318 to 440

[Chryco Psycho]

there is a steel seal that goes on the housing end then the backing plate then a foam seal & the axle & retainer plate goes in & clamps everthing together

[dixiedog]

Thanks, does anyone have a pic. or diagram showing this? Thanks again, Dano

[70burntorangeT/A]

You are in the exact same position i was in, I bought a 440 and a transmissionout of a motor home that had 41000 original miles on it, took it to the engine shop and they said it looked like it had just been rebuilt, I had to get a different transmission, even if you change the tail shaft the transmission still will not fit. my car was also a 318, I installed a set of bigger tortion bars off of a 71 r/t, .96 dia.....i think, im not sure about the driveshaft, find an interchange book and figgure out what other driveshaft might fit, you dont have to have one off of a big block automatic, i have a 440 automaitc in my car with a 8 3/4 rear end and the driveshaft off of a 74 318 3 speed manual transmission fit in my car.

[70burntorangeT/A]

also what did the motor come out of?

[dixiedog]

motorhome

[70burntorangeT/A]

Well that is good, because in 78 the engines either had a forged crank or a cast crank, I cannot remember which one was the better one but all 440's pre-72 had the stronger crank. low performance 440's, which was almost all 440's after 72 had the weaker crank EXCEPT for the motor hom which had the stronger crank, i believe they also had stronger connecting rods, pistons, ect.   which means that your engine internals can handle alot more power. Also, now I could be wrong but i believe that the engines in the motor homes had a higher compression ratio to make some extra power. I have done nothing to mine except put a set of headers on it. The car runs and sounds awsome, the car has tons of tourqe and has pretty good acceleration with 3:23 gears (when the tires arent spinning).   I do not have a posi trac rear end, if i were u i would MAKE SURE you get a posi trac rear end. otherwise you are just going to spin and spin,    i am currently looking for a posi rear end lol

[dixiedog]

  I have the posi traction rearend, it has 410 gears that I am swapping out for 323 gears.  Chryco I am confused about the steel sleeve you mentioned.  My rearend is like this:  The housing, has the plate with the 5 bolts then the backing plate then the flange gasket you told me about (I ordered it) then the axel plate.  Where would I get the steel sleeve you mentioned or am I confused?  Thanks, I don't know what I would do with out this site.  yeah I do I would be tracking sideways, doing a grease slick out he rearend.   

[dixiedog]

Chryco, I reread your reply.  The steel seal is in the housing correct.  I have that. The guy with the motor home 440.  Did you use the stock intake and carb?  I took mine off and am planing on a Holley intake and carb as suggested by a guy on the site.  Thanks again

[dixiedog]

Oh yeah here are some pics.  I will take more and add as progress continues.  Does anyone have a console door mine is pretty sad.

http://s607.photobucket.com/albums/tt155/dano923/?action=view&current=IMG_0011.jpghttp://s607.photobucket.com/albums/tt155/dano923/?action=view&current=IMG_0009.jpghttp://s607.photobucket.com/albums/tt155/dano923/?action=view&current=IMG_0013.jpghttp://s607.photobucket.com/albums/tt155/dano923/?action=view&current=IMG_0014.jpg

[70burntorangeT/A]

i used the stock intake, but only because I am a high school student working at a minumum wage job, i am saving up to get an aluminum one, the steel one probably weighs 75 pounds, I did however get a new carb, half of the one on it was plastic so i got a 600 holley double pumper with electronic choke, it may be a little small for the motor, but i really dont need to be going fast enough for it to be an issue because if i get a ticket my insurance will go sky high, and it gets pretty decent gas milage ( 9 or 10 ) but hey thats decent for a 440.

[70burntorangeT/A]

My motor is stock, right out of the motor home, except for the headers, and carb, and the 3 inch exhaust helps give a little more power too. The car will RUN, dont worry about the motor not having enough power just because it is from a 78 and is supposed to have less power. I really think that the motor home engines had more power then a 440 in a truck or car in 78