Are RV motors any good?

Posted By: dssaa

Are RV motors any good? - 04/17/09 03:24 AM

I am looking at a 78 440 with 727 setup that came out of an RV. Has around 60k on it, and am told it runs great. I am thinking of dropping it in a 68 Charger. Just building a good driver, not worried about 1/4 mile e.t's. Its really cheap...and I can dress it up with stuff I already have. What do you think?

Posted By: cornucopia

Re: Are RV motors any good? - 04/17/09 03:44 AM

buy and use it! good chance the tranny won't work in a car. some will,but check it out. the later model RV 440s are cast crank, so grab the torque converter...just do it!

Posted By: dssaa

Re: Are RV motors any good? - 04/17/09 04:31 AM

Why would the tranny not work? I have a 727 sitting that came with the Charger I could probably use..but how is the RV trans different?

Posted By: StandOnIt

Re: Are RV motors any good? - 04/17/09 11:11 AM

Quote:

I am looking at a 78 440 with 727 setup that came out of an RV. Has around 60k on it, and am told it runs great. I am thinking of dropping it in a 68 Charger. Just building a good driver, not worried about 1/4 mile e.t's. Its really cheap...and I can dress it up with stuff I already have. What do you think?

I have never opened a motorhome 440 but I stroked a 5.9 from a 97 Ram pickup. I got a chance to buy a 98 5.9 from a Jeep Cherokee from a guy from a local dealership to put up for a spare block and stuf. He told me it was a R/T motor but didnt have the R/T heads. I pulled it apart and there are lots more cast-in bracing in the vally area that my other one doesnt have. Would the m/h 440 have all that extra meat in it to make it survive due to the extra stress on it everytime the thing is cranked? I'm sure there are heavier duty things in the trans to keep it alive pulling that more weight. Would make sense to me anyway. Am I wrong? I would use it and maybe do a cam change for more hp due to the one in it should be cut for tons of torque.

Posted By: Fury Fan

Re: Are RV motors any good? - 04/17/09 12:02 PM

Quote:

Why would the tranny not work? I have a 727 sitting that came with the Charger I could probably use..but how is the RV trans different?

Depending on the motorhome, it might have a parking brake on the tailhousing. Aside from that, every one I've ever seen was a short tailshaft.

Search this site, there are quite a few threads on motorhome stuff. This question comes up every few months...

Posted By: dodge71demon

Re: Are RV motors any good? - 04/17/09 12:06 PM

I believe 65 was the last year they put a parking brake in the tailhousing ie push button tranny

Posted By: dOoC

Re: Are RV motors any good? - 04/17/09 12:08 PM

The parking-brake-drum on the tail-shaft was mainly on the up-to-1972 chassis. The plain shorty(not THAT short) ...was from 73 and up.

In any case .. the RV trans is a good piece - Premium parts used in there.

Posted By: JohnRR

Re: Are RV motors any good? - 04/17/09 01:04 PM

Quote:

Why would the tranny not work? I have a 727 sitting that came with the Charger I could probably use..but how is the RV trans different?

Is it a big block trans , if not it won't fit BUT you could mix and match parts from the motorhome trans to make the motorhome trans a car trans , just be careful with the front planet choice .

Posted By: dodgeram440

Re: Are RV motors any good? - 04/17/09 02:05 PM

Quote:

The parking-brake-drum on the tail-shaft was mainly on the up-to-1972 chassis. The plain shorty(not THAT short) ...was from 73 and up.

In any case .. the RV trans is a good piece - Premium parts used in there.

My tranny came out of a 76 Winnibago with the drum on the end. Since the tranny was shot and needed rebuilt anyway, I just had the builder use a standard output shaft and tailhousing to fit going in my truck. My next door neighbor is scrapping a 79 MH with a 440. I could check, but I'm willing to bet it has a drum on the end of it as well. BTW, this 440/727 is for sale if anyone is interested.

Posted By: GTX MATT

Re: Are RV motors any good? - 04/17/09 02:17 PM

Buy it and put an HP resto cam in it, you'll be happy with it for sure if you dont plan on running a big cam.

The only possible difference to it vs a passenger car 440 from the same year is the possibility of those weird water jacket heads, I think the casting number ends with 213. Theyve got some sort of revised cooling passages. Not sure if they came on 440s your year, but I believe some had them.