Mid America Racing Engines...
Mid America Racing Engines placed fifth in the 2009 Amsoil/Mopar Muscle Engine Challenge, and J D Engine and Machine placed closely behind.....
Whether shopping for groceries, clothing, or parts for our next project car, we all want to get the most for the money we spend. Since the engine is one of the most expensive pieces of the puzzle when building a classic Mopar, we decided several years ago that a dyno contest would be a good way to show our readers what they could get for their money when it came to building a Mopar engine. Each year our contest features a different Chrysler V-8 engine, and we vary the rules slightly from year to year to keep things interesting. This year the rules of the Amsoil/Mopar Muscle Engine Challenge exemplified cost-effectiveness, as the price of the parts used to build these big-blocks was factored into their combined peak horsepower and peak torque to determine the winner.
.....You'll be surprised at...
.....You'll be surprised at the tricks these engine builders used to achieve the most power from their low-deck big-blocks.
Mid America Racing Engines of Washington, Iowa, and J D Engine and Machine of Columbia, Missouri, placed fifth and sixth respectively this year, building two of the most powerful big-blocks in our contest. These engines each utilized a 400 block, and both engines featured aftermarket forged stroker crankshafts for nearly 500 cubic inches of displacement. On the dyno at Comp Cam's facility in Memphis, the J D Engine and Machine entry made the most horsepower at 724.5 and the most torque at 610.2 lb/ft, for the best combined power score of the contest. The Mid-America engine wasn't far behind at just under 700 horsepower and 619.3 lb/ft of torque, for the second highest combined power score of 1316.7. This month we'll go inside each of these powerful big-blocks and see just how they did it.
Mid America Racing Engines
Washington, Iowa
Located in Washington, Iowa, Mid-America Racing Engines is accustomed to performing all kinds of high-performance engine and machine work, and especially likes Mopar projects because of their power potential. Engine builder David Bruns had dyno tuned his entry in-house prior to our contest, and tuned the engine to additional power with each dyno pull while at Comp's facility.
Engine builder David Bruns...
Engine builder David Bruns built a powerful big-block for this year's contest, making nearly 700 horsepower running on Rockett Brand 93 octane unleaded gasoline.
David, of Mid America Racing Engines, wasted no time tuning his engine to the atmospheric conditions of Comp's dyno cell, placing fifth in the 2009 Amsoil/Mopar Muscle Engine Challenge.
Since our rules dictated a low-deck big-block for the 2009 contest, Mid America chose a factory 400 block for its relatively large bore size. All of the necessary machine work was performed in-house to accommodate a 4.150-inch stroke RPM crankshaft, RPM connecting rods, and forged Keith Black pistons. A 440 Source windage tray was combined with a Moroso PN 20760 oil pan and Melling high-volume oil pump to keep the engine lubricated. A Cam Motion solid-roller camshaft was matched with PBM lifters, and spun by a JP Performance double roller timing set.
Edelbrock's Performer RPM cylinder heads were required by our rules this year, and Mid America ported their heads in-house. The cylinder heads were then treated to a race valve job, and assembled with PBM stainless valves, PAC PN 1243-16 valvesprings, and PRW stainless steel adjustable roller rocker arms. Topping his combination, David chose an Edelbrock PN 2886 single-plane intake manifold and a Holley Dominator four-barrel carburetor. At nearly 700 horsepower, this engine would be a blast in a race car, but it actually made these numbers running on 93 octane Rockett Brand unleaded. We congratulate Mid America on their fifth place finish and thank them for being such loyal participants in our contest.
David wasted no time tuning...
David wasted no time tuning his engine to the atmospheric conditions of Comp's dyno cell, placing fifth in the 2009 Amsoil/Mopar Muscle Engine Challenge.
Mid America started with a...
Mid America started with a factory 400 block, machining it to accommodate a 4.150 stroke crankshaft and stiffening the bottom end with a main girdle.
RPM forged connecting rods...
RPM forged connecting rods were combined with Keith Black forged pistons, forming a stout rotating assembly.
David modified the windage...
David modified the windage tray himself, combining it with an internal pickup, Moroso pan, and Melling high-volume oil pump to keep things lubricated.
Mid America ported their Edelbrock...
Mid America ported their Edelbrock Performer RPM heads using their flow-bench, achieving impressive results. PBM valves were used along with valvesprings from PAC.
An Edelbrock Victor 383 intake...
An Edelbrock Victor 383 intake manifold was combined with a Holley Dominator carb,...
..... feeding this big-block...
..... feeding this big-block with plenty of fuel and air.
Mid America had the highest...
Mid America had the highest torque of the contest, and the second highest combined power score. We congratulate them for their hard work, resulting in a fifth place finish in the 2009 Amsoil/Mopar Muscle Engine Challenge.
The J D Engine and Machine...
The J D Engine and Machine crew wasted no time tuning their engine to contest leading power. This is a stout big-block built from quality parts.
Columbia, Missouri
Engine builder Jeff Dickey of J D Engine and Machine is always very competitive in our dyno contests, but we're not so sure he's in it to win so much as to make a statement. Consistently finishing well overall, the J D Engine and Machine entries are always at the top of the list in terms of horsepower and torque. This year was no different, as Jeff's nearly 500 cubic inch big-block scored 724.5 horsepower and 610.2 lb/ft of torque for the highest power score of the contest at 1334.7.
Starting with a '77 Chrysler 400 block, J D Engine and Machine machined the block to the necessary tolerances, installing an Eagle forged 4.15 inch stroke crankshaft, Eagle connecting rods, and Diamond forged pistons. A main girdle from Chenoweth Speed and Machine was installed for additional bottom end support, and a stock oil pan was modified and matched with a Milodon oil pump, fabricated windage tray, and external pickup to handle the oiling duties.
Engine builder Jeff Dickey...
Engine builder Jeff Dickey of J D Engine and Machine is no stranger to our contests, and no stranger to making the highest power scores either. This year his 500-inch big-block scored the highest horsepower at 724.5, and the second highest torque at 610.2 lb/ft, for the highest power score of the 2009 competition.
Topping the stout short-block, engine builder Jeff utilized the Edelbrock Performer RPM heads required by the rules, along with the Edelbrock stainless steel valves that came with the heads. The cylinder heads were ported for maximum flow, and assembled with Comp Cams PN 947-16 valvesprings. Harland Sharp 1.7 ratio aluminum roller rockers were utilized to actuate the valves, and an Indy 400-3 intake manifold combined with a 1050-cfm Holley Dominator carb handled induction. Resulting in nearly 725 horsepower and well over 600 lb/ft of torque, this impressive engine scored the highest combined peak power of the 2009 contest.
J D Engine and Machine started...
J D Engine and Machine started with a '77 Chrysler 400 block,...
....installing a main girdle...
....installing a main girdle and modifying a factory oil pan to accommodate an external pickup.
A Comp solid roller camshaft...
A Comp solid roller camshaft was utilized, and the block's lifter bores were bushed for improved valve timing accuracy.
An Eagle forged crankshaft...
An Eagle forged crankshaft was combined with Eagle H-beam connecting rods and Diamond forged pistons, for a displacement of just under 500 cubic inches.
J D Engine and Machine fitted...
J D Engine and Machine fitted their Edelbrock heads with Comp roller valvesprings, utilizing the factory Edelbrock stainless steel valves.
Jeff ported the cylinder heads...
Jeff ported the cylinder heads at his Columbia, Missouri, engine shop and the results speak for themselves. This engine achieved the highest power numbers of the contest, setting the standard in terms of power.
Harland Sharp 1.7 ratio rockers...
Harland Sharp 1.7 ratio rockers were used with a Comp solid roller cam, Comp lifters, and hardened pushrods.
J D Engine and Machine ported...
J D Engine and Machine ported their Indy intake, utilizing...
....a Holley 1050 Dominator...
....a Holley 1050 Dominator and four-hole spacer for maximum power.
Jeff Dickey and his crew had...
Jeff Dickey and his crew had no problem tuning their engine to contest leading power. We thank them for participating and congratulate them for their performance in the 2009 Amsoil/Mopar Muscle Engine Challenge.
| 2009 participants |
| Chenoweth Speed and Machine | JD Engine and Machine |
| Mike Chenoweth | Jeff Dickey |
| Morton, IL, 61550 | Columbia, MO, 65203 |
| 309/266-8084 | 573/445-4550 |
| chenowethspeedandmachine.com | |
| LaRoy Engines | Mid America Racing Engines |
| Jim LaRoy | David Bruns |
| Challis, ID 83226 | Washington, IA 52353 |
| 208/ 879-2969 | 319/653-6282 |
| jglaroy@custertel.net | midamericadb@iowatelecom.net |
| Promax Performance | R.M. Competition |
| Ben Gorman | Randy Malik |
| Indianapolis, IN | Roseville, MI, 48066 |
| 317/484-1451 | 586/909-1591 |
| sales@promaxcarbs.com | rmcomprandy@yahoo.com |
| Schurbon Engine and Machine |
| Scott Schurbon |
| Maquoketa, IA, 52060 |
| 563/652-3100 |
| Schurbo@msn.com |