Indy Cylinder Heads 542ci Engine - Big Boy's Toy

You want power? Indy Cylinder Heads (ICH) can make power, period. ICH has been at the forefront of proven Mopar-power packages for a couple of decades, and that's one of the reasons we decided to check in on them when they were putting together a 542ci torque monster. From the beginning, horsepower and torque were expected to be impressive, but also being able to survive on pump gas was a must. Granted, high horsepower numbers are usually relegated to higher rpm numbers. This time we wanted to see if it could be achieved lower in the rpm range.

We wanted to see if we could build a fairly-high horsepower engine that made peak power at under 6,000 rpm. We know, you can make power under that rpm, but would it be something to brag about? Let me put it this way-we're braggin', really, really loud. Would you believe 613 hp at 5,100 rpm? With the ponies coming in under 5,500 rpm, engine wear and tear is virtually nil. Imagine going down the quarter-mile and short shifting because that's where your power is. Ok, what about torque? Yep, torque moves mass, and this baby can move a lot of it. How about producing 700 lb-ft at 3,900 rpm? No, we didn't stutter. This is a serious thumper.

Keep in mind, simply throwing some aftermarket parts together will not accomplish an engine build like this. Sure, you need good parts, but assembly of those parts and attention to details are also crucial.