Hi all, I took my 58 354 Chrysler Hemi truck short block and a set of 55 331 automotive heads to Carl Bills at Black Mountain Hemi www.blackmountainhemi.com. Based on a bunch of research, I provided the recipe (compression, induction & cam specs) and many of the parts. I also polished the valve covers. But Carl did all the real work; machining, assembly and breaking it in and Im thrilled with his results. The parts were delivered in my Subaru- the block in back, strapped to a hand truck; the heads in the passenger seat to distribute the weight. The shortblock is bored 0.060 with stock rods & crank, 340 oil pump and Hot Heads filter adapter. Pistons are cast 392 10:1, resulting in ~10.3:1 in this combo. Cam is a Schneider 280 hydraulic grind: 224*@0.050/0.435 lift/108*LSA. The top end has stock rocker assemblies, adjustable pushrods and new ss valves. Theres also a 650 Edelbrock, Hot Heads intake & valley cover, MSD dizzy, SBC water pump, Black Mountain timing cover & tranny adapter. The billet pulley and MSD logo cap wont last. It had stock exhaust manifolds for initial firing, but Im fabbing some equal-length headers once its in the car. Carl fired it one more time (it sounded like an angry Darth Vader :0) Then we brought it home and celebrated. Lessons learned: 1. Find an experienced and trustworthy machinist. This engine was/is a major commitment for me. Like choosing a doctor, I wanted someone I could count on, not just a good buddy deal or an inexperienced shop hoping to use my project to expand its repertoire. 2. You have to pay to play. Im on a modest Dads monthly allowance budget and Hemis are expensive, but its exactly what I want for my application and I couldnt be happier. Once I quit fretting over the cost, I enjoyed the process a lot more. You could do it for less $ if you have the technical expertise to assemble it yourself and use stock (cast iron) parts. 3. Communicate. Carl and I phoned and exchanged e-mails regularly- neither of us got any surprises.
That Hemi looks amazing! Looking forward to the rest of the build, going to be watching this one for sure! Good luck with your project.
I love a "trick" Hemi! You did very well polishing those sandcast valve covers too... I always hated the bolt-recesses. Most of mine didn't get polished in those grooves
very nice! If you ever need another set of hands, let me know - I'd be more than happy to help out in any way I can.
Gary That engine won't fit, will probably ruin your tires not to mention the model A transmission etc. Better just let me trade you my well worn SBC for it before you get really dissapointed. Really nice engine would love to hear it run. I have been on a tight budget most of my life and have learned one thing. You can have what you want if you are patient and never ever cut corners. Looks like you didn't cut any corners and patience has one out. Happy for you.
man i cannot wait to see how that thing looks sitting in the tudor. i am looking for a project right now and a tudor is one of the cars that really catches my eye at the moment.
Dave, Carl Bills is a wealth of practical Hemi info. Tell him I said "Hi". He makes his own timimg cover/SBC water pump adapters that are kinda cool, as well as Hemi-to-Chevy tranny adapters: http://www.blackmountainhemi.com/afterMarket.htm BTW, I started this thread when researching options. Maybe it'll help: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=408404 -Gary
Yeah- an electric pump, probably a Carter 4600 or 4070. They put out 6-8 psi so neither a regulator nor a return line is required. I think the tranny adapter works for either manuals or automatics. To make room for clutch linkage, you might be able to move the starter to the passenger side, but it'll require a horizontal oil filter adapter instead of one that hangs down vertically. Tell Carl that Gary Burkholder recommended him.
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