Chrysler R3 Engine Block Buildup - Small Package, Big Surprise

Thrash it, Baby
We asked Mike if he was surprised at how the engine performed on the dyno considering the glitches he encountered while building the engine.

"Yes," he answered, "we had no problems at all during the two days we spent on the dyno. We put it on the dyno and just tuned it. We jetted the carburetor and played with the timing. It only took 34 degrees of total timing because the combustion-chamber size is very efficient. This combination is maxed out on power. I don't think more or less cam would help at all. We spent a lot of time in cam selection; it was not just a shot in the dark. I was on the phone with Comp Cams about it. They were the only ones in the industry who knew what I wanted in a 48-degree lifter. They were very helpful."

This project was difficult only because Mike was breaking new ground. The new W-9 heads were the issue, but they do make some awesome power. Now that he's done, Mike is going to disassemble the motor, go to 13.5:1 on the compression, and cam it up to see if he can get 700 horses out of 340 inches. There is also an R3 block with a 9.56-inch deck available. That's how you get the big-inch small-blocks like 450 ci with the W-9 heads. Everyone wants to see what he can get with that combination. Can we all say glutton for punishment?

"This thing is stout!" exclaimed Mike. "The amount of torque we found was impressive." He's been building high-performance engines for over 30 years and was surprised at the 496 ft-lb of torque at 5,800 rpm from a 340ci motor. The 602 hp at 7,000 was expected. Sure, maybe the engine fell a

little short of the 2 hp per cubic-inch, but making 1.85 horses per cubic inch is still respectable. Mike knows he can reach his goal with vacuum pumps and other racing goodies, but for now he's content with the results.