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Opinion on engine options

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66bluewhale

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Hi guys,
I wanted to get some opinions and ideas. I have a 361 for my charger that is completely disassembled. How would I go about getting about 500hp out of it or should I go with a 440?
Also if I can get any combinations for both the 361 and 440.
Any articles would be great.

Thanks guys
 
440 Build.
I'm not sure about a "361"
Pick your self up a subscription to Muscle Car Review OR MOPAR Muscle for technical articles.
YOU need to do research.
 
The 361 has the smallest bore of all the 'B' series engines (361/383/400) with the 400 having the largest bore of the 3. All of them have the same stroke and has a .020" larger bore than even the 440. If you want to keep the B series look, use a 400 block and drop a 440 crank into making a 451. That package makes for a very nice running engine but if you want to keep things on the cheaper side, use a 400 block. Pistons are readily available for it.....and pistons for the 361 are not. Besides, with a large bore engine, your heads will actually breathe better and you have the room to install even larger valves if that is something you want to do. Small bore engines have a tendency to 'shroud' the valve more than a large bore engine does. Keep in mind that it's harder to make a smaller engine produce power.
 
There is no substitute for cubic inches.
 
...or a well engineered bore/stroke ratio and efficient head design...
 
The combustion chambers and exhaust ports look pretty oily...engine consuming too much oil? IMHO it's a bit risky to buy that engine...myself I would stay away...
 
Thanks for the heads up swedcharger67

I'm seeing a bunch of motor home 440 on craigslist. Any one use one of those?
 
My 2 cents is go big to begin with rather than make a smaller engine seem bigger. Looks like your on that path looking for the 440. Search hard and be very wary of good deals. Check them out carefully! Good luck!
 
One thing I learned from was making sure all valves are in place! I got an engine home and then found out one was missing! I located the pieces in one of the cylinders taking out the piston and cylinder wall. Junk! I'm sure other folks will chime in too! I do think you won't be able to catch everything but if you look closely you may catch the big stuff that can save you a bundle. Good luck.
 
Dont overlook the 413's and 426 wedges. The 361 used a milder cam than the Magnum cams. the 361 will perform very well with cam, intake and exhaust upgrades that were used on the 383 Magnum engines. Using the 361 with upgrades would allow you to keep your car "numbers matching". If you really want 500 HP. you might consider roller cam/rockers, multi port fuel injection, and a turbo or supercharger or blower. If I built a B engine with 500 HP I would re-inforce the mains and use stronger rods.
 
Last edited:
Cranky said:
The 361 has the smallest bore of all the 'B' series engines (361/383/400) with the 400 having the largest bore of the 3. All of them have the same stroke and has a .020" larger bore than even the 440. If you want to keep the B series look, use a 400 block and drop a 440 crank into making a 451. That package makes for a very nice running engine but if you want to keep things on the cheaper side, use a 400 block. Pistons are readily available for it.....and pistons for the 361 are not. Besides, with a large bore engine, your heads will actually breathe better and you have the room to install even larger valves if that is something you want to do. Small bore engines have a tendency to 'shroud' the valve more than a large bore engine does. Keep in mind that it's harder to make a smaller engine produce power.
Click to expand...

Thanks cranky,

I have a 400 with a forged crank, and have thought about Using a pair of 915's on it. any other Ideas? I don't
want rumpiti rump, so It has the 69' HP Cam
 
Hard to tell from those pics. Looks fine. I would be curious what the motor originally came out of. Is the rest of the engine there too or is what you see is what you get? I'd also check out the 383 too just for fun.
 
I'd go with a 440 build just because it's easy and it works. My 440 is based on a 77 block and it's fine, but there are some things that are different than the older ones. The huge bore chamfers are the main thing and those do significantly reduce the compression ratio. Shoot for 9.5:1.
 
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