Bolt together 440 What parts are best to look for ?

[70 sublime]

Well I have been slowly gathering some parts for my future 70 Charger project I have sitting in my garage
It may take some time to round everything up so have started picking things up when I see them
As for the drive train and the car is a 70 why not use a 6 pack intake set up on a 440 
I have also rounded up an A833 4 speed for it ( 23 spline)

Not wanting to build something too stupid I would be happy with 400 HP on paper

At the moment I only have a 73 440 motor which is probably not the one to start with

So the main question to start with is which 440 should I find to have the best pistons and crank to start with ?
67 to 71 ?

Next question is can a cast or forged crank be swapped into the same block as in all the bearings are the same sizes if I was to use the block I have ?

Third question  If I am going with a 4 speed does anything need to be considered for motor balance ?
I still need to get a clutch flywheel set up for it

I see some of you guys spend $10 000 just on the engine
Well good for you if you can go that route
Think I would rather buy a complete running car that I could test drive pull the motor out and drop a 383 in and resell it and be farther ahead

[c00nhunterjoe]

A 6 pack is going to set you back 3k off the bat.  Not exactly a budget friendly choice as it seems we are really penny pinching here. Sure, you can literally slap a motor together and it will run, but it wont run anywhere near its peak and it wont last. Its not worth going into all of the details im sure but i'll play.

Any 440 block will do. Grind whatever horrifc ridge out of the bores is in there, no point honing. Get a 70 set of pistons. The 69 down are flat tops without reliefs. 70s had releifs. New rings, out of the both, dont bother gapping them as the bores are way out of round and its gonna use oil anyway. If you can find 915s use them but wont be priced in the budget so a 906 or 452 will do. Take your intake gaskets and port match them to the head and intake. Run a .020 head gasket. Get a comp xs282 cam if you have money to splurge on adjustable rockers. If not, get a comp xe284 and run stock stamped rockers. Slap a set of 1 7/8 headers on it. It will smoke from wore out valve guides and wore out bore. But it will make the desired 400 hp.
    Problem i see to start is you dont like the 10k idea. Even scavenging the above engine- youve got 3k in a 6 pack, 300 in 70 pistons and rods, 300 in a cam kit with lifters and chain. 200 on a used crank. 200 in bearings rings and seals. 200 on a core set of heads. 200 on a set of springs retainers and valve seals. 150 on a cheap damper. 450 on a decent clutch, 400 on a decent safe steel flywheel. Hell, im at 5k already and we are missing alot of parts still and have done absolutely 0 machine or prep work. Literally just bought some cheap parts... not trying to bust your bubble. But 10k is CHEAP and wont get you much in the big block mopar drivetrain.

[70 sublime]

Well there is cheap or will just take me longer to save up the extra cash

Well most of you guys look up parts on a speed shop web site and see $700 etc for something
I have to look at the same web site and realize since I am in Canada with the exchange rate , shipping , duty and fees the price always seems to be double

As for machine shops all the ones any place close have retired out of the business is why I was asking what would be the best combination of parts to round up if I can find them

The car I want to end up with is something that looks basically stock
I am not looking for headers ( had some before and not a fan )
Happy to find another set of the HP exhaust manifolds like I have on my other car now

If need be would be interested in some after market heads that look stock from the outside when extra money around permits some time in the future ( and exchange rate improves)

I have read the oh no no one makes pistons the same compression as factory thread was another reason to look for original type parts

I am just a little fogy on what might or might not be internal or external balanced motor parts or if it is even anything

As for the 6 pack I got that covered as I picked one up last week

[Challenger340]

* Any 440 Block can be used, preference to those as close to Std Bore/lowest overbore as possible.... with .060" over least desireable.

* Later (post '73 and after) Blocks, have a wider #3 Main Bearing Thrust support, and utilize a wider Thrust Bearing, which in conjunction with filing by hand a very small Oil Pressure feed gallery into the Bearing at the parting line(.040" wide) is extremely beneficial with 4 spd/Pressure plate useage over time. Chrysler did experience some issues with 4 Spds wearing the Bearing and Cranks.... so by '73 all Blocks were machined for the wider Thrust Bearing(more load capacity when depressing the Clutch Pedal)

* Earlier Forged Cranks will fit in ALL Blocks/ANY year... but Main Bearings selected MUST be for the year of the Block.... and a check for adequate Crank End Thrust should be done just in case that area on the Forged Crank needs cleanup.
* Later Cast Cranks will also Fit in the Earlier (pre '73) originally Forged Crank Blocks.... again, Main Bearings are determined by Year of Block, check/accommodate End Thrust as Req'd.

If swapping different Pistons into already run/re-using Cylinder Bores....especially those that had low compression Pistons in them before....be very careful that any new Piston/Ring isn't trying to run up/over any prior 'ridge' left behind in the cylinder.   That's why just de-ridging an re-using cylinders is typically NOT rec'd, because invariably that is the maximum area of cylinder taper(read Blowby later after re-ring), and by the time all ridge is removed because the ridge is never 'centered' and always concentrated more on one side of the cylinder.... you end up with a completely barnyard garbage re-ring job.... IMO, not rec'd

* Forged Crankshafts are internally Balanced, meaning any/all corrections are internal of the engine on the Crankshaft itself, all 'external' components bolted to the Crank(harmonic, Flexplate/Flywheel etc) are 'neutral' or ZERO balance.

* Cast Crankshafts are External Balance, meaning the Harmonic Balancer and FlexPlate/Flywheel Bolted to the Cast Cranks are Externally 'weighted' to provide smooth operation.This means if you are bolting an earlier pre '73 Neutral Balance Flywheel on to a later post '73 Cast Crank..... the Flywheel should be "Balanced" or 'modified' so as to compensate/correct the Cast Crank imbalance.

I'm lucky in that I still have a complete Engine Machine Shop here on my property.
If I want to Bore & Hone..... I just go do it
If I want to Mill Block decks.... I just go do it
If I want to Line Hone the Mains.... I just go do it
ReSize Rods, Balance Crankshafts, Rebuild Cylinder Heads, and on and on and on.... I just go do it ?
and...
I can purchase all my parts wd 'direct' across in the USA with my own importer Number/shipping deal which I do.... far cheaper than summit/etc.

That said...
and for some perspective here..... what can you purchase these days for $10K CAD ? when even the 'parts' within any decent  440 can easily top $3K ? $4K ? or even $5K CAD ? depending upon what's needed ?

I'm planning to do the 440 Engine in my own '69 R/T SE soon.... it's the original numbers matching 440, and it's never been touched/never rebuilt and it's still running well.... but I wish to do it while I still can ?
Obviously here I will NOT be charging myself any Labor.... but I am planning an honest 510 Ft/Lbs and 425 HP through the hp manifolds with completely stock outward appearance ?
and I can NOT do that for myself under $4K CAD ?

[RiverRaider]

If you are not in a hurry and have time you can find some great deals on parts at swap meets and drag races when they start going again.
At drag races things like oil pans, headers and rocker gear can be found in great condition at fair prices from guys who have upgraded.  Walk the
pits and talk to the guys you will be surprised at the amount of stuff that is out there.  Swap meets are a great place to find new oil pumps,
timing chains, gaskets etc.  Look for the racers, they usually are selling there extra spares.  Other stuff is out there but you have to ask, there are
always still in the truck, under the table or at home parts.  Pistons you need to be careful, a lot of odd stroker stuff out there now days so always have a mic or
caliper to check things out.  Have note book with the part numbers of your favorite parts, some vendors don't really know what they are selling
just have the parts.   If its a cast crank make sure it is bored for a manual transmission.  I would look to internal balance over external due to more flywheel choices
as the HP goes up.  I collected everything for my Hemi that way. 

[c00nhunterjoe]

Race track pits are great places to make friends.

[John Milner]

This is what I did for my 440.  I don't have a lot of money tied up in it and it runs great.  If you are open to building your own engine, you can certainly get it done on the cheap.

Parts:

'76 440 core engine:  $200
Steel crankshaft:  $100
Used aluminum intake:  $100
Valley pan:  $25
Speed Pro forged 6 pack pistons/moly rings:  $430
Rod/Main bearings:  $225
Gasket set:  $60
Oil Pump:  $90
Cam/Lifters:  $250
Timing Set:  $50
Cam bearings:  $25
Water pump:  $50
Windage tray:  $50
ARP rod bolts:  $65
Valve springs:  $110
Retainers/keepers:  $75
Total in parts:  $1,905

Machine work:

Block:  Vat, bore/hone, install cam bearings:  $300
Heads:  Vat, grind valves/seats, install guides if necessary, seals, set up spring height:  $500
Rods:  Press on pistons, install ARP rod bolts and resize:  $150
Crank:  Turn/polish crankshaft:  $125
Total in machine work:  $1,075

That would put you at $2,980 in everything just for the engine.  This would be reusing your valves, oil pan, steel crank balancer, valve covers and distributor.  You would still need headers, flywheel, clutch/plate/throwout bearing. You could balance the rotating assembly if you want but there are plenty of people out there running a .030 440 with Speed Pro pistons who did not balance the rotating assembly.  I'm not sure what that would cost but I would guess around $300. A good running 440 engine can certainly be built for far less than $10,000.  You would just have to do the majority of the work yourself.

[70 sublime]

Thanks for the reply

Yes I hope to do as much work as I can myself

I am just working on a deal for a 72 marine 440 block
Seller has it at machine shop right now getting it cleaned up and 30 thousand over
He also has a set of 915 heads in the deal

Hopefully in about 2 weeks I will have it in my home