440 question
#1
440 question
alright guys let me start off by saying 1. i'm a chevy man never liked mopar, 2. i dont know crap about mopar lmao. ok that being said a buddy of mine had to move out of state and gave me an engine it's a 440-3 i think it came out of a travco motor home. my question is whats does the -3 mean? and how much is this motor worth?
#5
The big difference in the -3 engines is very low compression, and the heads/ water pump. A dash3 engine should have a "high mount" water pump that is hooked to water outlets on the ends of the heads. It probably uses 18mm "Ford type" spark plugs. The pump and heads are junk for any hot rod work, the block and crank are OK. You MAY have a gear drive cam. I BELIEVE that some of those engines also ran WATER, not exhaust, through the heat crossover.
Frankly, I'd look elsewhere.
On the webpage below, the top cutaway is a truck engine, look how "high" the water pump appears compared to the monochrome photo down below it
http://www.allpar.com/mopar/383.html
"Heavy truck" water pump which hooks to front of heads:
http://440source.com/1001076.jpg
Some good photos of a "truck" or motorhome engine. These were made in 361, (low block, like a 383), and high or "raised block" RB 413, 440, and there's some confusion whether 426 wedge was made in this configuration
Frankly, I'd look elsewhere.
On the webpage below, the top cutaway is a truck engine, look how "high" the water pump appears compared to the monochrome photo down below it
http://www.allpar.com/mopar/383.html
"Heavy truck" water pump which hooks to front of heads:
http://440source.com/1001076.jpg
Some good photos of a "truck" or motorhome engine. These were made in 361, (low block, like a 383), and high or "raised block" RB 413, 440, and there's some confusion whether 426 wedge was made in this configuration
Last edited by 440roadrunner; 04-22-2012 at 05:34 PM.
#6
#7
The big difference in the -3 engines is very low compression, and the heads/ water pump. A dash3 engine should have a "high mount" water pump that is hooked to water outlets on the ends of the heads. It probably uses 18mm "Ford type" spark plugs. The pump and heads are junk for any hot rod work, the block and crank are OK. You MAY have a gear drive cam. I BELIEVE that some of those engines also ran WATER, not exhaust, through the heat crossover.
Frankly, I'd look elsewhere.
On the webpage below, the top cutaway is a truck engine, look how "high" the water pump appears compared to the monochrome photo down below it
http://www.allpar.com/mopar/383.html
"Heavy truck" water pump which hooks to front of heads:
http://440source.com/1001076.jpg
Some good photos of a "truck" or motorhome engine. These were made in 361, (low block, like a 383), and high or "raised block" RB 413, 440, and there's some confusion whether 426 wedge was made in this configuration
Frankly, I'd look elsewhere.
On the webpage below, the top cutaway is a truck engine, look how "high" the water pump appears compared to the monochrome photo down below it
http://www.allpar.com/mopar/383.html
"Heavy truck" water pump which hooks to front of heads:
http://440source.com/1001076.jpg
Some good photos of a "truck" or motorhome engine. These were made in 361, (low block, like a 383), and high or "raised block" RB 413, 440, and there's some confusion whether 426 wedge was made in this configuration
before this thread get out of hand..does the high water pump truck style cool better or something?? why did thay make 2 different systems?/
#9
Mopar Lover
#10
New Member
#12
I currently have a 79 motorhome with a 440-3, I had to rreplace head gaskets recently and found out the true differences.
1. The heads have extra cooling passages in them near the spark plugs, so head gaskets need to have them as well, all the 440 blocks have them already, why only the motorhome heads have them, who knows. Heads also already have hardened valve seats and guides.
2. the water pump housing is made to flow more water through the thermostat, other than that it takes a normal high flow water pump, and mounts the same, to the block and not the heads, and is mounted normal height. Lower hose exits the housing on the passenger side.
3. the compression ration is 8.2 to 1
4. the cylinder heads do take different plugs, they are a taper seat plug instead of a crush washer seat. Plugs that came with it were autolite 24, I have since put the Champion rv12yc's that it came with it new back in it.... no noticable performance difference.
1. The heads have extra cooling passages in them near the spark plugs, so head gaskets need to have them as well, all the 440 blocks have them already, why only the motorhome heads have them, who knows. Heads also already have hardened valve seats and guides.
2. the water pump housing is made to flow more water through the thermostat, other than that it takes a normal high flow water pump, and mounts the same, to the block and not the heads, and is mounted normal height. Lower hose exits the housing on the passenger side.
3. the compression ration is 8.2 to 1
4. the cylinder heads do take different plugs, they are a taper seat plug instead of a crush washer seat. Plugs that came with it were autolite 24, I have since put the Champion rv12yc's that it came with it new back in it.... no noticable performance difference.
Last edited by cougar9500; 05-17-2012 at 11:16 AM. Reason: forgot something
#13
I currently have a 79 motorhome with a 440-3, I had to rreplace head gaskets recently and found out the true differences.
.
2. the water pump housing is made to flow more water through the thermostat, other than that it takes a normal high flow water pump, and mounts the same, to the block and not the heads, and is mounted normal height. Lower hose exits the housing on the passenger side..
.
2. the water pump housing is made to flow more water through the thermostat, other than that it takes a normal high flow water pump, and mounts the same, to the block and not the heads, and is mounted normal height. Lower hose exits the housing on the passenger side..