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Why is the 426 Hemi better than the 440?

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Michael_

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Well i know the Hemi 426 is better than the 440.
But i dont know why. :D

1.
Both Engines have nearly the same displacement

2.
Both Engines have nearly the same amount of Horsepower

3.
Both Engine have nearly the same amount of Torque

4.
Indy Cylinder Heads offers both a built 440 and 426 both around 750hp and 700 torque at not that much different rpms.
so it seems that you can get around the same power out of both. http://indyheads.com

5.
This Book:
https://www.amazon.de/Dodge-Plymouth-Chrysler-Police-1956-1978/dp/0879389583

Says (regarding to the 1978 Plymouth Fury with the 440 Engine)
The 440ci powered Mopar squads will always be remembered. They were the champions of the era when police officers gave pursuit regardless.
And everyone knew it. The squads were up to the task, too. These cars could do 130 to 150mph, and they had the cooling capacity to do it all day long.
Click to expand...
So this proves the 440 can also be used for high speed applications.

So knowing all that i wonder what is the advantage of a 426 Hemi over the 440?
I suspect that you can might go even faster (like 200mph) which you might can not do with a normal 440 Big Block?

Or is really just rarity and hype why the hemis are considered better and more expensive?
 
It's all in the heads. I don't think you can get 12,000 HP out of a 440.
 
Those Hemi heads are big for a good reason. You just can't beat in one way and straight out the other way. Known as efficiency.
 
You asked for it.
56835524_10216926440587310_562196285445111808_n.jpg
 
So the basic advantage of the Hemi is that you can get more Power out of it?
But is there any advantage for me personally if i just want to use the car for daily driving and doing high speed driving 130-150mph (if possible 200mph would be great)?
I dont need massive 4 or 5 digit HP Numbers.

I dont doubt the hemi is better by the way.
Otherwise it would not have been more expensive and the engine choosen for racing back in the day.
 
1 Street Hemi.jpg
1 Race Hemi.jpg
You could buy a car for the price of a Race Hemi engine. Street Hemi or race Hemi pick your poison.
 
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Now a days they make much better flowing cylinder heads for the B and RB engines, so in street form,they can be relatively close in horsepower and torque, but in race form is where the Hemi design really shines,and with modern roller cams,they have much more drivability,and stay in tune much easier. The downside is that a Hemi engine costs about three times as much as building a wedge engine, and I know this first hand as my Hemi engine is in the machine shop right now!
 
Also in your #2 and #3, they did not have the similar numbers.. they advertised close to the same, but they were not. The stock Hemi did not have 425 HP, much closer to 500.
 
So:
- The Hemi is faster than a 440
- The Hemi can rev higher than a 440
- The Hemi has better top end than a 440
- You can get more Power out of a 426 than a 440 (When building)
correct?

Would you say because of being that big and robust a Stock Hemi will last longer than a Stock 440?
Especially on high speed driving and racing applications?
 
Very few engines had as much engineering put into there design as the hemi did. They will handle higher hp levels compared to a wedge engine and stay together. Hemi's have cross bolted mains caps, everything stays put... no cap walk compared to a 440.. A stock hemi block will handle more power and hold together better then a highly modified 440. Hemi heads are layed out so they have huge valves and the ports are enormous to flow lots of cfms.

But building a hemi takes more knowledge and experience. Most the original stuff has been abused and the aftermarket has struggled in production tolerances and quality.
If you want a 700-800hp motor 440s are adequate. If you want more then 800hp a hemi will take pretty much whatever you throw at it.. and look really good doing it!
 
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You might get on Allpar. They have a detailed article about the birth of the 426 Hemi. The Hemi is a racing engine designed for continuous high rpm. The Hemi block is reinforced and stronger than a wedge block.
If you aren't planning on running 7,000 to 8,000 rpm for 4 hours at a stretch a 440 ought to get the job done.
In fact, Chrysler NASCAR racers used 413s and 383s in the early 60s and were very succesful on short tracks. The wedge engines just didn't have enough high rpm capability on the longer tracks.
In 1962 (I think) Richard Petty did place 2nd in the Daytona 500, but that was because he learned how to draft.
 
The 426 hemi was outlawed by nascar because it kicked everyone’s asses!

The wedge engine was not part of that

D0E916E0-70DB-464D-BC1C-3ACE3402FD8E.jpeg 919C02A8-A3DF-4C30-A282-8913F1F758E1.jpeg D6608694-D857-48AE-8C08-B0015D571659.jpeg
 
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