Opinions on 360 vs 440

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standup303

standup303

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Good Morning all, so I was B’s deep in my 74 Dart Swinger, planning on a 440 swap…along came a sweet 69 Swinger with a 360 that I bought and now selling the 74.

I bought a 440 builder, tore it down and had it bored .030 over, cam/crank tunnels aligned, new cam bearings, completely balanced, have new pistons, the a body oil pan kit, Schumacher headers, cam.

But the 360 is in there, I do need to get the correct flex plate as there is a bit of a vibration, and it’s a tired motor.

Now I’m not sure if I want to:

Just refresh the 360 with new gaskets, bearings, rings, new cam. And possibly do a torqstorm supercharger down the road.

Go 408 stroker.

Or just do the 440.

I’d love the 440 but now I’m concerned with how much of a bit*h it would be to work on after already working on the 360 a bit.

It’s just a street car to cruise/ haul a** around in.

Just curious on opinions or those who have been in the same shoes?

Also, I wouldn’t be selling the 440, I would keep it and one day find a W-150 or maybe even B body to toss it in.
 
You have a big block torqueflight to go with that 440? All the required components to put a big block in will add up quickly. I’d sell off the 440, either build the 360 or stroke it.
Only car I’ve ever done a SB to BB engine swap in was a 64 Sport Fury, Had a 318 and I stuffed a 440 in it but that was almost 40 years ago.The aftermarket was just getting started, so there wasn’t much available and I didn’t have a pot to piss in but I wanted a 440 so I made it happen. If that’s what you want go for it!
 
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depends what you want witht he car in the end. a 360 ands 408 are awesome.. there is just nothing like a big block abody though...
 
I do have the big block 727. I still need another $4-5k worth of parts for the swap. And about $3500 in already to the block and few parts I have.
 
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Good Morning all, so I was B’s deep in my 74 Dart Swinger, planning on a 440 swap…along came a sweet 69 Swinger with a 360 that I bought and now selling the 74.

I bought a 440 builder, tore it down and had it bored .030 over, cam/crank tunnels aligned, new cam bearings, completely balanced, have new pistons, the a body oil pan kit, Schumacher headers, cam.

But the 360 is in there, I do need to get the correct flex plate as there is a bit of a vibration, and it’s a tired motor.

Now I’m not sure if I want to:

Just refresh the 360 with new gaskets, bearings, rings, new cam. And possibly do a torqstorm supercharger down the road.

Go 408 stroker.

Or just do the 440.

I’d love the 440 but now I’m concerned with how much of a bit*h it would be to work on after already working on the 360 a bit.

It’s just a street car to cruise/ haul a** around in.

Just curious on opinions or those who have been in the same shoes?

Also, I wouldn’t be selling the 440, I would keep it and one day find a W-150 or maybe even B body to toss it In.






When I read this post this is what pops out to me and then the answer becomes very easy.

402860BB-7F6D-404B-BC8A-D081BFB5A9C5.png
 
Seemed like you already set to go with a 440, since your gonna pull the 360 anyways I'd go 440.
 
I think you know which way you want to go with your comments. It comes across as keep the 440 for a future endeavour and freshen the 360/stay small block for the dart.
 
I love big blocks, but...

The car was already sporting a small block, so build it the way you want and sell the BB. I had a 408 in my 70 Duster and it was a runner! The lightweight A body with a nice 408 (465HP) was a fun ride. You can certainly shoehorn a BB in there, but just about everything would need to be changed to properly handle that swap.
 
Stroke the 360 you'll love it I miss my 416(based on a 340) nothing like the look on a guys face when he came over in the pits and realized a SMALL block just blew his big block away,then again a properly built 360 will do the same thing :) :):)
 
stroked340 said:
Stroke the 360 you'll love it I miss my 416(based on a 340) nothing like the look on a guys face when he came over in the pits and realized a SMALL block just blew his big block away,then again a properly built 360 will do the same thing :) :):)
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They are runnin'd dudes, for sure!
 
  • If you just want a street cruiser that will light up the tires now and then, the 360 would fill that bill.
  • Also, if you are worried about "room under the hood for wrench'n", the 360 will be friendlier for spark plug changing and header fitment, however, the 440's intake manifold, distributor, and water pump are all much easier to deal with in the car. The 440 will need an expensive set of headers to make life better.
  • NOW for the other side of things: Resale. Selling a '69 Dart with a 440 in it should bring more money and more buyers vs a 360.
 
Sell the 440 and build the 360. It will be way less hassle to install and work on. 65'
 
It has already been mentioned, but what are your goals? What do you want?
This is just my opinion:
You can easily get 400 streetable HP out of a 360. 400 HP in an A Body is a lot of fun. To get 400 HP, you will likely have a choppy idle, but I love the sound of my modified 340.
If you want a LOT of HP, then go with the 440. If you are looking for the "Ooh Ah, it has a 440" comments at a cruise night or car show, then go with the 440. If you want the bragging rights of owning a big block A Body, then go with the 440. The heart wants what the heart wants. IF, DEEP DOWN INSIDE, YOU JUST WANT THE 440, THEN GO FOR IT.
However, if you just want a good cruiser that can still scald the tires, then go with the 360.
 
4mulas said:
I think I disagree. A well sorted, much lighter, better handling small block is quite attractive to me.
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they are not "much lighter". Just a set of aluminum heads on the 440 makes them equal to a cast headed small block. And the aluminum water pump housing makes them lighter than a cast headed small block.
 
If you don’t run a small block stroker, yer dumb and everyone knows the big block mopar ain’t nothing but a boat anchor. I smoke 440’s in my 302 headed 318 all day long.
 
MidnightSwinger said:
If you don’t run a small block stroker, yer dumb and everyone knows the big block mopar ain’t nothing but a boat anchor. I smoke 440’s in my 302 headed 318 all day long.
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Nah, they're not "boat anchors" by any stretch of the imagination. They have their place though, especially in B & E bodies.
 
318willrun said:
they are not "much lighter". Just a set of aluminum heads on the 440 makes them equal to a cast headed small block. And the aluminum water pump housing makes them lighter than a cast headed small block.
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That’s wrong.

The weight of two iron heads (906’s) is 102 pounds without shafts and rockers and aluminum heads (eddy or source) is about 60 pounds, also without shafts and rockers. That’s a weight savings of about 40 pounds.

The weight difference on a RB vs La 360 I’d about 120 pounds.

still lighter…..
 
4mulas said:
That’s wrong.

The weight of two iron heads (906’s) is 102 pounds without shafts and rockers and aluminum heads (eddy or source) is about 60 pounds, also without shafts and rockers. That’s a weight savings of about 40 pounds.

The weight difference on a RB vs La 360 I’d about 120 pounds.

still lighter…..
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Well, here is me and my friend Justmoparjoe with facts....

AND HERE is a 440 Stroker on the scale vs a 408 stroker small block
 
There was only one thing more satisfying than when I raised the hood on my 74 Duster and gazed at the 440 sitting in it.

The thing that made it the most satisfying is when I hammered on the gas pedal and you realize that the 440 should have been factory installed.

Only you can decide which engine is best for you. If you're asking here to help re enforce your decision one way or another you'll not get the answer your after.

Practicality and easy changing spark plugs every now and then is not why you put a 440 in an A-body. Once you get it in there you'll understand why you did it.

Tom
 
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don’t know if you know what you’re now arguing. Your video on cylinder head Wright verifies my weight estimate of a pair of big block heads at 102 pounds….

the rest of this is just math:

Aftermarket aluminum big block heads are about 60 pounds for the pair.

a stock assembled RB weight is approximately 670 pounds.

a stock assembled 360 LA is approximately 550 pounds.

That’s a difference of 120 pounds making the LA lighter.

even if you shaved 40 pounds off an RB by using aluminum heads it still makes the 360 LA LIGHTER by about 80 pounds…

All of this is just the engine. Keep in mind the rest of everything else behind and around the big block also weighs more too.

big blocks are cool, I have them too, and will have more and all of this is to each their own. But small blocks in an A body is easier to work on and lighter

EDIT; fyi, the original video of that’s 408 weight shows it has all the front end accessories and motor mounts and Everything on it too. all my comments involved stock weights. Furthermore if you want to compare apples to apples put all that whizZy aluminum stuff on the small block and make the comparison equal it will weigh LESS….
 
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