Mopar 440 Update

Intake vs. Intake
The basic rule of thumb on intake manifolds is: High-rise dual-plane intakes yield a broader torque curve than a single-plane, but a state-of-the-art race-oriented single-plane is stronger on top--particularly over 6,500 rpm. Note the emphasis on race--our recent experience has been that Edelbrock's Performer RPM series outperforms old-style street single-planes throughout the engine's operating range. This certainly held true in the 440's case, where in the original buildup the RPM thoroughly trounced an old school Torker.At the time, Edelbrock didn't offer a modern Victor-series single-plane for the big Mopar, but it introduced a full-on Victor 440 (not Victor Jr.) at the 2001 SEMA show. Edelbrock says the Victor's all-new runner design will work from 3,500 to 7,500 rpm, but they were uncertain how it would perform on a "mild" 440 that peaked out well under 5,500. It was with some trepidation that Edelbrock gave us a prototype to try out.

Both the RPM and Victor were compared with the 275HL cam installed in the motor. The RPM performed best with a 1-inch-tall four-hole spacer, but the Victor turned in its best numbers using a 1-inch open spacer. The Victor raised the torque and power peaks another 100 rpm, gaining 9 hp on top, but at the cost of nearly 10 lb-ft of torque (peak-to-peak). On this engine the Victor was stronger than the RPM above 4,500 rpm, but (as expected) it achieved these gains at the expense of low- and midrange performance. In terms of the overall curve, the Performer RPM turned in the best average numbers. Nevertheless, a stick-shift car with steep rear gears might run harder at the drags with the Victor. This test also hints at the Victor's true high-rpm potential with a solid-roller cam. Bracket racers, watch out.

Tray vs. No Tray
In theory, an oil pan windage tray drains the oil away from the crank and at the same time prevents the rotating crank throws from hitting an accumulation of oil. This is said to reduce frictional losses as well as fight oil foaming and aeration. Milodon, which makes the louvered tray used in our 440 buildup, maintains that it "can add about 12 to 15 hp" on a 400hp street engine. We decided to put this to the test. Westech removed the tray from the Victor intake/275HL cam combo and ran one last test. We found the tray really only starts working over 4,000 rpm; below that point it made virtually no difference in power and torque output. However, at the peaks we saw 6.5 lb-ft and nearly 7 hp. Of course, a static dyno can't duplicate acceleration, braking, and cornering loads that can really ruin your whole day with a marginal oiling system.

By Marlan Davis

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