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Cam change for 1978 replacement 440?

Posted By: Fern

Cam change for 1978 replacement 440? - 10/31/13 11:13 PM

Have a replacement 440 from 1978 on my challenger.
Can I change the cam for more horespower.
Motor runs great just want a better sound to it.
Thanks
Posted By: RapidRobert

Re: Cam change for 1978 replacement 440? - 10/31/13 11:28 PM

My coil went out in my DD 318 65 dart & made it backfire which blew a hole in the muff & people think there is a killer engine in there now. For more power first would be to attack the most restricted part of the overall "air pump" which is usually the exhaust system. That'd give you more power & a less restrictive muff(s) would definitely sound more powerful. That'd be a much better plan than just a cam change with a thumpy idle
Posted By: Junky

Re: Cam change for 1978 replacement 440? - 10/31/13 11:41 PM

Quote:

Have a replacement 440 from 1978 on my challenger.
Can I change the cam for more horespower.
Motor runs great just want a better sound to it.
Thanks


You want sound and performance? Click Here
Posted By: VincentVega

Re: Cam change for 1978 replacement 440? - 10/31/13 11:47 PM

Quote:

Have a replacement 440 from 1978 on my challenger.
Can I change the cam for more horespower.
Motor runs great just want a better sound to it.
Thanks



What is it out of? believe it or not the 78 440 high performance (cop car) cam is pretty hot, they used extra duration to keep some of the exhaust gas in the cylinder as an emissions solution. I believe your biggest problem will be the compression as those motors put the slug way down in the hole which is bad for both power and pinging.

If you want to run with it the way it is I would suggest just using the stock cam and treating induction and exhaust. Then the cam will come to life. You can go with a mild cam but don't forget with the compression and lack of quench you can't get real crazy.

If you are adamant on a cam swap I don't think I would go more than 235° @ .050" with stock compression. I had a split duration cam around there in an otherwise stock 78 400 and it was OK
Posted By: scratchnfotraction

Re: Cam change for 1978 replacement 440? - 11/01/13 04:18 AM

Quote:

Quote:

Have a replacement 440 from 1978 on my challenger.
Can I change the cam for more horespower.
Motor runs great just want a better sound to it.
Thanks


You want sound and performance? Click Here



x2 100% the 318 whiplash roller cam isa killer street cam in lopo SB also.

I have 400$ invested in the 440 whiplash cam/springs/lifters/timing gears to go in my stock 78 440 from a 1.25 ton chassis motor home.

in the 88 swb truck the stock motor is a beast with nothing more than rpm intake/q-jet/center dump manifolds/stock low stall TC-727 turning 3.91sg and a 29x15x15 M/T tire.

pulling 13 mpg as a daily driver turning 3.23 gears/29x15x15

adding headers/fresh 452 heads/whiplash cam/stock high stall TC in the 727 TF-2 shift kit.

if it does what it did for my roller cam 318 in the 85 stepside, I will be more than pleased with it.

I hope to have the whiplash 318 in the stepside back on the road soon with the nv4500 5 speed conversion in it. whiplash + 5 speed + 85 stepside =

I have 2 whiplash roller cams and a 440 whiplash flat tappet going in soon.like they said... idles like a funny car and smooths right out around 1800 rpm for daily street duty redlight to redlight action.

found myself having to play with the whiplash SB roller cam stuff first..the cam break-in on the 440 has me a little...

roller cams =



Attached picture 7907465-440q-jetrpmintake.jpg
Posted By: Fern

Re: Cam change for 1978 replacement 440? - 11/02/13 10:17 PM

That whiplash cam sounds like its just what I'm needing.

Any idea what the HP increase would be?
Posted By: scratchnfotraction

Re: Cam change for 1978 replacement 440? - 11/03/13 03:14 AM

Fern, you had the green truck lowerd & tubbed correct? not sure how much HP.but it sure did make the 318 run like it SHOULD have run new from the factory.

whiplash roller cam hands down beat the lunati VooDoo roller cam I had, and they are almost exact same specs, but night and day on the street duty. both get about the same MPG.

the RV cam in my 440 woke up nice with the RPM intake along with 3.91sg. but is all done at 4800 rpm, the sweet spot is about 2200 rpm at 50 mph it knocks back 15 mpg hwy with 3.23 gears.

but the granny drive has gotta go, so going to a fresh set of 452 heads,whiplash cam for some pop in the cyl,headers to breath and have a holley street dominator intake with a 650 holley spredbore double pumper/thermobog replacment carb to try on it.

call kevin up at hughes and talk to him about it. tell him what you got and what you want it to do.
Posted By: DaytonaTurbo

Re: Cam change for 1978 replacement 440? - 11/03/13 03:53 AM

what rear gears are you running and are you willing to change them? same with torq converter. those smogger era 440s have an actual 7.8 compression and need all the help in the bottom end they can get. I've been there and done that before with a 76 440.
Posted By: Fern

Re: Cam change for 1978 replacement 440? - 11/03/13 01:46 PM

Quote:

Fern, you had the green truck lowerd & tubbed correct? not sure how much HP.but it sure did make the 318 run like it SHOULD have run new from the factory.

whiplash roller cam hands down beat the lunati VooDoo roller cam I had, and they are almost exact same specs, but night and day on the street duty. both get about the same MPG.

the RV cam in my 440 woke up nice with the RPM intake along with 3.91sg. but is all done at 4800 rpm, the sweet spot is about 2200 rpm at 50 mph it knocks back 15 mpg hwy with 3.23 gears.

but the granny drive has gotta go, so going to a fresh set of 452 heads,whiplash cam for some pop in the cyl,headers to breath and have a holley street dominator intake with a 650 holley spredbore double pumper/thermobog replacment carb to try on it.

call kevin up at hughes and talk to him about it. tell him what you got and what you want it to do.




Thanks, and your right. In the end I just really want it to sound a little better than it does right now.
Posted By: Junky

Re: Cam change for 1978 replacement 440? - 11/03/13 07:11 PM

Well, I'm running the baby big block 383 with a flat tappet Whiplash cam. I was running a 262H Comp Cam then switched to the Whiplash. Big difference! No comparison. Nice rumpity pumpity sound at idle, and winds easily to 6000 RPM. Running Dynomax turbo mufflers. My compression is at best 9 to 1. Me ol' 383 hauls butt...keeping in mind that it is ONLY a 383.
Posted By: Mebsuta

Re: Cam change for 1978 replacement 440? - 11/04/13 05:54 AM

All these cams; Whiplash, Extreme, Voodoo and stuff. Did the original HP cam just suck that bad?
Posted By: VincentVega

Re: Cam change for 1978 replacement 440? - 11/04/13 03:45 PM

There's nothing wrong with the stock 78 440 HP cam, it's comparable to the 67 cam and in fact a touch hotter on exhaust. With induction and exhaust and it will wake up nicely.
Posted By: dogdays

Re: Cam change for 1978 replacement 440? - 11/04/13 07:45 PM

Here are a couple of advantages to a more modern cam:
1. Tighter LSA will result in more midrange torque.
2. Modern lobes can give you much higher lift for the same duration. That equates to more area under the curve, meaning more flow.

R.
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