Dimension Needed from 440 or Hemi

Looking into possibly installing a Big Block or 426 Hemi into a front engine dragster. What I need from someone, is a width of the engine with a mini-starter attached. I am limited to 10.5 inches from center-line of the engine to the outside width of the starter.. Any measurement would do that I can calculate from. The clearance distance from the total width is my deciding factor to see if it will fit. Thanks

You might want to use a transmission or a bellhousing as a gauge since one of those will be the max width.

I can take a measurement for you.
I have a 440 and mini starter (not in use). Are you using a 727 trans or a manual transmission bellhousing?
Or even a PowerGlide... with a JW Bellhousing....

I think the oil pump sticks out more than starter

According to the Mopar chassis book 8th edition; the center of the starter nose support in the bellhousing is 7.08" measured from the center of big block bellhousing.
I assume this measurment from the book is for an 11" flywheel. The small block bell measurement is less, but does not give the measurement. It appears to be about .25" less. The book does not specify which BB bellhousing in pictured in chapter 4.
The slant 6 distance shows to be 6.219"
I measure approximately 4" from the starter nose center to the outer side of the starter motor. Motor diameter about 2.8 inches.

Reclocking the starter motor in relation to the crank would bring the motor closer to the crank.

Cudaman. The oil pump sticks out 9.5 inches from C/L of the crankshaft. So that is a non clearance issue. Thanks for bringing it up.

Have a JW housing and glide. The outermost edge of the bell housing is also 9.5 inches for C/L. So if the starter does not exceed the width of the bell housing, there should not be a problem.

A few years back I put a 440 with a powerglide in a front engine dragster and as mentioned the oil pump and filter were the issue. One of the uprights in the frame hit right where the oil filter was and we had to cut it out and relocate it.

Years ago, I really wanted an FED to put my spare big block in. I was told time and again that unless the rails were laid out for Mopar (and few are), that our engines are too wide to fit with the starter in the stock location. But I never actually tried it myself. The few Mopar frames that I found were either too far away, too expensive, or too incomplete. So, I've never had one but still think about it now and then.

Good luck! And I am a little envious because that is a project that I have always wanted to do. Be sure and keep us posted on the progress.

I wound up moving my starter to the righ tside of the motor. Here is some pics that may help

I attached a mini-starter to my JW Bellhousing on a PG transmission.
From the picture, you can see the starter is wider than the JW Bellhousing.
From the center of the transmission shaft to the outside of the motor is about 11-3/16" (plus or minus a 1/16).

This picture is an aftermarket Lakewood BB Mopar bellhousing with several manual transmission bolt patterns. It has two starter positions.
This is what I came up with for measurements.

Bolt a starter to an auto trans, measure from input shaft. Hope it sticks thru frame

Although the JW bellhousing is 19" total width (9.5 x 2), it is not the same on both sides. The starter side is close to 10.5" from the center and the other side is much less.

that was a big issue the genII hemi's in front engine cares. the old frames would fit an early hemi or big block chevy the mopar wedge and hemi needed pump mods to fit the frame.