Words And Photos: Richard Holdener

Why did we call it the Hateful Eight? Simply because people who make less power are hatin’ on a V8 that pumps out more than 800 hp! Oh yeah, it’s a popular movie title as well, but that is beside the point. There is nothing like an all-motor combination that makes big steam — unless you take that same big-steam, all-motor combo and add nitrous, but that’s for the sequel. For now, let’s take a look at what went into making big power from a normally aspirated big-block Chevy, starting with the goal.

First and foremost, we wanted to make big power (800-plus hp) without resorting to power adders. The all-motor route is sometimes more difficult, but that difficulty comes with a commensurate reward. It’s easy to make power with boost, but doing so with cubes, cam, and compression takes real science. This all-motor route all but dictated a big-inch motor, so naturally, we chose a Chevy (though it’s also possible with a Ford or Dodge). Let’s not kid anyone here, this type of build is no low-buck affair, but there seems to be more (affordable) choices for the Chevy.

With our 800-hp goal in mind, we decided the best route included cams, cubes, and cfm. We know the word compression rolls off the tongue for the ultimate in alliteration, but we purposely went light on the compression to allow this combination to run on pump gas. Not that it would be considered a street motor by any stretch of the imagination, but it is nice to save some bucks and not have to run race fuel. Besides, airflow (number 3 in our triple C trio) is critical for any build and included not just the cylinder heads, but intake and carburetor as well.

Starting with cubes, we immediately went big on the displacement. The Dart Big M block already featured a 4.50-inch bore, which we took out even further to receive a set of 4.560-inch CP forged pistons. These big-bore slugs were combined with a 4.375 Lunati Signature Series stroker crank and 4340 (6.385-inch) forged rods to produce a final displacement of 572c.i. Ensuring proper sealing was a Total Seal ring package, dialed to perfection using a ring grinding tool and installed using a ring compressor, all from Total Seal. 

Once completed, the short block needed a few things: camshaft, oil pump and timing chain. The billet oil pump and aluminum race pan were supplied by Moroso, and don’t be too quick to dismiss the oiling system as anything but critical, especially on a stroker application. The Moroso oiling system played a crucial part in the success of this build up, as the big block was VERY sensitive to oil level. Too little and oil starvation occurred, but too much, and the power curved suffered (a lot!). Get the level just right, and we were rewarded with a constantly rising oil and power curve.

The stroker had the ability to swallow plenty of camshaft, so we installed a race roller from the COMP Cams catalog that featured a .775/.748 lift split, a 284/292-degree duration split and 112-degree lsa. The cam was combined with a set of Endure-X roller lifters, hardened pushrods, and an adjustable, double-roller timing chain, all from COMP Cams.

The finishing touch on the bottom end included a two-piece timing cover, an ATI Super Damper, and the necessary grade-8, 5/8-18 damper bolt (4.5-inches long!) required for the Lunati crank (using a 5/8-inch ARP damper washer).

With our cubes and cam at the ready, it was time for some deep-breathing, power producing cfm. Airflow for the Hateful Eight 572 came from a set of AFR 345 aluminum heads. Though the ports were left as cast, the combustion chambers received the full CNC treatment (even into the bowls). This precision machining process enhanced the flow characteristics of the as-cast heads, and when combined with the 2.30/1.88-inch valve package, allowed the 345 heads to flow just over 400 cfm.

Feeding the AFR 345 heads was an Edelbrock Super Victor intake manifold and Holley 1050 Ultra Dominator. Perhaps a tad small on this 572, the single Dominator will be replaced by a Wilson tunnel ram and dual 1050 Holleys on the next test.

Also part of the 572 build up was a complete MSD ignition including a Pro Billet distributor, wires, and Power Grid system. After dialing in the timing, jetting, and (all-important) oil level, the Hateful Eight 572 eventually pumped out 842 hp at 6,700 rpm and 743 lb-ft of torque at 5,300 rpm. Whether you hate or think its great, a tunnel ram and nitrous are up next. We can hardly wait!

What happens when you combine 572c.i. of Dart, Lunati, and CP terror with deep breathing from AFR, COMP Cams, and an Edelbrock/Holley combo? You get more than 800 hp and nearly 750 lb-ft of torque, that’s what! This 572 stroker featured a Dart block stuffed with a Lunati billet stroker crank, forged rods and CP pistons. Topping the combo was a set of as-cast AFR 345 heads with CNC chambers, a healthy COMP roller cam and Edelbrock Super Victor intake. The Holley 1050 Dominator offered plenty of air and fuel, while the Moroso oil pan and pump ensure plenty of lubrication. When it was all said and done, the Hateful Eight 572 pumped out 842 hp at 6,700 rpm and 743 lb-ft of torque at 5,300 rpm.

Sources

ARP
arp-bolts.com

ATI
atiracing.com

COMP Cams
compcams.com

CP Pistons/Carrillo Rods
cp-carillo.com

Edelbrock
edelbrock.com

Holley/Hooker
holley.com

Lucas Oil
lucasoil.com

Lunati
lunatipower.com

Moroso
moroso.com

MSD
msdignition.com

Total Seal Rings
totalseal.com