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Strange 1979 440, what's it out of? #2561387
10/09/18 01:28 PM
10/09/18 01:28 PM
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God's Country Maryland
GODSCOUNTRY340 Offline OP
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Just picked up a 440, it's got 9T 440 E & 8-14 on the block stamping, cast date of 6-28-78, weird left side exhaust manifold and the std size spark plugs, not the small ones used in the motor home blocks. Any idea what this was used in?

106_3138.JPG106_3141.JPG106_3136.JPG106_3143.JPG

I love the smell of Deer guts in the morning, it smells like... VICTORY!
Re: Strange 1979 440, what's it out of? [Re: GODSCOUNTRY340] #2561403
10/09/18 01:52 PM
10/09/18 01:52 PM
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Round Lake Beach, Illinoisy
Rhinodart Offline
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It has a truck mount on it, so some kind of heavy duty truck? scope


The funny thing about science is that if you change one miniscule parameter you change the entire outcome to the way you want it.

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Re: Strange 1979 440, what's it out of? [Re: GODSCOUNTRY340] #2561500
10/09/18 05:34 PM
10/09/18 05:34 PM
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IL
furious70 Offline
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those manifolds were used in vans and some chassis trucks from what I know. I own 3 of them and used in turbo set up - bought from 3 different people. Seems they only put them on 1 side for some reason.


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Re: Strange 1979 440, what's it out of? [Re: furious70] #2561595
10/09/18 08:52 PM
10/09/18 08:52 PM
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Lincoln Nebraska
RapidRobert Offline
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On a side note, that maltese cross means something in that particular eng was undersize/oversized (it'd likely be in the archives if someone dont chime in).


live every 24 hour block of time like it's your last day on earth
Re: Strange 1979 440, what's it out of? [Re: RapidRobert] #2561600
10/09/18 09:01 PM
10/09/18 09:01 PM
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So Cal, USA
Fab64 Offline
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I was told by a few people on this forum that the little "sight-glass" thingie on the timing chain cover was used on 440's that went into motor homes. The seller of the 440 block I bought said it was from a motor home, and my timing chain cover also had this feature.

Roger

TimingCover1.jpg
Last edited by Fab64; 10/09/18 09:02 PM.
Re: Strange 1979 440, what's it out of? [Re: GODSCOUNTRY340] #2561601
10/09/18 09:03 PM
10/09/18 09:03 PM
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Wills Point, Texas
Hugh Jorgan Offline
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I've only seen those valve covers on RV & van motors. In 30+ years, it may have been slightly molested. What are the casting numbers on the heads?

Re: Strange 1979 440, what's it out of? [Re: GODSCOUNTRY340] #2561703
10/10/18 12:27 AM
10/10/18 12:27 AM
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Granite Bay CA
Kern Dog Offline
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I think it is incorrect to label it as a '79 engine. The June casting date is about 2 months earlier than when the next model year was usually cast.

Re: Strange 1979 440, what's it out of? [Re: GODSCOUNTRY340] #2561716
10/10/18 12:46 AM
10/10/18 12:46 AM
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Freeport IL USA
poorboy Offline
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My guess, a B van, or a motor home/RV with the van nose.
An RV could easily have been a 79 model year, the chassis were sold in batches to the motor home builders and the model year would have been the assembly date of the finished RV. Depending on how many chassis were purchased, a big block Mopar RV could have had a build date as late as an 80 model year. That was not unusual in the RV business. Gene

Re: Strange 1979 440, what's it out of? [Re: GODSCOUNTRY340] #2561719
10/10/18 01:05 AM
10/10/18 01:05 AM
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Granite Bay CA
Kern Dog Offline
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I agree but to call it a 1979 engine despite a June casting date?

Re: Strange 1979 440, what's it out of? [Re: Kern Dog] #2561775
10/10/18 03:58 AM
10/10/18 03:58 AM
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9 T 440 E
8 14



9 = 1979 model year
T = Trenton, MI engine plant
440 = 440 cu.in.
E = cast crankshaft
8 = August
14 = 14th of month (8/14/78)

Re: Strange 1979 440, what's it out of? [Re: GODSCOUNTRY340] #2561810
10/10/18 09:55 AM
10/10/18 09:55 AM
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New Jersey, USA
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yella71 Offline
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truck or motor home...on the plus side its got extra ribs on the side and its most likly a good block to build


71 challenger convertable, 64 sport fury 383 ci with factory air 99 sebring convertable 89 CTD pup
Re: Strange 1979 440, what's it out of? [Re: RapidRobert] #2561886
10/10/18 12:45 PM
10/10/18 12:45 PM
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central texas
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krautrock Offline
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Originally Posted By RapidRobert
On a side note, that maltese cross means something in that particular eng was undersize/oversized (it'd likely be in the archives if someone dont chime in).


http://www.moparts.org/Tech/Archive/motor/36.html

Re: Strange 1979 440, what's it out of? [Re: Hugh Jorgan] #2561936
10/10/18 02:22 PM
10/10/18 02:22 PM
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God's Country Maryland
GODSCOUNTRY340 Offline OP
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Originally Posted By Hugh Jorgan
I've only seen those valve covers on RV & van motors. In 30+ years, it may have been slightly molested. What are the casting numbers on the heads?

The heads are 452's, casting dates on them are 1-25-78


I love the smell of Deer guts in the morning, it smells like... VICTORY!
Re: Strange 1979 440, what's it out of? [Re: GODSCOUNTRY340] #2562136
10/10/18 09:14 PM
10/10/18 09:14 PM
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Western Colorado High Desert
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Those mounts and valve covers were used in Class B and C motor homes. Class A used a different mount.
The heads probably have steam ports on the exhaust valves. Motor home version of the 452. I have a set of those.
I agree that it is a 79 model year RV. 78 was the last year in cars and pickups but I have seen them in 79 and 80 model year RV's


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Re: Strange 1979 440, what's it out of? [Re: GODSCOUNTRY340] #2562237
10/11/18 12:55 AM
10/11/18 12:55 AM
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Granite Bay CA
Kern Dog Offline
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I thought that even the 413 "industrial" was used for several years after the cars and trucks were feing fitted with the 426 wedge and even 440 engines.

Re: Strange 1979 440, what's it out of? [Re: Kern Dog] #2571157
10/29/18 07:00 PM
10/29/18 07:00 PM
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dogdays Offline
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6bbl definitely got it right

The 9 definitely means it was installed in a 1979 model year vehicle. The T means Trenton engine plant. The E means it came with a cast crank. The date is the date the engine was assembled. The last 440s were built in August of 1978 so this engine was one of the last 440s from the original molds. It took Chrysler another year to use up all of the 440s. I believe that there were some 1979 440 powered one ton pickups and vans.

Literature also says there were 413s being built into the late '70s. They were the heavier duty engines.
The Maltese cross means undersized bearing journals.

Here's a quote that is pretty right:

Decoding Engine Stampings and Casting Numbers


Decoding the Stampings on Engine Pads:
A .020 oversize cylinder bores
Diamond Oversize tappets
E Cast Crankshaft
HP High Performance
L or LC Low compression
Maltese Cross .001" undersize main bearing journals
Maltese Cross & an X .010" undersized crankshaft rod journals
O.S. .005" oversize valve stems
P Premium Fuel
R Regular Fuel
RX or MX All main and rod journals .010" undersized
S Special engine
WT or TW Water Test
X .010" undersize crankshaft


Decoding the Year Codes for B & RB Engines:
(Stamped on engine pad)
A 1965
B 1966
C 1967
D 1968
E 1969
F 1970
G 1971
H 1972
J 1973
P 1960
R 1961
S 1962
T 1963
V 1964
4T 1974
5T 1975
6T 1976
7T 1977
8T 1978
We have visual proof of a 9T as well, but that's all, folks!

Chrysler had a fire sale and declared they were going out of the bigblock business forever. They scrapped the molds and I remember seeing brand new 452 heads selling bare for $60 apiece. 400 shortblocks in crates were $400, and a cast 440 crank was something like $80. Of course, I didn't have any money at the time so they are only memories.

R.

If the "440" had a "T" after it, that meant the engine came in a truck.

Last edited by dogdays; 10/29/18 07:02 PM.






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