440-3 RV engine?

[timinator]

I just picked up a 440 motor from a 73 RV. The block has stickers for 72 emmisions though. It was running and complete with the trans for $200. After closer inspection, there seem to be some differences from my other 440s. The spark plugs angle up at about a 45 degree angle instead of straight out to the sides. Also the water pump housing ties into the heads. Anyway, just wondering if anybody had any experience with these engines? I was going to rebuild the short block and put on some Edelbrock heads to put in one of my cars, but now I'm wondering if this is possible. I hear the cooling passages in the block may be different and not line up with any other type of head. Hopefully I didn't just buy a boat anchor!

[chargerbr549]

I think you should be fine on bolting on some E Heads, we just had an RV 440 block in the shop a while back and its the first one that I have seen that had an extra row of coolant holes drilled between the outer row of head bolts, I think they were about 1/4" in diameter and they lined up with extra cooling holes in the heads but it loolks like you should be fine if you just use a regular pass car/ pick-up head gaskets that block those holes since most heads don't have then anyway and the important ones are there just like the standard pass car/ pick-up block. This is just my observation since I haven't actually done this swap myself.

Kevin

[Chryco Psycho]

the block will be fine with normal car heads etc

[Challenger340]

Sounds like the old Industrial headed engine, they were a weird duck !

Blocks are same with std. head gaskets and normal(non industrial) heads.

[davidlclassic]

You'll need to find the correct pulleys, also the one I had, had a drive shaft emergency brake so you may have to change the transmission tail shaft.