Michael Accardi 
What started as one lone Hellephant 426 HEMI crate engine in the automotive aftermarket jungle has now morphed into a Hellephant family, with three additional engines on display at the 2022 SEMA Show. Even as there’s emphasis on the new Direct Connection Hurricane Crate Engine family, Dodge is reminding everyone it’s still very serious about V8 American muscle with a new pair of cast-iron engines along with a second aluminum engine capable of running E85 out of the box.
Each name in the Hellephant crate engine family begins with an A or C, indicating either aluminum or cast iron, followed by a numeric representation of fuel type. 30 indicates premium fuel with an E15 max, in other words, 30 proof, or 170 for E85 fuel, 170 proof.
The new C30 and C170 iron engines are smaller in displacement at 6.2L but show up with a more potent 3.02-inch party pully on the supercharger, compared to the larger 3.17-inch pulleys offered on the 7.0L A30 and A170 aluminum engines. The 3.0L twin-screw IHI supercharger is shared across the Hellephant family.
The 6.2L iron engines also get a larger 105 mm throttle body compared to the 92 mil unit used on the 7.0L aluminum brutes. While the 6.2L iron engines may share the same displacement as the Hellcrate and Hellcat engines, the blueprinting is very different in application. The iron Hellephants feature a variety of improvements to cylinder head porting, valve seats and guides, connecting rods, pistons and ring lands, fasteners, bearings, and billet main caps. The C30 engine is expected to produce 900 hp on premium fuel, while the C170 will offer 1,000+ hp guzzling E85.
The aluminum A30 engine was formally known as the Hellephant 426 Supercharged HEMI crate engine. It’s the same 7.0L engine we all know and love with forged aluminum pistons pushing 4340 H-beam connecting rods, and massive 117 lb/hr injectors – compared to the 75 lb/hr units on the iron block engines. The A30 is good for 1,000 hp and 950 lb-ft of torque out of the box. The A170 engine builds on the performance of the A30 using an upgraded fuel system with flex-fuel capability. Dodge says it will be good for more than 1,100+ horsepower when running E85 fuel, based on preliminary estimates.
Will one of these Hellephant V8 engines make it into the grand finale of the outgoing Dodge Challenger? We anxiously await.
All four engines in the Hellephant family share 1.65-inch sodium-filled stainless steel exhaust valves and 2.14-inch hollow stem stainless steel intake valves. Other commonalities include 356 aluminum cylinder heads, and a forged steel crank. The C30 and C170 iron block engines will include a set of fabricated tubular exhaust manifolds while Dodge lists the A30 and A170 aluminum blocks as not including exhaust manifolds. Full details on the Hellephant family of crate engines, including pricing, availability, and final specifications, will be announced in 2023.
