Hemify Your Wedge

No matter what your automotive persuasion, there's no denying the magical allure of the Chrysler Hemi. And with Madison Avenue going ga-ga over the H-word these days, maybe its time you answered "yes" the next time somebody asks; "That thing got a Hemi in it?" We can hear you whine; "But they're sooooo expensive." Well yes and no. Thanks to Stage V Engineering (SVE), you can base your next Hemi project on a common 440 wedge block, saving thousands of bucks, and nearly 100 pounds, over a traditional cross bolted Hemi bottom end. And with basic preparation, the 2-bolt 440 bottom end can handle as much as 800 horsepower. Best of all, with the bucks saved you can step up to some serious cubic inches, courtesy of a 5/8-inch stroker crank with Chevy Rat motor big end dimensions.

HEMI STROKER CUBES
With a whopping 520 cubes of displacement, the SVE Hemi conversion motor outlined here out-guns many of the popular crate Hemis but costs way less. Better still, thanks to the lighter wedge block and aluminum heads, it tips the scales at only 607 pounds complete, has a conservative 9.8:1 compression ratio for 91octane pump gas friendliness and hardened intake and exhaust valve seats so you can beat on it to your heart's content with unleaded fuel. We sure do.This one is bolted into a 1967 Dart that weighs 3,400 pounds, makes 600 horsepower (501 horsepower at the tires), runs 10.99's at 127 on 10-inch slicks and 4.10 gears, yet cruises comfortably in any traffic situation Southern California can dish out. So far it's got over 5,000 miles of trouble free street and strip action.

Though SVE doesn't sell complete engines like some outfits of late, when you buy their Hemi conversion kit, you get two fully assembled aluminum heads with all the required valve train parts that are ready to bolt on to the short block of your making. This way you can be certain of the quality and craftsmanship because you (or your machine shop) built it yourself.

Since they began selling Hemi conversion kits in 1987, SVE has accumulated an extensive knowledge base of what works best and supplies every customer with a complete recipe that eliminates mystery while ensuring the finished engine hauls butt. The wedge-to-Hemi conversion process requires Hemi-specific pistons, a Hemi-specific camshaft, Hemi pushrods, Hemi valve covers and Hemi exhaust, but once the wedge block is Hemi-ized, any Hemi style factory induction setup bolts right on. Lets watch as Dale Reed, proprietor of Dale's Place, in Baldwin Park, CA, puts one together.