70 challenger motor question.

[D70challenger]

hey guys. well I've been searching around for a motor to rebuild for my 70 challenger, i was going to do a 440. can somebody tell me the difference here. ive seen '70 chrysler 440 motors on ebay completley assembled for about 500. but if i look for a '70 mopar 440 motor, i find Just the block for the same price, about 500. What is the difference? am i just buying the name or is the Mopar block stronger?

[Chryco Psycho]

the myth is that the later blocks are weaker but this is not true ,some of the later blocks have extremely thick castings , people often look for date coded blocks for restorations and are willing to pay more to get them

[mopardave]

 
your better off expense wise is to try to find a 440 out of a c-body or truck, seen those as cheap as 100.00. then put a set of 906 heads or what ever you want.

[hotrod98]

The HP blocks usually had steel cranks. In my opinion, a correctly turned cast crank is better than a steel crank for a street motor. Cast cranks spin smoother with less harmonics.
Also, the later blocks are more plentiful and therefore cheaper. 

[70_challenger]

Welcome to C-C.com !

There are no 'Mopar' engines or blocks from 1970 - Don't confuse yourself by how people list them on eBay.  They are all Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth engines - same stuff.

Here is the best guide I have seen to big-block Chrysler engine blocks:  http://www.440source.com/blockinfo.htm

There is some great information on that page - Read through it, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.  I had several people try to sell me on the myth that later blocks are thinner or weaker.  But my engine builder (Best Machine Racing) explained that their sonic testing of later blocks showed the same thickness as earlier blocks (...as CP pointed out above)

If you are not hung up on the idea of getting a 1970 date-coded block, you are best to just find a good 440 block, as mopardave suggested.  My 1970 Challenger has a 440 engine from a 1973 Dodge truck - I found the complete engine on Craigs List here in Detroit for $100.

-Tom

[Chryco Psycho]

you can build a 440 with a 440 source stroker kit for approx the same cost as machining the old parts
at least around here it works out cheaper that way but we have a typical labor rate of over $100 / hr

[D70challenger]

thanks everybody. ya, im not not hung up on matching year. it would be cool but as long as its a 440 and its cheap then im happy. and obviously not from a marine engine or motorhome. are there any websites that you may reccomend that sell the motors? cause unfortunatley most people on ebay only do local pickup. or pay outragous shipping charges. what hp/tq number would you estimate from a rebuilt 440 motor? i was hoping roughly 400 rwhp, but i know that is probably unlikely.

[brads70]

I was told my 440 is out of a motorhome. They usually have next to no miles on them too!

[mopardave]

77-79 C-BODY or truck/motor home are pretty easy to come by and usually cheap.

[Chryco Psycho]

with 512 ci & a few good parts but using stock heads I have made 398 RWHP on a mustang dyno which are really hard to get a high # on

[D70challenger]

o really? i thought a motorhome 440 would be used and abused. if it works fine then i would be happy with that. where did you get your 512? was it just a bored out 440? i need to learn more about chrysler motors. most ford im pretty good at but im breaking the tip off my iceberg when it comes to mopar/chrysler.

[MEK-Dangerfield]

o really? i thought a motorhome 440 would be used and abused. if it works fine then i would be happy with that. where did you get your 512? was it just a bored out 440? i need to learn more about chrysler motors. most ford im pretty good at but im breaking the tip off my iceberg when it comes to mopar/chrysler.

A motor home 440 sometimes won't have many miles on it. It's just something they only used a couple of times a year. So the motor home sits and rots. The 512 thing is stroking the 440 to that level. So, options about stroking and bigger heads are out there if you want serious horse power.

[D70challenger]

where do you guys find your performance parts for your old motors? like heads and such. im used to searching up 05-09 mustang parts which "5.0 Mustang and Super Fords" claimed to be the most customizable car ever made. so im used to finding an easy abundance of modifications. ive already found out that you have to really look for challenger parts, and thats just to try and get it in a stock condition, i have no idea where i would look for performance parts, i guess ebay would be my best bet? its hard going from a muscle car that has virtually anything availiable, (my mustang) to a muscle car that has hardly anything out there, (my challanger).

[brads70]

Buy a Mopar magazine, lots of parts available. Here are a few I have used.
http://www.engine-swaps.com/
http://www.rosevillemoparts.com/products_new.php
http://tonysparts.com/SearchResults.asp
http://www.firmfeel.com/
http://www.bouchillonperformance.com/BPEPowerSteering.asp
http://chucker54.stores.yahoo.net/restoration1.html
http://www.rosevillemoparts.com/products_new.php
http://www.indyheads.com/
 Lots more, just ask ,what are you looking for?
here is a big list too.....http://www.moparts.com/

[sleepychallenger]

there is also www.440source.com

there is a lot of conversation about them good and bad, but if you get the good, the price is not bad