440 rebuild

[DavidWymore]

I'm about ready to tear down my '77 440. I've been searching and reading all over the net last few days. I think I'm starting to get some info together. Currently has low compression, smokes, has a broken head bolt, and blown HG on the pass side. Came out of a Mustang I'm told, so maybe already has some speed parts, someone's back yard speedster?

It's going in a short wide D100. Will get used for everything, mostly cruising. Hope to get it to jump off the line quickly, accel hard, but won't be driving it very fast. Motorhome 727 which I think should have a pretty low stall. Rearend is a 3.55 but may get changed to 4.10 Dana 60 with a locker (cuz I have it).

Plan is ti fix what needs fixing and go from there.

Carb is a recently built (by a carb pro) ThermoQuad

Probably run the stock manifold.

Heads should be 452s. Replacing them isn't in the budget. I thought about getting the Mopar Performance templates, but I understand it's a ton of work for a few horsepower. Will probably back cut the valves, quick n easy.

I'd like to bump the compression up to about 9/9.5, gotta run on cheap gas, but not sure how yet. (Pistons or milling?)

I'm most vague on the cam....I'd like to have a little lope at idle, but want to match my components and use.

Has long headers, probably run pretty good size exhaust, maybe single with a switch from loud to quiet...

Have crappy CA gas, it's very hot here sometimes, and might tow some with it, so want to minimize cooling issues.

May go electronic dizzy and maybe dyno tune once I get it together to make sure I'm getting all of what it has.

Any other little tips n tricks to watch for much appreciated. This will be my first engine rebuild.

[Duh]

David

If you swap the Rear Axle Ratio to the 4.10's - just because you have it - you will never have a "mostly cruising" vehicle.

****
If you drive to my brother's place in Banning your thought's of why did I do this 4.10 swap will haunt you at 53 MPH and 3,000
plus RPM's.
****

Any Cam Spec'd To Tow will never - never have any type of "audible lope". In 1966 MoPar had a cam spec'd for The High
Performance Engine's which had The OEM Dual Snorkel Air Cleaner's and Dual Exhaust. From 1968 to 1978 it was The Cam of Choice
to use for Car Towing Package's. This cam permits the engine "To "Pull hard" to 2800 RPM's ( which puts you above Legal Hwy Speeds ).
The Dyno has 4400 RPM's as max HP. At NAPA they have it as #CS-327.

The Left Exhaust Manifold needs to be a "Center dump" so that you do not have clearance issues.

http://www.1aauto.com/1A/exhaust-manifo ... 081/378658




Rodger & Gabby
COS

Double check The Oil Pan Slump Location for fitting reason's before you start lowering the engine.

[DavidWymore]

Thanks, Roger.

I was planning to go to about a 33" tire with the 4.10s, but I went and checked the numbers again, still a bit low. Would like to get some sort of posi in it though.

As far as towing, it's a short bed half ton...not gonna be towing much. I could sacrifice a little towing ability for a little hot rod rumble. I *think* the 440 should have enough cubes = tq to do a little work, even without a low end truck engine cam...but I don't wanna go too far.

The 440 is already in the truck, it fits.

Here is the "build thread". I kinda wanted to have a separate thread for 440 info.

viewtopic.php?f=34&t=31241

...and to top it all off, a friend turned me on to a 440 and trans for sale locally, supposed to be in good shape - for less $ than the parts for a 440 rebuild, so the rebuild thread may be a moot point.

[DavidWymore]

I forgot...re: gear ratios, I have a under-direct-overdrive brownie box...but now I'm thinking about just running the 318 from the '68.

The idea is just kind of a cool old decent looking nice sounding decent driving truck. If it got decent mpg with a 318, that would be cool, or of it was kinda fast with a 440, that would be cool, but add 550 bux to the budget....anyone care to comment on MPG? 318 two barrel vs the Tqaud I have?

[runcharger]

If fuel mileage is a concern around town I would wait for a 360, That will give you both fuel mileage and good performance if carefully modified. I really like 440's in a truck but it's hard to get good fuel mileage with them driving around town, on the highway it's a bit easier.

Sheldon

[DavidWymore]

I may be able to get my hands on a late 70s/early 80 Ramcharger that I believe has a 360. Maybe a W conversion at the same time...

[DavidWymore]

I tore the head off the 440, pass side with the broken head bolt and blown head gasket (header left a puddle on the floor). At least three of the head bolts came out easily, as if they weren't torqued. The broken off one came right out with my fingers. I was all ready with a left hand drill and didn't need it after all. The rearward cylinder has telltale water marks in it. Steel headgasket, doesn't look to have been bored, cyl walls pretty smooth, don't feel any wear marks or rings.

In the lifter valley, there are some large loose chunks of hard black crusty carbon. Cam looks OK. I was tempted to just slap the head back on, but I think I'm going to tear it down the rest of the way, check the bottom end, maybe do a basic cleanup rebuild and reseal, I wonder how the rest of it is put together after finding the loose head bolts. Maybe try to bump up the compression a little, back cut the valves, change the cam.

[DavidWymore]

Dropped the pan, couple brg caps, one piston. I think the engine is original. Timing chain is loose. Brgs are worn so that the copper is starting to show. Checked a couple cylinder bores, 4.322"-4.324". Wondering if I can get away with just rings and bearings...

I just noticed looking at the pictures that the two front piston rods are black where they connect to the crank...probably not a good thing, better have a look, crank looks good elsewhere.


Rear cylinder telltale rust mark.














Black rod ends at crank



numbers (crank looks cast)

[DavidWymore]

My automotive machinist friend came by the shop tonight to look at the 440. It's .020" under, stock cyl bores, can probably get away with rings and bearings. Black front con rods result of them being too tight, which we will fix of course.

Forgot to ask, wondering whether or not to reuse the pistons, and if I should replace them, can I bump compression up a little with domed pistons without balancing or other work?

Thinking about Hughes Whiplash cam, supposed to be rumpity without killing the bottom end torque on an otherwise stock engine.

Rockers are pretty sloppy, need to research what the tolerance is.

[DavidWymore]

Boy, I am ragged out. Stayed after work and pulled the engine and trans, separated them, broke down the engine, and carried all of it except the block upstairs in pieces. Probably going to have to grind the crank after all, blown HG=water in the oil=rust pits in the crank.

[quickd100]

If you are going to redo the stock heads have the machinist do a plunge cut in the throat under the valve seat, also ask him to blend it afterwards. This will do about what the MP templates would do. If your using the stock cam or even a bit warmer profile degree it in and advance it 2-4 degrees, that will help build a bit more cylinder pressure. Also USE the steel shim head gasket, they are .019-.021 thick. Most aftermarket gaskets are quite a bit thicker which will drop your compression even more, and that's something you DON'T need. Every stock low compression 440 I've ever had apart is at least 1/2 or MORE lower compression wise than the factory figures. As far as the distributer goes, disassemble it clean all the hardened grease out of it and lightly lube it. There are 2 advance weight springs in it, remove the one heavy spring and discard it. Your full advance should come in around 21-2400rpm. Set the total timing at 38 degrees. If you use the thermoquad carb, (and you should) make sure the fuel extensions under the plastic center body are not leaking fuel. They can be reglued with Marine Tex epoxy. Make sure the flat O-rings are also replaced. If you know someone with a portable A/F ratio meter such as an LM-1 or2 use that to tune the carb. The secondary air door opening amount is critical and just .050 of optimum can cost you fuel mileage and horsepower.
I put my old 528 Hemi on my engine dyno, by adjusting the airdoors (2 thermoquads on a tunnelram) .050 I picked up almost 60hp.Dave

[DavidWymore]

Wow, ton of great info, thank you!

[DavidWymore]

Timing chain was double roller with Chryco Pentastar = stock??? Worn out wither way...

Still undecided on cam, more homework to do...

[DavidWymore]

Looks like cam might not be stock smogger '77 cam. It occurred to me (DUH!) that I should stop and carefully go through all the parts I have here and see what's what. With the double roller chain, .020" under crank, and the engine having been wedged in a Mustang, it figures it may have been hot-rodded at some point...so it's on to checking head CCs, cam lift, etc...

Oh, also had seen it before, but didn't register 'til recently...the pan has a good sized AN fitting in the side of it...turbo drain? Who knows...

Looking for recommendations for a forum to join for good mopar BB tech where I can educate myself, pick the brains of those who know, and get input on my build and what parts I have.

Thanks

[DavidWymore]

It did occur to me that although I don't have automotive machine shop eqpt here, I do have mills, so I could mill the heads and shim the rocker shafts back up, get a little compression for free and a cam to match instead of being stuck with low compression low rpm tq only

[DavidWymore]

Now this is interesting. Stock camshaft, bent about .010" in the middle.

[66patrick]

A 1977 440 will have a cast crank. All Mopar big blocks, regardless of application, from 1973 on have cast cranks from the factory. Nothing wrong with a cast crank. If there were, you'd see a lot of broken-crank big block AND small-block Mopars from that time period, on.

That tapped hole is in the side of all truck pans.

[DavidWymore]

Yeah, I'm not worried about the crank, just gonna polish it up.

[DavidWymore]

Need to figure out can and compression ratio combo for getting as much as I can out of 87.

[quickd100]

Never say never about what Chrysler used assembling their motors. My original 74 440 Ramcharger with 77,000 miles on it came with a steel crank. They were good at using up parts on hand and a good number of 440's after 72-73 had steel cranks and 6-pack rods. Dave