BB 440 Mileage?

-
J

jeeper

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2005
Messages
1,076
Reaction score
32
Location
Klamath County, Oregon
I am curious about something. We are finishing off a 440 Dart Sport. Smogger 440, ported heads, 223-230 cam, factory HS convertor and 4.10's. I attempted to build the car pretty well. The engine is very mild for the build however. It was my intention to build a more radical engine once the car was running and bugs worked out.

I know the gears are too deep, I will likely change those once I get it going and drive it a bit.

What I am wondering is what other BB A bodies pull down for mileage. Please spare me the "It's a 440, what do you expect..." comments. I have heard those with my 4x4 background for years. I tend to drive/build efficient 4x4's when I can even with big tires.

Life has changed so much since I started the car that I now want to DD it some during the summer etc. And I live a long ways from anywhere so mileage does matter to some degree.....

What are you getting for MPG? I am hoping with some decent gears to get somewhere in the lower teens....
 
i am interested to see any responses. years ago I had a 4x4 Ford Ranger that I put a hot rodded 302/c4 in it. 4:10 gears with 31" tires, it was a pig. I leaned it out as far as I could and if I kept the tach at 2400 rpm or so it would get 14 or so. Drive it at normal speeds on the freeway, 8 was about as good as it would get.
 
I ask because I really want to know, not starting a flame fest! If you ask on a big 4x4 type site and see what happens....

It's my cheap nature I guess, but I always want to know what type of mileage things get.

ROB
 
I had a 69 Charger that I swapped in a rebuilt 440. Drove it to the Nats in 87 or 88 while a friend drove one of my other cars (71 Chally covert with a 318). Kept mileage records for both for the trip. The Charger got 19MPG round trip, including several passes down the track, back and for to the hotel, etc. Chally got 18 with no track time. Both cars had highway gears - 2.76s.
 
I think the best anyone could do with a 440 would be 18-19 MPG on a long highway trip with tall gears (like 65 Dartman). What compression is yours going to have? I'd say with those gears (what stall converter exactly?) you'd be lucky to get 14, probably around 12 most of the time.
 
1990 Bronco,4wd 351; 3.53 12
1992 Bronco,4wd 4.9 ; 3.53 12
It didn't matter highway or city; both efi.
 
I know with a 71 new yorker 440 with pocket ported heads and gasket matched.at 75&80 miles an hour on rt I95 from Fredrick MD. to ocala fl.I got 23mpg.with four people in the car.with all the luggage.if this tells you any thing.
 
OK that helps.

A little more on the build may help as well:

76 440-re-ringed etc.

Hughes 223-230 Cam at .050

Holley SD intake

Eddy 750 Carb

Home Ported heads with matching springs

Factory high Stall convertor (2200 RPM) if lucky

Schumacher headers and 3" exhaust

28" tire

I really intend to regear and drive decently. Perhaps swap to a Thermoquad etc.

It would be nice to have a solid 13 second car that I can DD if I want to.

I will know soon enough. Spring is just around the corner or bend!

ROB
 
A big block with 4.10 gears will be a lot of fun, good luck keeping your foot out of it!

Seriously, if I had to WAG a guess I'd say 10-12. Do something to bump the compression and you might crowd 14 if you drive like a grandma and keep under 50 MPH. Bump the compression and re-gear and 14-15 should be no problem.
 
Man seriously,what do you expect to hear?

Its a big block.
Made in days,when gas was 4 cents a gallon.
Course its going to drink!
I watched topgear an he was driving a 440 6 pack
68 charger....
4 miles to the galon my freinds.
Dead standard lol.

Its crazy haha!
THe price you pay for having enough torque to pull
a sailor of your sister ;)
 
This past summer my friend and I drove our Road Runners to a car show about 125 miles each way. We topped off our tanks at the same time and place both before and after the trip and were 3tenths of a gallon apart.
14.5MPG.
55mph highways so speeds never got much more than 60 but we passed alot of cars and treated ourselves to a few cases of Mopar acceleration.:cheers:

Mine is a 68 RR 383 4spd, 3.55 and 295/15 tires. Carter 625, on Edelbrock intake, stock heads with manifolds and 2 1/2 TTI exhaust, unknown cam(was in there when I got the motor).

His is a 72 RR/GTX with a 440, 4spd, 3.54 and 295/15. --Holly 6pack-- on original cast intake, light pocket ported 906 heads from Arrowhead/Indy. Headers and also 2 1/2 TTI. I don't have his cam but I do have a chart from the Dyno that my Duster is on in my avatar.

I'd actually like some guys comment on it cause I don't know if it is good or not.
I just know that his RR Flies!!
!!OH... and the big drop at the beginning is when the throttle is punched and the 6pack opens up.

070409222842[1].JPG
 
Next thought.
For mileage you might need a tighter converter and live with the consequenses on the track, or keep the converter you have and suffer the mileage.
Get a little, Give a little.
There is always something to think through isn't there?
 
I see that Holley Street Dominator as potentially robbing some gas mileage, especially since you seem to be going with stock 1976 pistons and heads (low, low, low compression) which won't work too well on the street with a single-plane intake. Put a good dual-plane on there (Performer RPM?) with some 3.55's and you should average 14-15 MPG. BTW I think you're severely underestimating the ability of a big-block A-body... Even with low compression, a somewhat small carb, and "only" 3.55:1 gears you should have NO problem getting into the 12's, of course only if the traction is there.
 
I am new to 440's for sure. I have been building it forever but never driven it or pretty much any other A body for the most part other than a short stint with a stocker 318.

I am pretty excited. It should be getting its first drive this week if all goes well.

The car has been a build up on a budget using what I could find. I tried to located decent stuff. Other than the engine the rest is pretty solid.

It is a strange thing. Doing the off-road truck/Jeep/Bike thing for so long I know what to expect. I really don't know what to expect with a 440 and small tires other than some smoke I'd imagine! Kinda like my KX500 when I hit some loose soil. Lots of fun.

I should be driving it around later this week.....so hoping!

Thanks for the input. Sounds like mid teens may happen with some tuning and maybe my Thermoquad.

ROB
 
Make sure you don't drive in rain unless you want to test your patience and reflexes... LOL!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top