Pentastar Pro

Tim Davis has always been a fan of Chrysler products, and we chose to profile his entry to the Engine Masters Challenge because we felt many readers would be aware of his work and we like his style. The engine finished fourth overall in our competition, posting impressive power numbers. Tim's total score was 885.7, determined by an average 2,500-6,500 rpm output of 473.4 ft-lbs and 412 horsepower. The peak numbers checked in at 590.3 horsepower at 6,500 rpm, and 513.5 ft-lbs of torque at 5,300 rpm. Tim admitted there was more left in the engine, but with time to make only 17 dyno pulls to fine-tune the powerplant prior to our Challenge, we didn't get the whole story. We feel this particular combination is capable of cresting the 600hp plateau, and since its based on a .030-over 360 Mopar, it's a solid combination we felt our readers still needed to see even after the completion of the Engine Masters Challenge for 2002.

Tim Davis jumped into the mainstream spotlight on the heads-up, street legal racing scene we've covered on our pages since it began over a decade ago. His most-recent efforts have gained attention not just because they win races in this ultra-competitive form of drag racing, but also because one of his small-blocks really raised eyebrows when it showed up under the hood of Dan Paolini's Camaro in NMCA. The Mopar-powered F-Body caused the competition fits in the Real Street class, winning the Real Street Championship in '01 by a single point at year's end. The Paolini/Davis effort also owns both ends of the NMCA Real Street record book, posting an 8.872-second elapsed time record and a 155.02-mph top speed record on DOT-approved 10.5-inch wide rubber in a 3,150 pound package. The naturally aspirated, non-nitrous 410ci Pentastar powerplant under Paolini's Camaro hood is 36-year old Davis' pride and joy, but it's far from being his first serious effort. This 366ci Engine Masters Challenge entry proves it's also far from his last.

"The key to showing well in this Challenge is having the right intake port size, shape, and flow rate. The chamber shape is critical maximizing compression ratio and efficiency. I'm a big fan of Mopars, but even if I wasn't, the factory 18-degree valve angles, stable shaft rocker design, and bigger lifter diameter are all distinct advantages. I'm not sure any of these factors made a huge difference in the Challenge, but I'll take them! I'd choose to build a Mopar even if I wasn't a Mopar guy." As we stated in our previous Indy Cylinder Head Mopar buildup, we agree on all these points. Tim continues: "Matching and maximizing the effectiveness of the ports, compression, and cam design are key. There's no single design element that will win this deal."

Let's look over Tim's shoulder and see what kind of combination he crafted. Compare this overview to the Indy Mopar we published previously for similarities and differences. This is a solid build that would make a great powerplant for a weekend toy just as Tim designed, but if you need daily-driver reliability, he'd be glad to work with you directly and deliver precisely what you're after. Thanks again Tim, and we look forward to seeing your work on our pages again in the future!

Davis' 366ci entry is based...        read full caption Davis' 366ci entry is based on a factory 340 "X" block. He wanted to run the better "R" factory race block, but the rules limit him to factory lifter angles. The "R" block (shown) bumps the factory lifter bore angle from 59 degrees to a gentler 48 degrees, but that's not legal for the Challenge. We wanted the Challenge powerplants to be based on affordable street stuff, so Tim chose the 340 over later 360s due to the smaller main bearing sizes. "I prefer the smaller main bearings, since they will produce less friction than the later 360s."

The crankshaft is a forged...        read full caption The crankshaft is a forged Crower piece, boasting a 3.420-inch stroke. "I used it as-is.

This is a used crankshaft,...        read full caption This is a used crankshaft, unmodified from the time we got it. The Crower parts are really nice already--there was no need to change a good thing."

The pistons are forgings crafted...        read full caption The pistons are forgings crafted by JE, and weigh in at 428 grams.

They carry PN 513FL and will...        read full caption They carry PN 513FL and will be finished by Tim with proper flycuts for valve clearance and careful attention in teaming them with the chamber.

Rings are from Total Seal,...        read full caption Rings are from Total Seal, and are .043-inch thick on the top and second ring. The oil control ring will be a 3mm low-tension design for minimal drag.

The bearings are from Clevite,...        read full caption The bearings are from Clevite, and Tim's choice to run them is based on previous success. "They measure in right, and I've never had a problem running them. I trust them."

The cylinder heads are key,...        read full caption The cylinder heads are key, and Tim chose the new Indy cylinder head with oval ports over the larger rectangular port design also offered by Indy. "I think Indy's 360-1 rectangular port head would flow more, but I really like the smaller cross-section on these new 360-2s.

This is more about velocity...        read full caption This is more about velocity than volume, and I needed the motor to make good power at 2,500 rpm, too. I've built another engine with the new 360-1s, and they worked great. I'm pretty sure the -2s were a better choice for the Challenge.

The valves will be 2.100-inch...        read full caption The valves will be 2.100-inch diameter on the intake side and 1.625-inch on the exhausts.

Davis explains: "I wanted...        read full caption Davis explains: "I wanted to see about 320 cfm of flow through the intakes at about .700-inch lift." The valves, springs (shown), retainers, and keepers were all from Manley.

The camshaft is from COMP....        read full caption The camshaft is from COMP. It's a solid, flat-tappet design with 260 degrees of duration at .050-inch of valve lift and .650-inch of total valve lift. "I leaned toward a wider (110-degree) lobe separation angle."

The oil pan is from Stef's...        read full caption The oil pan is from Stef's and carries PN 1445. This is a good aftermarket pan Tim has had success with. "Stef's stuff is really nice. The design, the welds, and the materials are all top-notch. After you run one of his pans, it's hard to look at anyone else's."

The intake manifold testing...        read full caption The intake manifold testing began with Indy Cylinder Head parts, but he tested Edelbrock Performer RPM intakes, too. "The intake design is critical, of course. The 360-3 is big, but I like the shape of the runners. It's tall, and it really has some length to it for a single-plane intake. I like a nice, tall single-plane with good, long runners."

Davis' carb of choice is a...        read full caption Davis' carb of choice is a Holley HP design flowing 1,000cfm (PN 0-80514-1 with annular boosters). "I considered testing the new Dominators, too. It was interesting to see what the new HP did. I didn't plan on modifying the carb at all, I just jetted to fine-tune it. Holley has great parts with both the HPs and the Dominators, and I've tuned enough of them to know. My experience has shown me that a good out-of-the-box Holley can make as much power as any other carburetor, if it's tuned right."

The ignition is all MSD-7....        read full caption The ignition is all MSD-7. "They work very well. It's what I use in my race car, and I'm very comfortable using them."

Tim's air filter was a Holley...        read full caption Tim's air filter was a Holley Power Shot product. "I know they're new, but I've looked them over pretty carefully and I like what I see." The Engine Masters-specified 14x3-inch round filter is reusable and flows like crazy compared to traditional paper filters.

Davis' spark plugs of choice...        read full caption Davis' spark plugs of choice will be from Denso. "Honestly, I didn't run Denso plugs before, but they were contingency sponsors for this deal and I tried a set. If I like them, I'll keep them!"

Tim is one of several builders...        read full caption Tim is one of several builders in the Challenge using Cometic gaskets. "I hadn't really heard much about them before this PHR deal, and I looked into them mainly because they were contingency sponsors. After talking to Cometic and seeing their product, I researched into them a bit more and everyone I know using them is very satisfied. I ran them for this Engine Masters Challenge, but they may become my new gasket of choice."

Davis wanted us to make a...        read full caption Davis wanted us to make a point of mentioning his trick Hurco Hawk 30 multi-purpose milling machine, too. "I do lots of work on this single machine, and it's great. I can bore, deck, work on lifter bores, perform oil system mods, resurface, port, fabricate, just about anything with it. It's got computer controls, so it's CNC-capable, and you'd be amazed how many tasks I can accomplish with this one machine. I wanted to mention it to other builder/fabricators who may be shopping for a machine tool--this is a good one!" Thanks for the tip, Tim!

The rest of Davis' Mopar entry...        read full caption The rest of Davis' Mopar entry shaped up like this: Hooker headers, Flowmaster mufflers, a CSI water pump, a Mopar Performance starter, and a BHJ balancer. What does the future hold for Tim Davis? "I'd have liked to win this Challenge, sure, but I'd really like to break into NHRA Pro Stock. The competition is fierce, and I think I've got what it takes to run up there. I know it'd be tough, but I'd love to do it." Keep an eye on this guy, folks. He's going places--fast!