For Sale 79? 440 and tranny.

[commando1]

Likely from a RV then.

Dodge 440

 

[Carmine]

Just ask Betsy or Scooter.

 

[LocuMob]

Still running, on the ground. New meaning to hit the ground running.

 

[commando1]

The RV had headers. Nice.

 

[73Coupe]

The RV had headers. Nice.

And its previous owners died from carbon monoxide. Now parting out.

 

[MarPar]

And its previous owners died from carbon monoxide. Now parting out.

 

[Dobalovr]

Betsy and Scooter say HI!

 

[68PK21 440.6bbl]

It's amazing the energy these meth scrappers have to drag it all home...

 

[stubs300]

It's amazing the energy these meth scrappers have to drag it all home...

You up for the game?
I've been up all week, man!
George Carlin talking about drugs!

 

[Moparwilks]

That’s definitely an Rv a/c unit. Lots of heat in the doghouses, you can only mess around so long with double gaskets on warped exhaust manifolds before you break down & go with headers. I had a 77 with a 360 , I can only imagine the heat a 440 would have especially down in FL. The 6ft dipstick tube is a dead giveaway as well.

 

[CBODY67]

Where'd they find a 1979 440?

 

[Moparwilks]

My dad had a 81 28ft pace arrow with a 440. They hung around for a bit after 78 for RV applications . I met a kid in the early 90s camping with a 72 motor home that had a 413! I’ve even seen late 1980s forklifts with propane converted slant sixes! Yeah, I was taken back a bit. Must be how they got rid of surplus after they decided to move in another direction with engine choices.

 

[CBODY67]

I'm wondering if the RV people didn't stockpile some of the last '78-production 440s for their future use? Just as Dodge kept building their full-size vans one year after they said they'd stop production, so the van converters would have a popular product to sell, as they changed over to Ford or GM vans.

Perhaps those engines came from Chrysler Industrial rather than the normal carline engine plant? I believe that 413s were still available that way, even after all of the cars were 440s?

More Mopar Mysteries.

CBODY67

 

[commando1]

Nearing the due date of Chrysler ending production of any vehicles with 440's, advance orders from commercial 440 customers poured in. Chrysler fulfilled back orders for the 440 well past the vehicle production end date, all with 1978 date codes.
Winnebago, the best customer because of the huge amount of Dodge chassis/engine units they bought received these units until 1980, I think, with 1978 engines showing a 1978 casting date. That tells me blocks with 78 markings were cast for two more years.

 

[Moparwilks]

I know pace arrow and a lot of other Rv makers switched to Chevy around 83

 

[Moparwilks]

I’ve heard good things about 440s from motorhomes. Relatively low mileage compared to cars Forged cranks & larger cooling water jackets in the heads. Built for torque, you would probably want to throw in a roadrunner/ super commando cam for car applications

 

[commando1]

Built for torque, you would probably want to throw in a roadrunner/ super commando cam for car applications

I took a MH 440 with the water Cooled heads

Relatively low mileage compared to cars Forged cranks

They had cast cranks. All 440s had cast cranks 74+

 

[Moparwilks]

My mistake , I thought the forged crank & larger water jackets was why they were desirable. I was given misinformation about the cranks. Does it really matter tho about the cranks? Unless your doing some heavy duty racing, do you really want forged over cast?

 

[commando1]

"They" say the cast cranks are good for 500hp.

 

[Gerald Morris]

500 HP and ~ 5000 rpm. I bought a 383 short block for the forged crank and have a 400 RV motor which will be the steel crank's new home. The extra ribbing, THICK main bearing webbing and larger water jacket passages all commend the 400 block. The cast crank, with the need for external balancing is a demerit but only for those who plan to build racing motors OR as is my case, they just want the very best quality parts for the crucial jobs that they can obtain. I plan to stick with a lov-rev high bottom end torque design for the motor overall.