Going Big Block

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MoPar_or_NoCar

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Thinking of swapping my 68' Dart w/318 to a 440. Want to keep existing big bolt power disc brakes and need info on pre 72 K frame mods, cooling and ehaust. Specifics and pics would be great. Thanx Alot!!!
 
We use a mild Eddy headed 400 in my sons Dart. Its a street car and we drive our cars to the track. His has run 11.40's @ 117 so far. Ron

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MoPar_or_NoCar said:
Thinking of swapping my 68' Dart w/318 to a 440. Want to keep existing big bolt power disc brakes and need info on pre 72 K frame mods, cooling and ehaust. Specifics and pics would be great. Thanx Alot!!!
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good luck on running power brakes with a 440. i heard of some VAN PB boosters kinda working (some are alot smaller diameter). the easiest way would be to use the Shuemacher Conversion mounts. but the best way would be to find a 68/69 big block k-member.. which i have.
 
GЯEENHOЯNET;252295 said:
good luck on running power brakes with a 440. i heard of some VAN PB boosters kinda working (some are alot smaller diameter).
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we did a 73 duster with power brakes and it wouked out great with the stock booster wich i believe is close to the same size as the earlier ones. it actually was easier to put a 440 in the car with the power brakes then manual brakes because on an a-body the booster brackets raise the location of the booster/master cyl. actually moves them up and out of the way nicely.



but the best way would be to find a 68/69 big block k-member.. which i have
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you go with the stock a-body big block k-frame then you need to find the crooect block with the bosses so you can use the funky mount they originally used. plus those parts are usually expensive.


the easiest way would be to use the Shuemacher Conversion mounts. .
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easiest is to buy schmaucker mounts.

the cheapest is probably making a DC k-frame from a 73 spool mount type of k-frame.


cooling and ehaust.
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exhust has a few options depending on what your doing with the car.. you have schumacher headders,fenbderwells,pro parts,tti and some squeezed manifolds in there.

cooling. depends on your combo but usually you can grab a rad out of a donor car that will fit and work well.. or you can go with any one of the alumn ones on the market. alot of options in that dept. on the big block darts i did i had the 24" i think it was rad recored to a 3 row and it was fine in traffic and all.
 
abodyjoe said:
you go with the stock a-body big block k-frame then you need to find the correct block with the bosses so you can use the funky mount they originally used. plus those parts are usually expensive.
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Friend of mine bought a 72 440 for his M-Code 69 Cuda. The 440 had the correct location bosses on the block but not drilled or threaded. My friend set up his motor mount and then carefulled drilled and tapped the holes for the other part of the mount. Everything fit perfectly and he's still driving (ocassionally) it with that motor and his original motor mount.
 
65 Dartman said:
Friend of mine bought a 72 440 for his M-Code 69 Cuda. The 440 had the correct location bosses on the block but not drilled or threaded. My friend set up his motor mount and then carefulled drilled and tapped the holes for the other part of the mount. Everything fit perfectly and he's still driving (ocassionally) it with that motor and his original motor mount.
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yup.. quite a few have the bosses on the block that can be drilled and tapped. its the k-frame and mounts that are usually expensive . no use to use the stock style if its not a numbers car in my opinion ( unless you can get the stock style mounts and k-frame dirt cheap) plus the spool mount is probably stronger/safer too.
 
sometimes any year block is drilled and tapped and sometimes not. never-the-less its still a easy mod to do. the spoolmount trick can be done, but quadrupple check all the measurments. Shuemacher kits are very nice also, but again you still have to mod the frame mount. with the factory BB k-member you get perfect fit and geometry everytime. a torque limiting strap will take care of any concerns one may have with the d-side mount ripping apart. there didn't seem to be any problems with factory M-code dart motormounts. i stand corrected on the booster thing, factory heads and factory valvecovers you shouldn't have a problem.
 
there didn't seem to be any problems with factory M-code dart motormounts.
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thats because the ones that got beat on either chained them down or went to a motor plate.

problem with the stock stuff is it is usually very expensive. unless you have the mounts and k-frame already or can get them really cheap then its not worth doing it that way for a non-numbers car in my opinion. figure the schumacker mounts are in the $150 range and the DC mod can probably be done even cheaper then that by most.


i stand corrected on the booster thing, factory heads and factory valvecovers you shouldn't have a problem.
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yea your right. stock style heads and i have found moroso valve covers fit a BB A-body very well. they have an angle cut in them that cleard the master cyl perfectly.
 
all good points.
i guess it boils done to preference, some are content with using the conversion mounts/DC mods, other want that "factory" look. at least there are alot of options out there.
 
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