1975 - 440- out of a Titon motor home

[lorny]

When I was in high school, my buddies and I pulled a motor home 440 out of the bone yard for a 71’ roadrunner. We added a cam, headers, intake, and carb. That dog would hunt and kill back tires all day long. Cheap and plenty fast. Doesn’t have to be great, just has to be.

i was hoping to drop it in my 66 coronet and have more power than the poly 318 4 brl to burn the tires of
no i have never built my own engine
i want to have fun in the first 200 ft !!!

 

[Roger63]

i was hoping to drop it in my 66 coronet and have more power than the poly 318 4 brl to burn the tires of
no i have never built my own engine
i want to have fun in the first 200 ft !!!

You can't go wrong with a 440 no matter what year it was manufactured. Pay attention to what these guys are telling you as there are multiple recipes to achieve what you want. It just all depends on your budget, I built mine on a $2500 budget. There are some of the most knowledgeable engine builders on the planet on here and they are willing to help.

 

[65Fury440]

i was hoping to drop it in my 66 coronet and have more power than the poly 318 4 brl to burn the tires of
no i have never built my own engine
i want to have fun in the first 200 ft !!!

A 318 Poly 4 bbl is the same-ish HP as the 440, down on torque a bit.
To convert from an A block to an RB block, you would need a big block trans, crossmember?, conversion motor mounts, exhaust, larger radiator, throttle cable, possible extend engine wiring.
Now, a lot of us have done all this crap in our younger years just to have a 440, the difference now is parts aren't as available as they have been in years past.
You will have a car in pieces for a good while, and take a bunch of money.

A possible alternative route may be do a cam change, throw some nitrous at it. Do you have headers now? The 318 Poly has good rocker arms and a solid lifter cam from the factory. Have you learned how to set your valve lash yet? There might be free ponies setting there.

If that is your car in your avatar, it looks like it might be a really nice car. Countless nice cars have been hacked up by young males trying to make a hotrod, (i'm guilty), if you have a car that has made it 50 years, try to appreciate that fact and preserve it as much as possible.

Can you post more pics of your car? We would love to help you get where you want to be.

 

[Curiousyellow71]

We installed a 440 out of a '75 rv in the 80s to replace our 383... Headers, nice thermoquad, 3.23 posi, 204/214 cam. It really pulled hard and was a ton of fun. Imo their is really no such a thing as a smog head on a bb mopar, at least in terms of potential. The ports are pretty much identical from '71-'78 and very little flow difference from a '67-'70 906 or 915 when we flow them stock. There is extra cooling around the spark plugs and they use a tapered plug w hardened exhaust seats for unleaded. They lowered the compression with the pistons not with the heads. There is nothing wrong with a cast crank( if that is what you have) just make sure you have a torque convertor with the weight because it is externally balanced.
Rv exhaust manifolds and the oil pan are different then a car they are the same as a bb pickup. I think there are a few rv engines that use a heavy duty waterpump like what 413s had, but most share the same the waterpump as a c body. Like a Newport or new Yorker. Which can be used with the proper radiator.

 

[Superbeemike]

i was hoping to drop it in my 66 coronet and have more power than the poly 318 4 brl to burn the tires of
no i have never built my own engine
i want to have fun in the first 200 ft !!!

A motorhome 440 will get you that easily and at a low cost. Simple mods like I suggested and you will have a 350 horsepower engine with 450 ft/lbs if torque. You’ll get tired of buying tires, I promise. Don’t forget you will need the transmission too. Big blocks are unique in regards to the bellhousing bolt pattern. Stay away from motor home transmissions that have the emergency brake drum on the tail shaft. You want the long tail shaft transmission.

 

[MelroseMopar]

Ok you said you want to have fun in the first 200 feet. If that's all you want is a street light cruiser go with gearing.. easier and 100% cheaper to buy a set of gears for the rear end than to have a different motor built. Now im talking 373's or thereabouts dont go putting 513's in it or anything. Just don't plan on taking it on any long trips.. If you have the 440 already DO NOT SELL IT. If you have any inkling that cars are in your blood especially Mopar's You WILL REGRET SELLING IT. Now take your High school budget and start hanging out on craigslist. Your young yet, all you have is time ( I remember it well) Do your research buy stuff as it comes up you will find it cheap, if you know what you want and just keep watching. Then the other stuff its easy hey Grandama get me a engine gasket set for a 440 for xmas! Then sooner than you think your base 440 will be a 600hp torque monster that will have your prom date leaving her Panties at the curb!!

 

[JDmac72chrgr]

FYI: Watch 440 MH distributor shafts, some have neoprene bushings which deform at full oper temp, when deform happens, spark is grounded shutting engine down; happened to my parents 76 Winnie back in early 80s: not sure details on this issue, but some here should have better insight. 440 TRUCK engine FOR MH.

 

[moparmarks]

There isn't a BB "smog" head. All of the open chamber heads, 906-452 have pretty much the same chambers. The 76-78 452 heads have larger cooling ports and they flattened the floor of the intake runner a bit. They do have a motorhome version of the 452 head that has steam ports to cool the exhaust valves. I have both the regular and motorhome 452 heads.
I have a 75 440 from a truck in my 72 Satellite. Put in a .450 lift cam, aluminum intake, Holley and headers. Stock 727 and 8.75 w/ 3.55 SG and it will light up the meats just fine. Runs on 87 oct. too.

 

[Islandkent]

Hey Lorny. I just got a 75 440 myself yesterday. Just like a kid in a candy store. It's been sitting for many years. Not sure how many but too many. I started reading your thread. And when you asked about the crank I went right out to the shop to check and yes mine is a cast crank.
Like was said earlier, some of the most knowledgeable people on engines here. I have a question. When I tore mine apart last night. I took the heads off and seen this... Is this repairable to bore 30-60 thou over or will it require a sleeve? Or is it junk and I'm still looking?
Lorny I hope you don't mind me asking here. And also I hope your does not look like this. Sorry for the interruption.

 

[1967coronet]

Hey Lorny. I just got a 75 440 myself yesterday. Just like a kid in a candy store. It's been sitting for many years. Not sure how many but too many. I started reading your thread. And when you asked about the crank I went right out to the shop to check and yes mine is a cast crank.
Like was said earlier, some of the most knowledgeable people on engines here. I have a question. When I tore mine apart last night. I took the heads off and seen this... Is this repairable to bore 30-60 thou over or will it require a sleeve? Or is it junk and I'm still looking?
Lorny I hope you don't mind me asking here. And also I hope your does not look like this. Sorry for the interruption.

View attachment 1186557

If that's the only bad hole I would crack check the block then see what the other 7 will take to clean them up.
I would just sleeve that one and match the over bore for the others.

 

[MoparLeo]

As you can see, it is not a simple swap. Every thing from the driveshaft to the transmission, cooling system. wiring mods, fuel lines , radiator will need replacing. That is just to install it. Next comes the engine mods like has been said. Cam, intake, exhaust, carb, ignition, assuming the compression is good and consistent. The heads don' need guide/seal work.
Will need a clean, organized workspace, storage area, tools, manuals, time, money and persistent motivation as things will take longer and cost more money than you will be hoping for. Why do you think there are so many people here will decades old projects in their garages. Good intentions all...

 

[Kern Dog]

A 318 Poly 4 bbl is the same-ish HP as the 440

No, Sir...Not at all.
The Poly and the LA 318s were over-rated by a mile. Back then, HP ratings were bullshit....Its as if they didn't even try to make sense.
230 HP for a '69 318? That was not only a GROSS rating, it was an inflated gross rating
The same engine was rated at 150 HP in 1972 even though it was essentially unchanged.
In 1972, the Feds cracked down and the automakers had to revise their ratings to reflect the power ratings as installed in vehicles. This meant the power draw of the water pump, Fan, fuel pump, closed element air cleaner, alternator, A/C compressor and P/S pump in place and functioning. All that stuff does not rob an engine of 80 HP. 230 versus 150? Pffftttt.
The 440 had many ratings from the 1966 introduction to the end of the run in 1978.
1966-70 Imperials and C bodies with single exhaust were usually rated at 350 HP. The 440 Magnum in the '69 Dart and Barracuda, the 68-70 B bodies and 70 E bodies had a different cam, exhaust manifolds and dual exhaust, giving them a 375 HP Gross rating. In 1971, compression dropped almost 2 points advertised and HP dropped as well.
The car, truck and van 440s of the mid to late 70s were rated as low as 190 HP but it still had torque. The blocks of the 440s were all essentially the same and worthy of a quality rebuild. Even the cast cranks were decent. I built a '78 440 with milled heads and a 280/474 cam, Edelbrock Performer RPM intake, 1 7/8" headers and a Holley 750. That mill went 14.01 at 100 mph with a pitiful 2.2 60 ft time in this car:

 

[65Fury440]

Thanks for the history lesson, the RV engines weren't over-rated?
I'll stand by my statement.
An A 318 was rated for 250 hp, OP said he has a 4bbl, earlier Poly engines were rated with a stock 4 bbl @ 260hp.
Both those motors, a stock RV 440 and a Poly 318 with a 4 barrel intake and carb arent going to be far apart at all.
The 2 bbl Poly in my 64 440 would smoke the tires no problem with a 3.23 gear. Nothing at all wrong with a Poly engine.

 

[forphorty]

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say, a stock rv 440 will stomp all over a stock poly.

 

[65Fury440]

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say, a stock rv 440 will stomp all over a stock poly.

OP has a 4 barrel, so already non stock there.
I had a 64 440 with a stock poly and a 63 Fury with a stock 440, the 440 for sure had more *** down low, never raced either car though.
It's hard to refute "there's no replacement for displacement".
For the OP's purpose though, he does not have the budget for a swap, he could be happy with some changes to his car that would give him a tire burning, fun cruiser.

 

[lorny]

wow thanks
the 75 440 started great today after sitting for years and sounds great ,idles smooth( big damper)trans mission worked a bitt but no oil on dip stick
the block pad 5T 440 and it looked like a bunch of 2's half missing.


-the other block similar year (cam and intake gone) 440 F or maybe E -no damper

 

[pricer140]

You'll almost never find an "off the shelf" engine with the specs you think it should have or want. Think about what you where you want to end up, do some research on what it will take to get get you there, cost it out. Provided the block and crank is good, you have a good base to make a 375 hp (or more) engine if that's where you want to go. As many have indicated, I would take it in a heartbeat.

 

[Slap Stick]

Thanks for the history lesson, the RV engines weren't over-rated?
I'll stand by my statement.
An A 318 was rated for 250 hp, OP said he has a 4bbl, earlier Poly engines were rated with a stock 4 bbl @ 260hp.
Both those motors, a stock RV 440 and a Poly 318 with a 4 barrel intake and carb arent going to be far apart at all.
The 2 bbl Poly in my 64 440 would smoke the tires no problem with a 3.23 gear. Nothing at all wrong with a Poly engine.

INCORRECT AGAIN.
As KD correctly stated the old A318 was rated at 230 GROSS hp, just like the LA318 (2bbl).
The LOWEST GROSS HP 440 was 350. Your RV 440 was rated in NET HP. Gross HP would be much higher.
The net HP of the 318 was 140-150.
Now, compare the 70s 318 at 150 net HP to the 92 318 at 230 net HP. If it was rated in gross HP as the older engines it would be close to 300 HP. The oldies made nowhere near that kind of power. And even today the 440 would out power the Magnum 318 by 20 HP.
You cant compare pre 72 ratings to post 71 ratings. This is why you are confused.

 

[lorny]

INCORRECT AGAIN.
As KD correctly stated the old A318 was rated at 230 GROSS hp, just like the LA318 (2bbl).
The LOWEST GROSS HP 440 was 350. Your RV 440 was rated in NET HP. Gross HP would be much higher.
The net HP of the 318 was 140-150.
Now, compare the 70s 318 at 150 net HP to the 92 318 at 230 net HP. If it was rated in gross HP as the older engines it would be close to 300 HP. The oldies made nowhere near that kind of power. And even today the 440 would out power the Magnum 318 by 20 HP.
You cant compare pre 72 ratings to post 71 ratings. This is why you are confused.

ok so if net 318 -150 440 net 250 hp

 

[Slap Stick]

But the more important figure is torque. That is what gets the car moving....and shreds tires. The 318 want big in the torque department and it peaked around 3k rpm IIRC.
The 440 makes more torque at a lower rpm than the teen makes max.