Engine Build for Barracuda - Project B3 Gets A Block-In-A-Bag

As our block was being machined, we formulated a plan for the rest of our build. While our factory forged crank would certainly handle this engine's power, we weren't so sure about the factory rods, so Eagle 6.76 length H-beams were ordered. Ross-forged domed pistons were matched to the Eagle rods, and the rotating assembly was sent to Auto Performance Engines to be balanced. When it came to cylinder heads we had a dilemma: should we spend the money to machine a set of steel heads or purchase aftermarket units? Fortunately, while at a local swap meet, the decision was made for us. We scored a used pair of Edelbrock Performer RPM heads for a grand that were complete and already had some bowl work done. At the same swap meet, we also scored a sweet deal on a set of K-motion valvesprings that would allow us to run a pretty stout roller cam, so we completed our transaction and had the top end for our engine. While there is always a risk when purchasing used parts, we minimized this risk by having our parts thoroughly checked before we installed them.

We decided to use new, high-quality parts for the remainder of our engine. For our oil system, we chose a Milodon kit featuring an eight-quart, low-profile oil pan and a single external pickup. This oil system is great for drag racing and is good for rpm in excess of 7,000. When it came to camshaft selection, we went with a custom-ground Comp solid roller unit that we've successfully used in the past. This camshaft features .660-inch lift for both the intake and exhaust valves, with duration at .050-inch lift numbers coming in at 284 and 288 degrees, respectively. With a lobe separation of 108 degrees, we've found this cam to provide broad torque and power curves, which is the key to making a bracket racing engine consistent. We also chose Comp's 1.5 ratio roller rocker arms and their roller timing set to complete our top end. For induction, we topped our engine with a Mopar Performance M-1 intake manifold matched with a Holley 1050-cfm Dominator carburetor. Exhaust duties will be handled by Hooker's fenderwell exit headers with 2-inch primaries and 3.5-inch collectors. To light the fires, we chose an MSD Pro-billet distributor. Federal-Mogul bearings were utilized throughout our engine, and Speed-Pro rings combined with Cometic multilayer steel head gaskets helped to seal the cylinders.

Assembling this engine was easy thanks to the accurate machine work performed by Chenoweth Racing. We checked all our block's dimensions prior to assembly and found them to be well within the prescribed tolerances. While we won't be putting this engine on the dyno, we will be testing it at the track once the rest of the project is complete. In our experience this combination should be good for realistic horsepower numbers in the 650 range and should have no problem propelling our '67 'Cuda well into the 10s in the quarter-mile.

Be sure to stay tuned to future issues as we complete the car and head to the track for some testing.