Opinions wanted...What engine?

[mrbill426]

Okay folks, I have been a "member" here for a little over a year now, on and off with a lot more questions than answers.  I appreciate everyone's help, it's a cool place to be 

Over that year and as time and money have allowed I have been ripping this '72 340 'Cuda apart while at the same time collecting parts to rebuild it.  Shy of a cam selection, and few body panels which I will get as needed, I pretty much have it all collected and am ready to get busy. 

My dilemma is this:  Along the way I acquired (rescued from the derby guys) a "bent" '66 D-body donor car to provide a few needed parts to another project ('64 D-body) I have, and this '66 car has a running 440 in it.

While I have been pretty excited about building up the 340 and have put together what I feel is a fair (and pricy for me) power package to do it with, I look at that 440 sitting there and wonder if I should start all over with it instead. 

I'd like some input from you guys, pro and con, to changing directions 

If I were to go with the 440, what all would I need to change?

The car has a 727 auto with power steering and front disk brakes.  It had A/C too, but I had no plans of putting that back in.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Carlwalski]

440ci mate. 

[Chryco Psycho]

fi you had not bought all the parts I would say 440 as it costs about the same to build either
the 340 is worth more so you could sell it easily & recoup some $$ from it
 Your call
 I would build the 440 though

[Oldschool]

440.  Maybe slap a 6-pak on it for kicks......              ....Oldschool

[mopar_guy]

  and like Chryco said you acn easily sell the other motor.

[zerfetzen]

I'm new to all this.  I wonder if you'd have to get a different 727 tranny.  Wasn't there a 727a for small blocks and 727b for big blocks, or something like that?

[Mopar73340]

There are 2 727's, one bolts up to a small block and the other bolts up to the big blocks.

[71fish]

Remember.. the 340 beat the stock Hemi in the 1/4 mile  Hmmmmmm??

Better drivability w/ the small block + u can redline da p1ss out of it. RB's do run a little hot on long trips. I mean if you are going to all out race it.. I would also go w/ the 440. But you can pretty easily get 450 hp from that 340. Beelieve me the 340 jumps.

JMHO  71fish

[Oldschool]

Remember.. the 340 beat the stock Hemi in the 1/4 mile  Hmmmmmm??

Did it really?   Hmmmmm...   I guess I must have missed that one.   The 340 is one of the baddest small block engines built by ANY american manufacturer, ever.   But a Hemi killer?   http://www.autofacts.ca/classics/fast.htm   
Most 340 cars ran in the low 14's in stock trim.  This list goes from mid-10's down to 14 flat and there is only 1 small block car on the list from the muscle car era.  '68 Camaro with a 302.  Don't get me wrong, I'm on the 340 bandwagon with the rest of you folks.  They are very powerful engines and I would definitley like to own another one someday.  Maybe another '70 Demon like my old one.  Orange w/ white vinyl top and white bumble bee stripe around the rear.  That was a sweet car.  It's all good.......            ....Oldschool

[Carlwalski]

Remember.. the 340 beat the stock Hemi in the 1/4 mile  Hmmmmmm??

Better drivability w/ the small block + u can redline da p1ss out of it. RB's do run a little hot on long trips. I mean if you are going to all out race it.. I would also go w/ the 440. But you can pretty easily get 450 hp from that 340. Beelieve me the 340 jumps.

JMHO  71fish

Mine didn't run hot once! 1,200 mile trip too....just keeping it real. 

[JS27N0B]

Remember.. the 340 beat the stock Hemi in the 1/4 mile  Hmmmmmm??

Better drivability w/ the small block + u can redline da p1ss out of it. RB's do run a little hot on long trips. I mean if you are going to all out race it.. I would also go w/ the 440. But you can pretty easily get 450 hp from that 340. Beelieve me the 340 jumps.

JMHO  71fish

I don't want to sound rude here, but what in the world are you talking about??

The 440 is the only way to go.

[mrbill426]

  Thanks for all the replies, I knew there would be some "discussion" on this one.  I AM on the fence, having never built a SB before    The 440 isn't going anywhere so I guess I could play with the SB now then move to a BB later.   

I wondered about the tranny and whether I would need to get another one.  The D-body has a 727 in it too but is a '66 model, I don't know if that would fit the 'Cuda.  I'm told there may be no place to mount the 'Cuda's shifter linkage on the older TF.   I am not a real fabricator so I'm looking for a bolt-n-go setup here, adaptors acceptable.  What about motor mounts, are they the same?  I heard the brackets were different.  Will any big block brackets work or MUST they be for an E-body?  Would the SB's power steering be an issue with a wider engine and headers?

I have also heard the argument about the big block cars being a bit "heavy" up front and hard to handle on turns. 

[JS27N0B]

Thanks for all the replies, I knew there would be some "discussion" on this one.  I AM on the fence, having never built a SB before    The 440 isn't going anywhere so I guess I could play with the SB now then move to a BB later.  

I wondered about the tranny and whether I would need to get another one.  The D-body has a 727 in it too but is a '66 model, I don't know if that would fit the 'Cuda.  I'm told there may be no place to mount the 'Cuda's shifter linkage on the older TF.   I am not a real fabricator so I'm looking for a bolt-n-go setup here, adaptors acceptable.  What about motor mounts, are they the same?  I heard the brackets were different.  Will any big block brackets work or MUST they be for an E-body?  Would the SB's power steering be an issue with a wider engine and headers?

I have also heard the argument about the big block cars being a bit "heavy" up front and hard to handle on turns. 

Drop the engine and tranny in and go, mounts currently on the 440 will work fine. The tailshaft on the trans may have the shifter linkage provisions as well.

BTW, You must mean "C" body.

[matt63]

Do what I did and build a stroked 340.  It's going to keep up with alot of big blocks.  Sell the 440 and get a stroker kit.  Don't think of selling the 340 if its' the original engine.

[mrbill426]

Drop the engine and tranny in and go, mounts currently on the 440 will work fine. The tailshaft on the trans may have the shifter linkage provisions as well.

BTW, You must mean "C" body.

Okay, that sounds a lot better.  I can't recall where I read about the (E-body) engine mount bracket requirement, and maybe I misread it anyway.  Yes, the tail shaft is what I heard might be different.  Maybe some sort of cable shifter would fix that, although I would like to retain the factory slap stick once I can get it to work right.

No, I did mean to say "D" body, I know there is some controversy about whether it is a D or Y body, but I have read more info that tags it as a "D".  The donor car is a '66 Imperial Crown, I am using some parts from it to restore a '64 Crown.  Hey, the '64 has a 413, maybe I could put IT in the 'Cuda, that would be different 

Bill