I have heard the 409 truck motors are less desirable that the p***enger car engines. Anyone know why? Any ideas what a 409 from a '65 Chevy truck is worth?
I don't know the answer to your question, but I did look at one of those last Saturday and I'm trying to find info on it myself. The one I found is complete and still in the truck. I'd like to know what it's worth so I can make an offer on it. Find any info post it up.
You can make them run and get horsepower out of them. Last one I sold was a 65 truck motor needing rebuilt but turned over $1200.
Its basically a low compression 409 with 348 heads. Have to use a 348 intake on it. They make great street motors since they run on regular gas and have the W motor wow factor. 348 3 deuce manifolds are everywhere and will bolt on.
Carl, they are a good base for a W. www.348-409.com will have all the info you need. Looking for another since I sold my 348 powered Touring.
The biggest issue is the block itself. The truck engines (348 and 409) had a big notch in the block that lowered compression. W-motors have a "flat head" designed valve area in the heads: there is no combustion chamber, just head surface area and valves. The deck of a 409 is 74 degrees to the crank, not 90-degrees like other engines. Yet the piston still comes up at 90-degrees. The piston dome is divided down the middles: The outboard side is 90-degrees to the crank, the inboard (intake manifold side) comes up flush to the bottom of the head. The area created in the block, where the 90-degree piston surface is, is the combustion chamber. On a truck motor, that combustion chamber has an additional big notch taken out of it, coinciding in the area with the exhaust valve. It drops compression (just like it would on a standard head if you took a big chunk out of the combustion chamber using a grinder). A working theory is that it also unshrouds the exhaust valve. I'm not up on what heads the truck engines have, but if they're like every other truck engine, small valves is the order of the day. A LOT of people use truck blocks these days, because the p***enger car blocks are hard to find. And you can still make decent power with them (though more can be had with a p***enger car block...but what are you going to do with it? Hot rod? Truck block is fine. Race car? You need the p***enger car block). The flywheel, crank, valve covers, oil pump pick-up, distributor, oil pan and other bits are also of value on any 348/409, so don't just dismiss the whole thing. Value? Don't know...haven't bought, or even priced one. I've had my '64 425hp engine for 15 years, and paid $1300 for it, which is a great bargain today. -Brad
348's were used through '61 and then 409's through '65 correct? does this mean that a '64 or '65 truck would have a 409 or did they use 348's in the trucks through '65? most info I find applies to cars.
Also, run the numbers! It may be a 348, a replacement 409 or even a hi-po 409?!?! Just because it is in a 65 Truck means nothing...............who knows what Farmer Brown swapped in there back in 196o something when the stock mill ate a valve or worse!?!?!?!
I pulled my 409 out of a 1957 winch truck (that was being parted out) for free. The owner thought it was a 348, and gave it to me. We have a very good thread on the 409 forum right now about getting performance from a truck motor. Check my engine build list from my 62 Biscayne project, on this thread under my user name MileHiSS. It lists all of my costs for material and machine shop work. The later truck blocks actually have stronger material in them than the car blocks. The 333 (last numbers of the casting numbers) truck heads can be opened up with larger valves and flow as well as the 817 car heads. I used stainless valves, hd springs, BB roller rockers, Isky solids and cam, and all the good stuff in my rebuild. With a couple of 600cfm 4v's on a high rise Offy, she runs great.
Very true. A friend bought a '62 C40 wrecker with a W motor in it, and when he got it running, I told him that it sounded like it had solid lifters. A check of the engine code identified it as a '59 348 335hp engine! Someone had replaced the tripower with a 4bbl and dumped it in the truck.
Thanks all. I had heard that the 409 truck motor was undesirable, and now I have the whole story. I saw one for sale here in southwest Missouri for $500. Here is a link for any one that is interested. http://joplin.craigslist.org/pts/541302445.html
The guy listed the engine block number in the craigslist ad as 3798962 GM4. That number comes up on Mortec as a '62-'65 Truck 348. -Brad
My question is if you are building a drag car then you wanna build the most efficient air pump you can. But a w head motor in a hotrod will fry the tires forever. The motor was designed for torque and reliabilty. Just pay what you feel its worth and have fun.
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