I remember a Plymouth magazine ad from 1967 showing a #43 Plymouth Belvedere being hauled down the road on a trailer: “The only chance you’ll ever get to pass Richard Petty’s Hemi.”
Nothing looks more bad ass than seeing a 426 sitting under the hood of what ever model and the spark plug wires sitting in the middle of those monster Valve covers. 2 4 barrel carbs on a crossram manifold or in line manifold. The HEMI is KING
You bet I enjoyed it Andy! It’s great, and here’s a little known fact. At the 1971 US Nationals in Indianapolis, Chrysler became the only manufacturer in history to sweep every single class, from AA/Fuel to Stock and everything in between, a feat never to be repeated. All those engines were iron blocks, built for cars, trucks and industrial applications. One of those engines was a Max Wedge, and all the rest were Hemi’s. It was late 1971, production of the Hemi had just ceased, what a way to go out!
I have only owned one Hemi engine in my life. It was in a low budget blown alcohol funny car that I had back in the late 80's through early 90's. It was a 500 Cubic inch Keith Black bottom end with Bill Miller pistons 0-gap rings, Lunati cam, Brad Anderson first gen fat heads, and intake manifold. The blower was a Mert Littlefield high helix with an Enderle fuel injection, and a Crower glide clutch. It was tuned way down only running one mag, one set of plugs and only about 38-degrees all in timing at 3800 RPM. The blower was only running 15% overdrive. It could run in the 7's all day long at about 180 MPH at around 4800 RPM. All I would do is change the oil, and run the valves. I could get about 100 runs down the 1/4 mile before having to put a new set of piston rings and valve keepers on it.
The '64 Hemi's were the Best, IMO. They were aluminum headed, magnesium crossrammed beasts that made close to 600 hp by some accounts. They were known as race Hemis but still came down the factory assembly lines! Those early B bodies were running really low 11's in 3,500 lbs. cars which was spectacular back then! The later version "street Hemi" was just a dumbed down version for the general public.
15 yrs ago we restored an aluminum 64 Plymouth red Savoy post car 426 that hadn't been started since 65. And I got to do it... 😁😁What a story I have to tell. 👍👍😎 Long story short, it was # 6 of only 5 known to exist. Yes 6. Car is fully documented since new. Kept its existence a secret until the car was restored and running.
Bought a 69 Superbee Hemi in 69. Got drafted 3 days later and sold it while in basic training. I had big plans for it. Headers, gears, better tires. It ran Pure Stock 13.70's at Milan Dragway the day before I reported for duty. It ran good - yes. I did get beat by a 427 impala with gears, headers and better tires. The one thing I think Chrysler could have done better was compression. 10.25:1. All the other Mfg were running 11:1 compression. Imagine what a difference that would have made
Very good video. The greatest? Maybe, but it was expensive and rare. There were a jillion Big Block Chevrolet's in Chevelles, Station wagons, they were common. The 426 Hemis were very rare.
To think there were less than 10k street hemis produced from 1966-1971.. Rare indeed! Thanks for watching Greg.. That intercooler fit like a glove on DV's mustang! Andy
There were also about 5 million big block Chryslers sold, 383 and 440s which is probably less than Chevrolet since GM has always been the largest car manufacturer. A ZL1 Chevrolet big block was definitely a badass engine but I doubt they sold more than a couple thousand
Great video, Andy! yep, it's the GOAT. Also, the Ramchargers already knew the what the optimum ignition timing needed for the Gen 2 on nitro was a year or more before Garlits discovered it, hence their domination. They weren't sharing, because they knew it would get figured out soon enough.
That’s a fact that seems to get overlooked, if the Ramchargers could do it, it was a matter of experimentation until they found the right combinations.
The Hemi engine is utterly dependent on piston crown for squish, it's an engine with the theoretically highest potential, but it's also one of the hardest to get right, it's a definitely an engine for tolerance masochists.
Squish has nothing to do with its performance. Talk to some Hemi builders they will laugh at that...literally! The engine's detonation resistance is legendary even with flat top pistons. Beware of quoting "common knowledge " heard elsewhere.
@@Cletrac305 Squish/quench has nothing to do with performance? When the Hemi head has no quench pad like the semi-hemi? Can you explain why squish/quench from the piston crown has no influence on performance? Do you know that flat top pistons aren't typically used on Hemi engines? The squish/quench is formed by the piston crown itself, which is why deck, and head install height makes such a difference.
When the Hemi was allowed back into NASCAR in 1966, they had a 400ci limit, where everyone else was allowed 427. They still won. They weren't actually banned in '65, but the rules around them in '65 were too limiting to be competitive. They would have been forced to use full size chassis with much heavier weight as opposed to the midsize platforms they used normally. One of the big reasons the 426 was successful in early top fuel was specifically the heat treatment done on the blocks. If Ford had been doing the same heat treat to their Cammer and Boss blocks, Top Fuel might look a lot different today. It was coined the elephant, not only because of it's physical size, but also because you couldn't hurt it. The blocks could take a ton of abuse.
Greatest ever. It may not have been the most reliable or refined production engine, but it had rods, CFM flow, Detonation resistance and potentially, the best block configuration. The problem was cracking. It was the rebound and the fixing of the basic casting by the aftermarket. The sump, oiling, stock carburetion settings, maybee they weren't perfect, but as a Nitro and supercharged drag race engine...that was the spit on the basic Ivory Tusks of the Elephant Motor.
My opinion is the hemi is the best engine when a lot of boost is in the mix. Top fuel for sure. When it comes to N/A canted valve heads are the best. Just my opinion. You can not get the compression as high with the hemi cylinder head. Thats the only negative.
100% correct. The Hemi is lazy without boost. A Hemi head is really made for boost, it wasn't planned that way of course but it just is. Hemi's are lazy down low, they also have a very narrow power band. When you add boost, it is a different animal completely
@@bluesky-ud9wgTell me you don’t know what you’re talking about without telling me you don’t know what you’re talking about. The HEMI I built in my 69 road runner had explosive response all over the rpm band and pulled like an absolute freight train up top and never wanted to stop. Everyone always has these opinions of HEMI’s on the internet and they’ve probably never owned one or even ridden in one.
@@jackgtx440 You know Nothing about my background, my career, what I do for a living. I guarantee I know much more about engine, different type of engines, efficiency, etc. Anything else?
I'm no hot rodder or racer, but logic tells me the reason engines with hemi heads are better is because of the nearly straight ports - both the intake and exhaust ports. Better airflow, which equals more power potential.
A great engine for its era. We ran one in NHRA Modified Eliminator from 69 to 75 and won many divisional races and a few national races andset national records. But Chrysler backing and research and development went away in the early 70's. By the end of '75 we could not keep up with the GM and Ford advancements and sadly were forced to move over to the GM camp and later to Ford. The Hemi had a good run
Cool story. It’s shame Chrysler didn’t keep up with their development and stay relevant. We are seeing it happen all over again. They built following of enthusiast, and brand loyalty that will soon be lost with all the changes they making.
@@alexgrindnshine2522 to make matters worse NHRA started putting weight on Hemis and Clevelands in Pro Stock in the early 70' to "level the playing field". They had to weigh 7.3 lbs per cubic inch where the other brands were 7.0 lbs per cube. So even on a small inch engine like a 331 the Chevy and Amc boys were 100 pounds lighter. By the late 70's all the competitive Hemi guys gave up and Glidden pretty much was the only Cleveland guy left simply because he outworked and spent exhaustive r & d time to stay ahead of the advancements of the huge number of GM guys.
@@treyrags man that sucks! Correct me if I am wrong here. Seems like Chrysler and Ford were truly trying to compete and innovate and Chevy was just complain to get the rules change to favor them? Chevy has huge amount of market share in the racing world I know they’re probably the number one choice in most race applications, but makes you wonder if their fame was fairly gained.
Still having it's core design being used in most if not all of the fastest top fuel cars today, continuing the legacy would make it the greatest for me. It's the tank of engines. You have guns and knives for hand to hand but a tank is the epitome of close combat. Need the most explosive power for weight and size it's the Hemi. From the first Hemi til today spanning all those years it never fell to side in ways of newer engine types. There are better engines for day to day and the Hemi covers just about all of them with many standouts in automotive. Restarting the modern muscle car era in 2003 with it's return. Yeah Ford had the Modular DOHC engine in 93 that can be given the initial return of engine designs started in the 60's muscle car era. But the 2003 Hemi was a craze and it's catch phrase was iconic. Soon came the 2005 Mustang with it's classic 60's styling then it was muscle Pony cars. Hellcat engines took over as the main tittle of model. It's a Hellcat Charger or Hellcat Cherokee. No engine can took the name of a car like the Hemi. Maybe the new 5.0 but it's called a Coyote more then just 5.0. It's sad to see it go but it's going to carry on with millions made so it's light is far from out.
What a great vidja Andy. I really like these kind of vidja’s. I grown up thinking these motors where the best then when time goes on there where dogs and now I back of thinking there the best again. Much love 🤙🏼awwwoooo
The HEMI the GREATEST ! My brother was hard workin and lucky enough to order a new 1970 Hemicuda which we picked up July of 1970. He was 20 and I 16...what a Summer of FUN battling it out every evening at the Stoplight Drags on the blvd. We beat a 1969 Yenko 427 Chevelle 3 out of 3 on the street and set a D/SA record for a couple weeks at the local strip.
Yes Andy that is a great video and I know you are a Ford man so thank you for making it. And I know Ford made some very high performance engines also but their numbers were fairly small compared to the 426 Hemi. Chevrolet made a bunch of high performance engines also but same situation, very few sold.
The top end pull of a proper built HEMI is absolutely second to none. It seems to never want to end. It’s almost indescribable. It truly is a different feeling and sound than anything else.
Let me preface this by stating that I have no experience with the Hemi. I think it was one of the all time greats as a competition engine but my Dad would always say the the 440 would kick it's backside on the street until the very end of the race.
The piston top area is high for more exposure to downforce on ignition. The central ignition area envelopes around and down towards the circumference and into the ringlands for a seal. Imo. And the cross flow and valve window exposure are two benefits. Simple , reliable in bock cam design made it less costly than the Cammer and other variants.
The word with the 426 Street Hemi, was Potential. With 10.25/1 compression, and a mild cam, the Street Hemi was tuned from the factory relatively tame. Taken to extremes, I believe it was the top Dog horsepower engine. Anything over 11/1, I consider to be a racing tune engine, like the solid lifter Chevies. The L88 was an out and out full racing engine, in full race tune, that the factory was able to put in the street Corvette. What would have been fantastic, is if Chrysler would have installed the Race HEMI as a special regular production engine option in the street cars. As far as I've seen, the stock Street HEMI was a little less than 500hp, properly tuned, while the cross ram Race HEMI was around 630. L88, 560-580. These numbers are from what I remember from I've read in the past, could be wrong. There was a White Race Hemi Road Runner with slicks that showed up one night trailered into the Big Boy parking lot on Woodward, this was where I was hanging out Saturday nites in the late 70's early 80's. I don't remember if it was a Super Stock, or what it was. When asked how much power it made, he said; "Between 850, and 9".
U have 2 give Tom hoover and the belgiums lot of credit. That design follows what mother nature designed and it works but that design is rpm and lift limited. Is that why they no longer rule pro stock?
While I am not knocking the Hemi, it's the engine I raced with in Nostalgia Top Fuel (392) and Top Fuel. (BAE). But, for the last 20 to 30 years the rules have been written specifically to keep this engine at the top of the heap. NHRA protects the established teams from being forced to retool. The expense of doing so would force some teams out of business. in Top Alcohol, when the Spaghetti Bender car, with a SBC, began beating up on the Hemi cars, NHRA hung so much weight on it that it had no chance of winning. In Nostalgia Top Fuel, the winning-est car of all, CHAMPION SPEED SHOP, ran a SBC for many years. NHRA did not have a hand in those rules, so the better engine won . For NTF I chose the 392 Hemi because the 426 was not permitted at that time, and the 392 is probably the easiest engine of all to service between rounds. I traveled with a very small crew, so this was very important. 10 nuts would have the valve train off, retaining all adjustments, and the cylinder head off. No Ford or Chevy even came close to this simplicity. As soon as the McGee engine (a beautiful piece of engineering) was becoming competitive, NHRA outlawed it. The Whipple blower; outlawed. The Hemi is a fine engine, it dominates because the rules are written to make it so.
Very good points. I quit following NHRA and started attending nostalgia events about 15-20 years ago. I now enjoy the No Prep racing because of the amount of innovation. NHRA has just gotten too stale and boring for me. My only complaint with the nostalgia racing was with the Top fuel cars. As you know better than I the rear gear and short tire makes the cars rev too high through the lights leading to way too many engine failures. Too expensive for the racers and frustrating for us spectators.
Well how much horse power do you need. The HEMI has no problem making it. So I am not so sure what more another engine could improve on and still improve the time? I believe traction is the problem not hp. I just don’t know what other engine made would surpass it?
That is cool !!! The early Chrysler design is really simple and they run strong , certainly the best design of that era . I still see some early iron blocks on TH-cam and a couple of Donovan 417's still making noise . Would love to see an aftermarket 392 iron block but no one seems to want to see that project through I guess. The FirePower is getting dim fellers .
Well. the Chrysler 426 hemi certainly lends itself well to very extensive power adders, more so than any other engine. Chevy 454s, Ford 427 SOHC Cammers, anybody else's engine. They got the stoutest blocks, able to handle obscene amounts of power, and heads that can flow more air, hence more power produced, than anybody else. For Starters, the Ford FE blocks used for the SOHC 427s can't take massive power adders, thus reducing their versatility. Then, with the SOHC design, their spark plugs are moved over to the sides, to the outer edges of the combustion chamber, creating deficiencies. With BBCs, their wedge design limits power. The only deficiency of the 426 hemi is that with their complicated rocker arm design, they can't rev as high as the BBCs and BBFs. With the 426 hemis in top fuel use, even with 60 pounds boost from the superchargers and with obscene loads of nitromethane, they still struggle above 84-8500 rpm. They're still the engine to beat, and nobody has been able to do this.
Actually, the valvetrain issue being a limitation is a fable. Modern Gen 2 blown hemis routinely wind to 11,500. Top end rpm is where they shine. Top fuel is limited on rpm by rules. 60 psi boost ain't much.
426 Hemi great part history still is a ledgend to day to day I drive a srt8 6.1L hemi wich runs after the great 426 with 425 horsepower that two is a great engine
Had a Tik Tok guy tell me they went back to the wedge in NASCAR, when the Hemi was banned. Although I do respect a lot of his opinion, I think he's wildin on that one 🤣
If you go back to 1970 and you're talking about the great engines you have to mention the Hemi you have to mention a 427 Ford and a 428 Ford and the 429 Chevrolet 454 LS6 those are your top picks there are many more but those are the best with the most horsepower most of them have between 450 and 500 horsepower Factory rated and you could get them up to 700 what you have now is completely different and they are completely unaffordable Back in 1970 anybody can buy one of these other hot cars they were less than $6,000 now they're over 100 grand
The Chrysler Corporation's 426 Generation 2 HEMIS are "The Greatest Engineered and Designed Internal Cumbustion Engines Ever Mass Produced Bar Non both Domestic and Foreign Markets Till this Day!
How do I apply the 128 rule, to a SBC with a roots style blower, namely The Blower Shop 192. Thank you! I appreciate the info you and David are putting out.
The hemi was not new,, just a derivation of the various hemis from the 50s. 392s were the engines for fuel until the late 60s. The 'big' racer such as Garlits had 426s earlier than most others. Initially it was slower. Chrysler dropped the hemi in late 50s because it was too expensive to produce, the advantage were not enough. As a street engine many will say a 440 is better. Defenitly cheaper but not better. But hemis are also HEAVY whichever version. The design though is what is drag racing staple,, NHRA actually mandate it now so nothing else gets a look in
One of the reasons it was "too expensive" is because there were three different ones - the smallest block version was the Dodge Red Ram with 4.1 inch bore centers, next was a mid-block version for the DeSoto with 4.3 inch bore centers, and the "big" block version was the Chrysler, with 4.5 inch bore centers. It would have been a little cheaper if the Chrysler and the DeSoto used the same basic block, as they were the same basic car, except for the 57 - 59 Firesweep. That car was a disguised Dodge.
A stinkin' Barra is the greatest engine of all time LOL, but all I dream about however is Hemi, Hemi, Hemi, Hemi. Get up in the middle of the night - Hemi, wake up in the morning Hemi, all through the day yep Hemi. Last thing before sleep - Hemi. Been like that for about 45 years now. Still don't have one, not even close. I doubt I'll ever manifest one either but a man can dream.
The Ford Boss is number 1. It is not allowed to compete. As soon as nhra got wind someone was going to get serious with it and bring it back, they promptly banned the bore spacing of the Ford. Why, why is any engine protected. It doesn't make any sense.
The mopar ok. NHRA outlawed the push button transmission and NASCAR seemed to all but completely ban mopar. Why? Because other lost to them. The 426 Hemi, the 440 and 383 engines all seem to get meaner when they need to. the brat pack and the rapid transit system could not be touched except by the feds and insurance companies. And of course the gas problem in the mid '70's.
I recently had some clown arguing with me about these engines, claiming his supercharged LS Vette was faster. Even after I suggested putting a blower on the 426 Hemi would easily eat his LS he continued claiming he was right. I hate trying to reason with a narcissist who has never turned wrenches and only buys his cars assembled. I'm building a 426 Hemi for my 71 Cuda. I build my toys. I don't listen to big mouths who can't build anything except a fart.
Not really. They are an improvement for performance. Still have dome for strait in strait out canted valves, and double quench used with flat top pistons. Plus twin plug heads.
I love the history of this Video And 426 Hemi Being King But like all kings sooner or later they are Toppled. I love these stories All the Famous racers and engine builder were all together in 70 and there was a underdog of all time there. And it was Buick . And he told them Next year he was going to kick butt and they all laughed at him . Buick produced the Heads that ended the Hemi Reign it was the 1971 Buick Bullet back Riviera with 455 Cubic inch monster that out torked the Hemi . sorry guys your egos gave it a few more years lol it had its decade I loved the Hemi too but thats the truth
Overrated?? It won more NHRA races than any other engine! The basic design in the 50s are still in use today!! Still based around the Chrysler hemi ! Even stock car was successful!
I don't know where you got that the 426 was not dependable? skirted block, Cross bolted mains. You must have been confused with Fords 427 engine. Keith Black was contracted from Chrysler to build an all alluminum version 426 Hemi to shed some weight off of the elephant for racing. Their is no other engine faster. Ford, Chevy, and Toyota all use the Chrysler 426. If you can't beat them join them. lol
The only reason all NHRA teams run the Hemi is because it is a spec motor. NHRA won’t allow any innovation because having to retool would be too expensive for some teams and they are afraid they would lose some teams. They already can barely field a full field of cars, NHRA might as well call themselves nostalgia racing because that is totally what it is.
I'm a Chevy guy whom has never losta race to a Hemi. Having said that Ford's late 1960's Winston Cup engine would flow more air. Just ask Ricard or David.
OVER-RATED!! Maybe in it's day.. Heck, there's 4cyl K-series making over a thousand hp! And it's like the car designers NEVER met with the Power train designers! It's 2024.5 and if you want to build up your MOPAR, nothing fits without surgery. IE. Headers barely fit. (Still to this day!) K-member could be better design, and they let other "entities" make 5-6spds... (Until just a few years ago) 40+yr gap?
no its a pain to keep up and maintenance. and a 440 with a 6 pack will outrun the hemi, small block Chevy is the best all around engine imo, I do like the boss engine in Casper
There were at least three different 427 motors. Which one are you referring to? The standard FE was not a particularly good engine. It was on the heavy side. It would rev high and live though.
@@michaelwdagle7410 YES! The Ford DFW-probably best F1 motor, Offenhauser-probably the best Indy Motor, although the short pushrod Mercedes Penske driven by Emerson Fittipaldi totally dominated, and I think the very best example of cheating-not cheating in motorsports history.
@@michaelwdagle7410 I haven't seen too many 11k HP endurance engines, no one ever needed one to run a whole season. can you build a 426 style hemi to make 1000k Hp NA and run a season of F1, yes it can be done but it wouldn't competitive or legal for that matter. In a different reality If Ferrari built the V8 push rod 426 Hemi you best better believe those F1 engineers would have a 20k hour capable version. I've done a few for Baja 1000 over the past 20 years , and 6 for the Dakar rally all have made the trip.
Things haven't changed much and the same back in the day. Hemi option was expensive for many back then as many of those cars were bought by wealthy families for their kids.However those kids weren't really street guys and didn't know how to wrench and tune the street HEMI.Yes they got beat. However make no mistake the STREET HEMI in the right hands and running gear COULD NOT be beat.
Having bought my first street hemi a couple of years ago, all I can say is, the legend is real, ZERO disappointments and changing plugs compared to a wedge with headers, no brainer, save up for the hemi.
You are right about the spark plug situation, and even though a Hemi is a wider engine I think it actually fits better in certain bodies because of the spark plug and header orientation like in a Dodge Dart
Remember the ads where Chrysler thanked their competition for also running Chrysler Hemis?!
I have a copy of that ad! Thanks for watching
Andy
@@UnityMotorSportsGarageme too!
@@BROCKWOOD64 can't beat um join um 😐
I remember a Plymouth magazine ad from 1967 showing a #43 Plymouth Belvedere being hauled down the road on a trailer: “The only chance you’ll ever get to pass Richard Petty’s Hemi.”
Nothing looks more bad ass than seeing a 426 sitting under the hood of what ever model and the spark plug wires sitting in the middle of those monster Valve covers. 2 4 barrel carbs on a crossram manifold or in line manifold. The HEMI is KING
You bet I enjoyed it Andy! It’s great, and here’s a little known fact. At the 1971 US Nationals in Indianapolis, Chrysler became the only manufacturer in history to sweep every single class, from AA/Fuel to Stock and everything in between, a feat never to be repeated. All those engines were iron blocks, built for cars, trucks and industrial applications. One of those engines was a Max Wedge, and all the rest were Hemi’s. It was late 1971, production of the Hemi had just ceased, what a way to go out!
That is impressive! Thanks for the info.. I'm glad you enjoyed it and Thanks again for watching
Andy
by 1971 the musclecar era was ALMOST ready to wind down. i like 66-70 musclecars
I have only owned one Hemi engine in my life. It was in a low budget blown alcohol funny car that I had back in the late 80's through early 90's. It was a 500 Cubic inch Keith Black bottom end with Bill Miller pistons 0-gap rings, Lunati cam, Brad Anderson first gen fat heads, and intake manifold. The blower was a Mert Littlefield high helix with an Enderle fuel injection, and a Crower glide clutch. It was tuned way down only running one mag, one set of plugs and only about 38-degrees all in timing at 3800 RPM. The blower was only running 15% overdrive. It could run in the 7's all day long at about 180 MPH at around 4800 RPM. All I would do is change the oil, and run the valves. I could get about 100 runs down the 1/4 mile before having to put a new set of piston rings and valve keepers on it.
The '64 Hemi's were the Best, IMO. They were aluminum headed, magnesium crossrammed beasts that made close to 600 hp by some accounts. They were known as race Hemis but still came down the factory assembly lines! Those early B bodies were running really low 11's in 3,500 lbs. cars which was spectacular back then! The later version "street Hemi" was just a dumbed down version for the general public.
15 yrs ago we restored an aluminum 64 Plymouth red Savoy post car 426 that hadn't been started since 65.
And I got to do it... 😁😁What a story I have to tell. 👍👍😎
Long story short, it was # 6 of only 5 known to exist. Yes 6.
Car is fully documented since new.
Kept its existence a secret until the car was restored and running.
The race HEMI is the undisputed King of muscle car engines.
Bought a 69 Superbee Hemi in 69. Got drafted 3 days later and sold it while in basic training. I had big plans for it. Headers, gears, better tires. It ran Pure Stock 13.70's at Milan Dragway the day before I reported for duty. It ran good - yes. I did get beat by a 427 impala with gears, headers and better tires. The one thing I think Chrysler could have done better was compression. 10.25:1. All the other Mfg were running 11:1 compression. Imagine what a difference that would have made
Greatest fuel motor, to be sure. Great seeing your historical vids back, Andy!
Thanks, I'm going to get back to doing them.. I've just been busy!
Andy
Very good video. The greatest? Maybe, but it was expensive and rare. There were a jillion Big Block Chevrolet's in Chevelles, Station wagons, they were common. The 426 Hemis were very rare.
To think there were less than 10k street hemis produced from 1966-1971.. Rare indeed!
Thanks for watching Greg.. That intercooler fit like a glove on DV's mustang!
Andy
There were also about 5 million big block Chryslers sold, 383 and 440s which is probably less than Chevrolet since GM has always been the largest car manufacturer. A ZL1 Chevrolet big block was definitely a badass engine but I doubt they sold more than a couple thousand
Nobodoy cares about chevys there boring. If the chevys dont win the rules always had to change
426 Hemi? Greatest of all time. (GOAT).
Great video, Andy! yep, it's the GOAT. Also, the Ramchargers already knew the what the optimum ignition timing needed for the Gen 2 on nitro was a year or more before Garlits discovered it, hence their domination. They weren't sharing, because they knew it would get figured out soon enough.
That’s a fact that seems to get overlooked, if the Ramchargers could do it, it was a matter of experimentation until they found the right combinations.
Awesome video Andy. Thanks for the hard work!
Thanks for watching! I'm glad you enjoyed it
Andy
I love all engines, big and small, but on my list of the greatest race engines of all time, the 426 HEMI stands head and shoulders above all others.
The Hemi engine is utterly dependent on piston crown for squish, it's an engine with the theoretically highest potential, but it's also one of the hardest to get right, it's a definitely an engine for tolerance masochists.
Squish has nothing to do with its performance. Talk to some Hemi builders they will laugh at that...literally! The engine's detonation resistance is legendary even with flat top pistons. Beware of quoting "common knowledge " heard elsewhere.
@@Cletrac305 Squish/quench has nothing to do with performance? When the Hemi head has no quench pad like the semi-hemi? Can you explain why squish/quench from the piston crown has no influence on performance? Do you know that flat top pistons aren't typically used on Hemi engines? The squish/quench is formed by the piston crown itself, which is why deck, and head install height makes such a difference.
The greatest race engine, copy's are still the kings of the nitro classes! Street versions needed a lot of love to live when ran hard.
Great video thanks for sharing this with us keep up the great work ❤
When the Hemi was allowed back into NASCAR in 1966, they had a 400ci limit, where everyone else was allowed 427. They still won. They weren't actually banned in '65, but the rules around them in '65 were too limiting to be competitive. They would have been forced to use full size chassis with much heavier weight as opposed to the midsize platforms they used normally.
One of the big reasons the 426 was successful in early top fuel was specifically the heat treatment done on the blocks. If Ford had been doing the same heat treat to their Cammer and Boss blocks, Top Fuel might look a lot different today. It was coined the elephant, not only because of it's physical size, but also because you couldn't hurt it. The blocks could take a ton of abuse.
Greatest ever. It may not have been the most reliable or refined production engine, but it had rods, CFM flow, Detonation resistance and potentially, the best block configuration. The problem was cracking. It was the rebound and the fixing of the basic casting by the aftermarket. The sump, oiling, stock carburetion settings, maybee they weren't perfect, but as a Nitro and supercharged drag race engine...that was the spit on the basic Ivory Tusks of the Elephant Motor.
I agree Dean, it had the bones to grow on.. Every engine has its problems but this engine paved the way in many regards..
Andy
The greatest racing engine to date.
Less regulation and 2 or 3 more years of muscle car wars and engine development by the big 3 and who knows what would have been developed! Thanks EPA
Exactly! Thanks for watching
Andy
My opinion is the hemi is the best engine when a lot of boost is in the mix. Top fuel for sure. When it comes to N/A canted valve heads are the best. Just my opinion. You can not get the compression as high with the hemi cylinder head. Thats the only negative.
100% correct. The Hemi is lazy without boost. A Hemi head is really made for boost, it wasn't planned that way of course but it just is. Hemi's are lazy down low, they also have a very narrow power band. When you add boost, it is a different animal completely
@@bluesky-ud9wgTell me you don’t know what you’re talking about without telling me you don’t know what you’re talking about. The HEMI I built in my 69 road runner had explosive response all over the rpm band and pulled like an absolute freight train up top and never wanted to stop. Everyone always has these opinions of HEMI’s on the internet and they’ve probably never owned one or even ridden in one.
@@jackgtx440 You know Nothing about my background, my career, what I do for a living. I guarantee I know much more about engine, different type of engines, efficiency, etc. Anything else?
@@bluesky-ud9wg how many HEMI’s do you have experience with? To say a HEMI is lazy without boost and has a narrow power band is absurd.
@@jackgtx440 You won't listen to me so what the point? You believe what you believe and everyone else is wrong. Take care
It's the GOAT for sure. We'll done, a Great biography of the 426 HEMI!!
Was & still is! Thanks Andy! Now when are we gonna see a W/2 head small block from ya?! 🤣🤣🤣🤣
DLI owns a Ball stud Hemi.
I'm no hot rodder or racer, but logic tells me the reason engines with hemi heads are better is because of the nearly straight ports - both the intake and exhaust ports. Better airflow, which equals more power potential.
A great engine for its era. We ran one in NHRA Modified Eliminator from 69 to 75 and won many divisional races and a few national races andset national records. But Chrysler backing and research and development went away in the early 70's. By the end of '75 we could not keep up with the GM and Ford advancements and sadly were forced to move over to the GM camp and later to Ford. The Hemi had a good run
Cool story. It’s shame Chrysler didn’t keep up with their development and stay relevant. We are seeing it happen all over again. They built following of enthusiast, and brand loyalty that will soon be lost with all the changes they making.
@@alexgrindnshine2522 to make matters worse NHRA started putting weight on Hemis and Clevelands in Pro Stock in the early 70' to "level the playing field". They had to weigh 7.3 lbs per cubic inch where the other brands were 7.0 lbs per cube. So even on a small inch engine like a 331 the Chevy and Amc boys were 100 pounds lighter. By the late 70's all the competitive Hemi guys gave up and Glidden pretty much was the only Cleveland guy left simply because he outworked and spent exhaustive r & d time to stay ahead of the advancements of the huge number of GM guys.
@@treyrags man that sucks! Correct me if I am wrong here. Seems like Chrysler and Ford were truly trying to compete and innovate and Chevy was just complain to get the rules change to favor them? Chevy has huge amount of market share in the racing world I know they’re probably the number one choice in most race applications, but makes you wonder if their fame was fairly gained.
People are still putting them in old non Chrysler cars and racing them. I like my modern Hemi.🤠
Still having it's core design being used in most if not all of the fastest top fuel cars today, continuing the legacy would make it the greatest for me. It's the tank of engines. You have guns and knives for hand to hand but a tank is the epitome of close combat. Need the most explosive power for weight and size it's the Hemi. From the first Hemi til today spanning all those years it never fell to side in ways of newer engine types. There are better engines for day to day and the Hemi covers just about all of them with many standouts in automotive. Restarting the modern muscle car era in 2003 with it's return. Yeah Ford had the Modular DOHC engine in 93 that can be given the initial return of engine designs started in the 60's muscle car era. But the 2003 Hemi was a craze and it's catch phrase was iconic. Soon came the 2005 Mustang with it's classic 60's styling then it was muscle Pony cars. Hellcat engines took over as the main tittle of model. It's a Hellcat Charger or Hellcat Cherokee. No engine can took the name of a car like the Hemi. Maybe the new 5.0 but it's called a Coyote more then just 5.0. It's sad to see it go but it's going to carry on with millions made so it's light is far from out.
What a great vidja Andy. I really like these kind of vidja’s. I grown up thinking these motors where the best then when time goes on there where dogs and now I back of thinking there the best again. Much love 🤙🏼awwwoooo
The HEMI the GREATEST ! My brother was hard workin and lucky enough to order a new 1970 Hemicuda which we picked up July of 1970. He was 20 and I 16...what a Summer of FUN battling it out every evening at the Stoplight Drags on the blvd. We beat a 1969 Yenko 427 Chevelle 3 out of 3 on the street and set a D/SA record for a couple weeks at the local strip.
That is an awesome story!
Thanks for watching I'm glad you enjoyed the video
Andy
In drag racing it is the greatest of all time hands down . Great video
Yes Andy that is a great video and I know you are a Ford man so thank you for making it. And I know Ford made some very high performance engines also but their numbers were fairly small compared to the 426 Hemi. Chevrolet made a bunch of high performance engines also but same situation, very few sold.
Very well done video
The top end pull of a proper built HEMI is absolutely second to none. It seems to never want to end. It’s almost indescribable. It truly is a different feeling and sound than anything else.
My shorty Dodge Ram has a Hemi and it's a pleasure to drive it's all that matters to me
Well done, Mr. Wood!!
Thanks Brother, hope all is well your way
Andy
Let me preface this by stating that I have no experience with the Hemi. I think it was one of the all time greats as a competition engine but my Dad would always say the the 440 would kick it's backside on the street until the very end of the race.
The piston top area is high for more exposure to downforce on ignition. The central ignition area envelopes around and down towards the circumference and into the ringlands for a seal. Imo. And the cross flow and valve window exposure are two benefits. Simple , reliable in bock cam design made it less costly than the Cammer and other variants.
Was it the greatest engine ever? Depends on who you ask.
The word with the 426 Street Hemi, was Potential. With 10.25/1 compression, and a mild cam, the Street Hemi was tuned from the factory relatively tame. Taken to extremes, I believe it was the top Dog horsepower engine. Anything over 11/1, I consider to be a racing tune engine, like the solid lifter Chevies. The L88 was an out and out full racing engine, in full race tune, that the factory was able to put in the street Corvette. What would have been fantastic, is if Chrysler would have installed the Race HEMI as a special regular production engine option in the street cars. As far as I've seen, the stock Street HEMI was a little less than 500hp, properly tuned, while the cross ram Race HEMI was around 630. L88, 560-580. These numbers are from what I remember from I've read in the past, could be wrong. There was a White Race Hemi Road Runner with slicks that showed up one night trailered into the Big Boy parking lot on Woodward, this was where I was hanging out Saturday nites in the late 70's early 80's. I don't remember if it was a Super Stock, or what it was. When asked how much power it made, he said; "Between 850, and 9".
Awesome engine downright proven dependability as well as true performance engineering marvel
Hemis ARE impressive, but for the street, a great running 440 is hard to beat!
Great video and yes the hemy is one of the greatest
U have 2 give Tom hoover and the belgiums lot of credit. That design follows what mother nature designed and it works but that design is rpm and lift limited. Is that why they no longer rule pro stock?
While I am not knocking the Hemi, it's the engine I raced with in Nostalgia Top Fuel (392) and Top Fuel. (BAE). But, for the last 20 to 30 years the rules have been written specifically to keep this engine at the top of the heap. NHRA protects the established teams from being forced to retool. The expense of doing so would force some teams out of business. in Top Alcohol, when the Spaghetti Bender car, with a SBC, began beating up on the Hemi cars, NHRA hung so much weight on it that it had no chance of winning. In Nostalgia Top Fuel, the winning-est car of all, CHAMPION SPEED SHOP, ran a SBC for many years. NHRA did not have a hand in those rules, so the better engine won .
For NTF I chose the 392 Hemi because the 426 was not permitted at that time, and the 392 is probably the easiest engine of all to service between rounds. I traveled with a very small crew, so this was very important. 10 nuts would have the valve train off, retaining all adjustments, and the cylinder head off. No Ford or Chevy even came close to this simplicity. As soon as the McGee engine (a beautiful piece of engineering) was becoming competitive, NHRA outlawed it. The Whipple blower; outlawed. The Hemi is a fine engine, it dominates because the rules are written to make it so.
That is very interesting I would like to hear more!
Andy
Very good points. I quit following NHRA and started attending nostalgia events about 15-20 years ago. I now enjoy the No Prep racing because of the amount of innovation. NHRA has just gotten too stale and boring for me. My only complaint with the nostalgia racing was with the Top fuel cars. As you know better than I the rear gear and short tire makes the cars rev too high through the lights leading to way too many engine failures. Too expensive for the racers and frustrating for us spectators.
Well how much horse power do you need. The HEMI has no problem making it. So I am not so sure what more another engine could improve on and still improve the time? I believe traction is the problem not hp. I just don’t know what other engine made would surpass it?
That is cool !!! The early Chrysler design is really simple and they run strong , certainly the best design of that era . I still see some early iron blocks on TH-cam and a couple of Donovan 417's still making noise . Would love to see an aftermarket 392 iron block but no one seems to want to see that project through I guess. The FirePower is getting dim fellers .
@@randylear8264
The Chevy LS.
The HEMI is known world wide. No other engine can make that claim. 😇
Well. the Chrysler 426 hemi certainly lends itself well to very extensive power adders, more so than any other engine. Chevy 454s, Ford 427 SOHC Cammers, anybody else's engine. They got the stoutest blocks, able to handle obscene amounts of power, and heads that can flow more air, hence more power produced, than anybody else. For Starters, the Ford FE blocks used for the SOHC 427s can't take massive power adders, thus reducing their versatility. Then, with the SOHC design, their spark plugs are moved over to the sides, to the outer edges of the combustion chamber, creating deficiencies. With BBCs, their wedge design limits power. The only deficiency of the 426 hemi is that with their complicated rocker arm design, they can't rev as high as the BBCs and BBFs. With the 426 hemis in top fuel use, even with 60 pounds boost from the superchargers and with obscene loads of nitromethane, they still struggle above 84-8500 rpm. They're still the engine to beat, and nobody has been able to do this.
Actually, the valvetrain issue being a limitation is a fable. Modern Gen 2 blown hemis routinely wind to 11,500. Top end rpm is where they shine. Top fuel is limited on rpm by rules. 60 psi boost ain't much.
Great video,I really enjoyed that one
Great video! 426 Hemi is certainly an iconic race engine. FTO this Friday, are you going to be there?
426 Hemi great part history still is a ledgend to day to day I drive a srt8 6.1L hemi wich runs after the great 426 with 425 horsepower that two is a great engine
Had a Tik Tok guy tell me they went back to the wedge in NASCAR, when the Hemi was banned. Although I do respect a lot of his opinion, I think he's wildin on that one 🤣
All the Hemi are the best
Great video!
Thanks for watching! I'm glad you enjoyed it
Andy
If you go back to 1970 and you're talking about the great engines you have to mention the Hemi you have to mention a 427 Ford and a 428 Ford and the 429 Chevrolet 454 LS6 those are your top picks there are many more but those are the best with the most horsepower most of them have between 450 and 500 horsepower Factory rated and you could get them up to 700 what you have now is completely different and they are completely unaffordable Back in 1970 anybody can buy one of these other hot cars they were less than $6,000 now they're over 100 grand
The Chrysler Corporation's 426 Generation 2 HEMIS are "The Greatest Engineered and Designed Internal Cumbustion Engines Ever Mass Produced Bar Non both Domestic and Foreign Markets Till this Day!
Thanks for the video!
How do I apply the 128 rule, to a SBC with a roots style blower, namely The Blower Shop 192. Thank you! I appreciate the info you and David are putting out.
You can dial the power up on the gen 2 hemi 426 to great heights and it loves it.
I’ll take the Boss 429 Hemi any day. Motor has to last long enough to win.
The hemi was not new,, just a derivation of the various hemis from the 50s. 392s were the engines for fuel until the late 60s. The 'big' racer such as Garlits had 426s earlier than most others. Initially it was slower.
Chrysler dropped the hemi in late 50s because it was too expensive to produce, the advantage were not enough. As a street engine many will say a 440 is better. Defenitly cheaper but not better. But hemis are also HEAVY whichever version. The design though is what is drag racing staple,, NHRA actually mandate it now so nothing else gets a look in
While the Hemi looks heavy, in racing trim it's about the same as any other Big Block.
One of the reasons it was "too expensive" is because there were three different ones - the smallest block version was the Dodge Red Ram with 4.1 inch bore centers, next was a mid-block version for the DeSoto with 4.3 inch bore centers, and the "big" block version was the Chrysler, with 4.5 inch bore centers. It would have been a little cheaper if the Chrysler and the DeSoto used the same basic block, as they were the same basic car, except for the 57 - 59 Firesweep. That car was a disguised Dodge.
I love my Hemi!
A stinkin' Barra is the greatest engine of all time LOL, but all I dream about however is Hemi, Hemi, Hemi, Hemi. Get up in the middle of the night - Hemi, wake up in the morning Hemi, all through the day yep Hemi. Last thing before sleep - Hemi.
Been like that for about 45 years now. Still don't have one, not even close.
I doubt I'll ever manifest one either but a man can dream.
you, your good you.
The Ford Boss is number 1. It is not allowed to compete. As soon as nhra got wind someone was going to get serious with it and bring it back, they promptly banned the bore spacing of the Ford. Why, why is any engine protected. It doesn't make any sense.
The mopar ok. NHRA outlawed the push button transmission and NASCAR seemed to all but completely ban mopar. Why? Because other lost to them. The 426 Hemi, the 440 and 383 engines all seem to get meaner when they need to. the brat pack and the rapid transit system could not be touched except by the feds and insurance companies. And of course the gas problem in the mid '70's.
Not was IS the best of all time.
It's easy to be number one when you outlaw the competitor's engines.
The wedge head was good, but they WOULD not improved. The cylinder head for IT . And yes, the HEMI is the goat. 😊
The hemi no 1 too bad some one didn t make a beefed up S O H C block Ford to compete
The hemi is a great motor but I still
favor the 427 S.O.H.C. Ford!
I recently had some clown arguing with me about these engines, claiming his supercharged LS Vette was faster. Even after I suggested putting a blower on the 426 Hemi would easily eat his LS he continued claiming he was right. I hate trying to reason with a narcissist who has never turned wrenches and only buys his cars assembled. I'm building a 426 Hemi for my 71 Cuda. I build my toys. I don't listen to big mouths who can't build anything except a fart.
I'm planning to paint my 71 Cuda to match Sox n Martin's 71 Cuda. Red, White, and Blue!
Racing it's probably the G.O.A.T. on the street I'll take a 440
My little gecko is named Hemi
Goat without a doubt !!!
The greatest
Absolutely Best of all time engines is 426 2 gen Hemi..
Modern "hemi" engines are overrated for marketing.
i outran one of those modern hemis with my 428cj comet
@@LoneWrencherYer Comet is about 800 lbs lighter.
true
Not really. They are an improvement for performance. Still have dome for strait in strait out canted valves, and double quench used with flat top pistons. Plus twin plug heads.
And your nose is Pinocchio for those of us that own new Hemis and know the facts. My 392 SRT challenger will literally walk all over your 428. Lmao
Best ever
I WILL NEVER COMMENT ON A VIDEO LIKE THIS EVER AGAIN,IT HAS CAUSED MORE ARGUING THAN I EVER HAD
I love the history of this Video And 426 Hemi Being King
But like all kings sooner or later they are Toppled.
I love these stories
All the Famous racers and engine builder were all together in 70 and there was a underdog of all time there.
And it was Buick .
And he told them Next year he was going to kick butt
and they all laughed at him .
Buick produced the Heads that ended the Hemi Reign
it was the 1971 Buick Bullet back Riviera with 455 Cubic inch monster that out torked the
Hemi .
sorry guys your egos gave it a few more years lol it had its decade
I loved the Hemi too but thats the truth
Overrated?? It won more NHRA races than any other engine! The basic design in the 50s are still in use today!! Still based around the Chrysler hemi ! Even stock car was successful!
I don't know where you got that the 426 was not dependable? skirted block, Cross bolted mains. You must have been confused with Fords 427 engine. Keith Black was contracted from Chrysler to build an all alluminum version 426 Hemi to shed some weight off of the elephant for racing. Their is no other engine faster. Ford, Chevy, and Toyota all use the Chrysler 426. If you can't beat them join them. lol
The only reason all NHRA teams run the Hemi is because it is a spec motor. NHRA won’t allow any innovation because having to retool would be too expensive for some teams and they are afraid they would lose some teams. They already can barely field a full field of cars, NHRA might as well call themselves nostalgia racing because that is totally what it is.
Get real No engine lasted like Ford 427 and 289 engines. Hemis were tough too but keep it real.
@@danmyers9372 How did it become the defacto engine? Why did Ford Chevy use it in their race cars? You think they were forced by NHRA? Lol 😆
@@jimandersen3003 you can believe that
@@danmyers9372 another reason its the spec engine is for safety purposes. Don't want oil and metal al over the track.
Any high compression 340 will beat any Hemi on the street .
I'm a Chevy guy whom has never losta race to a Hemi. Having said that Ford's late 1960's Winston Cup engine would flow more air. Just ask Ricard or David.
good video for stirring up sh-t, i even got jumped on for what someone else said
I didn't mean for all of that to happen...
Andy
🐐
The "Wood" brothers???🤔🤔🤔
My Kin Folk...
Andy
OVER-RATED!!
Maybe in it's day..
Heck, there's 4cyl K-series making over a thousand hp!
And it's like the car designers NEVER met with the Power train designers!
It's 2024.5 and if you want to build up your MOPAR, nothing fits without surgery. IE. Headers barely fit. (Still to this day!) K-member could be better design, and they let other "entities" make 5-6spds...
(Until just a few years ago) 40+yr gap?
Hellya
no its a pain to keep up and maintenance. and a 440 with a 6 pack will outrun the hemi, small block Chevy is the best all around engine imo, I do like the boss engine in Casper
It's no K-series.
Hemis are junk, I hope everyone gets rid of them, except ME...🤣
Over rated
Overrated...Buick stage 1 455...beat it..
Definitely the most overrated. They are good engines but the mystic that currently surrounds them has far surpassed reality.
Ford FE 427 was a better engine.
There were at least three different 427 motors. Which one are you referring to? The standard FE was not a particularly good engine. It was on the heavy side. It would rev high and live though.
Greatest street motor? No. Greatest race motor? Absolutely, without a doubt.
Greatest drag racing motor. No a single endurance racing victory I can think of except for NASCAR.
@@michaelwdagle7410 Advantage over all other non OHC engines. Like the Daytona Charger aerodynamics. Boss 429 hit the field and both became illegal.
@@michaelwdagle7410 YES! The Ford DFW-probably best F1 motor, Offenhauser-probably the best Indy Motor, although the short pushrod Mercedes Penske driven by Emerson Fittipaldi totally dominated, and I think the very best example of cheating-not cheating in motorsports history.
@@michaelwdagle7410 I haven't seen too many 11k HP endurance engines, no one ever needed one to run a whole season. can you build a 426 style hemi to make 1000k Hp NA and run a season of F1, yes it can be done but it wouldn't competitive or legal for that matter. In a different reality If Ferrari built the V8 push rod 426 Hemi you best better believe those F1 engineers would have a 20k hour capable version.
I've done a few for Baja 1000 over the past 20 years , and 6 for the Dakar rally all have made the trip.
Things haven't changed much and the same back in the day. Hemi option was expensive for many back then as many of those cars were bought by wealthy families for their kids.However those kids weren't really street guys and didn't know how to wrench and tune the street HEMI.Yes they got beat.
However make no mistake the STREET HEMI in the right hands and running gear COULD NOT be beat.
I was already a licensed driver in 1968 So. Cal. It was all 1/4 mile and street racing. The 426 was tough to beat. Thanks for the memory lane!
Having bought my first street hemi a couple of years ago, all I can say is, the legend is real, ZERO disappointments and changing plugs compared to a wedge with headers, no brainer, save up for the hemi.
Couple years ago? They quit selling them in cars 50 years ago!
@@jimandersen3003 You're right. Nobody sells used cars or aftermarket engines.
You are right about the spark plug situation, and even though a Hemi is a wider engine I think it actually fits better in certain bodies because of the spark plug and header orientation like in a Dodge Dart