440 swap

-

cuda620

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 26, 2014
Messages
1,808
Reaction score
188
Location
indiana
Any advice on using a motor plate,front only, to do a bigblock/a body swap? How to prevent coolant leaks? Best ones to use? Etc. looking at going that route since Schumachers bit the dust. Mike don’t return emails,no phone,etc. thanks
 
Commonly called 'elephant ears' when I was young.

Avoid the 2 piece, they can come loose and start to leak if your fan throws a blade and causes the engine into a severe unbalanced condition at high RPM.

There was this GTO this one time and...... been there, done that.
 
Which K frame are you using for the swap? This is on Ebay right now... Mopar Big Block A Body Motor Mount | eBay. This is a pretty good price by the way. This is a 383 mount, but if your 440 has the bosses on the front of the block like my 69 block did, it will bolt right on once you drill and tap the holes. You could also do a minor alteration to the mount and make it like a 440 mount like this one below.
upload_2020-6-21_14-28-47.png
 
Not a great picture, but here is the 383 mount on my 440+6 I had in my 69 383-s fastback. My 440 had the cast in bosses which allowed me to drill and tap to install a 383 mount on my 440. Unfortunately, not all RBs had the bosses.

IMG_1271.JPG
 
I'm not sure why everyone seems to think Schumacher was the only game in town?
Depending on your K frame:
Engine Performance & Vehicle Customizing Products From Hedman | Hedman Performance Group
Engine Performance & Vehicle Customizing Products From Hedman | Hedman Performance Group
And other options are out there, too; if these don't cover your application. Not to mention that its not very difficult to mod your existing K frame to accept standard B/RB engine mounts. We did it all the time back before Schumacher even existed... Motor plates can be a bear on the street, although some will argue that point.
 
Last edited:
Another old trick from back in the day (if you had a '67-'72 biscuit K frame) was to use early/mid '60s C body mounts- very similar to the factory A body mounts.
 
Another tip.

No matter how you mount the engine, take the time to put holes in the passenger side inner fender for spark plug access.
 
Another tip.

No matter how you mount the engine, take the time to put holes in the passenger side inner fender for spark plug access.

Spark plug access on the passenger side is difficult for sure, but I was able to do it without access holes even with 2" CPPA under chassis headers.
 
Spark plug access on the passenger side is difficult for sure, but I was able to do it without access holes even with 2" CPPA under chassis headers.

i was gonna do a swap in my 72 duster But everyone says it’s a pain to work on
 
i was gonna do a swap in my 72 duster But everyone says it’s a pain to work on
Toyotas and Hondas are a pain to work on, too- but that doesn't stop people...
Hopefully, you build it right to begin with, taking advice from people who've been there and done that, and "working on it" becomes more of a pleasurable pastime and less of a pain. PLAN IT OUT well enough ahead of time and enjoy it.
 
Motor plates on the street SUCK ! they are designed for drag racing . Put them in if you want your fillings to come loose . trans-Dapt makes mounts and use a torque strap . Happy motoring !
 
Toyotas and Hondas are a pain to work on, too- but that doesn't stop people...
Hopefully, you build it right to begin with, taking advice from people who've been there and done that, and "working on it" becomes more of a pleasurable pastime and less of a pain. PLAN IT OUT well enough ahead of time and enjoy it.


I’m trying to figure everything out now before I buy the engine
 
i was gonna do a swap in my 72 duster But everyone says it’s a pain to work on

Big block mopars do have some major advantages to the small block on ease of working on. 1) distributor in the front 2) oil pump can be changed without removing the pan 3) no coolant passages in the intake 4) oil pan is completely flat 5) oil filter in front. Only real minus in my eyes is spark plug access is a tough.
 
Last edited:
Big block mopars due have some major advantages to the small block on ease of working on. 1) distributor in the front 2) oil pump can be changed without removing the pan 3) no coolant passages in the intake 4) oil pan is completely flat 5) oil filter in front. Only real minus in my eyes is spark plug access is a tough.

Honestly I can deal with the spark plug deal because I’m gonna do a Holley efi deal
 
Motor plates on the street SUCK ! they are designed for drag racing . Put them in if you want your fillings to come loose . trans-Dapt makes mounts and use a torque strap . Happy motoring !

Not so scampman , I have a 440/505 ,w/ a .600 lift street roller in it , race balanced stroker kit by hughs engines, you cant even feel it idleing , idles about 1000.
Front motor plate , stock rubber trans. mount , I do have for and aft engine limiters ,in case I ever get it to hook up.
I know a guy that had a low 9 second duster that ran the same set up , no problem either !
 
Not so scampman , I have a 440/505 ,w/ a .600 lift street roller in it , race balanced stroker kit by hughs engines, you cant even feel it idleing , idles about 1000.
Front motor plate , stock rubber trans. mount , I do have for and aft engine limiters ,in case I ever get it to hook up.
I know a guy that had a low 9 second duster that ran the same set up , no problem either !
Racing ? Rest my case .
 
Look for my setup for sale in the Mechanical Ads. It may be the answer to all your problems OP lol....

JW
 
Not so scampman , I have a 440/505 ,w/ a .600 lift street roller in it , race balanced stroker kit by hughs engines, you cant even feel it idleing , idles about 1000.
Front motor plate , stock rubber trans. mount , I do have for and aft engine limiters ,in case I ever get it to hook up.
I know a guy that had a low 9 second duster that ran the same set up , no problem either !

I have a 451 with .652 Mini-Express mushroom cam, balanced rotating assembly, idles at 1100-1200.
Front motor plate with poly bushings on the through-bolts, poly trans mount.
It doesn't vibrate anything loose, fillings or otherwise. :realcrazy:

P8060108.JPG
 
-
Back
Top