When it comes to building awesome engines that are not cookie cutter, production line pieces, Keith Dorton and Automotive Specialists are the place to go. Why? Dorton and his son have accumulated knowledge in engine building that allow them to approach every project as a one off. Wait until you see the lineup of parts and pieces in this build. Starting with an aluminum block, stuffing a big block crank, some wild pistons, and that’s just the start, what ends up coming together is a truly modern 409. Mind bogglingly so, actually. Heck, the intake manifold in and unto itself is amazing!
In typical fashion, Horsepower Monster does an amazing job of taking us step by step through the build and right though the post assembly dyno process. What’s also great about this video is that it explains several things, really inherent flaws in the 409 design and how, even the best builders and thinkers can be hamstrung by the platform they are working with. There’s a plot twist with headers as well. Damn you, supply chain.
Watch the video and see a really cool engine come together!
I would love to have that engine. But 526 HP from a 509 (not a 409) is 1.03 HP per cubic inch. FI, fabricated intake, healthy cam, ported Edelbrock heads, etc., I just think that it should have done better, regardless of no headers. 9:1 compression and tight cam lobe separation probably hurt it, and 44 degrees of ignition lead probably is a tell tale of something. Super stock competition 409’s back in the day were doing better than 1 HP per cube, even with weird intake track and combustion chamber.
If they custom built the block and heads why not move the combustion chambers to the head and square the deck to 90 degrees
Because it would no longer bear any resemblance to a W-block.
Well done, anyone who thinks 500hp isn’t enough hasn’t driven a car with 500hp. This motor is a dream that comes to life, a real live fairytale