2007 AMSOIL/Mopar Muscle Engine Challenge - Tech

The '07 Mopar Muscle/Amsoil Engine Challenge featured the Chrysler small-block, and the engine builders certainly impressed us with the power their engines made. Even more impressive was the fact that none of the engines suffered what we would call catastrophic failure, attesting to the durability of the Mopar small-block as well as to the quality of the aftermarket parts available for this engine. As most of us remember, it wasn't too long ago that we couldn't even find stroker kits for the LA powerplant. Now kits are not only available, but conservatively priced as well. The small-blocks in our Challenge easily topped 500 hp on Rockett Brand's 93 octane pump fuel, and one engine even came close to the 600hp mark.

Making power like this from the Mopar small-block hasn't always been easy. While our Brand-X counterparts have had stroker kits and aftermarket cylinder heads for some time, it wasn't until relatively recently that the Mopar small-block engine had this kind of support. Though the rules of our contest limited the displacement of these engines to 410 ci, stroker kits for the Chrysler small-block can increase displacement up to a massive 440 ci, making these engines more potent than ever. It's no wonder we're seeing more and more small-blocks powering cars at the local cruise night and dragstrips as the small-block gives great power potential for the cost.

As we wrap up the '07 Engine Challenge, we're going to take a look back at the engines and their dyno numbers. We were impressed not only by the power these engines made, but also the diverse techniques the builders used to attempt to gain an advantage in our contest. These engines were powerful, durable, and built with economics in mind. We encourage our readers to call any of the professional engine builders in this year's Challenge for their next engine build. As the results of our contest indicate, we're sure you won't be disappointed. And if you want a sneak peak at the rules for the '08 Engine Challenge, be sure to visit moparmusclemagazine.com.

Indy Cylinder Head
Indianapolis, Indiana
Though better known for their big cubic-inch wedges and Hemis, the crew from Indy Cylinder Head brought the winning small-block to this year's contest. Their 408ci engine featured Magnum cylinder heads that were ported in-house, a solid lifter flat-tappet camshaft, and an Indy single-plane intake manifold. This engine ran great on pump gas, and as the dyno sheet indicates, it had very broad torque and power curves. This engine was a great blend of power and economics, and would be a blast in a street-driven A-Body.

Schurbon Engine And Machine
Maquoketa, Iowa
Our Second Place finisher brought a stout 408ci engine to the Challenge. Engine builder Scott Schurbon stated that when it comes to power on a budget, he loves building small-block Mopar engines because they generally exceed his customers' expectations. He used a stock 360 block, a Comp flat-tappet camshaft, Magnum cylinder heads, RPM connecting rods, and Probe pistons inside his engine, and topped it with a Mopar Performance single-plane intake and 750-cfm Holley.