I just got a 440 out of a 1974 motorhome with 60,000 miles for my 38 dodge pikup. Does anyone know the power rating for these old guzzlers.?? It has an edelbrock 4 barrel
I believe they were under 200 HP, something like 180. I would use a small block Mopar insetad. Lighter and an easier fit.
Damn that would **** does anyone know this for sure. I've got mixed feelings from everyone!! I really want to run it especially since I've alredy bought it ya know. I'm gonna pull 4 to 5 inches out of the firewall.
They changed HP ratings from Gross to Net in the early '70's, so yeah, it "looks" like a low HP motor...on paper. But with a few small upgrades, it'll move a '38 Dodge just fine. There is never a reason (IMO) to put a SB Mopar in any car if you ALREADY have a 440. 440's make everything better....haha!
Yea, but the same basic 440 engine in a GTX was rated at 375 HP. Sure it'll take some work but the potential is there. Larry T
What would be some recomended upgrades? I was thinking about buying a six pack for it although they are very exspensive.
A 440 from a GTX model car made 375 hp stock. A cam, (I'd just use a Mopar purple cam) headers and intake will likely get you close to that. 440's rock! GM never made a big block as torquey or reliable as a 440 Mopar. My Mom's '67 GTX would chirp the tires shifting into drive at 90 mph when it had 140,000 miles on the clock. They are tough!
1974 440 Mopars HP Torque the third was was the Police motor <TABLE id=AutoNumber1 style="BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse" borderColor=#c0c0c0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=4 width="100%" border=1><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle>V8-440</TD><TD align=middle>4-bbl</TD><TD align=middle width=88>4.32 x 3.75</TD><TD align=middle>8.2:1</TD><TD align=middle width=88>230 @ 3600</TD><TD align=middle width=88>350 @ 3200</TD><TD align=middle></TD></TR><TR><TD align=middle>V8-440 (Calif.)</TD><TD align=middle>4-bbl</TD><TD align=middle width=88>4.32 x 3.75</TD><TD align=middle>8.2:1</TD><TD align=middle width=88>220 @ 3600</TD><TD align=middle width=88>345 @ 3200</TD><TD align=middle></TD></TR><TR><TD align=middle>V8-440</TD><TD align=middle>4-bbl</TD><TD align=middle width=88>4.32 x 3.75</TD><TD align=middle>8.2:1</TD><TD align=middle width=88>275 @ 4400</TD><TD align=middle width=88>375 @ 3200</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
440 Mopar motors run good and last very long but the statement about torque is incorrect. 1970 440 had 490 lb/ft. 1970 Buick 455 made 510 lb/ft, that was the non-performance version 1970 Oldsmobile 455 500 lb/ft in the 442. Also, Buicks and Olds motors seem to last for ever. 440 is a good choice for putting a hurting on a pair of rear tires! Marty McFly
I just completed a 440 that went in my fathers charger. we did a 440 source 500 inch stroker kit with thier stealth aluminum heads. It ended up making 528hp and 591 ft lbs. It moves a big Charger very well. I can't imagine what it would be like in your pick-up
That's with 10:1 compression. The 1974's had (I believe) 8.2:1 compression, lazy advance curve, lean jetting, etc. If I were to take an educated guess as to its gross horsepower output, I'd say somewhere between 300 to 325 hp, with the usual abundance of torque this engine is famous for. Back in the early 1980s (circa 1982) a buddy of mine bought a 1972 440 from the boneyard. The specs for that year 440 are the same or nearly the same as a 1974 440. It was installed in his originally 383-powered 1970 Road Runner he just bought (back then) for $400.00. The original 383 had spun main bearings, so out it went and in went the smog motor 440. With the usual HP add-ons like headers, aluminum intake, Holley carb, Direct Connection (remember when they used to call it that?) hp electronic ignition distributor kit, that baby ran pretty damn good on the street! That's with a stock factory cam. It really turned on when he installed an Lunati hydraulic bumpstick later on! His 4-speed RR turned very low 14's through the exhaust with 3.55 gears in the rear and L60 x 15 Pro Tracs tires at the strip. And the best part of it with these post-1971 440s, it was able to run on 89 octane regular gasoline due to its 8.2:1 compression ratio. I say: go 440. You'll be glad you did! Pete
Lots of motorhomes with Dodge ch***is used the 413 engine too. Check to be sure you have a 440 as most folks I've talked believed their M/H had a 440 but it turned out to be a 413. Same thing in GMC frontdrive Motorhomes, lots used the 403(?) V8 but everyone believes they have the 455. Just have to be careful when using M/H stuff, sometimes it ain't what they think it is!
Thank you guys for all the awesome feedback!! The motor is def. A 440 and it was a November 1974 model. I agree I'm gonna get the fab done throw the motor in and see how it feels. I'm mating up a 8 3/4 out of a 70 cuda for the rear.
The 413 "industrial" motorhome engine has a funky water pump that connects to the heads, it's pretty easy to spot. By 1974, 440s had taken over, I think.
If you have an MH 440 or 413, check the heads and the water pump housing - if the housing goes to the front of the heads, you have a MH engine. You can take a set of car or pickup BB heads, along with the correct water pump housing, and make it look right in the '38. Like the poster said above - why go 360 when a 440 is sitting in front of you?
The motor is low compression so besides heads, cam, and intake you would need pistons to get the compression up to make it really perform. The pistons are too far down in the block at TDC to make any real compression that would be needed for a nice street cam. They were setup for low rpm and torque to move a heavey vehicle.
I know these are old posts, I'm curious to what came about from install? Doesn't a 6:71 supercharger run well with 8.2:1 compression? Add a Mopar Purple .590L x 312D cam, couple edelbrock 600's & a set of headers, bet it would hit over 800hp. $3000 or so for a <9sec 1/4 mile runner sounds like a bargain to me.
I also know it's an ancient thread...but I find that many folks browse such threads even years later looking for info. Everyone's suggestions here are fine, but people seem to forget that folks have been plundering smogger era 440's out of C-bodies and motor homes for decades. I put one together recently for my Challenger. I found a cream puff New Yorker with 75k on the odo that was going to derby. The owner used Chevy running gear in all his derby cars, so he sold me the entire drive train, 440, 727B, propshaft and Sure Grip equipped 9 1/4 rear for $450. These deals are still out there and well worth snapping up. Smogger 440's (1971 to 1978) make gobs of low end torque and walk into their powerband at 2500 RPM. Torque doesn't really peak...it's more of a plateau (in the mid 400 range) from 2500 to 5800...where the engine is pretty much all in. The best street recipe for one of these engines is to use the bottom end and give it what it needs to breathe. I put 440 Source Stealth aluminum heads on mine (OOTB), Eddy RPM and 750 AVS carb, ****** headers and a mild Comp cam at .462/470 lift. The trick to this combo is choosing a cam that preserves the low end torque and gives the heads the flow they need for HP. Mine is probably making between 450 and 460 HP and a similar torque number. Total cost including buying the drive train was about 3 grand. Well worth it. Compression is great, but you don't need to tear it apart and build it into a $7500.00 engine just to have fun with it. Legions of 2 bbl and slant 6 car owners have been doing this kind of low buck build since the 1970's. I hope the OP had fun with his build.
. Someone, hot rod ?, took one of these rv 440 putt aluminum heads on it with a whiplash cam, 491 horse with stock rv long block and 9:1 compression. Impressive I'd say. Going with the whiplash cam in my rv 440 in my 31`
Marty Mcfly you have to realize Storm King was born an raised on Mopar food and there is nothing else in the world that is as good let alone better. I must say they have had some good running Mopars though. Pat
Since someone mentioned A bodies (Duster)...a member on the A Body forum slapped together a smogger 440 with stuff he had laying around and did some dyno pulls with it, just for sheets a giggles. It turned into a very interesting thread... https://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/threads/dyno-testing-a-stock-1972-440.249866/
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