Mopar had a steel shim head gasket available for $28 but they changed the part # & the price is now $200  , Mr Gasket has the same stell shim gasket for $45 range available , it is only .020 thick & heps to keep the compression up
there are a lot of mixed opinions on the deck plate , it is a good idea but the 440 block is very ridgid & is not absolutly nessisary

[hot440roddin]

Here are the two that Summit lists, one appears to be a hex head, and the other a 12 point;
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/ARP-140-5402/
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/ARP-140-5401/
Bad thing is that, on their site, it says neither one works with the windage tray, but I wouldn't think that it would, after all, the windage tray isn't a main girdle. So, I guess the questions would be, would it really matter if it's hex head, or 12 point?
As for the deck plate, if it's not going to matter, then I want worry about it.
As for the bearings, I'll use the Clevite 77's on the rods and mains, but as for the cam, I'm guessing these: http://www.summitracing.com/parts/CLE-SH876S/ would be ok... They are also the only cam bearings that Summit lists, the others are Federal and Dura-bond....
Gaskets, I guess I'll see what I'll see. I'm fairly sure that I can probably find a kit without head gaskets, and go with that steel shim head gasket to help with the compression. I'm assuming that it would be a good idea to get some of that spray on copper stuff for the head gasket to help it seal? I know when I used to work on new cars for a living (quit that field of work though some time back), we were using it on 4 cylinder motors, never had a problem using it, course, those were also mls gaskets... Hate when a company does that with their parts, change a part #, and jack the price up.

[moparniac]

Dont worry about the deck plate..... not really an issue for your setup! 

[Moparal]

Jason, I love that scene....come on Don.   I have a plate and live 2.5 miles from alabama.  I bought it from Direct connection around 20 years ago. It was over 350 bucks back then. I hope to use it on Cudaguys engine in a month or so. HemiGordon goes to Valdosta every week to a base there.

[moper]

ARP has the same kit for Mopars as the small and big blocks use the same main bolts... So you have two listed kits.. with windage tray and without. If you call ARP, there is also a 12pt fastener option. I use the 12pts with small blocks due to oil pump clearance.

On the deck plate. I have one you can borrow if you pay shipping from 06237. It's heavier than a cylinder head and cost me $375 6 ears ago. So be aware shipping aint cheap. In any event, IMO, the plate honing IS important enough to either ship the engine to a shop that has one and does good work, or get the plate.

[hot440roddin]

Heavier than a cylinder head? Jeeze. Didn't realize that they are that heavy.... I didn't get much of a chance to call up the other machine shop today to see what they have, but should have a chance tomorrow sometime. Hopefully they'll have something, otherwise I'll have to go from there... As for the studs, the two that I have listed above through Summit, one is a hex head and the other is 12 point, both say they don't work with windage tray, maybe they are referring to the small blocks? I know this windage tray that I have doesn't even have anything to do with the main caps, nor main cap hardware.... Dun know.    Since I don't foresee any clearance issues, I guess the hex head will be fine for this motor, I just know that I want to do to a main stud instead of going back with a main bolt.... Later on I'll get around to asking about the head bolts by ARP. I am planning on getting one of the ARP engine fastener kits, I Just know that these select bolts don't come in this kit.