440 Build Starts Today!

[RDF]

Got the motor plate and intake powder coated this past week.....I was a bit unsure of what shade of black to go with because I didn't want something shiny but I also didn't want it to match the block and blend in and not be noticeable.....so I went with a crackle-black which I'm still on the fence about liking, but, it's done with for now and if it bugs me that much I'll get it redone, lol.



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Gonna try to put the intake and polished aluminum valve covers on this weekend to see how it looks 

[dfrazz]

Looking good!  I went with a black block on my new engine too and love it!

[brads70]

Looks good! I like the black wrinkled look. Looks very "Moparish" 
Are you using power steering? If so where are you mounting a pump?

[Sleepychallenger]

Looks like the factory air cleaner 

[RDF]

Looks good! I like the black wrinkled look. Looks very "Moparish" 
Are you using power steering? If so where are you mounting a pump?

Power Steering....haven't thought about it yet....either way though, I'll have to drill the holes (which I forgot to do b4 sending it to be powder coated) and I'm hoping the coating doesn't peel/chip too bad.  If so, I can send it back to get touched up a bit

[rhamson]

I am in the planning stages of my 440 also. After a sobering look at the crate hemi (money and I already have a 440) I have decided to stroke this motor as well. I was looking at the 525 kit. The low end is unreal from what I understand. My priority is to be quick out of the hole and just shut it down on a street rod basis.

[RDF]

Making more progress.....brake lines have been ordered along with rear shocks and a few other goodies.  I've sealed the entire floor and trunk with Peel & Seal (it's made for roof patching but works well for insulation) and hope that helps with any heat issues from the exhaust.

Got a question for you guys.....my next purchase will include a distributor.  I'd like to hear your thoughts on which one to get....I have an MSD 6AL ignition and a 499 stroker with a mild cam.  I saw these two but not too sure if I need the vacuum advance or not 

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/msd-8546/overview/make/plymouth

and

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/msd-8387/overview/make/plymouth

[ToxicWolf]

Looking good. 

Hello from Kissimmee 

[RDF]

Looking good. 

Hello from Kissimmee 

Thanks ToxicWolf!  I get most of my fab work done by a guy in St. Cloud so I'm familiar with that area.  Hopefully we'll catch up at Old Town one day or something 

Just another quick update....I know I promised pics of the floor insulation and I'll get them soon.....I also got a 26" Aluminum radiator, an MSD distributor, MSD coil, and all new brake lines as well. My neighbor is giving me a floor shifter too, which will help with saving $$$.  After years of sitting and doing nothing (mostly $$$ constraints), things are starting to progress nicely.  I still need Fuel Lines and a Power Steering Pump....so those are next on my list.

Got a question for everyone....I'm looking to keep the "dark" theme throughout my car and this bright red coil isn't helping any, LOL....can I paint the coil without damaging it or will any heat cause peeling and cracking once it's painted?  Here's the coil I have:
Product link:
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/msd-8207

[RDF]

Changing out my intake with this one I got from my neighbor.  I took it down to the local shop and had it powder coated so it's ready to go.  Valley pan is off and the heads/block have been cleaned.  Got 2 questions I'm hoping someone can answer:

1. This motor was built from the ground up about 6 years ago...the ONLY time it ran was when he balanced it.  It's been sitting in my garage either on an engine stand or in the car the entire time.  As you can see by the pix.....it look sa little dry in there (to be expected).  Should I lube/oil the cam and lifters while I have the pan off?  If so, will just regular oil work or is there something specific I can use to help keep it lubed until I can get it running (est. 6+ months still).

2.  What is the plate on the middle port for?  Looks like it's a block-off plate of some type but I've never seen anything like it before.

[laramie]

Looks like part of the head gasket.  What kind of gaskets did the builder use?

[RDF]

Looks like part of the head gasket.  What kind of gaskets did the builder use?

Not too sure....I'd have to go back through the paperwork to figure that out.  I gave him carte-blanche on most of the build....I just dropped money off when he needed it 

[laramie]

For initial start, I would ensure that you have fresh oil with plenty of ZDDP additive in the oil for cam breakin.  I would also use a drill oiler and spin up the oil pump prior to start.  After that, I woudn't add anything crazy while you are in there.

I am not sure what you mean "ran to balance" the motor, as bottom end balance is something done on the bench, not in the engine.  If the engine hasn't been run long enough to break in, or break in the cam, or if you aren't sure, you should follow the cam breakin procedures per the manufacturer. 

[RDF]

Just wanting to clarify....I got all my parts in and want to be sure I'm doing this right.  Gaskets get RTV'ed onto heads, then tray gets RTV'ed to gasket/block (on the ends), then RTV the top part of the tray and put the manifold gaskets on, then RTV the intake to that and bolt down.  Correct?

Here's the reason I ask; when I took the tray off last week, there was no gasket between that and the head....so it made me wonder if I needed to put them on again?

[RDF]

So I tried to do what 90% of what everyone said and things didn't quite work out.  I rtv'd the gasket to the valley pan, and while that was drying I rtv'd the gaskets to the head.  I then put a thin layer of rtv on the gaskets on the heads and put the valley pan on.  I then applied a thin layer of rtv on the intake and tried to bolt it down.......no such luck.    I tried several different things from starting different bolts in different holes to reseating the intake.  Nothing seemed to work.  In all cases, at least 2 of the holes were off with the head by 1/4".  So I called the guy who built the motor (we still talk) and he said that's a common problem and to get rid of the gaskets and just use a thin layer of rtv.  He said they didn't even come with gaskets from the manufacturer so there was no need for them.  I trust this guy as he's built over 500+ 440's in his life and that's all he works on.

So I took off the pan, cleaned the heads up nice and shiny, now I'm just waiting for the new pan to arrive.  Here's some pics from that day along with some of the floor sealer I used a while back.  I also got a used driveshaft loop from a member here....I plan to clean it up and paint it before installing. 





Trunk floor:




Interior floor: