Lost my .030" over 440 stock crank engine this week. Basicly starting from scrach on the short block, except for cam and gear drive. Heads are fixable (valves, slight dress up of 2 cyl and the spark plug bosses) Edelbrock RPM's. Cam is MP .590" solid lift.
Question is, what are the REAL WORLD pro's / con's of a stock stroke 440 vs stroked 500 RB vs 470 B in regards to block life, horse power, torque, RPM's where the engine wants to run ect.
I run two classes simultainously (one 1/4 mile, one eigth mile), easily puting 20 or more passes during the weekend (2 days), so I want to run the engine tune up conservitive.
I'm fine with a stock stroke 440, but I'm not putting another stock crank in. It just doesn't seem to make a lot of sense to spend the $'s on a after market crank and not stroke it though.
Real world info needed here!
Thanks,
Brian

Why not 500 B? Less bobweight than the RB.

What RPM do you trap at currently? Are the RPM heads stock port size? If everything stays the same but use a 500 CI short block the HP RPM peak will be much lower than your old 440. Same with the 470, just not as pronounced.

My 470 with stock port RPM heads and a .550 lift cam makes peak HP at 5400.

The head ports are box stock. 1/4 mile at Bristol tops out approx 6800 rpm's, shifting 1-2 5600, 2-3 5800. I run a turbo action "J" converter. Will going to a 470 or 500 change how the converter works?
This is exactly the type of info I'm looking for.
Thanks,
Brian

The extra torque will increase the stall, especially on the 500, i'm suprised how low you shift with that cam, i shift at 62-300.
How many runs were on the motor ?
Mick

The case for going 400 block-For the cost of switching intakes, pushrods and adding a distributor spacer, you gain a huge advantage in strength ,bob weight, and some over all weight reduction. Changing rear gears to cross at 6,000 rpm would be a good move with a 500 cube motor, and the package ought to live an extremely long life, with shift points at somewhere around 5500 rpm. The gear change should bring the launch torque back down to where it was with the 440, but the converter will flash higher and be more consistent if the track gets iffy. Your shift points will be further down track, allowing for a tad more consistency which might be worth as much as .01 or so in consistency. My experience was when I went to an air shifter, and my ETs narrowed up .02 average, running in the nines.
I vote for a rear gear change,and a 400B 499 cube package.
The rear gear you currently run is probably slowing you down, or at the least just way over revving the motor. No matter what you decide, you can definitely drop the rpm to 5800 to 6200 rpm in the traps (depending on short block size)with the 590 cam and not lose much if any performance.

I like the 470 B-block option, if it's not going to cost you a lot more to swap to a low-deck setup. You still running Stage VI heads? That would simplify the intake issue, assuming yours are used w/ the RB spacer plates.

However, I, too, understand the thought about why buy a better quality stock-stroke 440 crank... but that's exactly what I did. My whole combination (gearing, converter, etc.) is built around a 440 RB, but I didn't trust the used OEM crank. So, I replaced it w/ an Eagle 4340 3.75" for peace of mind.

You are already setup for RB so I would go RB. The advantages of going B are negated by the hassles (and expense) of buying new parts. The strokers have so much more power. You hate to pay the same money to build a 440, unless you are happy with that combo, power, et etc. If it was me I'd go 512 but it's not me it's you.

JMO.. since you blew up your basically starting from zero..
I would go with the 400 base block and go 499ci or so... the
only thing that you really have to change(on the actual build)
is the intake.. big deal.. sell it off to help buy a new one..
get the spacer for the dist if you dont feel like getting a new
dist.. but the 400 block is a better base... I wished they made a
400 block like the mega when I bought my stuff but they didnt

My last 440source 500 lasted (275) passes running 8.60's-8.90's in my Daytona before it split the block and I found it during a Winter tear-down. That assemble is still running in a street car today. I have a 512 440source assembly that will be going in a duster in the near future. I don't spend waste any money on fancy band-aids on my blocks so my block machining costs are minimal. If it last 275 runs again I will gladly scrap the block and have another one machined. All my builds have been with 440 blocks.

There is a chart in the first chapter of my big block book that shows you where the torque peak will be given a combination of cubic inches and cylinder head size.

You can either design the engine around the chassis or change the chassis to work with the engine. If you add inches but keep the same heads then the torque peak will drop. If you had the perfect gearing before then you'll need to adjust your gears to work with the lower torque peak.

The nice thing about running a stroker motor is that even if the peak power stays the same, the RPM at the stripe goes down which should mean extra life for a lot of the engine parts.

if you stay 440 get a heavy block. i got two and used the first for my duster.i cracked a 73 block in 50 or so passes low 10s. i do not have the car to run in the 9s or the want as of now so i got a 440 source stock stroke crank because after the girdle and stuff to not brake a block the 40 year old crank was not going back in.
if or when i brake these i'm going to a 400 block. mains on stock .375 at the thin spot. 440 6630 heavy is .511 and wide supports. the 400 is .550 and wider supports than the 440 easy.

I wouldn't try and build a high HP(over 650 HP) race stroker 440 block motor if you have a 400 block to start with You can make a 400 block stroker motor have the exact same cubes as the 440 block and shoot for the moon on HP and RPM and not have to worry about the weak main webs commonly found on all stock Mopar RB blocks Put a decent set of either Milidon ductile iron main caps with main studs, no girdles,or some brand of aluminum main caps and main studs on the 400 block and go racing With your heads I would build a 4.250 stroke 400 block and the compression ratio you want to run, shift it at or around 5900 to 6500 RPM and go through the 1/4 mile at or close to 7000 RPM

My 2 cents. I've run that converter behind a 498" motor with good results. Shifted at 6300. Stroker will have lighter bob weight. I also 2nd the low deck idea. Intake, push rods, dist spacer. Everything else is a wash. Buy the intake used and sell yours, very close in cost. Stronger, lighter, win win in my book.
Doug

My 470 with slightly bigger than stock ports and a .680 .660 276 281 @ .050 Isky solid roller was still makin power at 6900 on a chassis dyno and pulls real hard on the street and track. And that's with a 40 year old cut down 413 forged crank.......

Thanks for the replys, some really good info to see. I went to look at two different 400 blocks this week, only to find when I got there they were 440's. I bought both of them, so it looks like I'm going back with a RB. That probably will be less hassle than trying to sort out a new combo. I took a block to the machine shop fri and told them to clean it and bore it +.030". If it cleans up there I'll, I'll order the rest of the parts then.
As much as I would like to go to a bigger (read stroker) engine, it really isn't what I need. I have a 10.90 car, so no need in putting a 9.90 engine in it. ( actually runs 10.40's in good conditions) I'm thinking build the same engine that I lost, only with a non-OEM crank and possibly Alum mains.
Anyone got a good stock stroke aftermarket crank they're willing to part with?
Thanks,
Brian

Your best friend is a light assembly and low rpms, happy parts hunting

Get a 3.75 crank from Molnar with the 2.200 rod journals. Then pick up a set of BB Chevy rods that are 7.100 long and then pistons to match. That will give you a lightweight and very strong bottom end that should go a lot of rounds of racing.

Andy, do mean 6.760" rods or 7.100" rods?
Thanks,
Brian

He means 7.10 rods. They come with the lighter chev pin, .990, and also have a 2.200 rod bearing which lightens up the assembly a good amount without sacrificing much if any strength.