383 or 440 what do you guys think?

[2fuzy]

There's a reason why Chrysler offered the 440 as an option to the 383... it was better. Always go with the best engine you can because when you go with a lesser engine you'll always end up wanting the better engine. Yes, as they sit right now, the 383 might be a little better, but the 440 has much more potential. Plus there's nothing that gets a Mopar more respect and attention than 440 badging/callouts.

better not really just bigger and there is one badge that get more respect for our mopars hemi

 

[68 HEMI GTS]

something to consider is that if its out of a really big motor home the heads won't work at all. But if it were me i would still go with the 440, there's no way i would run either engine without atleast pulling the oil pan and checking the bearings. while i was at it just put a set of eddys or stealths on it with a nice small hyd cam and a deep pan.

 

[krowbar]

383 and 440 share the same heads in any givin year the blocks are also equal
the later castings 440 & 400 after 75 got less meat in them wight difference is maybe 10lbs if that nethier one is is slouch in the performance arena 57 cubic cubic inches is an advantage but many a 383 has smoked its big brother on the track as well
when I was younger a buddy and me both had very similar cars mine is a 73 440 charger rally 3:23 auto his was a 74 rally charger with a 400/383 4spd 4:10 and in the stop light drag race game he would have my lunch about 70% of the time when we hit the interstate it became a different story I would have his 100 % of the time
racing on the interstate at 100 + became a cost prohibitive hobby a while back so the extra cubes became kind of irrelevant

I doubt the motors had much to do when you were racing your buddy
The game changer was the gears you were running.

 

[daredevil]

440 if youre gonna rebuild. 383 if running as is.

- - - Updated - - -

something to consider is that if its out of a really big motor home the heads won't work at all. But if it were me i would still go with the 440, there's no way i would run either engine without atleast pulling the oil pan and checking the bearings. while i was at it just put a set of eddys or stealths on it with a nice small hyd cam and a deep pan.

x2 probably heads intake and water pump need changed.

 

[2fuzy]

I doubt the motors had much to do when you were racing your buddy
The game changer was the gears you were running.

yep I know that was my point that with the right setup that many a 383 has spanked it bigger brother just as many a 383 roadrunner ran harder then most of the gtx that where in the same show room
matter of fact the 383 my buddy had came out of my 70 charger as I sold it to him to by my 73

 

[Jaysam]

Well i have a 8 3/4 rear with 3.90's and a A833 4-spd going in and either motor i get will get tore down. Im just not sure which one to get cause the guy i spoke with said he thought that year 440 ('73) was not as good or as strong as that year 383 ('65-'67) so it makes me second guess my decision on the 440. I thought the 440 had more potential so i was leaning towards that. I never had a big block car before so i'm just trying to research it before i pull the trigger or jump the gun on anything. Thanks, Jason

 

[2fuzy]

the 73 block is just fine it may have a cast or forged crank easy to tell as the forged crank balancer is about a inch wide the cast crank one is double that with a taper on the edge and a big honken wight on the front
but compression is low and cam timing is retarded
cheap way to make it run get the small chamber heads off the 383 and advance the cam timing 3 deg

 

[Jaysam]

No matter which motor i get i'll replace the intake and carb, also the 383 only has a 2bbl on it. I may just get both and put the 383 heads on the 440 if their ok, or would that be a mistake? Thanks, Jason

 

[ODZKing]

I can't speak for the 65, but if it is a 67 - 383, that has the same heads and cam 2bbl or 4bbl.
I did that research when I switched my 2bbl over.

 

[Sweet5ltr]

My 73' 440 came out of a wrecked highway patrol car. Had 231 (casting number) motorhome heads. They are nearly identical to the 452's, etc. other than increased cooling passages. The blocks have the same strength as the earlier blocks. The original rotating assembly had six pack rods and a forged steel crank. My father ran it well into the late 80's before a bearing change, and then ran it until the late 90's handing it off to my older brother. In 2001 my older brother cracked a piston in it street racing, running about 1qt of oil with a busted oil pan (millimeters off the pickup) and on 7 cylinders (busted a motor mount, wire was smashed from header, tube was completely crushed).. Instead of rebuilding it he bought a Chevy Pickup and ten 'rusted' years later, it's in my hands and my wallet is empty a cool $25,000+ in our restoration/performance mod costs doing everything ourselves. My brother has still yet to drive it since the restoration.. My dad loved the car, and it killed me to have it sit and rust into the ground. Financially, I handled everything while he and I both worked twelve months-seven days a week building a near-new car. Sorry off topic, but once you get the Mopar on the road you'll feel a connection like this too.. But only with a 440

 

[2fuzy]

No matter which motor i get i'll replace the intake and carb, also the 383 only has a 2bbl on it. I may just get both and put the 383 heads on the 440 if their ok, or would that be a mistake? Thanks, Jason

the 383 head will raise compression to help the smog motor it will be at the cost of a smaller ex valve nether set have hardened seats