Found a 440 Motor

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Drg racr

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I just found a guy that has a 1973 440 motor, runs, complete minus a water pump for $400. Should I get it? He said its a performance motor out of a car, but I don't think it makes a difference, does it?
I have a small block car, so I'll have to start collecting parts all over again. If I get it.
 
By 1973, all compression ratios were down into the 8.2 range except the police cars. Those were even lower!
The price seems reasonable. Keep in mind though, you may only be reusing the block and a few other small parts if you decide to add a longer stroke crank or aluminum heads.
 
Even if it's not a "performance" model, a low compression 440 will still motivate an A body along pretty smartly-if it's a good core or running engine and readily available, I'd get it...
 
Even at scrap prices you are not out that much. If it was near me I would buy it. Who knows when I might need it but whatever.
 
400 dollar chance without hearing it run with mufflers on it, or otherwise open manifolds or flip it upside down, pull the pan and try to inspect a few rod bearings, crank bearings and (is it possible to mic the cylinders from bottom?). I usually spend at least 30 minutes talking to the seller, observing their operation, making observations and decisions about their character and the legitimacy of their "claimed status" of a part to be sold, particularly when you cannot dig into it and determine its nature for your self.

If they are too good to spend a bit of time and explanation about the item and are "take it or leave it because I got others ready to buy so stop wasting my time" type of behavior, then I will leave it.

If it is legitimately a good quality stock or mild setup without major issues then it's a good price for sure.
 
@400 its no bargain.

heads, crank and rods are junk unless you are doing a stock rebuild. and even then they could be wasted and out of spec.

200 would be a better price, but even then i wouldn't buy it.
 
Great, out of date individual..... Share ,your basic 440 builds ,for less than 2k....
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73 was good year for motorhome engines. Look for the peanut spark plugs and non weighted damper.
 
You said it runs,did you get to hear it or have any other info on it, if you can hear it run, and chk it out and can see the oil and check pressure, and runs good,how many miles, and what did it come out of ,then maybe if it chks out as a solid runner with no major issues,if you cant hear it then dont buy it otherwise its a core/rebuilder and not worth 400 bucks,it must have a trans hooked to it to start it,and without exhausts its pretty hard to tell if there is any strange noises etc..need more info..but if it does chk out then that aint too bad they can be had cheaper
 
A couple years ago, I picked up a '73 motorhome 440 with trans for $250. I planned on rebuilding it no matter what. The guy I got it from said it ran when he pulled it about 6 months before I bought it. When my machine shop got it apart it had rust so bad in one cylinder, it needed a sleeve. The other cylinders would have cleaned up at .020". After the sleeve, we board it .030" over so we could use off the shelf pistons. The motor did have the 213 heads along with a steel crank and six pack rods. It ran great all season with a best of 12.68 @ 105mph in my Dart.
 
Abodybomber said:
Great, out of date individual..... Share ,your basic 440 builds ,for less than 2k....
..
Click to expand...

not sure if this was directed at me, but the cheaper you get it for, the closer to the 2k mark you can be.

having torn down probably 12 or so 440s, i can tell you that half of them were JUNK, or not worth the effort to rebuild. for me to spend $400 on a core, it better have a steel crank and one of the better sets of factory heads.
 
Perhaps it's about time we checked in with the OP and see if he determined whether or not it was a good deal to him...
 
I'm still on the fence. I think $400 may be a little much. It's a friend of my dad's that has it. He told my dad that he might sell it or he might not.
I have a good 360 sitting in the garage now. I think I could invest that $400 toward a set of 340 heads and make close to the same power as the big block. My block is already rebuilt, but with stock parts.
From the way I write this, I think I'm leaning toward passing on the 440.
 
(sigh)For your situation-it probably makes more [financial] sense to do so since you've already built up a small block...

I'm pretty sure most of us are intoxicated by cubic inches...I still suffer from it too and despite having a decent running small block Scamp, I keep finding myself looking at the 383 and 440 ads constantly...

Do you already have a build thread or some such elsewhere on the site? You know we all love car ****...
 
txstang84 said:
(sigh)For your situation-it probably makes more [financial] sense to do so since you've already built up a small block...

I'm pretty sure most of us are intoxicated by cubic inches...I still suffer from it too and despite having a decent running small block Scamp, I keep finding myself looking at the 383 and 440 ads constantly...

Do you already have a build thread or some such elsewhere on the site? You know we all love car ****...
Click to expand...
I agree..run the 360 and have fun...yes I have a bblk dart but let me tell you when I 1st started my 2nd car was a 340 car and I owned several and played with the smblk stuff for a long time and I assure you a well built smblk will kick some butt and I still watch and listen and sometimes get the itch to have another one,some of the most fun I ever had was with a 71 dart with a 318 I had 'morphed' together ran 13.40''s and 13.50's was a fun car and couldnt kill it..not like the 440 I have now which I wouldnt trade but the smblks aint no punk,and since you already have a 360 which shares everything with all the other smallblks except stroke and bore you are already ahead of the game just need a few mods and upgrades and is a bolt in with what you have already,my 'opinion' if I were in your shoes and without the headaches with a bblk swap which to me is a wrap now but if you never done one before it can drive you to drinkin..lol..cut your teeth on that smblk and have some fun and kick some butt...
 
340duster340 said:
@400 its no bargain.

heads, crank and rods are junk unless you are doing a stock rebuild. and even then they could be wasted and out of spec.

200 would be a better price, but even then i wouldn't buy it.
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find me someone selling a 440 for that price. heck, locally they are selling for near a grand.
 
I think the junkyards in Abilene, Texas where I was stationed before asked $500 for longblocks flat rate...and the only guarantee was if you found it to be a bad core (windowed block, broken parts, etc), you could exchange it. So, a complete running 440 minus a water pump for $400 ain't a bad deal to me...but I think duster has higher expectations...
 
340duster340 said:
@400 its no bargain.

heads, crank and rods are junk unless you are doing a stock rebuild. and even then they could be wasted and out of spec.

200 would be a better price, but even then i wouldn't buy it.
Click to expand...

Find me complete 440's for 200$ and i''ll buy as many as you can find. You seem a bit out of touch with current pricing.

I'd agree that stock heads are junk unless you are running in a class that requires them. Simply put by the time you have a set of iron heads redone to simply function again your well on your way to a set of modern aluminum heads.

There is nothing wrong with the rods. I've built 2 440's on stock reworked rods and both make 500hp and both are still together today after over 10 years.

The crank is only junk if it's cast and even then they are usable by some. Albeit I would never use a cast crank in aything.

To the OP. I paid around 750 for both of my 440's. One was a 67 and one a 69hp. One came with a tranny though. Tranny's go for 150-200 around me so that still leaves you at 550-600 for the engine.
 
The O.P posted,about a assembled SBM short block. Good lord guy,you're have way home. Find a nice top end,hang it & burn rubber. Happy ending.
 
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