[onebadmerc]

I have found a couple of complete Dodge 440 engines in a local junkyard. I really don't know too much about Chrysler Products other than these motors are in a 1976 and 1978 Winnebago Motorhome. The junkyard wants $250 for each motor, would it be worth it to buy one and try to stuff it in my 1972 Dodge Dart that currently has a 318. Would this endevor be a waste of my time, or not.

 

[Dizturbed One]

Would seem like a total waste of time to me.

Which is exactly why you should buy that motor, ship it to me, and I'll give you 100 bucks over your cost...

So I could stuff it into my 65 Plymouth. :thumbup:

But really though, it sounds good to me if the engines are in any sort of decent running shape.

Even if it don't run... If you plan on doing a rebuild down to the cam and pistons and all why not? All you require is a good big block.

 

[Black Sheep]

If they're rebuildable cores, $250 each sounds reasonableto me...

 

[Restore60s]

440 engine

That's a real good deal. I could not even find a 440 within 300 miles and drove to New Orleans to pick one up for $550 not including 3 tanks of gas and motel costs. And will probably go back for another one. They are not running either but are not locked up. Go For It!
A stroker kit would be nice in those 440's.

 

[Max Keith]

440

Sounds like good prices to me if they are rebuildable. Go for it. No substitute for cubic inches.

 

[onebadmerc]

Two of the motors are rebuildable, 1 of them they don't know anything about. The pad near the disturbutor only had a 70 or maybe 07 stamped on it. They could have 3, 440's but I don't know what the third engine is for sure. I didn't know if the later 440's out of motorhomes had small heads or real thin castings, or even worth a dam. They also have a 383 in a 66 van and a 400 in a mid 70's truck. The 383 is froze up tight, but the 400 turns over by hand. I was kind of shocked to find one 440 in a junkyard let alone three. I haven't seen a 440 in a junkyard since 1992. Tommorrow I will go back there and see if I can get one for my 72 Dart. Hopefully this coming spring I will get this bad boy rebuilt and try to stuff it in my Dart.:thumbup:

 

[gpeak]

Should be a huge improvement over the 318, even in stock form.

 

[Max Keith]

440

As I said before, theres no substitute for cubic inches. Even if they arent the most ideal years of production, they can still be made to perform extremely well. You just have to work around the supposed limitations. The idea is to maximize what you have on hand, even if its not the best there ever was. That is what hotroddding is all about.

 

[2-manytoyzs]

I cant recall the specifics of what the differences are but the RV engines have a #440-3 designation cast on the block. That is the better engine to pump up as I understand. I saw that info on one of the mopar boards I've been on. I pumped up the 440 in my RV in my gallery.

 

[killerformula]

those motors are getting harder to find. Get it, 440 blocks are tough, much more nickle content than the cheap chevy blocks-

K

 

[Aussie XAXB]

I would certainly grab them.

As far as dropping one into your Dart goes though, it doesn't just drop in. You have to get a kit and do modifications to the car as well as use special (read $$$$) headers if you want headers. Read up on the conversion before deciding to buy the 440 for that reason.


Steve

 

[Dizturbed One]

get em anyways...

even if you find you don't want to use them

you can turn around and sell it at 200 to 250 bucks profit easily all for going to the junkyard, puttin a motor in your truck, and droppin it somewhere at home.

Especially if it runs as is.

And as far as 440's go...

There's so many Mopars you can just scoot right under that thing that it's ridiculous.

 

[Max Keith]

440

I agree with Dizturbed. To me thats like an investment. No doubt if they are in any kind of rebuildable shape, you can always turn a profit on the resale, if you decide not to use them. As Aussie says, I would check some MOPAR web sites about what all its going to take to drop one in your Dart. I know it can be done as Ive seen a few of them, at car shows, but not up to speed on what the swap out entails.

 

[onebadmerc]

I was going to go out there and try to get a 440, but between school, work and fixing water dammage at my house I haven't had a chance. I have checked out some Mopar sites and it would be worth buying the good motors. Even if I don't try to put one in my Dart I could turn around and make a profit. I checked into installing a 440 in my Dart and it is considered one of the hardest cars to install a RB let alone a B engine. I can get motor mounts from The Paddock, but headers will not fit unless I go with fenderwell headers. If I use cast iron manifolds I will have to find a pair off of a mid to late 60s 440 C body car. I then will have to have the drivers side manifold angle milled 7-10 degrees for clearence. I will have to get rid of my power steering, because the power steering coupling will hit the exhaust manifold. This is some of the problems with this swap I have found out about so far. I will also have to get a 727 torqueflight with yoke for this conversion. The car has the small 4" bolt pattern on front drum brakes, plus it has the ultra strong 7 1/4" rear end(lol), so this junk will have to go too. One good thing is about 50 feet from the vehicles where the 440 resides is a 78 or 79 Dodge Diplomat with the larger 4 1/2" bolt pattern 11 3/4" disc brakes and it has a 8 1/4" or 9 1/4" rearend didn't look under it, not sure. If I do this conversion I should be able to get everything I need besides the exhaust manifolds and manual steering setup. I don't know, it sounds like it will be a tough project, but I like challenges. :thumbup:

 

[Stickman]

$250 is a fair price (about the going rate) for a 440 that still runs. If it's just a rebuildable core, about half that. Believe it or not, there are still quite a few mopar big blocks around, because there are far fewer people who build dodges, and those who do tend to be more careful with them (more expensive to build or replace than a SBC).

The most rare Mopar big block is the 413, and the rarest small block is probably the 340. I've only owned one of each, and you just don't see them often.

Err, that's aside from Hemi's, of course. They're far more rare than just about any other engine type.

 

[spinn]

3 words

schumacher creative services

they have the kit your looking for

 

[gpeak]

Do it. Do it. Do it. Those 440's are tough engines. You don't have to do much for performance on those things. We had a'66 Charger we swapped out the 383 for the 440 w/6pack and some other goodies. That thing was Q.U.I.C.K.

 

[Todzrod]

Relevant info!!!

If you are still in a position to buy said engines, email me back. THe production years you are looking at had smog products built in. I work at a Chrysler shop and would love to talk with you about 440 restorations.

THanks, Todzrod

 

[onebadmerc]

I am not really in the position to do this swap right now. I know one of the 440's are still there plus the 383 is still in the old 68 or 69 van. A 440 Dart would be killer, but I need the money for closing costs on my first house that I am buying. I also need the to furnish my new two car garage with tools, so the Dart is put on the backburner.

 

[CNORDAHL]

I have found a couple of complete Dodge 440 engines in a local junkyard. I really don't know too much about Chrysler Products other than these motors are in a 1976 and 1978 Winnebago Motorhome. The junkyard wants $250 for each motor, would it be worth it to buy one and try to stuff it in my 1972 Dodge Dart that currently has a 318. Would this endevor be a waste of my time, or not.

I OWN A 73 DART. I LOOKED INTO PUTTING A BIG BLOCK INTO IT. BETWEEN THE MOTOR MOUNTS AND EXHAUST MANS I WAS LOOKING AT $1500, NOT TO MENTION WHAT I WOULD HAVE TO DO TO MY FENDERS. ALL IN ALL,. UNLESS YOUR RICH(IF OWNING A MOPAR LIKE ME, I ASSUME YOUR NOT), GO WITH A GOOD SMALL-BLOCK, AND SELL THE 440'S.