Street Muscle Action

The 409 has seen a bit of a revival of late with Edelbrock’s introduction of new aluminum heads and World Products following up shortly after that with an aluminum Merlin 409. Our 409 build is meant to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing. We kept an original cast iron block and mated that with Edelbrock’s much more capable heads that will be disguised to look like stock, then stroked it for a total of 440 cubic inches. There are a few more surprises in store, but you will have to follow along with the videos of the build to find out what they are. We will, however, give you a hint at the final product so you can decide for yourself if it’s worth your time: 505 horsepower at a manageable 5,600 rpm and 507 ft/lbs or torque.

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Nothing proves engine theories or new parts like a little dyno time. Street Muscle Action decided to take a closer look at ignitions in general and the ever popular HEI ignition in particular. We also tested a stock unit against a high-performance unit from Performance Distributors. The HEI is a popular choice because it requires only one wire to hook up and houses the control module and coil internally for a very sanitary installation. But the dyno proved that all HEI ignitions are not created equally.

Part One

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The first few minutes of operation will determine the long-term survival of your flat-tappet camshaft. More agressive lobe designs, stronger valvesprings and changes to the additives in modern motor oils makes a “wiped” cam lobe much more likely than in the days of classic muscle cars. These are a few very important tips for properly breaking in your high performance flat tappet camshaft.

Printable Instruction Sheet

Parts List & Resources

For the first of many engine builds at Street Muscle Action, we couldn’t just settle for something ordinary. No, this is a new century re-imagining of Buick’s turbocharged V6. This time around we’re talking about a 76 millimeter turbo, 42 extra cubic inches and total output of over 700 horsepower. So far we have the first three video installments in a series chronicling the entire buildup. Up next we will bolt on the turbo and get it up on the dyno, so check back regularly for more!

Part One

Building the foundation: Preparing the block to be able to withstand 700 horsepower, and installing the crankshaft.

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You may have noticed the ads in several leading magazines for these new spark plugs from a company called Enerpulse Incorporated. Enerpulse calls its device the Pulstar Plug, and it’s making some fantastic claims about it. By incorporating what Enerpulse calls a “Pulse Circuit” in the plug, the Pulstar is supposed to deliver as much as 10 times more power than a conventional plug. Enerpulse says that equals 11 more horsepower in a Nissan 350Z.

So what’s the catch? At 25 bucks apiece, we’re talking 200 big ones (plus shipping) to outfit your V8. So before you spent that kind of money, we spent it so we could test them on a dyno and see if they work as advertised.

Print Out the Dyno Sheet

Properly installing your distributor involves a little bit more than just stabbing it in and setting the timing. Here’s how to check the distributor depth to make sure you don’t cause premature wear to either your distributor or your camshaft.

Printable Instruction Sheet

Parts List & Resources

Prepare Your Own Block
A lot goes into properly preparing a block before you are ready to begin assembly, but not all of it has to be done at the machine shop. Save yourself some cash by doing the work yourself and leaving only the necessary tasks to your machinist.

Part One

Part Three

Printable Instruction Sheet

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