Originally Posted by proactionheads
Now that the holidays are over, I will try and respond to what’s been said by Mr. Humphries in this Forum. Foremost, Bill got the motor he paid for! Before building him the motor, many conversations were had, estimates drawn up, and e-mails sent. The 1100hp motor with Brodix 395MC heads, shaft rockers, Profiler tunnel ram intake, and belt drive cost $1400.00+ and was beyond his budget. Working within his $11500.00 budget, I offered a 632ci using Dart 400m heads which I would work on for no cost to make the most hp possible. If he had the time to wait on the heads to come in, and for me to do the work on them, I would do it for $11500, and it would run excellent times in his dragster. Once the build was started, Bill called several times checking on progress and was updated on what parts came in and how the head work was coming. We sent him pictures of the heads so he could see the work I had already done. His response was he couldn’t tell any work had been done, we were beyond our 4-6 week time agreement, and he wanted 1100hp. What? That was not agreed on for this motor! Apparently all the previous conversations about us helping him out by building him the most motor for $11500 went in one ear and out the other. Once we started the build no time frame was guaranteed, I was doing the work on the heads on my time at no cost! And YES there were extras I didn’t charge him for (Head work, intake work, drilled intake for injectors, and upgrade to Moroso dragster oil pan @ no cost to him). At this point to make things right I offered him a deal on a complete short block for $7148, this way he could save his money for a top end that would ultimately make him the 1100 hp he was chasing. He declined that offer because he said he was getting such a good deal on the motor I was in the process of making now. I stopped all other work in the shop to get this motor finished for him so he could pick it up ASAP. No the motor was not run on our dyno before it left. First, he wanted the motor now! Secondly, due to his attitude, and all the prep it would have taken to get ready to run (his vac pump, mandrel, carb linkage and brackets all came off his Mopar), and doing this at my expense, I had no problem not running this motor for him. (It took him 3 weeks to get the engine ready to dyno at the shop that did run it).
A 632 ci motor with 400m heads, tunnel ram with two Rons terminators on alcohol will make 1050hp. The Dyno numbers he posted look low. For a motor to drop off like it did it appears to have fuel issues to me. This motor should turn 7500 rpm with this big top end. I know this engine will run great in a dragster, I wish he would put it in and see for himself.
Intake gasket issue- The Dart 400m head has a raised runner. The intake took 1.120 and 1.060 gaskets we used 3M to glue together, it should not have leaked. If this thickness was not put back on, the intake runners will not line up with the head runners. Maybe his is his issue?
Oiling problem- I never had a BBC that had oiling problems to the top end. Maybe they didn’t prime it? If they had primed it they should have noticed that the rockers were not getting oil then, not when they were running it.
He doesn’t like my shop? I have been in business, at the same location, for 24 years. Everyone is welcome to visit. Here is a list of some of the equipment I have in my 2400sq. ft. machine shop. Sunnen VR 6000 valve grinder, Serdi valve grinder, Pro-Bal balancer, 7’ Magnaflux inspection machine, Sunnen rod machine, 54” Victor lathe, Super Flow flow bench, Sunnen CV616 honing machine, Quik-Way honing machine, Sunnen line hone machine, Rottler boring machine, DCM with BHJ decking fixture, Scledum CVN machine, 54” Bridgeport, twin brake Stuska dyno.