Re: LeRoars current status
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Re: LeRoars current status



Gary,
 
You have a heck of a story on that engine on the web.  I found one place that said the Poly chamber is better than a Wedge chamber and more like a Hemi than a Wedge.  The story also said it was a shame that engine got overlooked in the speed shop dept. because there were so many other engines to hotrod that the Poly got mostly overlooked by the speed crowd.  But some people, like you, applied basic HP and torque making parts (even if you had to make them yourselves) and showed people a glimpse into what a Poly was capable of.  If you keep it all Poly you get choked down by the heads and valve size, but you can make it better than stock, by far.
 
Your info on the rocker arms is excellent.  I know Hughes aren't the only good rocker arms on the market.  A few years back a place called Diamondback Engines from Texas entered Mopar Muscle's engine contest.  Diamondback got bad rocker arm shafts from Comp Cams but they had a spare set with them.  They got another bad set and were so upset they got DQ'd that they went to the Comp Cams factory and asked what was going on.  It seemed that Comp Cams farms out their shafts and got a bad bunch in.  Diamondback had the story on their web page for a while.  Then they got a hold of some Hughes rocker arms and their engine, run on a different dyno, would have made second place if the Comp Cams parts worked properly.  That's what most of those guys use, Comp Cams rocker gear and cams.  Hughes makes only Mopar engine parts and their cams and rocker arms, port work, everything, is just great.  They will build you heads any way you want them.  Plot out an engine for a special thing like street, street/strip, bracket racing and will test the engine on a dyno and find out what works best.  If you have the money.  It always boils down to that.
 
I'll tell my friends about those old Poly engines and they will think I'm crazy...until I show them some of your stuff on the web.  It will be fun watching their eyeballs pop out.
 
Thanks a lot,
 
Chick
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Thursday, June 30, 2011 8:22 PM
Subject: Re: LeRoars current status

Chick,
 
The Poly 318 is like any other LA engine with the same production variances in rocker ratios.  Yes, the fix with the LA is to install the blueprinted aftermarket Hughes (or other trusted brands) to get a true 1.5 or 1.6 ratio.
Mancini Racing has a nice write-up on the Hughes 1.5/1.6 rocker kit at $479.  The Poly 318 has a blueprinted rocker assembly available in a non-roller 1.5 or 1.6 ratio with hard chromed shafts, fully bushed & trued rockers, improved jam-nut adjusters...for approx. $539; a bit more but not outrageous.   The other offering is a nice set of hard chromed shafts/fully bushed & trued OEM ratio rockers/with improved jam-nut adjusters for $298; a very good deal and nice setup to replace the old-worn Poly 318 rocker assembly with their loose or bottomed-out/weak stock adjusters.
 
Of course, there was a custom run of full roller tip Poly Roller Rockers done recently for some of our “adventurous” HIGH HP Poly engine guys.
 
By the way, I think the 318 Poly is the best HP/Torque engine for indigenous powerplants.  Less expensive than swapping an LA or Big Block into the 62-65 Mopar if you are satisfied with making and easy 400-450 HP and the same torque vintage motor.  Realistically, it is hard to beat the following stats on a mildly built Poly Stroker motor;
375HP Average from 3700-5700rpm
428ft.lbs. Average Torque from 3400-5400rpm
Nothing beats the simultaneous high/flat HP/Torque curve for the cost outlay/uniqueness of this motor.
 
Gary Pavlovich
 
Sent: Wednesday, June 29, 2011 9:04 PM
Subject: Re: LeRoars current status
 
Exactly right, unless you use the "LA" style 318.  The old blocks are pretty much the same but the heads on the newer blocks (318) fit only the new block and the old poly heads fit only the old poly block.
 
So performance mods are up to you on a pure poly 318.  However, if you use the other block so you can use the heads then Hughes has rocker arms and shafts for the more modern heads.
 
Chick
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, June 29, 2011 9:01 PM
Subject: Re: LeRoars current status
 
They don't have them for the poly.
 
Rich Kinsley '64 Dodge Polara 4dr 318poly w/goodies

On Tue, Jun 28, 2011 at 5:02 PM, Stephen Andrachek <s.andrachek@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
This is why I keep telling people to get Hughes Rocker Arms and Shafts.  You get a true ratio of 1.5 or 1.6 (your choice), no needle bearings to break and they ain't free but are worth the money.   The stock rocker arms are hard shaft and hard rocker arm.  Hard on hard causes wear and galling.
 
All I can say to anyone building a Mopar motor (any size, small or big block) is take my advice, please (on the shafts and rocker arms).
 
Chick
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, June 28, 2011 12:58 PM
Subject: LeRoars current status
 
Hi Folks,
 
I thought I'd send a note to let everyone know what's going on with LeRoar. I tried my hand at cam degreeing by first checking the original cam. I found it only had .396" lift instead of .450". That was due to the rocker ratio being 1.38 instead of 1.5 as advertised.  So I guess it's amazing it ran as good as it did with such a small lift. I also installed the new cam and tested it on #1 cylinder and found that I will have to wait for the new heads before I can use the new cam. The springs will bind as there is only .008" clearance at max lift. I'd probably bend a pushrod. I pulled the heads now and will be removing the engine soon. I want to solve some oil leaks and I think the front trans seal is leaking. I'm going to leave the trans in the car.
 
I hope I will be able to race at our MidAmericanMotorplex off I-29 at the Glenwood, IA exit. I-29 is closed both North and South of it due to flooding.  So far I think it's OK but I may have to build a marine poly if the river keeps rising. Dodger volunteered to transport LeRoar to the 1/4 mile track at Kearney, NE if MAM isn't running. Kearney is a bit far to drive a car to race. One hiccup and you have a long walk.
 
The Summer is beautiful, albeit wet. Get those Mopars on the road.
 
Rich Kinsley '64 Dodge Polara 4dr 318poly w/goodies
 
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Please address private mail -- mail of interest to only one person -- directly to that person. That is, send parts/car transactions and negotiations as well as other personal messages only to the intended recipient, not to the Clubhouse public address. This practice will protect your privacy, reduce the total volume of mail and fine tune the content signal to Mopar topic. Thanks!
 
1962 to 1965 Mopar Clubhouse Discussion Guidelines:
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Rich Kinsley '64 Dodge Polara 4dr 318poly w/goodies
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Please address private mail -- mail of interest to only one person -- directly to that person. That is, send parts/car transactions and negotiations as well as other personal messages only to the intended recipient, not to the Clubhouse public address. This practice will protect your privacy, reduce the total volume of mail and fine tune the content signal to Mopar topic. Thanks!
 
1962 to 1965 Mopar Clubhouse Discussion Guidelines:
http://www.1962to1965mopar.ornocar.org/mletiq.html and http://www.1962to1965mopar.ornocar.com/general_disclaimer.html.
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You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "The 1962 to 1965 Mopar Mail List Clubhouse" group.
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Please address private mail -- mail of interest to only one person -- directly to that person. That is, send parts/car transactions and negotiations as well as other personal messages only to the intended recipient, not to the Clubhouse public address. This practice will protect your privacy, reduce the total volume of mail and fine tune the content signal to Mopar topic. Thanks!
 
1962 to 1965 Mopar Clubhouse Discussion Guidelines:
http://www.1962to1965mopar.ornocar.org/mletiq.html and http://www.1962to1965mopar.ornocar.com/general_disclaimer.html.
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You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "The 1962 to 1965 Mopar Mail List Clubhouse" group.
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Please address private mail -- mail of interest to only one person -- directly to that person. That is, send parts/car transactions and negotiations as well as other personal messages only to the intended recipient, not to the Clubhouse public address. This practice will protect your privacy, reduce the total volume of mail and fine tune the content signal to Mopar topic. Thanks!
 
1962 to 1965 Mopar Clubhouse Discussion Guidelines:
http://www.1962to1965mopar.ornocar.org/mletiq.html and http://www.1962to1965mopar.ornocar.com/general_disclaimer.html.
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You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "The 1962 to 1965 Mopar Mail List Clubhouse" group.
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Please address private mail -- mail of interest to only one person -- directly to that person. That is, send parts/car transactions and negotiations as well as other personal messages only to the intended recipient, not to the Clubhouse public address. This practice will protect your privacy, reduce the total volume of mail and fine tune the content signal to Mopar topic. Thanks!
 
1962 to 1965 Mopar Clubhouse Discussion Guidelines:
http://www.1962to1965mopar.ornocar.org/mletiq.html and http://www.1962to1965mopar.ornocar.com/general_disclaimer.html.
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