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How To Build A Pump-Gas 620hp Small-Block Mopar

60hp Small-Block Mopar

By , Photography by
Pump Gas Small Block Mopar Brian Haflinger
Pump Gas Small Block Mopar Brian Haflinger

We first teamed up with Brian Hafliger of IMM Engines in Indio, California, in our June ’10 issue. We documented his build of a stout 408ci 360 stroker that made 485 hp with cast-iron RHS cylinder heads. In the months since, we kicked around the idea of investing a little more, going bigger with the cylinder heads and cam specs, and shooting for 600 hp with the same 360-based engine. After several months of gathering parts, we drove back out to the Coachella Valley to watch this version come together and run on IMM’s DTS dyno. We were thrilled to see the horsepower numbers soar past our goal of 600, with the needle finally indicating 621 hp at a thundering 6,800 rpm. Torque numbers weighed in at an equally impressive 541 lb-ft at 5,100 rpm. In a 3,500-pound Duster, this engine will do low 10s at the dragstrip all day long and sound awesome doing it. Interested in how IMM pulled this off? Let’s get to the build.

  • Pump Gas Small Block Mopar Bare 360 Block
    We arrived on a Friday to see our test subject in this condition: a bare 360 block bored 0.060-inch oversized. Ultimate displacement was 414 ci, with Scat’s 4.00-inch stroker package that comes fully balanced and complete with the crankshaft, pistons, connecting rods, piston rings, and bearings. That’s Hafliger’s dad, Fred, dropping the crank onto the Clevite main bearings. He used to own the business before turning it over to Hafliger in 2005.
    Pump Gas Small Block Mopar Bare 360 Block
    We arrived on a Friday to see our test subject in this condition: a bare 360 block bored 0
  • Pump Gas Small Block Mopar Reciprocating Assembly
    In addition to the cast-iron Scat crank, the reciprocating assembly consists of forged Icon pistons and Scat’s 6.123-inch forged connecting rods (standard length for a Dodge 360). Hafliger opted for flat-top pistons to get a compression ratio of about 10.9:1. The rings included in the kit were a Hastings 1⁄16, 1⁄16, 3⁄16 package using a moly-faced top ring and standard tension oil rings. As we mentioned in last year’s article, the LA engine is cool because the crankcase does not require any clearance to fit the long-stroke crankshaft.
    Pump Gas Small Block Mopar Reciprocating Assembly
    In addition to the cast-iron Scat crank, the reciprocating assembly consists of forged Ico
  • Pump Gas Small Block Mopar Melling Oil Pump
    Hafliger selected a standard-volume Melling oil pump and a Moroso pickup tube to match the Moroso Street-Strip oil pan. He normally likes to use one-piece, 360 Magnum oil pan gaskets because they are better-sealing, steel-core gaskets, but the arches (the part of the gasket that fits over the front timing cover and rear main cap) don’t fit over the older non-Magnum LA engines. To fix this, Hafliger cuts the arches off the Magnum gaskets and uses the arches from the LA gasket kit, joining them to the Magnum gasket with RTV silicone. It works—the engine didn’t leak a drop of oil while on the dyno.
    Pump Gas Small Block Mopar Melling Oil Pump
    Hafliger selected a standard-volume Melling oil pump and a Moroso pickup tube to match the
  • Pump Gas Small Block Mopar Edelbrocks Heads
    The Edelbrock heads, which Hafliger treated to a massive porting job, are part of the 600-plus-horsepower formula. Out of the box, these heads have 64cc combustion chambers. With porting, Hafliger opened them up to 72cc. He also reground the valve seats to fit 2.08- and 1.60-inch valves (stock sizes are 2.02-/1.60-inch). Because he opened the chambers so much to improve flow around the valves, Hafliger chose flat-top pistons and milled the deck so they fit 0.005 inch out of the hole. He needed that combination to get the desired 10.9:1 compression.
    Pump Gas Small Block Mopar Edelbrocks Heads
    The Edelbrock heads, which Hafliger treated to a massive porting job, are part of the 600-
  • Pump Gas Small Block Mopar Intake Runners
    Hafliger was merciless with the intake runners, opening them up so much that he broke through the casting in an area where a cylinder head bolt passes in between a pair of intake runners. Though it looks reckless, he did this on purpose to get the volume and shape he wanted to maximize airflow.
    Pump Gas Small Block Mopar Intake Runners
    Hafliger was merciless with the intake runners, opening them up so much that he broke thro
  • Pump Gas Small Block Mopar Head Tubing
    He fixed it by opening up the bolthole slightly and driving in a 9⁄16-inch brass tube sealed with a Permatex high- temperature sleeve retainer. This process is called “tubing” the heads. It’s an old hot-rodder trick from the days when you only had stock cylinder heads to port.
    Pump Gas Small Block Mopar Head Tubing
    He fixed it by opening up the bolthole slightly and driving in a 9⁄16-inch brass tube seal
  • Pump Gas Small Block Mopar Combustion Chamber Check
    Hafliger checked each combustion chamber to make sure he ported them all equally. Hand-porting these cylinder heads took nearly two days of work. He said if customers are interested in a combination similar to this build, he can sell a pair of CNC-ported heads that would match the flow numbers of his hand-ported heads.
    Pump Gas Small Block Mopar Combustion Chamber Check
    Hafliger checked each combustion chamber to make sure he ported them all equally. Hand-por
  • Pump Gas Small Block Mopar Piston To Valve Clearance
    He also checked piston-to-valve clearance before fully assembling the engine. With the cam installed straight up, intake valve clearance was 0.160 inch. With the cam installed 6 degrees advanced, the intake clearance was 0.110 inch. With the cam installed 6 degrees retarded, the exhaust clearance was 0.087 inch. Hafliger said he does not like clearances less than 0.070 inch.
    Pump Gas Small Block Mopar Piston To Valve Clearance
    He also checked piston-to-valve clearance before fully assembling the engine. With the cam
  • Pump Gas Small Block Mopar Custom Ground Comp Solid Roller
    The cam Hafliger chose was a custom-ground Comp solid roller with DSZ family intake lobes and Xtreme Energy exhaust lobes. “Those DSZ lobes open fast,” Hafliger says. The specs were 260/266 degrees duration at 0.050 and 0.683/0.657 lift (with 1.65:1 rocker arms). The lobe-separation angle was 112 degrees.
    Pump Gas Small Block Mopar Custom Ground Comp Solid Roller
    The cam Hafliger chose was a custom-ground Comp solid roller with DSZ family intake lobes
  • Pump Gas Small Block Mopar Manley Severe Duty Valves
    Finishing the machining of the cylinder heads, Hafliger added a 30-degree back cut above the 45-degree seat. These are Manley Severe Duty valves, sized 0.100 inch short to fit under the T&D rocker arms.
    Pump Gas Small Block Mopar Manley Severe Duty Valves
    Finishing the machining of the cylinder heads, Hafliger added a 30-degree back cut above t
  • Pump Gas Small Block Mopar Valvesprings
    The valvesprings are from Comp. With an outside diameter of 1.550 inches, Hafliger needed to open the spring pocket in the Edelbrock heads just slightly to make them fit. The installed height was 1.770 inches with 225 in-lb seat pressure. At 0.550 lift, the pressure jumps to 590 in-lb. Hafliger combined them with titanium Manley flat retainers and 10-degree locks.
    Pump Gas Small Block Mopar Valvesprings
    The valvesprings are from Comp. With an outside diameter of 1.550 inches, Hafliger needed
  • Pump Gas Small Block Mopar Cometic MLS Cylinder Head Gaskets
    Hafliger chose Cometic MLS cylinder head gaskets that offer a 0.040-inch compressed thickness. He sprayed them lightly with a coat of VersaChem Copper Spray gasket sealant before installation. He also milled the deck and cylinder heads to a 10 to 15 RA surface. MLS gaskets need an almost perfectly smooth surface to seal properly.
    Pump Gas Small Block Mopar Cometic MLS Cylinder Head Gaskets
    Hafliger chose Cometic MLS cylinder head gaskets that offer a 0.040-inch compressed thickn
  • Pump Gas Small Block Mopar Valvetrain Parts
    The reason for a seemingly complicated list of valvetrain parts is that everything needed to fit under the T&D shaft-mount 1.65:1 rocker arms. At these spring pressures and lift rates, the stock-stamped rocker arms would surely have folded under the pressure. T&D’s rocker arms don’t deflect, and they pivot on a pair of needle bearings. The rocker bodies are quite large, however, and some spring and retainer combinations will not fit under them.
    Pump Gas Small Block Mopar Valvetrain Parts
    The reason for a seemingly complicated list of valvetrain parts is that everything needed
  • Pump Gas Small Block Mopar Rocker Arm System
    There was a snag when installing the rocker arm system: A few of the spacers between the rocker arms made contact with the pedestals on the cylinder heads. Hafliger had to cut some material off the face of the spacers to make room between the rocker system and the pedestals. Also, check out the 11⁄32-inch, 0.120- wall-thickness Manton Series 5 chromoly pushrods. They are hollow so they can accommodate the through-the-pushrod oiling required by the T&D rocker arms, and they measure 7.375 inches long. Hafliger needed to grind the pushrod tubes in the cylinder heads to ensure enough clearance for the larger-than-stock pushrod diameter.
    Pump Gas Small Block Mopar Rocker Arm System
    There was a snag when installing the rocker arm system: A few of the spacers between the r
  • Pump Gas Small Block Mopar Portmatched Intake Manifold
    To optimize airflow throughout the induction system, Hafliger port-matched the intake manifold to the intake runners in the heads. He also smoothed the opening at the base of the carburetor so there would be nothing to impede airflow.
    Pump Gas Small Block Mopar Portmatched Intake Manifold
    To optimize airflow throughout the induction system, Hafliger port-matched the intake mani
  • Pump Gas Small Block Mopar Intake Manifold Grinding
    The last bit of grinding Hafliger had to do was on the intake manifold and the valve cover in a couple of places where the two were trying to occupy the same space.
    Pump Gas Small Block Mopar Intake Manifold Grinding
    The last bit of grinding Hafliger had to do was on the intake manifold and the valve cover
  • Pump Gas Small Block Mopar DTS Dyno Test
    Hafliger and his dad hooked the engine up to their DTS dyno. You will notice they are using a modified Jesel beltdrive system. They’ve eliminated the water pump, using instead a pool pump to circulate water from the dyno’s cooling tower through the engine. The water inlets are modified Meziere water-pump spacers. This is a cool setup that allows cam changes without the need to drain the coolant. Incidentally, the Jesel system is designed for an R3 race block, and it required some modifications to make it fit the coolant passages in the front of the block and around the front main bearing cap. It is not designed to fit a production LA engine block.
    Pump Gas Small Block Mopar DTS Dyno Test
    Hafliger and his dad hooked the engine up to their DTS dyno. You will notice they are usin
  • Pump Gas Small Block Mopar DTS Dyno
    With an out-of-the-box Holley 1000HP carburetor and 34 degrees of total timing, this combination made an impressive 597 hp and 530 lb-ft on a partial pull up to 6,000 rpm.
    Pump Gas Small Block Mopar DTS Dyno
    With an out-of-the-box Holley 1000HP carburetor and 34 degrees of total timing, this combi
  • Pump Gas Small Block Mopar Spacer
    Hafliger tried both a 1-inch open spacer and a 1-inch tapered spacer. The open spacer made better power and pushed us over the 600hp barrier. We saw 615 hp and 524 lb-ft. Bolting on a Performance Speed and Custom modified 1000HP carburetor netted a few more ponies.
    Pump Gas Small Block Mopar Spacer
    Hafliger tried both a 1-inch open spacer and a 1-inch tapered spacer. The open spacer made
  • Pump Gas Small Block Mopar Cam Advancing Retarding
    Advancing and retarding the cam affected the power numbers slightly but not enough to be noteworthy. The best performance came with the cam installed at zero degrees.
    Pump Gas Small Block Mopar Cam Advancing Retarding
    Advancing and retarding the cam affected the power numbers slightly but not enough to be n
  • Pump Gas Small Block Mopar Dyno Test
    Ultimately, the engine made a best of 621 hp at 6,800 rpm and 541 lb-ft at 5,100 rpm with a PC-modified Dominator carburetor. Obviously, this engine needs lots of air to make power, and the 1000HP had become a slight restriction at high rpms. Check the dyno charts for all the numbers. This would be a very effective combination in a 3,000-pound car with about a 5,000-stall converter. If you want more power than this, you need to invest in a forged crankshaft and a pair of Indy cylinder heads. End
    Pump Gas Small Block Mopar Dyno Test
    Ultimately, the engine made a best of 621 hp at 6,800 rpm and 541 lb-ft at 5,100 rpm with

Cylinder Head Flow

Stock Edelbrock IMM Ported
Combustion chamber 64 72
Intake runner 171 195
Intake valve 2.02 2.08
Exhaust valve 1.60 1.60

Stock Edelbrock Intake Stock Edelbrock Exhaust IMM Ported Intake IMM Ported Exhaust
0.200 129 108 154 112
0.300 188 142 224 151
0.400 232 171 272 190
0.500 249 183 295 205
0.600 251 190 299 218
0.700 N/A N/A 305 224



“With a 4-inch crank, you almost can’t have enough cylinder head.” IMM Engine owner Brian Hafliger



On the Dyno

Test 1: Check out the numbers from IMM’s DTS Dynamometer. Right out of the gate, IMM’s 414 nailed our 600hp goal. The Holley 1000HP was untouched with 82/90 jets, and Hafliger set the timing to 32 degrees total. The headers are from TTi with 17⁄8 primaries and 3-inch collectors.

Test 2: Adding a 1-inch open spacer increased torque everywhere and netted a notable gain in peak horsepower.

Test 3: Real Ultimate Power came when Hafliger plopped on the 1050 Dominator and headers with slightly larger 31⁄2-inch collectors.

Test 1 Test 2 Test 3
RPM HP TQ HP TQ HP TQ
4,000 331 434 334 438 324 426
4,100 349 447 348 446 344 441
4,200 366 457 367 458 367 458
4,300 384 469 384 469 387 472
4,400 400 477 402 479 409 487
4,500 415 485 419 488 429 501
4,600 433 495 435 497 449 513
4,700 450 503 453 506 467 522
4,800 467 511 469 514 484 529
4,900 481 516 485 519 499 535
5,000 491 516 499 524 514 540
5,100 509 524 508 523 525 541
5,200 519 524 515 520 534 539
5,300 523 519 529 524 540 535
5,400 526 512 531 517 547 532
5,500 535 511 544 520 553 528
5,600 544 510 552 518 560 525
5,700 548 505 560 516 561 517
5,800 561 508 567 514 577 523
5,900 567 505 567 505 578 515
6,000 564 494 574 502 586 513
6,100 566 487 578 497 593 510
6,200 584 495 582 493 600 508
6,300 587 489 586 488 608 507
6,400 590 484 603 494 614 504
6,500 605 489 600 484 613 495
6,600 605 481 613 487 621 494
6,700 602 471 615 482 619 485
6,800 602 465 621 480

Parts List

Description PN Source Price
Dodge 360 block N/A eBay $125.00
Block prep and machining N/A IMM Engines 650.00
Scat 360 stroker kit 9-360-4000-6123 IMM Engines 1,600.00
Harmonic damper 301 Innovators West 375.00
Master gasket kit 95-3343-VR Victor Reinz 120.00
Oil pump MEL-M72 Summit Racing 25.95
Oil pump drive MEL-IS-72 Summit Racing 39.95
Viton rear main seal 9360 Superformance Products 40.00
Cylinder heads, bare 60769 Edelbrock 1,199.00
Cylinder head porting and assembly NA IMM Engines 1,600.00
Intake valves 11558-8 Manley 134.95
Exhaust valves 11863-8 Manley 115.95
Valvesprings 917-6 Comp 179.00
Retainers 23657-16TI Manley 249.00
Locks 13194-16 Manley 29.00
T&D rocker arms 8008 T&D Machine 1,095.00
Cylinder head gaskets C5622-040 Cometic 90.47
Pushrods 502 Manton 245.00
Lash caps 42104-16 Manley 32.95
Camshaft Custom IMM grind—ask for it Comp 375.00
Cloyes billet steel timing set CLO-9-3503X9 Summit Racing 99.95
Lifters 8043-16 Comp 598.75
Super Victor intake manifold 2815 Edelbrock 339.95
Intake manifold gaskets 169104P SCE 24.00
Intake manifold porting N/A IMM Engines 450.00
4150 HP carburetor, 1,000 cfm 0-80514-1 Holley 785.95
Plastic, 1-inch open carb spacer 8710 Edelbrock 30.95
Pro-Billet Distributor 8534 MSD 204.95
Distributor drive P3690874 Mopar Performance 214.95
Ignition wires 32749 MSD 84.95
NGK R5672 A-8 7173 IMM Engines 21.52
Ceramic coated 17⁄8 headers with 31⁄2-inch collectors TTI340BE178-C4 TTI 776.00
TOTAL $11,953.14

SOURCES
Edelbrock
2700 California St.
Torrance
CA  90503
310-781-2222
www.edelbrock.com
IMM Engines
Indio
CA
760-347-5493
www.immengines.com
Autotronic Controls/MSD Ignition
1490 Henry Brennan Dr
El Paso
TX  79936
915-857-5200
www.msdignition.com
Innovators West
2816 Centennial Road
Salina
KS  67401
877-898-2645
www.innovatorswest.com
Automotive Racing Products
1863 Eastman Ave
Ventura
CA  93003
800-826-3045
www.arp-bolts.com
Moroso Performance Products
80 Carter Drive
Guilford
CT  06437
203-453-6571
www.moroso.com
Summit Racing Equipment
PO Box 909
Akron
OH  44398
800-230-3030
330-630-0240
www.summitracing.com
TTI Exhaust Systems
1555 Consumer Circle
Corona
CA  92880
951-371-4878
www.ttiexhaust.com
Comp Cams
3406 Democrat Road
Memphis
TN  38118
800-999-0853
www.compcams.com
Holley Performance Products
1801 Russellville Rd
P.O. Box 10360
Bowling Green
KY  42102
270-782-2900
www.holley.com
Scat Enterprises Inc.
Redondo Beach
CA
310-370-5501
www.scatcrankshafts.com
Cometic
8090 Auburn Road
Concord
OH  44077
440-354-0777
www.cometic.com
T&D Machine Products
Carson City
NV
775-884-2292
www.tdmach.com
Melling Automotive Products
2620 Saradan Dr
Jackson
MI  49202
517-787-8172
www.melling.com
Manley Performance Products
1960 Swarthmore Avenue
Lakewood
NJ  08701
732-905-3366
www.manleyperformance.com
Performance Speed and Custom
10256 6th Street
Rancho Cucamonga
CA  91730
909-483-2488
www.performancecarburetors.com
Manton Pushrods
Lake Elsinore
CA
951-245-6565
www.mantonpushrods.com
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