Interested in big block swap into 67 cuda

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D-man313

D-man313

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Hey guys,

I came across a low milage, running 440 and trans that is in a camper. Is there any difference from a camper motor and a regular car motor? Pros/cons of a camper motor? Whats all needed to swap a big block into a 67 cuda? Whats a resonable price for one of these motors and trans?

Thanks in advance
David
 
Schumacher make moter mounts to install BB into abody. Price of moter and trans will depend on year and milage. The fact it's out of a camper don't mean anything.
 

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Camper motor from what I have seen had better rods and better cooling to the heads, otherwise not a bad motor to have. I still have one I am building. Now for the swap, you need to have new motors mounts which you can get from Schumacher Creative Services for $160. You will have to cut a small area out by the driverside motor mount area of your K-frame for oil pump clearance. You will need oil pan #699 or #187 for idler arm clearance. Thats it for installing the motor. You will have to make sure you have the right cooling system for the big block. Plus you will need to have at least an 8 1/4 rear. 8 3/4 would be a better choice. Now for brakes, that depends on the person doing it. Drum brakes can work if you have 10" drums up front, but I would up grade to a disc if you can. Some people will tell you to make you own K-frame. To me it is alot easier to just buy the motors mounts and spent more time working on the car in other areas.
 
Lots of ways to accomplish this, but it won't be cheap. The "better" rods of the motorhome engine really aren't better, just heavier. The pan won't work, but it has been reported that you can use any passenger car pan if you use the 73-76 center link which won't work with your 67 k-member. There's lots of info in the tech pages at Big Block Dart.
 
Most motor-home 440's have a passenger side water pump outlet , opposite of a passenger car , low compression . Usually they are low mileage .
Im doing a 505 stroker from a 73 Motor home 440
Heater blower motor may hit the valve cover .
Not a cheap swap , but a handful to drive :)
Ive seen them go for as low as $500 for engine and tranny , usually more .
Donnie
 
Donnie, early big blocks have the lower hose on the driver side while later have it on the passenger side. It doesn't matter what chassis they were in.
 
$400 a good price?
1973 440 and 727 automatic torqueflite, 55,000miles motor complete carb to pan with all accessories alternator, starter, fan, belts, ps pump.
 
Probably a fair price. It's a low compression motor, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.
 
The con is you are limited in how much cam you can throw at it, but if you keep it mild the pro is that you might be able to run regular gas. The 440 that's going into my 67 Barracuda convertible is probably right around 8:1, but there's no money for new pistons, so we're gonna run it and see. I put a Mopar .474 cam in.
 
Does the transmission tunnel have to be cut and remade, going from a 273/904 to a 440/727? Or will the original tunnel/counsel mount work.
 
i just did this exact swap....a 440 into a 67 cuda i used the later water pump housing that exits on the passenger side and im using a 26" small block C-body radiator from a 72 fury. my car was originally a 383 but when i got it the k frame and all BB stuff was missing.....so it was basically a regular cuda with BB vin number when i got it .......the engine is a 440 out of a 67 GTX......with the cars original 4 speed. ....the hardest thing about this swap is the z-bar bcoz i used the B-body HP manifolds that came with the engine.....if you use an automatic this swap is going to be super easy......the steering column will need a mega trim back.........if you know how weld then i would suggest putting the engine in with trans and bolt up to the trans cross member .....take measurments and fab your own perches...it makes a better fit..... i had shumacher mounts for a time and i dont like them bcoz you have notch out the k frame to use them and that reduces the strength of the perch and the driver side mount does not have complete contact on the perch........the shumacher sales ppl always try to sell you the torque strap...with good reason bcoz the mounts dont hold their own with out the torque strap.......

as far as low compression 440s ...i also have a 71 dart with a later low compressions 440.......the torque the engine has in the light weight car makes it a blast......the low compression 440 is my Daily driver.....it is reliable. low maintance, and still makes the car very fun...dont throw a blind eye at the later 440s they may not be race engines but very fun still ...usually they have Electronic ignition distributors, they play well with many types of carbs......and look sexy as any BB under the hood..
 
RaniDart70 said:
i just did this exact swap....a 440 into a 67 cuda i used the later water pump housing that exits on the passenger side and im using a 26" small block C-body radiator from a 72 fury. my car was originally a 383 but when i got it the k frame and all BB stuff was missing.....so it was basically a regular cuda with BB vin number when i got it .......the engine is a 440 out of a 67 GTX......with the cars original 4 speed. ....the hardest thing about this swap is the z-bar bcoz i used the B-body HP manifolds that came with the engine.....if you use an automatic this swap is going to be super easy......the steering column will need a mega trim back.........if you know how weld then i would suggest putting the engine in with trans and bolt up to the trans cross member .....take measurments and fab your own perches...it makes a better fit..... i had shumacher mounts for a time and i dont like them bcoz you have notch out the k frame to use them and that reduces the strength of the perch and the driver side mount does not have complete contact on the perch........the shumacher sales ppl always try to sell you the torque strap...with good reason bcoz the mounts dont hold their own with out the torque strap.......

as far as low compression 440s ...i also have a 71 dart with a later low compressions 440.......the torque the engine has in the light weight car makes it a blast......the low compression 440 is my Daily driver.....it is reliable. low maintance, and still makes the car very fun...dont throw a blind eye at the later 440s they may not be race engines but very fun still ...usually they have Electronic ignition distributors, they play well with many types of carbs......and look sexy as any BB under the hood..
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hey bud the trans dapt mounts are alot worse than the schumaker mounts. at least the engine goes where it needs to go with schumaker mounts. i advise the trans dapt mounts are junk will have nothing but problems.
 
mopar7172 said:
hey bud the trans dapt mounts are alot worse than the schumaker mounts. at least the engine goes where it needs to go with schumaker mounts. i advise the trans dapt mounts are junk will have nothing but problems.
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i didnt use trans dapt mount ...i had never heard of them before you mentioned then....i fabbed my own mount and they work really good. or the DC setup is also as effective.....so much better than shumacher mounts
 
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