291 DeSoto Hemi build pictures

I thought I'd throw up some pics of the DeSoto hemi build for my '32 roadster. It started life as an S22 291 Fire Dome. I wanted a mean street setup so I went to Bischoff Engine Service (www.besracing.com) to have the work done. They have many records and hemi experience under their belts, so I knew it was in good hands. The bore is now 3.800 inch, up from the 3.71875, making it a 303 now with Ross slugs checking in at 10.5:1 compression after CC'ing the chambers. The cam was a custom design from Donnie Johansen from the famed Howard's cams. It's a solid roller, .520 lift, 272 duration at .050, not a ton of lift but a LOT of duration and Isky 3/8" pushrods were used. 330 heads were used and port work was done to blend the seats and port match the Weiand 4x2 manifold to the heads. Rocker Arms were taken care of by Rocker Arm Spe******t who did a GREAT job on them. Hot Heads supplied a lot of parts such as the 340 oil pump, bronze distributor gear, spark plug tube seals, balancer, adapter plate, bolts, etc... Toping off the flame is a Scintilla Vertex magneto rebuilt by Spud at Fuel Injection Enterprises, they do some NICE work and FAST. We're hoping to have the engine on the dyno in the next 2 weeks to see how she does. We have a number in mind but I don't want to get hopes up yet. I'm really excited to see how she sounds on the dyno as this has been a 2 year build in the process, now onto the pics!

 

Very nice!

 

Very nice looking! Please let us know what the dyno says!

 

I'll have a video of the dyno session on here when it happens!

 

The 291 was a Low Deck?????
Duane

 

+ 1 on the dyno numbers. I've got a 291 and 330 just itching to be built.

Kudos on posting the build.

 

I need to finish the fuel lines for the carbs and make coolant lines from the manifold and then it looks like it'll all be finished and ready to dyno!

 

ANY mock up photos of it in the roadster ??

 

Here it is in the frame:




How about with a 3W body



There she is waiting

 

Damn ...I

I'm liking this build....let us know how she makes out on the pump !!

BTW, what are the solid roller cam spex ?

I had one ground by Donny but its a juice roller with blower spex.

Rat

 

If your Bore & Stroke listed are correct, your displacement is 337 CI

 

I didn't list the stroke, it's still the stock 291 crank, 3.34375.

The cam's specs were .520 lift and 272 duration @ .050 A LOT of duration in this thing

 

mmmm roooooller. Your engine looks ***s on a ritz already. Amazing how wide it looks considering it is considered the baby hemi. I think you have just the right amount of eye candy. Congrats, I hope you get 350hp.

 

We'll see what she makes in a week or so!

 

Well, if Donnie has carried on with 'Family Tradition', that cam will make some monstrous H.P.
Howard Johanssen Sr. ground some 'killers', and the compe***ion was always indexing and ****yzing his grinds...Barney Navarro said they were a mystery. All the lobe profiles were 'progressive', were ground different from end-to-end.
I used more Howard's grinds than anything, arguably the biggest H.P. making part on the entire engine. Oh, I tested them exhaustively.
I'm anxious too, I have a 276 DeSoto I'm going to do.

 

The lobes are HUGE. Any more lift and it would have been tricky to get this monster in the block.

 

Looks killer. Can't wait to hear it on the dyno.

 

I was always told the desoto hemi's are very hard to find a trans adaptor or bellhousing is this true? Can you install a 4 speed stick to them. Knuck from indiana.

 

Very nice, love the cam choise. I want to get a billet roller for my dodge hemi. I'm going to give Howards a call.

 

What trans are you planning to use? What adaptor if any? I'm asking because I want to put a S10 5 spd behind my 291 Desoto that presently has an adaptor with an Early Ford V8 closed trans behind it. Any help is greatly appreciated. Al

 

Beautiful motor!

 

Awesome! Can't wait to see what it'll do on the dyno!!!

And- WOW on the overbore! Is it normal for a 291 to be able to go .08125" over?

 

Now that is a ***y engine!

 

I think I see the Quickchange cringing.

 

with the exception of the early, extended bell 331's, all three families share the same transmission mounting bolt pattern.

 

ModelA30...check out www.wilcap.com or contact 73RR for adapters.

 

I have the Hot Heads adapter plate for a GM manual, bolted up great and seems to work fine so far with the mockup ******, I have a World Cl*** T5 going behind it. I don't plan on launching the car, so I'm hoping if anything blows, it'll be the ****** before the rear end!

 

Call Contrera's Cams now, they have all the specs and tooling. They just moved from Chino to Anaheim, (714) 533-6033.

 

Since mine is a 291, it is great to see this low-deck getting built up right AND with 330 heads. The Fireflite 4B would do a flying mile, new, at 110, and that was with 200-horse and in a 4,000-pound car.

Like everybody else, I look forward to see the hp-jump off of stock spec. Where are you gonna dyno it at, about 4,200 rpm, 4,500?

Anyway, LOTS of good luck your way! That DeS Hemi is a FEAST FOR THE EYES! Thanks for posting the build!!!