I got a friend in the planning stages of building a strong budget friendly street motor. We were talking today about the popularity of putting a 440 crank in a b block.

Can you guys educate me as to why guys go this route instead of putting the 440 crank in a 440 block?

What are the advantages?

What are the options for a 383 block?

Thanks for any input.

check the tech archives under engine hemi BIg block- "451 manifesto". Good article heading that way myself-I Think

that was popular before the advent of readily available stroker kits. it's still a cool swap ( you have to turn the mains down to low deck size ), but you end up spending a pretty good chunk on a stock crank, which is why it's not done as much anymore. you can get stroker kits for 383s, also.

You'll still save a little cash over buying a kit, especially if you already have the crank. A forged factory crank should be plenty strong for a street-strip motor in the 550 HP range.

Advantage over a 440 block is weight! The 451 combo uses shorter, lighter pistons, and the crank itself gets lightened when you turn the counterweights down. This lighter rotating assembly will rev faster than a tall deck assembly. The block itself is also lighter, so the car gets to shed a few pounds right where you want, over the nose. Fit also comes into play, especially If it's in an A-Body. Lastly, there's the argument that the lighter weight rotating assembly taxes the rods less when pressed, theoretically making it stronger, and its widely accepted that the low-deck block is a stronger at the webbing, because of the lower presence of the cylinder bores. thus the low-deck motor is viewed as more durable.

With all of this said, while I'd rather build a low deck, I wouldn't hesitate to build an RB motor either. It's a choice between good and really good.

You also have a bigger bore, giving it better flow.

That is a good article Charlie, thanks.

I appreciate the quick replies. Good info.

GEnsrud covered most of it.

• lighter rotating and reciprocating weights
• More room (width and height) under the hood (A-body especially)
• Header fit, raised port heads on low deck can fit RB headers (more headers available now-a-days)
• Low deck main webbing seems to hold up better than RB
• 400 stock bore 4.342, 440 stock bore 4.320, 383 stock bore 4.250

I love my 511 CID low deck (4.250" stroke x 4.375" bore) in my 1969 Dart.

Well said by all..... My 470 stroker has a turned down 413 crank,chevy 6.385 rods,custom JE pistons all in a 400 truck block and I`ve been trying to kill it for almost nine years.....NO CHANCE. Very low maintainance, revs quickly to 7000 rpm`s but this is old school and these kits weren`t available when I did mine so I`d get a "kit" today but, they flat out work. Good luck.