Which 440 should I build

Posted By: Boise Chall

Which 440 should I build - 05/02/11 05:46 AM

I have 3 complete 440 motors but I don't know which one I should rebuild.

1. Is a 78 motor home motor which had 48,000 miles on it it has a cast crank and the goofy motor home heads on it but I have a set of 906's for it. I don't know much more about this motor

2. Is a 75 440 Hp motor it has a newish looking set of 906's on it and it's also a cast crank motor. I have the top end taken off of this motor. I was just inspecting it but found a pretty good ridge on the top of the bores and some scratches in the bores that I don't like. This motor ran fine didn't smoke and had decent oil pressure before I pulled it out of the car.

3. Is a 67 440 with a forged crank and 915 heads. I don't know much more about this motor.

The car one of these motors will go in is a 73 Roadrunner the car will just be a mild cruiser just a car that's fun to drive around so I'm not after a mountain of horse power. Help me pick the best/ cheapest motor to rebuild out of these 3. My thoughts are to just rebuild the one I have on the stand ( The 75 hp motor ) and sell the other two to help pay for the rebuild.

Posted By: Kern Dog

Re: Which 440 should I build - 05/02/11 05:53 AM

For a good cruiser with decent power, you will at least be honing the block and replacing the rings, right? The '67 motor will offer the most compression of the 3. The motor home mill likely has LESS than 7.8 to one squeeze. Certainly a durable mill, but waaaay low on compression with pistons .120 down the hole. The '67 motor will likely have near 10 to one and with a decent cam, can run strong on mid grade fuel. With new rings, you ARE going to get a valve job, right? It makes sense to install new springs as well. 44 year old valvesprings on a higher lift new cam..... not good.

Posted By: topside

Re: Which 440 should I build - 05/02/11 06:00 AM

Kinda boils down to if the '67 needs pistons. That would be the best motor for making power what with the forged crank & 915s, but the MH motor with 906s and some pistons would make a good cruiser. If the 75 bores can be cleaned up, obviously it'll need pistons. The '67 is the most valuable of the 3.

Posted By: Boise Chall

Re: Which 440 should I build - 05/02/11 06:25 AM

I'm sure all 3 will need pistons considering their age and compression. The one I have one the stand was the one I thought would have the best chance of being usable because it was running and it was only supposed to have 2,000 miles on it. I'm sure it only had 2,000 miles on it 50,000 or 100,000 miles ago. With the market in the condition it's in what's a complete carb to oil pan 67 440 worth ?

Posted By: rss

Re: Which 440 should I build - 05/02/11 04:29 PM

If it were me, I'd want to use the forged crank and 915 heads.

Posted By: JohnRR

Re: Which 440 should I build - 05/02/11 04:46 PM

Quote:

If it were me, I'd want to use the forged crank and 915 heads.

No matter which block he starts with , the later blocks would be my choice , if you are set on using stock iron heads then I use the 915 heads.

Posted By: Boise Chall

Re: Which 440 should I build - 05/02/11 05:07 PM

The 915 heads look original so they wouldn't have the hardened seats in them right ? the 906's look like they have had some work done to them recently how can I tell if they have hardened seats in them ? 10 years ago I would have just taken the motor that's on the stand now painted it and ran the crap out of it but I just can't do it now.. Did I grow up ?

Posted By: JohnRR

Re: Which 440 should I build - 05/02/11 05:23 PM

Quote:

The 915 heads look original so they wouldn't have the hardened seats in them right ? the 906's look like they have had some work done to them recently how can I tell if they have hardened seats in them ? 10 years ago I would have just taken the motor that's on the stand now painted it and ran the crap out of it but I just can't do it now.. Did I grow up ?

The added cost of putting seats in the 915's is minimal in the big picture of the rebuild. The 906 is an open chamber head , not the perfect choice especially since you have the 915's .

Are you going to be putting 20k miles a year on the car ?

Posted By: Mr.Yuck

Re: Which 440 should I build - 05/02/11 05:47 PM

I'd use the best parts from all 3. Ideally you'd want to use the 67 block and heads. If you are going to buy all new guts I'd use the block/heads that require the least amount of machine work. Hard to say w/o seeing all of it.

Posted By: JohnRR

Re: Which 440 should I build - 05/02/11 05:50 PM

Quote:

I'd use the best parts from all 3. Ideally you'd want to use the 67 block and heads. If you are going to buy all new guts I'd use the block/heads that require the least amount of machine work. Hard to say w/o seeing all of it.

If you think he should use the best of all 3 what leads you to believe the 67 block is BETTER than the others ?

Posted By: Mr.Yuck

Re: Which 440 should I build - 05/02/11 05:52 PM

Quote:

Quote:

I'd use the best parts from all 3. Ideally you'd want to use the 67 block and heads. If you are going to buy all new guts I'd use the block/heads that require the least amount of machine work. Hard to say w/o seeing all of it.

If you think he should use the best of all 3 what leads you to believe the 67 block is BETTER than the others ?

meaning if the bore on the 67 didn't require bore and new pistons I'd use that.

Posted By: scratchnfotraction

Re: Which 440 should I build - 05/02/11 06:18 PM

what goofy MH heads do you refer too?

#452 with the small peanut 5/8 spark plug?

thats whats on mine and works fine fora stock street engine,it has better cooling pasages with harden seats. IIRC

are you talking baout the heads like on a 413 with the WP housing bolted to the end of the heads?

Posted By: RemCharger

Re: Which 440 should I build - 05/02/11 06:28 PM

Quote:

10 years ago I would have just taken the motor that's on the stand now painted it and ran the crap out of it but I just can't do it now.. Did I grow up ?

More patient, for sure. Back in the day, a guy didn't have money or time to build the perfect scenario. Its this type of issue that stalls a project out for too long. Slap the 'MoHome' mill in while you take the time to build a good one.

Posted By: DPelletier

Re: Which 440 should I build - 05/02/11 06:33 PM

Use the forged crank, 915 heads and whichever block checks out the best......no real world advantage or disadvantage to any particular block choice.

If they were all mine, I'd plan on using the 67 block just so I wouldn't need to totally disassemble the other two motors, If it checks out, great....if not, check the next 440 block in line.

Dave

Posted By: rss

Re: Which 440 should I build - 05/02/11 07:59 PM

Quote:

the 906's look like they have had some work done to them recently how can I tell if they have hardened seats in them ?

You should be able to see where the seat area has been machined and a hardened seat has been pressed in. I'd imagine it might be difficult to see on a used head with some carbon build up. If hardened seats were installed, it will probably only be on the exhaust valves.

Posted By: Boise Chall

Re: Which 440 should I build - 05/02/11 08:06 PM

The motor home heads that I have are the ones that have the peanut plugs. The water pump is the normal car/truck water pump. I'm just nervous about the motor home motor because it's a 78 with 48,000 miles on it so it's done alot of sitting around and the low compression.

Posted By: imfixinmopars426

Re: Which 440 should I build - 05/02/11 08:17 PM

another vote for using the best stuff from the 2 or 3 engines.

Posted By: JohnRR

Re: Which 440 should I build - 05/02/11 09:06 PM

Quote:

The motor home heads that I have are the ones that have the peanut plugs. The water pump is the normal car/truck water pump. I'm just nervous about the motor home motor because it's a 78 with 48,000 miles on it so it's done alot of sitting around and the low compression.

nothing wrong with those heads , I just finished up a build using them. I bought them from Paul Rossi back in the late 80's and the build I did used a 77 block that had the matching holes in the block for the coolant to flow across the chamber to help keep things cool.

That aside the 75 HP should have the same low compression pistons as the motorhome engine so even with the 915's on it you'll have a low compression engine, if you are going to plan on new pistons and doing a full rebuild get a piston near zero deck , use the 915's with a basic rebuild , a little bowl work will help , keep the compression about 9.5 and you should run on pump 89 with no problem .

Posted By: Dodgem

Re: Which 440 should I build - 05/02/11 10:05 PM

Quote:

another vote for using the best stuff from the 2 or 3 engines.

Me too! the advantage of the two newer blocks they have the stiffening rib up the side of the blocks that help with an early block tendency to crack between the frost plugs.
steel crank, new pistons, 906 or the 516 heads or better sell both and get aluminum!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted By: Kern Dog

Re: Which 440 should I build - 05/02/11 10:48 PM

Quote:

a little blow work will help ,

Please tell me that this is a typo.....

Posted By: Von

Re: Which 440 should I build - 05/02/11 11:09 PM

As mentioned Id use the 75 or 78 block, steel crank and the 915s.......

Posted By: JohnRR

Re: Which 440 should I build - 05/02/11 11:55 PM

Quote:

Quote:

a little bowl work will help ,

Please tell me that this is a typo.....

It can't be , it passed my spell checker Mr. grammar/spelling NAZI.

NO READING FOR YOU !

Posted By: 2002bluert

Re: Which 440 should I build - 05/03/11 01:32 AM

I would use the 75 block because with everything blocks included things improve over time meaning Chrysler like everyone learns by their mistakes so any problems with the early blocks are fixed over time so they only get better No one likes warranty so they repair all the flaws.

Posted By: Pacnorthcuda

Re: Which 440 should I build - 05/03/11 01:36 AM

Quote:

I would use the 75 block because with everything blocks included things improve over time meaning Chrysler like everyone learns by their mistakes so any problems with the early blocks are fixed over time so they only get better No one likes warranty so they repair all the flaws.

So a 78 Dodge Challenger should be better than a 70???

Posted By: 2002bluert

Re: Which 440 should I build - 05/03/11 01:58 AM

Absolutely and man do I have a deal for you...LOL The only thing is that it doesnt have a 440 in it yet.

Posted By: dweller

Re: Which 440 should I build - 05/03/11 02:41 AM

Look for "630" at the end of the casting numbers for the 75 or 78 block. These blocks have noticable thicker main web areas than the earlier blocks. Use the forged crank and 915 heads on one of the later blocks...

Posted By: DPelletier

Re: Which 440 should I build - 05/03/11 04:17 AM

The difference in blocks year to year is irrelevant, especially given the OP's stated useage: use the one in the best shape.

Dave

Posted By: dodgefarmer

Re: Which 440 should I build - 05/03/11 04:39 AM

One of the things that I look at when deciding which RB block to use, is how much chamfer did our friends at Chrysler put on the top of the bore.

Randy

Posted By: Kern Dog

Re: Which 440 should I build - 05/03/11 05:21 AM

Quote:

Quote:

Quote:

a little bowl work will help ,

Please tell me that this is a typo.....

It can't be , it passed my spell checker Mr. grammar/spelling NAZI.

NO READING FOR YOU !

Come on, man... I was just having fun here.... If I was going for points, theres others here that deserve correcting .

Posted By: JohnRR

Re: Which 440 should I build - 05/03/11 05:25 AM

Quote:

Come on, man... I was just having fun here.... If I was going for points, theres others here that deserve correcting .

Same here , I left off the ...

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