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Well, I've had enough of this 440 Mystery Motor

Rebuild what I have or replace the engine for possible peace of mind?

  • Rebuild it - it'll be fine

    Votes: 25 83.3%
  • Replace it!

    Votes: 5 16.7%

  • Total voters
    30
Glad to see you're sticking around Ed!

Your situation with your engine is unique and thus the reason for all of the replies. Don't take it too personal. Even with a simple diagnosis and fix, I've seen too many get involved and it would make the OP's head spin. It's kind of like bench racing, lots of ideas, opinions but not being there in person it's not always that easy to diagnose. It's all good, it happens from time to time.

Engine sounds good in the video but again it's something that someone has to observe in person. Ask to see their records on the build, look for fresh gaskets, maybe even the owner would pull a valve cover. You never know now days what you might be buying.

I'm here for you as are a lot of other members. You'll get there!
 
Ed, I have been following this along with all the others. Sometimes it is redundant, and lots of advice is given and some taken. Some of us with more knowledge or experience sometimes don't have enough patience with members newer to these cars. We wonder why you don't just get on with it. Maybe we have forgotten where we started... As a 3 time cancer survivor, sometimes I don't want to hear about others' struggles; but then, I figure maybe it's a type of therapy and I glide on past it.
We all have choices. If some of us get agitated by this thread we have the choice to not read it. No need to criticize.
Please remember that you have as much right to be here as anybody else. So, keep on keepin on...
 
Ed, I have been following this along with all the others. Sometimes it is redundant, and lots of advice is given and some taken. Some of us with more knowledge or experience sometimes don't have enough patience with members newer to these cars. We wonder why you don't just get on with it. Maybe we have forgotten where we started... As a 3 time cancer survivor, sometimes I don't want to hear about others' struggles; but then, I figure maybe it's a type of therapy and I glide on past it.
We all have choices. If some of us get agitated by this thread we have the choice to not read it. No need to criticize.
Please remember that you have as much right to be here as anybody else. So, keep on keepin on...
Dave, you're one of the cornerstones of this site that I respect - I think you know that already.
I appreciate your kind words and yes, even your chastisements at times. :)
I'm right there with you on the 3 time survivor bit as well, as you know.

As far as the "getting on with it" part goes, I have been for the most part - someone makes a suggestion or requests a measurement or some such and I'm inclined to go out there and try to do what they ask.
I may not do it "right" the first time or I may not understand a suggestion, but I do tend to go along with it if it makes any sense to me.
The limitations to this are, of course, my health/the weather/$$$ sometimes.

Yes, I understand to a lot of you "old pros" out there, you must feel like screaming at the monitor at times and for that, I apologize.
It's nothing intentional and I'm not an idiot (at least, I didn't used to be - I have transcripts to prove it, I swear! :) ).

Speaking of "getting on with it", todays' news is that the weather is starting to warm a bit and hopefully I can get out there and do the pre-load measuring soon, body permitting.
The other news is.....
I bought that engine in the video above and should have it in about a week. :)
God, I hope I did the right thing there....
 
Ed,
Please;
Do not rev it a few time at 5,000 RPM to clear it out.
Good luck with your project.
Well now, there's a discussion I don't mind having at all. I thought you were kidding the first time you posted that; it's the first time I've ever heard such a thing in my life.
Seriously.
I've owned literally dozens of cars in my life and even the lowliest smogger GM didn't suffer adversely from a quick blip every once in a while, after all.
Surely a superior Mopar engine doesn't mind it as long as one doesn't get carried away?
I'd love to be schooled on this subject. What do y'all think?
 
Hi Ed,
Way too high an RPM for an engine without a "Load"
When I Dyno'ed my 70 "426" Hemi for the 70 Bee, We were cautious as the RPMs climbed on the Dyno at "Dugan's" in Fontana/Riverside CA
And that was under load
-Went to 5,375ish RPM
But with out "Load" be cautious
Guys like:
Budnicks
Hemi-Itis, (Poor guy is Full Blown, incurable disease, NO CURE)
Lew"t"
Cranky
Mar
Mike Gaines
Propwash
bigmanjbmopar....When they speak, I listen
So, hang on and they may chime in
All "cool" big Guy!
"super-bee_ski
 
When I was young and dumb, I owned a '64 with well over 100k on it. The 383 had a lot of top end work done and it would run in the mid 13's all day long. I knew where I could buy a fresh 426 wedge but I just couldn't pull the trigger. A good friend of mine said, go ahead and buy it. I said, if this 383 wasn't running so good I probably would. We discussed an idea about blowing it up!

So I fired it up and placed a brick on the gas peddle and walked away. We came back to the car about 15 minutes later and it was still screaming, smoke coming out of everywhere, but still running. So I shut it down and still drove the car everyday for about a year before selling it.

Tough *** engines they are! (Don't try this at home)
 
Hi Ed,
Way too high an RPM for an engine without a "Load"
When I Dyno'ed my 70 "426" Hemi for the 70 Bee, We were cautious as the RPMs climbed on the Dyno at "Dugan's" in Fontana/Riverside CA
And that was under load
-Went to 5,375ish RPM
But with out "Load" be cautious
Guys like:
Budnicks
Hemi-Itis, (Poor guy is Full Blown, incurable disease, NO CURE)
Lew"t"
Cranky
Mar
Mike Gaines
Propwash
bigmanjbmopar....When they speak, I listen
So, hang on and they may chime in
All "cool" big Guy!
"super-bee_ski
A dino pull is a lot different than a free wheel rpm spin.
If your engine was not making any more power what would have been the point in spining it faster?
 
From what I've understood: it's about the "free-revving". The components in a motor need to have a "load", or under some stress, to keep pressure on them to not "over-rev" themselves. This "over-rev" allows the components to move "free" and have the potential for catastrophic failure.
This is why there are rev limiters in newer cars.

This is what I've been told and my understanding of it. Not sure if it's true but, personally, I've tried to stick to the thinking of not revving high without a load on the motor.
 
Yeah,
OH71RRunner
I'll never free rev a 440 up to 5K RPM
But, to each his own
A 340 Mopar/360 Mopar Perhaps If I was a little Nuts and wanted to Vroom Vroom
My 1969 Boss 302 had solid lifters, factory performance engine, and Rev limiter was set at 5,200 RPM
But I'll never take any of my 440s nor the 426 Hemi over 3 K on a free rev
No sense in it.
But, enough of this thread, you guys have it all covered!
Peace out !
 
Yeah,
OH71RRunner
I'll never free rev a 440 up to 5K RPM
But, to each his own
A 340 Mopar/360 Mopar Perhaps If I was a little Nuts and wanted to Vroom Vroom
My 1969 Boss 302 had solid lifters, factory performance engine, and Rev limiter was set at 5,200 RPM
But I'll never take any of my 440s nor the 426 Hemi over 3 K on a free rev
No sense in it.
But, enough of this thread, you guys have it all covered!
Peace out !
Yep that concept takes 35 mph off the top
 
Glad you pulled the trigger on that engine purchase Ed. I will be interested to hear more of the details on it. :thumbsup:
 
Hi Ed,
Way too high an RPM for an engine without a "Load"
When I Dyno'ed my 70 "426" Hemi for the 70 Bee, We were cautious as the RPMs climbed on the Dyno at "Dugan's" in Fontana/Riverside CA
And that was under load
-Went to 5,375ish RPM
But with out "Load" be cautious
Guys like:
Budnicks
Hemi-Itis, (Poor guy is Full Blown, incurable disease, NO CURE)
Lew"t"
Cranky
Mar
Mike Gaines
Propwash
bigmanjbmopar....When they speak, I listen
So, hang on and they may chime in
All "cool" big Guy!
"super-bee_ski
Don't forget our resident genius! IQ 52!
 
Glad you pulled the trigger on that engine purchase Ed. I will be interested to hear more of the details on it. :thumbsup:
It's scheduled to be here next Thursday. Seller has been updating me with pics of the whole crating and shipping process, too, along with my watching along with the tracking number on the shipping website.
He strapped it down and wrapped the heck out of it. :)
IMG_2067.JPG


IMG_2063.JPG
 
Hi Ed,
Way too high an RPM for an engine without a "Load"
When I Dyno'ed my 70 "426" Hemi for the 70 Bee, We were cautious as the RPMs climbed on the Dyno at "Dugan's" in Fontana/Riverside CA
And that was under load
-Went to 5,375ish RPM
But with out "Load" be cautious
Guys like:
Budnicks
Hemi-Itis, (Poor guy is Full Blown, incurable disease, NO CURE)
Lew"t"
Cranky
Mar
Mike Gaines
Propwash
bigmanjbmopar....When they speak, I listen
So, hang on and they may chime in
All "cool" big Guy!
"super-bee_ski
That's a good list to start with, I agree. :)
 
When I was young and dumb, I owned a '64 with well over 100k on it. The 383 had a lot of top end work done and it would run in the mid 13's all day long. I knew where I could buy a fresh 426 wedge but I just couldn't pull the trigger. A good friend of mine said, go ahead and buy it. I said, if this 383 wasn't running so good I probably would. We discussed an idea about blowing it up!

So I fired it up and placed a brick on the gas peddle and walked away. We came back to the car about 15 minutes later and it was still screaming, smoke coming out of everywhere, but still running. So I shut it down and still drove the car everyday for about a year before selling it.

Tough *** engines they are! (Don't try this at home)
I can honestly say I've never intentionally tried to blow a motor up.
I've never had a purpose-built "race" engine,but I've had plenty of factory HP type motors, new and old. Always had a self-imposed limit of 5k on the tach - when the needle hits that, I'm off of it, whether it's an older 440 or newer 5.7 (two of those critters sitting around here now with their electronically limited 4k out of gear).
 
on the truck.jpg

Here it comes. Dude did an amazing job of wrapping it up.
Expected delivery is next Thursday.
 
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