Mighty Mopar Muscle - The Engines
Page 3
These high-performance parts
consisted of redesigned cylinder heads having larger-diameter
exhaust valves (from 1 .60 to 1 .74 inches), and recontoured
ports. Heavy-duty valve springs and rocker arms were employed.
The camshaft from the high-performance 440 was also used. Atop
the engine sat a Carter AVS four-barrel carburetor and a new,
dual-plane intake manifold. The air cleaner was unsilenced and
the engine, naturally, used dual exhaust. The rating for this 383
was deliberately conservative; 335 hp at 5200 rpm with 425
pounds-feet of torque at 3400 rpm. In totally stock trim, the
engine was capable of launching the Road Runner or Coronet Super
Bee through the quarter-mile timing Iights at nearly 100 mph with
an elapsed time of between fourteen and fifteen seconds.
Specifications for this engine remained unchanged for 1969.
In 1970, all three 383's had
lowered compression ratios. The twobarrel V-8 was now at 8.7:1,
but it still put out 290 hp at 4400 rpm,as it had the previous
two years. This engine could now run on regular fuel. The two
high-performance four-barrel versions had com pression ratios of
9.5:1 . Their horsepower and torque ratings remained the same,
however, as did their premium fuel requirements. In addition, the
335-hp 383 was switched to a Holley four-barrel carburetor.
In 1971,the high-performance 383
was detuned. Both the two-barrel and four-barrel 383's that year
had their compression ratios lowered to 8.5:1 to run on regular
fuel. The two-barrel V-8 was rated at 275 hp at 4400 rpm with 375
pounds-feet of torque at 2800 rpm. The four-barrel 383 had 300 hp
at 4800 rpm with 410 pounds-feet of torque at 3400 rpm.
This was the last year of 383
production. Over three million 383's had been built by the end of
1971. Thus, Mopar hot rodders looking for a cheap and plentif ul
engine to bring back to life could do no better than the
venerable 383.
In 1972, the 383 was replaced by
the 400-ci V-8. The higher displacement was achieved by
increasing the bore to 4.34 inches. The 400 V-8 was essentially a
smog motor, having a compression ratio of 8.2:1.
There were two 400 V-8's offered by both
Dodge and Plymouth in 1972. The two-barrel V-8 had a net
horsepower rating of 190 at 4400 rpm, and 310 pounds-feet of torq
ue at 2400 rpm. The four-barrel 400 developed 255 hp at 4800 rpm
with 340 pounds-feet of torque at 3200 rpm. Engines equipped with
the California Emissions Package had nine fewer horsepower and
five pounds-feet less torque. The four-barrel 400's that were
equipped with the TorqueFlight automatic transmission were built
with cast cranks rather than the forged cranks used in the
four-speed manual transmission cars.
The number of 400 versions in 1973
increased to five, but not all were available in the performance
B-body Mopars. The first two-barrel 400 developed 175 hp at 3600
rpm and 305 pounds-feet of torque at 2400 rpm. Right behind it
was another two-barrel 400 with ten more horsepower and five more
pounds-feet of torque. There were th ree fou r-barre1400's These
were rated at 220 hp at 4000 rpm with 310 pounds-feet of torque
at 3200 rpm; 245 hp at 4800 rpm with 325 pounds-feet of torque at
3200; and 260 hp at 4800 rpm with 335 pounds-feet of torque at
3600 rpm. These and all subsequent engines reflected the
industry-wide practice of using SAE net horsepower and torque
readings adopted the previous year. Before, gross readings were
taken at the engine's flywheel without accessories; now readings
were taken with the engine installed in the car.
By 1974, the 400 V-8 was really
Starting to feel the effects of tightening emissions controls.
Available 400's dropped to three, and neither the two-barrel nor
four-barrel V-8's were offered in California. The two-barrel V-8
was rated at 185 hp at 4000 rpm with 315 pounds-feet of torque at
2400 rpm. The two four-barrel engines were rated at 205 and 240
hp. This was the last year you could order a four-barrel 400 with
true dual exhaust.
The 413-ci V-8 was one of
Chrysler's most formidable performance engines. It would be
appropriate to call the 413 a Super Stock engine because it was
designed for use in, according to Chrysler literature,
"acceleration trials"--meaning drag racing. Plymouth,
in fact, called its engine the Super Stocle 413. Dodge called its
engine the Ram-Charger 413.
The 413 was introduced first in
Chryslers in 1959, then in Dodges and Plymouths in 1961. It used
a raised-block design having a bore and stroke of 4.18x3.75
inches. In single four-barrel trim, it produced 350 hp at 4600
rpm and 470 pounds-feet of torque at 2800 rpm. That year the 413
was a Iso avai lable with long ram manif olds for d ual
four-barrel carburetors. This engine produced 375 hp at 5000 rpm
and 465 pounds-feet of torque at 2800 rpm. While these two
engines could be classified as high-performance street engi nes,
Chrysler was at work designi ng a 413 that was meant for the
quarter-mile and oval tracks.
In 1962, the Max Wedge 413 was
released. Its name signified the maximum level of performance
development of that displacement having wedge-shaped combustion
chambers. The intake and exhaust ports were twenty-five percent
large r than the p revious year, im provi ng eng i ne breathing
at high rpm. The heat crossover passage to the intake manifold
was eliminated to ensure that a denser fuellair charge reached
the cylinders. Cylinder head gaskets were stainless steel for
extra durability. Exhaust valve diameter increased a whopping
quarter inch to 1.88 inches. Intake valve diameter remained the
same at 2.08 inches. The camshaft had 0.510inch lift with 300
degrees duration. The lifters were mechanical (solid). To prevent
valve float above 6000 rpm, Chrysler used dual valve springs with
a combined pressure of 340 pounds at full lift. Instead of
stamped steel reciter arms, cast nodular parts were used to
withstand the stress.
The cast aluminum manifold was of
a new ram-induction design to provide increased power above 4000
rpm. It had a series of passages fifteen inches long, fed by two
staggered 650-cfm Carter AFB four-barrel carburetors. This
one-piece manifold nestled between the valve covers and made
servicing much easier compared to the long ram manifold of 1961.
Chrysler turned to TRW to supply
the special pistons. The Max Wedge 413 was available with 11.0:1
or 13.5:1 pistons. The latter could not be run on pump-grade 100
octane gas, but had to use aviation fuel!
The connecting rods were up to the
task. These rods were forged, which was standard practice by
1962, but also magnafluxed to check for any hairline cracks.
Chrysler engineers had done
extensive testing to come up with freeflowing exhaust manifolds
that would be durable for strip, oval track or serious street
racing. What they concocted. essentially, were cast iron headers.
These manifolds swept up and back: this was done because there
wasn't enough room below the engine to allow four individual
runners coming off each cylinder head, since this would interfere
with the chassis.
The exhaust system was designed
with racing in mind. Bolted to the exhaust manifolds were
three-inch head pipes which fed directly to exhaust cutouts that
could be removed for racing. Just ahead of the cutouts, the
2'h-inch street exhaust pipes picked up and fed back into two
large reverse-flow aluminized mufflers from the Chrysler New
Yorker. The exhaust system was finished off with two-inch tail
pipes.
Chrysler engineers made sure no
detail of the 413's performance was overlooked. As an example,
all belt pulleys were deep-grooved for better belt retention at
high speed. Even the oil pan was scrutinized, using baffles to
prevent the crankshaft from frothing the oil and ensuring proper
lubrication under hard acceleration.
Mated to the 413 was a standard
heavy-duty three-speed manual transmission with floor shifter. A
heavy-duty Torque Flight automatic trans-mission was optional.
The 413 Max Wedge proved to be a
formidable strip performer. The National Hot Rod Association
(NHRA) record books for 1962 show four class records established
by Dodges powered by the Ram-Charger 413 alone. In SS/S class,
Dick Landy clocked a quarter-mile elapsed time of 12. 71 seconds.
Bill "Maverick" Golden, racing in SSISA, stopped the
timing lights in 12.50 seconds. The Golden Lancer, running in
AIFX, set a 12.26second quarter-mile time. Jim Nelson, racing in
the wild AA/D class, set an astounding 8.59-second record. With
strip tires and proper rear end gears, mid-twelve-second times
were commonplace.
At the Fremont, California, Drag
Strip on July 15, 1962, Tom Grove, driving the Melrose Missle,
became the first racer to crack the twelve-second barrier in a
production stock pasgenger car with factory option engine. Behind
the wheel of the Plymouth with the 413 Super Stock engine, Grove
clocked an il.g~-second elapsed time at 118.57 mph.
Tom Grove had this to say about
his 413's performance: "I feel the Plymouth has the
strongest potential in the Super Stock field--more horsepower,
and less car weight per cubic inch than any of the competition.
The engine is a beauty--none better. And Plymouth is just
starting to really tap its power. I have pulled numerous 430
rear-wheel horsepower readings on Melrose's 500-horse dyno. These
are steady readings that have been held--not flash readings. The
best that the 1962 Missle has pulled is a steady 450 rear-wheel
horsepower. Can any of your slide-rule mathematicians compute the
actual shaft horsepower? Wow!"
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