The Amsoil/Mopar Muscle Engine Challenge - JD Engine And Machine

Since our rules state the... 

   

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Since our rules state the engine will be filled to the pan's capacity with Amsoil, and since oil in the crankcase creates power-robbing windage, Jeff chose a giant filter to keep two or more quarts of that oil away from the crankshaft.

All the competitors this year had to use the same Indy SR cylinder head and could order either the CNC ported or the non-ported version from Indy. JD Engine and Machine chose the CNC ported versions to top their 440, and engine builder Jeff Dickey treated them to some hand-massaging to optimize flow. Using the Indy valves, Jeff installed Comp PN 947-16 valvesprings with titanium retainers to handle the lift exerted by the Comp solid roller camshaft. Harland Sharp rockers with a lift-enhancing 1.7 ratio were utilized for their proven durability. Rather than concentrating on a single horsepower here or there by reducing windage, Jeff says he spent most of his time maximizing cylinder head flow for the most power potential. This theory worked well as his second place engine nearly missed winning the contest, and was well ahead of the third place entry.

When it came to induction, Jeff tested several intake manifolds before deciding to use an Edelbrock Super Victor single-plane intake with a Dominator flange. Knowing this engine would likely end up in a street car or bracket racer, Jeff resisted the urge to attempt maximum power by using a tunnel-ram, instead deciding to keep it simple given the intended use of this engine. Topping his Super Victor intake, Jeff used a Holley Dominator prepped by BRE. While we can't speculate as to how this engine would have performed with a tunnel-ram, we can say that any improvement in this engine's performance would have certainly made the first place choice more interesting.

Since our rules dictated that...        read full caption Since our rules dictated that each builder use the same Indy SR cylinder head, Jeff chose their CNC ported version, then touched up the ports in-house to maximize flow.		Harland Sharp aluminum roller...        read full caption Harland Sharp aluminum roller rocker arms were used for their proven reliability. Jeff chose 1.7 ratio rocker arms for additional valve lift. Comp PN 947-16 springs and titanium retainers kept the valvetrain stable.
Since he had made multiple...        read full caption Since he had made multiple pulls on this engine on his dyno, Jeff decided to check valve lash prior to running his engine on Comp's dyno and discovered two broken rocker arm adjusters. After a quick repair, he was fortunate not to have any other problems during his dyno pulls.	After testing multiple intake...        read full caption After testing multiple intake manifolds, Jeff chose the new Edelbrock Super Victor aluminum single-plane intake with a Dominator flange for his engine.	The bottom of the rocker arms...        read full caption The bottom of the rocker arms had to be machined to clear the valve retainers. This is a common problem for big-block Mopars with aftermarket aluminum rocker arms.
On the dyno, it was apparent...        read full caption On the dyno, it was apparent that the hard work of JD Engine and Machine paid off. Making 737 hp and 586.4 lb/ft of torque, this is one stout 440. We congratulate Jeff Dickey and his crew on their second place finish.	The intake manifold was also...        read full caption The intake manifold was also ported in-house to match the intake ports of the cylinder heads. This is a time consuming process, but necessary for maximum performance.	An MSD Pro-Billet distributor...        read full caption An MSD Pro-Billet distributor was used to ignite the fires, and wired to match the cam's 4/7 firing order swap.