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The 2008 Amsoil/Mopar Muscle Engine Challenge - TechWe Recap 2008, And Look Forward To 2009 From the October, 2009 issue of Mopar Muscle By Dave Young Photography by Dave Young, Randy Bolig
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The participants in this year's... The participants in this year's Engine Challenge impressed us with some powerful 440s. This month we'll recap the results of the 2008 competition, and look forward to what's in store for next year. As we wind up the 2008 Amsoil/Mopar Muscle Engine Challenge with dyno results for each engine, we're reminded just how potent these 440s are. We'd like to thank each builder for bringing powerful and reliable engines to our dyno challenge, and would also like to thank all of our sponsors for making our contest possible. We feel fortunate to be able to share the techniques of some of the most professional Mopar engine builders in the business with our readers, and as usual, we learned a few tricks ourselves in the process. If you'll be building an engine for your project any time soon, we certainly recommend using any of the shops featured in this year's contest as we were impressed by their abilities. Topping a list of tough competition, Indy Cylinder Head brought a potent 440 to the Amsoil/Mopar Muscle Engine Challenge in 2008, capturing first place as their big-block screamed to more than 750 horsepower and 600 lb/ft of torque on Comp's dyno. In fact, all of these engines made impressive power as even Promax's somewhat mild combination still made more than 550 horsepower on Rockett Brand 93-octane pump fuel. As we review the performance of these engines, remember that they are not exotic stroker motors, just 440s with a maximum .060 inch overbore. Follow along and you'll notice that these engines are built with off-the-shelf parts, and as the dyno results show, these are powerful combinations. As you check out what these builders did with their 440s, remember that next year our Engine Challenge will feature low deck big-blocks, and there's no limit to displacement. The 2009 contest rules will also require all the competitors to utilize the popular Edelbrock Performer RPM cylinder heads, so it will be interesting to see how these rule changes affect horsepower and torque numbers. We'll also be factoring cost again next year; instead of the all-out peak power and torque rating determining the winner, the power numbers will be divided into the cost of the parts for a cost per horsepower factor like previous Engine Challenges. We think the new rules will make the 2009 Challenge fun and exciting, and look forward to seeing the results. If you have any ideas for future Engine Challenge combinations, or want to see videos of these engines running on Comp's dyno, be sure to visit moparmusclemagazine.com to share your thoughts.  Indy Cylinder Head Indy Cylinder...  Indy Cylinder Head
Indy Cylinder Head won this year's contest, showing off their abilities as their 440 revved to 7,000 rpm, making well over 750 horsepower.  The dyno chart shows the broad...  The dyno chart shows the broad torque curve of the Indy entry. Horsepower was strong as well climbing right through the 7,000 rpm limit of the contest. We congratulate Indy for winning the 2008 Amsoil/Mopar Muscle Engine Challenge.  Indy's entry was a well thought...  Indy's entry was a well thought out combination of quality parts and accurate machining techniques. Check out the parts they used to achieve their impressive dyno results. Parts List - Mopar Performance Mega Block
- Indy 440-SR CNC cylinder heads
- Manley titanium valves
- Comp Cams valvesprings
- T & D roller rocker arms
- Eagle forged crankshaft
- Manley H-beam connecting rods
- Diamond forged flat-top pistons
- Comp 55mm roller camshaft
- Comp solid roller lifters
- Indy timing chain and gears
- Melling oil pump
- Milodon oil pan
- Milodon windage tray
- Indy tunnel-ram intake manifold
- Two Barry Grant 675 Race Demon Carburetors
- Speed Pro piston rings
- MSD Pro-Billet distributor
 J D Engine And Machine Finishing...  J D Engine And Machine
Finishing a close second in this year's contest was J D Engine and Machine. This 440 made an impressive 737 horsepower and 586.4 lb/ft of torque with a single carburetor, and performed flawlessly during its dyno pulls.  This 440 made killer horsepower...  This 440 made killer horsepower and torque, landing J D Engine and Machine solidly in second place in the 2008 Engine Challenge. This would be a great bracket engine, or a real blast in a street car.  The J D Engine and Machine...  The J D Engine and Machine crew tuned their entry to more power with each pull on Comp's dyno. This engine impressed everyone on hand, and may have been a tunnel-ram away from making this contest even closer. Parts List - Factory 1970 Chrysler 440 Block
- Indy 440-SR CNC cylinder heads
- Stainless steel valves
- Comp Cams valvesprings
- Harland Sharp roller rocker arms
- Eagle forged crankshaft
- Eagle H-beam connecting rods
- Diamond custom forged pistons
- Comp Cams roller camshaft
- Comp Cams solid roller lifters
- Progear Timing Chain and Gears
- Melling oil pump
- Milodon oil pan
- Edelbrock Super Victor intake manifold
- Holley Dominator carburetor
- MSD Pro-Billet distributor
- Diamond piston rings
 Chenoweth Speed And Machine...  Chenoweth Speed And Machine
The Chenoweths easily tuned more power from their 440 with each dyno pull. This is a stout 440 built with quality parts and we congratulate Chenoweth on their third place finish.  Finishing in third place was...  Finishing in third place was Chenoweth Speed and Machine as their 440 made 695.8 horsepower and 567.3 lb/ft of torque.  This 440 pulled strongly from...  This 440 pulled strongly from 3,000 to 7,000 rpm, peaking right at the contest limit of 7,000. This is a tough, powerful engine and we enjoyed working with the professionals from Chenoweth Speed and Machine. Parts List - Factory 1977 Chrysler 440 block
- Indy 440-SR cylinder heads
- Manley stainless steel valves
- Comp Cams valvesprings
- Harland Sharp 1.7 intake/1.6 exhaust roller rockers
- 440 Source forged crankshaft
- 440 Source H-beam connecting rods
- Diamond forged pistons
- Comp Cams roller camshaft
- Comp Cams solid roller lifters
- Pro Gear timing chain and gears
- Melling oil pump
- Milodon oil pan
- Chenoweth main stud girdle and crank scraper
- Edelbrock Super Victor intake manifold
- Quick Fuel Dominator carburetor
- MSD Pro-Billet distributor
- Childs and Albert piston rings
 Cederstrand Racing Engines...  Cederstrand Racing Engines
Cederstrand Racing Engines placed forth this year as their tunnel-ram equipped 440 made 670.9 horsepower and 573.1 lb/ft of torque.  The Cederstrand entry arrived...  The Cederstrand entry arrived at Comp ready to run, and engine builder August Cederstrand effectively tuned his big-block to additional power on each pull.  On the dyno, the Cederstrand...  On the dyno, the Cederstrand Racing Engines 440 performed flawlessly, making great horsepower and torque throughout the test rpm range. We enjoyed working with engine builder August Cederstrand and congratulate him on his fourth place finish. Parts List - Factory 1971 Chrysler 440 block
- Indy 440-SR CNC cylinder heads
- S.I. stainless steel valves
- Isky roller valvesprings
- T & D 1.6 ratio roller rocker arms
- Factory Chrysler forged crankshaft
- Oliver Forged I-beam connecting rods
- Ross flat-top forged pistons
- Comp Cams custom roller camshaft
- Comp Cams solid roller lifters
- Milodon gear drive
- Melling oil pump
- Milodon oil pan
- Milodon windage tray
- Indy tunnel-ram intake manifold
- Two Holley 650 HP carburetors
- MSD Pro-Billet distributor
- Total Seal piston rings with gapless top ring
 JMS Racing Engines JMS Racing...  JMS Racing Engines
JMS Racing Engines placed fifth in this year's contest, making 678.1 horsepower and 563.5 lb/ft of torque.  Engine builder Mike Johnson...  Engine builder Mike Johnson didn't need to do much tuning, as he had previously dyno tuned his engine in-house. The JMS entry made its pulls back to back, and proved to be a strong, reliable 440.  The JMS entry impressed everyone...  The JMS entry impressed everyone as it ran very reliably and consistently made more than 675 horsepower on each dyno pull. We congratulate JMS Racing Engines on their strong fifth place finish. Parts List - Factory Chrysler 440 block (unspecified year)
- Indy 440-SR cylinder heads
- S.I. stainless steel valves
- Isky roller valvesprings
- T & D roller rocker arms
- Factory Chrysler forged crankshaft
- RPM H-beam connecting rods
- Ross forged pistons
- JMS custom roller camshaft
- Isky solid roller lifters
- J P Performance timing chain and gears
- Melling oil pump
- Milodon oil pan
- Milodon windage tray
- Indy 440-14 intake manifold
- P C Carbs HP1000 carburetor
- Pro Comp distributor
- JE Piston Rings
 Schurbon Engine and Machine...  Schurbon Engine and Machine
Finishing sixth place in this year's Engine Challenge was the 440 entered by Schurbon Engine and Machine. Unfortunately, we never saw the true potential of this engine as it was damaged during the qualifying dyno pulls.  Even with two blown head gaskets...  Even with two blown head gaskets and pinched compression rings, engine builder Scott Schurbon managed to tune his entry to 654.8 horsepower and 568 lb/ft if torque. Had this engine not been hurt, it would have certainly been a contender for a higher finish.  Though definitely not performing...  Though definitely not performing at its potential, the Schurbon Engine and Machine entry still made more than 650 horsepower for a sixth place finish. We congratulate the crew from Schurbon for their efforts and hope to see them in next year's Challenge. - Parts List
- Factory Chrysler 440 block (unspecified year)
- Indy 440-SR CNC cylinder heads
- Ferrea stainless steel valves
- Comp Cams roller valvesprings
- PRW roller rocker arms
- RPM forged crankshaft
- RPM I-beam connecting rods
- Probe forged pistons
- Comp Cams roller camshaft
- Comp Cams solid roller lifters
- Engine Pro timing chain and gears
- Melling oil pump
- Moroso oil pan with custom spacer
- Schurbon windage tray
- Edelbrock Super Victor intake manifold
- Holley Dominator carburetor
- MSD Pro-Billet distributor
- Total Seal piston rings
 Promax Carbs And Performance...  Promax Carbs And Performance Parts
Promax Carbs and Performance Parts was an alternate entry this year, agreeing to participate on very short notice when another competitor dropped from the contest. Even with short time, they managed an impressive 554.1 horsepower and 526.3 lb/ft of torque from their relatively mild 440.  Knowing time wouldn't allow...  Knowing time wouldn't allow an all-out 440, engine builder Ben Gorman freshened up his low-compression dyno mule, utilizing his combination to demonstrate the abilities of Six-Pack carburetion.  Built on short notice, the...  Built on short notice, the Promax entry was far milder than the other engines in this year's contest. As the dyno chart shows, however, this engine is no slouch with broad torque and power curves. We congratulate Promax on making the engine challenge and thank them for adding diversity with their Six-Pack induction. Parts List - Factory Chrysler 440 block (unspecified year)
- Indy 440-SR standard port cylinder heads
- Indy stainless steel valves
- Comp Cams roller valvesprings
- Harland Sharp roller rocker arms
- Factory Chrysler forged crankshaft
- Factory Chrysler connecting rods
- Flat-top, forged pistons (10:1 compression)
- Comp Cams roller camshaft
- Comp Cams solid roller lifters
- Melling oil pump
- Factory oil pan
- Factory windage tray
- Weiand Six-Pack
- Three Promax modified Six-Pack Holley two-barrels
- MSD Pro-Billet distributor
Dyno operator Rich Smith kept... Dyno operator Rich Smith kept things fair, making each dyno pull with deadly precision. We thank Comp for hiring professionals like Rich, and for offering their research facility for us to hold our contest. As we finish up the 2008 Amsoil/Mopar Muscle Engine Challenge, we'd like to thank all of the engine shops that participate in our contest not just this year, but every year. Remember that the contest is open to all competitors, big or small, so if you feel like you have what it takes to win a dyno challenge, visit moparmusclemagazine.com for all the details. We'd also like to thank all of our sponsors, especially Amsoil as the title sponsor, and also Comp Cams for donating their facility and personnel, making our contest possible. Looking forward to next year, our Engine Challenge will feature a low-deck big-block, with Edelbrock Performer RPM cylinder heads. There isn't a cubic inch limit for next year's contest, so we're speculating that horsepower numbers will be impressive. Be sure to follow along as we once again try to break Comp's dyno with massive Mopar horsepower! And for a behind the scenes look at the 2008 contest, visit our website for additional pictures and video.  This year's winning team,...  This year's winning team, like all the competitors, used Amsoil synthetic oil in their engine and we're happy to report there were again no oil related failures during the 2008 competition.  Remember, these 440s made...  Remember, these 440s made incredible power not on high-octane race fuel, but on Rockett Brand 93 octane unleaded pump fuel.  Be sure to catch a glimpse...  Be sure to catch a glimpse of the 2009 contest engines as the builders drop them off at the Mopar Nationals. Engine builders will be on hand throughout the weekend to discuss their engines or answer questions about your next project. | 2008 Participants | | Indy Cylinder Head | Schurbon Engine and Machine | | Indianapolis, IN 46239 | Maquoketa, IA, 52060 | | 317/862-3724 | 563/652-3100 | | indyheads.com | | | | | JMS Racing Engines | JD Engine and Machine | | El Monte, CA, 91732 | Columbia, MO, 65203 | | 626/579-4567 | 573/445-4550 | | jmsracing.com | | | | | Chenoweth Speed and Machine | Cederstrand Racing Engines | | Morton, IL, 61550 | Brea, CA, 92821 | | 309/266-8084 | 714/653-4523 | | chenowethspeedandmachine.com | Cederstrandracingengines.com | | | | Promax | | | Indianapolis, IN 46222 | | | 317/241-3432 | | | sales@promaxcarbs.com | |
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