need help on build 440

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littleman66

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i just recently bought a 71 swinger with an 8 3/4 posi and 727 trans.... but i have plans for build a 440 for it.

well i was wondering how i can build a 440 engine for a "cheaper" price thats making some decent power. i am using this car for a street/drag situation so i dont want it to rank, but i want it to have more jam then it came stock

im new to muscle cars in a way since im only 16, but i love cars. so since im still in highschool my budget isent too great but still is kinda open.

i have some questions first that have been realllllly bothering me

1) i found a 440 out of an 71 new yorker, can I use this engine or is useless? i dont know if these would be different engine compared to the high performace block.

2)i have heard that heads off of a 67 have a closed chamber...and if the magnums have a bigger exhaust. should try my hardest to find these heads or can i port an polish the heads? which is better?

3)should i get the egine balanced?

4)i have some connceting rods that came out of an 426 or 440 6pack..should i use them or are they to heavy?

thanks you guys, i really do love this forum

p.s...i love tech, try and fill me with as much possible :smile:
 
It all depends on the kind of HP you really want to make.
What motor is in the car now and is the 727 a big block trans?
The 71 440 would be fine to more HP then you would want, but there are alot of more mods to do with putting in a big bolck in an A body.
If money is tight and the car has small block 8, just build that. You can build a nice 400 hp that would be cheaper in the long run and still alot of fun.

Keep the 440 and build it slow over the next few years, after the car is back on the road. Because after you feel alittle power for the small block, you'll always want more.
I am putting a 440 in my barracuda and I am going to have about 5-4k in the motor alone. I will cost me another $300 for the mods to just hold the engine in the car, plus the are alot more cost for a new trans, headers, better rearend, engine cooling and more. I know I heard alot about who cheap and easly the swap would be, but if you don't want to start breaking other things and want to redo it. It best to do it right the first time, even if it takes alittle longer then you would expect and cost alot more. I think when I get done, I'll really like the BB, but a sb would have been cheaper and the car would be back on the road by now.
Good luck, and used parts always helps make the build cheaper.
 
Welcome to the board littleman66. Since this is your first build up, 67barracuda has given you some very good advice, especially if you already have a small block with that Swinger. Was it an original V8 or a /6 car? The 440 always sounds big and brutal, but the SB route will be a lot cheaper and a lot easier to accomplish for your first time around. Good luck, and keep us updated with the details on whatever route you decide to take. :)
 
thanks you guys. i dident relize that a BB would be alot of work and money, im not worrieed about work or time....because i will be working on getting it ready during the winter. since i live in saskatchwan, i got ALOT of winter months to have time.

the car comes with an 318 in it....but i belive that guy is sopposed to give me an other engine that used to be in it, because its just sitting in the barn all wraped up or something. he doesnt know what kind of engine it is but since the car is orignaly a 340, im guessing it jsut might be that original 340.

if it is a 340 i will probley doing that...but if its a 360...me and my dad agreed to do a 440 in the car. 340s are hard to find up here, and when you do you have to give them an arm and a leg for it.


67barracuda - when you said ill start breaking things, what do you mean? like components in my enigne or do you mean my old 727 trans and old 8 3/4? i acutlly hope i blow my tranne because then i will be able to get that A-833 4-Speed

can someone still answer my questions though? even if i dont go the BB route im still very curious.

thanks
 
Q1) 71 440 will be fine
Q2) Not all 67 heads are closed camber. 452 heads came with both close and open chamber. With the hp I think you are looking for, just about any head cleaned up will work.
Q3) If you plan on turning alot of rpm or have alot of mix matched parts.(not all parts from same engine)
Q4) Yes they are heavy, but will work just fine depending the rpm range you are wanting to work in. The motor won't rev as fast or as high as a lighter balanced assy.

Go to Moparts.com and on their tech page I think you will find most of your answers.
 
Welcome to the board, and the cars...
What I'm reading is kind of common with people new to the mopars, and cars in general. First things first. Read up on everything you can in the magazines, but try to read around the product names. They pay for the articles, and many times, arent the best. Now, you have the car..Good base to start with, BTW. If you dont know the mechanical condition, then I would suggest installing a running engine into it, and then asses it. Worry about safe and fuctional first. (trust me, you'll enjoy it a lot more later...) Pick up the other engine. see what you have to work with. In terms of ease, a small block in a dart is a great place to start. Now, if you plan to rebuild any engine, there are certain steps that should be taken to make sure it stays together, and makes the power it's supposed to. Any 340/360 is a good starting point. The 440 Dart isnt tricky, but there are a few things needed, and that takes more $$, and, can really be a handfull on the street. the stroker small blocks are the way to go, IMO. Just dont get so excited that you loose sight of the plan..And you should start my making a plan and a budget..then get it running and safe, and you can enjoy it while you get the other stuff together.
 
Hey littleman66, what part of Sask. are you located? I live just across the border in Alberta.
Don't underestimate a 360 - after all, you're starting with a longer stroke and 20 cu. in. more that a 340 - since they are one of the hot tickets for a street A body. :)
 
thanks for the info you guys. it sure seems like i better getting reading some more.

and do 360's really make a good enigne? all i heard is bad stuff about them since that dont like rev?

OLDVART i live on the easter part of sask, yorkton. its 2 hours away from regina
 
I think you've been badly misinformed about the 360 engines. The big difference between the 340 and 360 is that the 360 makes it's power/torque at a lower RPM, which is EXACTLY what you want in a street machine. Everything else being equal, the 360 will be quicker than the 340 every time. :) I've been running a 360 in my 66 Valiant for years now, and it's a formidable sleeper at the lights. ;) I've also owned several hot 340's over the years, so I can make comparisons. :sleepy1:
I've driven through Yorkton dozens of times over the years. I'm about an hour West of the Sask border in central AB. Good luck with your project.
 
Do you know just how fast you are looking to go ? Because you can run 12's very easy with a basic stock rebuild and just a mild cam with the normal bolt on's. We had a 383 in my sons Dart that ran 12.30's at 110 and it was all stock internally other then the MP .484 cam. Had the normal headers , Eddy intake and 750 Holley DP. You can use the open chamber heads on the 71 motor as we used 1974 452 heads on the 383 and milled them to get 9.5 comp with the stock pistons. Try checking out this place also www.bigblockdart.com as its loaded with info you need. Yes its a good idea to balance the eng. I myself would just use a stock 440 rod and have them recondition. We used the MP .484 cam in the 383 and it worked very nice but we also used 3.91 gears and a tight 10" 3000 convertor. Feel free to ask us anythink as you get started on that cool car. Oh we did replace the 383 in my sons Dart with a 400 now ! Ron
 
67barracuda said:
Q2) Not all 67 heads are closed camber. 452 heads came with both close and open chamber. With the hp I think you are looking for, just about any head cleaned up will work.
Click to expand...

That's not right.
All '67s had closed chamber heads, as factory produced, but not all '67s had the '915 heads. Some had the '516 heads.
There are also large and small exhaust valve '915 heads.

In the grand scheme of it all, according to Indy Cylinder Heads, a Big Block Mopar head is a Big Block Mopar head, one, as stock is no better than the other.

67barracuda said:
Go to Moparts.com and on their tech page I think you will find most of your answers.
Click to expand...

Yes, go to the TECH section, and hope the info you need is there, because the "Snob Quotient" has gone up considerably in the last year over there. As a newbie, you'd be lucky to get a straight answer from them.

BigBlockDart.com is a better place for your type of questions, however.

Mark.
 
If you want some hot rod heads, I have a matching set of 1964 426 wedge heads. With some work they will out-perform most heads. They are listed on craigs list Milwaukee private seller. Check em out you might dig it
 
You can do anything you want if you have the time, money and tools. If you're a little short on one or more of those then it gets harder. I did my first engine swap when I was 16 years old. I had a 1956 F-100 pickup truck and I bought a 351C engine out of a Mustang in a wrecking yard and figured out how to mount it into my truck. I had to ride my 10 speed bike into town so they could build brackets and mounts for me. It took me about a year but I got it running all by myself.

I recommend spending your first $200 at Amazon. Buy books on Mopar engines, on A body cars, etc. Once you read all the books you'll have a better chance of success.

By the way, if I had an original 340 Swinger I'd find a 340 for it. I wouldn't put a big block in it.
 
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