Got the 440! Now what?

[d72hemi]

Engine: 1973 440, out of a 73 Town & Country S.W. with 86,000 mi. cast crank, and 902 heads. The car was driven from ID to UT (200 mi) three months ago, to me transformed into a SB 360 destruction derby car. No reported problems with the car during the trip.

Long term goals (next two years): "budget" Stroker! 4.5" stoke, used T/F crank, used Indy or E heads/intake. Coil Near Plug (CNP), port injected EFI WWW.MSEFI.com (when it is proven to work). And if I ever win the UT state Lottery (there is not one), a 5 or 6 speed trany.

Sort term goals (next 3-6 months): Get it in my 72 Charger (currently a 318/904/8 1/4)! Minus the rest of the drive line upgrades that I am putting together, BB 727, 8 ¾ rear, and drive shaft. What should I do to the engine for now? I plan on a new fuel pump, rebuild the carb (will be my first carb rebuild), cap, rotor, plugs/wires, valve cover/intake manifold/exhaust manifold gaskets, getting rid of the EGR (no smog requirements for my car), and pulling the pan to inspect the bottom end. Is there anything I should do, pull the heads? The car will only see the road one or two weekend a month, until the stroker/EFI, as stated previously, is started. I am on a budget so I am trying to not do anything now that I will have to later redo later, I just want to dive the car every know and then.


Thank you for your help

Ian

[SeattleCharger]

  I don't know, but I hear if you go to a 440 in a 72 you will need a different radiator and that you may need a couple front suspension parts replaced as the weight will lower the front and change the geometry, not sure though.  There might be a couple of other misc. things like that, TK73 has a '73 and was telling me some of the things you need to get to go to a 440 from a 318 in a 3rd gen Charger, can't remember everything exactly. 

[d72hemi]

Thank you SeattleChargerDog,

when I posted this topic I forgot to mention the radiator. I also plan on an oil cooler, PS cooler, and an additional trany cooler. I also need to run a compesion test. If I turn the motor using the cank pulley nut, will that give me tho correct reading on my gauge

[Chryco Psycho]

I would swap torsion bars to .96 dia
let us know what you find when you inspect the 440 , a new oil pump would be a minimum upgrade , but if you find other problems you may need to do a lot more now