Power was rated at a maximum of 420 ponies with torque checking in at an incredible 500 lb-ft. The Max Wedge was introduced in 1962 in a number of mid-size models offered by Plymouth (the Super Stock 413) and Dodge (the Ramcharger 413).

The Max Wedge, formally the Maximum Performance Wedge, was an engine option produced by the Chrysler Corporation from 1962 to 1964, that was available exclusively in B Platform (intermediate) Dodges and Plymouths. The Max Wedge motor used the Chrysler RB Block, and was produced in 413 and 426 cubic-inch iterations.

The B and RB engines are often referred to as “wedge” engines because they use wedge-shaped combustion chambers; this differentiates them from Chrysler’s 426 Hemi big block engines that are typically referred to as “Hemi” or “426 Hemi” due to their hemispherical shaped combustion chambers.

Mopar engines were referred to as “wedge” engines because they used wedge-shaped combustion chambers; this was different from Chrysler’s 426 Hemi big-block engines that were typically referred to as “Hemi” (as in 426 Hemi, for example) due to their hemispherical-shaped combustion chambers.

The difference being a 426 wedge is just a 440 with a smaller bore. So you COULD put a set of 426 hemi pistons into a 426 wedge block and you COULD put a 426 hemi cam into a 426 wedge block. …

FHO 572 Street Hemi Package. The 572 has become the most popular engine produced at FHO. It offers the most bang for the buck, with improved torque and power over the smaller 528/540’s. Engines can be painted to look OEM stock, or detailed with chrome/polished aluminum for Pro-street/race appearance.

MoPar 426 Hemi The 426 street Hemi was rated at 425 horsepower from the factory. This Chrysler dyno sheet from decades ago and this close-to-stock dyno session of a new 426 Hemi both put the gross horsepower rating at about 470 horsepower without full exhausts and other engine-driven accessories.

425 horsepower
MoPar 426 Hemi The 426 street Hemi was rated at 425 horsepower from the factory. This Chrysler dyno sheet from decades ago and this close-to-stock dyno session of a new 426 Hemi both put the gross horsepower rating at about 470 horsepower without full exhausts and other engine-driven accessories.

1964, Chrysler introduced the street-minded 426-S ‘Street-Wedge’. Also known as, the Commando 426. Rated at 365 Horsepower, the 64′ Plymouth Belvedere, Fury and Dodge. Model 330/440 and Polaris cars were supposed to rule the ‘street musclecar scene’.

“These 426 Chrysler HEMI engines can produce anywhere from 700 hp – 1500 hp,” Barton says. “The gap in horsepower range depends on how much money a customer wants to put into the engine. It depends on what people want. You can have different heads, different cams, and other different parts.

The 426 Hemi first arrived in 1964 as a competition-only option, but the street Hemi showed up in 1965 to replace the Max Wedge. The Hemi stayed strong at 425 horsepower and 490 pound-feet of torque, though actual dyno testing in the period yielded slightly higher numbers. Understating engine power was common in the era.

The Hemi stayed strong at 425 horsepower and 490 pound-feet of torque, though actual dyno testing in the period yielded slightly higher numbers. Understating engine power was common in the era. The 426 Hemi was sold in street form through 1971.

The 413 Max Wedge was quite different from an ordinary 413. In particular, the Max Wedge used different heads with 25% larger ports and bigger valves. You also got a special high-lift 300-degree camshaft, double valvesprings, a special intake manifold with 15-inch runners, and twin Carter AFB 650cfm carbs.

The Max Wedge was introduced in 1962 in a number of mid-size models offered by Plymouth (the Super Stock 413) and Dodge (the Ramcharger 413). Unlike past performance efforts from Chrysler, these vehicles were aimed specifically at buyers who wanted to put the competition to shame on the drag strip.