I think I know but during a conversation today I began to question myself and then I tried to look something up and I ran across conflicting info including lean burn so I thought I would ask here before I stated what I thought it was.

Thanks in advance, Kevin

7 = 1977 model year
T = Trenton, MI engine assembly plant
440 = 440 cu.in.
E = cast crankshaft
HP = High Performance

best guess - the original application was a Fury "cop-car", is there a partial VIN stamped on the pan-rail?

Yep, looking at the VIN stamp would give you another clue. Otherwise it is just a 440 HP from a 1977 passenger car.

Thank you Dan, that is what I have believed for a long time but never really cared since a 77 HP engine is still pretty weak, especially a 40 year old one.

Probably on the partial VIN but not sure when I will be under it to get it. What was the HP rating on it from the factory and was it mainly a cam difference as in earlier engine.

If it is a police car version 255 HP. If not it might be as low as 225. Keep in mind in 72 they went to NET ratings so that alone dropped the numbers a ton. A "good" year 375 HP 440 was probably only like 325 or something NET.

Was not just a cam change, depending on head casting it was worse heads, smaller valves. Lower compression. Worse cam. Worse intake and exhaust manifolds. By worse I mean redesigned for emissions rather than performance...

Really not much difference in the heads, but relay low compression pistons and a mild cam. I don't know about the intake or exhausts. They can be built up just like any other 440.

I understand significant difference between a performance year engine and the mid-late smogger engine, I was more referring to same year engine difference between the low 225 and the "higher" 255 horse engine was mainly cam.

I think the change in rating was from reading it with all the accessories verses a bare engine or something like that.

I have a book around here somewhere that has the cam specs and emissions info and the late HP cam was almost identical to the earlier ones, just a little MORE overlap for its natural EGR effect. The late exhaust manifolds are huge compared to the earlier HP manifolds and probably flow more but they are heavy. I think the lean mixtures and low spark advance are real killers in addition to the lowered compression. I had a '77 440 hp many years ago and it ran fine with some tuning.