Thread: Difference between a 354 & a 392 Hemi???

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.....Thank You Tech, Mooneye, Mike, Jerry & Pat. For the advise & hand holding :-).... Yes I do have a loose thread {LOL!} about having a 392 Hemi! But I also can't stop thinking about how Al said that the 354 SOUNDS better than the 392! So I guess I have TWO apposing threads! One thread about more cubes & one thread about the 354 sounding better! He said that they have the same duration cams {236}so may be the cam just sounds bigger with fewer cubes {although the 392 does have a roller cam, not sure what difference this makes}.... Anyway, Pat I've already commited to buying a motor from Big Al's so it's to late to back out. Jerry also said that he had a complete motor {or could get me one}. I guess I should have posted in the 'Wanted' section here instead of just asking questions & assuming everyone knew what I wanted! Hummm, Mike that's interesting about Chry. making the heads wider on the tall deck 392 so the 354 manifold would fit. Yesterday I went through all of Hot Heads parts on their web site & saw the spacers to run 354 heads on a 392.... "The crankshaft doesn't know what it says on the valve covers!" Good one Jerry! ........
Actually I wouldn't at all mind having a 354, it's just that down the road when I start taking it to the drags {with slicks on it to hook} & I want to go faster the first thing that I'll think of is "if I had a 392 I'd be going faster"!!! Now I can reverse the pulley's for more boost on the 354 & I could then add the Hot Heads aluminum heads. BUT then again, after this I'd STILL be saying; "if I had a 392 I'd be going faster!"....... Anyway, thanks again for all the help! Bill

We ran the 392 back in the old days both as gass and fuel dragster. When using the 354 heads on a 392 you had to use the 1/2 in spacers. Everyone had a set or two in the trailer. They were pretty easy to make too.

We often picked up a 354 just for the heads. Tossed all the rest back in the body and took it to the junk yard. Between all the fuel and gass guys here in the Twin Cities I bet we junked several thousand of these motors some just for a pair of heads, some for just the block. If I remember we even liked the 354 oil pump and a lot of motors were robbed of just the oil pump.

I'm sure Jerry junked more 392's than we did as he ran more than we did. haha Bet you still see split walls in your sleep.