I get this call about a year ago from a racer/friend of mine. Tracy Sons is an accomplished big buck bracket racer that uses Mopar power. Tracy asked me “if there was a wedge head that would run significantly faster than his current 440-1 engine.” I wanted to know how much faster? Tracy asked if we could build him something that would run 4.60s’ in the 1/8, 7.40 in the 1/4 (most big dollar bracket races are run on 1/8 mile) in his 1875 lb dragster. Tracy continued that: it must be a low RPM, low maintenance, and run on relatively cheap race gas (no Gucci $12 a gal oxygenated fuel). I said sure, no sweat!

I would build this combo with B1-PSO heads. You may ask (because Tracy did) “What are B1-PSO heads?” PSO stands for “Pro Stock Option” this was the very first head that Wayne County used back in the late 80’s when Darryl Alderman went NHRA Pro Stock racing. Externally the head looks exactly the same as a traditional B1 head. The intake and exhaust port openings are in the stock location. The difference is that the ports are raised within the head. This gives the head more short side radius and the roof is also higher in the casting. This requires a longer valve and special drilling of rocker stand location. What this means is you can get A LOT more airflow thru the head. Typical B1 heads flow anywhere from 400-420 CFM. The PSO’s will flow over 475 CFM with our CNC porting!!! Tracy already had an aluminum wedge block, headers, B1 intake, etc so that is why we went PSO heads instead of a Predator. Predators will still make the most power but for low RPM/low maintenance, I feel the PSO is a better choice.

I decided that Tracy’s 4.500 bore block needed new life so I bored and honed it out to 4.530, that with a 4.500 crank makes 580” engine. Next the heads 2.400, 1.81 valve combo with our CNC porting gives us a Killer cylinder head. NOTE: PSO head come with head bolt, intake and exhaust bolt holes and that is IT! We had to drill the head for valve guide angle and location, valve seat location, rocker stand location, etc, etc. THESE ARE NOT FOR A NOVICE ENGINE BUILDER. Anyway, castings were now machined, ported and ready to assemble. I then drilled the head for typical B1 oil drain backs (required). I used stainless steel valves (yes I said Stainless) with 11/32 stems. I believe there is no need for titanium when the RPM’s are kept so low. Since I was location the rockers where ever I wanted I made sure we had a valve long enough to have 2.100 installed height spring. This will allow a “big cam” at a later date if we want to make a change. I choose a cam to keep the peak power below 7000 RPM and peak torque below 5500 RPM’s. A different cam with more lift, duration and lobe separation would make more power but it would also need compression and RPM, two big No No’s on the project. What we ended up with was a single 4bbl engine that runs great on 110 octane fuel, and makes peak power of 1004 HP @ 6500 and peak torque of 850 Ft/lbs @ 5300!! All of this with 31 degrees timing!

All of this sounds good but what does it mean in the real world? Because after all, we don’t race dyno sheets. Tracy has a 4 link dragster build by Tackish (they build all of the Jeg’s boys dragsters) and it rolls over the scales @ 1875lbs with Tracy in it and full of fuel. Tracy has been 4.58 @ 150 in the 1/8 and 7.31 @ 175 in the ¼!!!!! Shift @ 6800 and 110 gas remember! The thing that really blew me away was this year at the Monster Mopar weekend in St Louis. Tracy has run this Tackish car for about a year at a verity of $5,000, $10,000 and 50,000 races across the country. Apparently the tech at those races is a “little lax” because no one ever pointed out the fact that Tracy had never gotten a chassis inspection. The car will cert to 6.0 but he didn’t have the sticker. Well the staff at the St Louis track caught it and gave Tracy a temporary 7.50 certification. “You can race this weekend but don’t run faster than 7.50 or you’re outta here!” Well, Tracy ran the first qualifier and went 7.31 and hoped no one would notice, riiiiiiiiiiiiight! The run didn’t count because he out ran his certification.

Ok here’s the dilemma, $10,000 to win Mopar only race (not going home), how do you slow a 7.30 car down (consistently) to slower than 7.50 but faster than 7.99?? Timing: no way, it only has 31 to begin with. A smaller carb: perfect but B1 intake are designed for 4500 flange and there is not enough time to cobble a 4150 space upside down with an 850 carb. Besides we don’t have an 850. What to do, what to do? I got it, the Quick fuel 4500 carb has external linkage. We’ll just disconnect the back butterflies and make it a two barrel. Tracy asked me “will it work”? I said “it will slow the car down, I just don’t know by how much. I have never done this before! It won’t hurt it, it will just be rich. Well, let’s try it and so we did. One shot to make the field and run for $10K. 1.05 60ft instead of the typical 1.02 and it ran 7.61@ 169 ON A TWO BARREL!! I was blown away how little it hurt performance. No, I don’t recommend running a 1000 Hp engine on a two barrel but when an engine is a low RPM grunt type engine it is amazing how little they are affected.

Tracy has a few more races in the next month (gonna run with all 4 barrels) When he is done we are going to bring the engine back and get after the cam and see if we can get this thing over 1100 HP with a single 4 carb. The goal is 6.90’s all motor! Stay tuned for updates this winter.

If you have a B1 engine and want to update your engine program to make 100-200 more HP than you are currently making WITHOUT having to start over with a Predator top half, call and ask for Mike here @ Muscle Motors. I can upgrade your current B1 engine program with out the need for new headers, pistons, intake, etc, etc, etc. If you want a strong low RPM low maintenance bracket race combination or an all out, light ring package, big compression engine for Heads up or Q16/32 Top Sportsman/Top Dragster we can do it! Call Muscle Motors for all of your B1 needs.