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69yenko162

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I have a 440 block with the casting date of 1-11-71. On the engine pad up front it shows H440 and below it shows 9 21 HP. My question is if the block was cast in 71 but the motor was assembled in H which is 72 on the pad do I have a 71 motor or a low compression 72
 
It's possible you have a scenario like mine. My numbers matching 440 was cast in March of '67, but wasn't assembled until April 17, '68 then had a SPD of 4/23/68. Yours looks like it was assembled 9/21/71 for the '72 model year.
 
It's possible you have a scenario like mine. My numbers matching 440 was cast in March of '67, but wasn't assembled until April 17, '68 then had a SPD of 4/23/68. Yours looks like it was assembled 9/21/71 for the '72 model year.
So then it would be a high compression 71
 
It was cast in 1/71. Then it sat until it was assembled on 9/21/71. They Started making 1972 vehicles in August 1971. So you have an engine specs for a 1972 440 HP. Whatever that is. It will not have specs for a 1971 engine, because it is not one. You are reaching and stretching, but coming up EMPTY on you desire for a 1971.
 
I have a 440 block with the casting date of 1-11-71. On the engine pad up front it shows H440 and below it shows 9 21 HP. My question is if the block was cast in 71 but the motor was assembled in H which is 72 on the pad do I have a 71 motor or a low compression 72

It’s a 72 assembly but if it’s only a block, it doesn’t matter. You’ll need to build it however you want.
 
It was cast in 1/71. Then it sat until it was assembled on 9/21/71. They Started making 1972 vehicles in August 1971. So you have an engine specs for a 1972 440 HP. Whatever that is. It will not have specs for a 1971 engine, because it is not one. You are reaching and stretching, but coming up EMPTY on you desire for a 1971.
Ok Thanks for the info. I didn't want to buy a car with a 72 motor in it because of the low horse power, but if it was a 71 then I would consider it.
 
It might have started life as a low compression '72 but, after 48 years, no telling what's inside.
 
It might have started life as a low compression '72 but, after 48 years, no telling what's inside.

Agree.

I’m always confused by people that even care about this. Are they not going to rebuild a 50+ year old assembly? Do they plan on rebuilding the engine to stock 72 specs?
 
Agree.

I’m always confused by people that even care about this. Are they not going to rebuild a 50+ year old assembly? Do they plan on rebuilding the engine to stock 72 specs?
The owner has no idea what has been done to it
 
The motor was surely built as a '72. Think the OEM pistons depended on the body/perf level.
If you want a 440 decide how much you want to do to it.
 
I have a 440 block with the casting date of 1-11-71. On the engine pad up front it shows H440 and below it shows 9 21 HP. My question is if the block was cast in 71 but the motor was assembled in H which is 72 on the pad do I have a 71 motor or a low compression 72
If it's just the block, It will be what you build
 
The block has no idea the HP will be! It's the rest of the parts that make the HP(unless the cylinder walls are very thin, then less than a thick wall motor). The factory rating is irrelevant in 2020. The parts used to do a rebuild determine HP, piston design, compression ratio, camshaft design, and VERY important, cylinder head selection.
For a mild build, a 440 block is a 440 block no matter what year casting.
 
All 440 blocks are the same. It’s the internals that matter. The only reason a 72 HP motor would be worth more is to go in a 72 car just for the stamping. All this matching numbers junk that the Chevy guys need to determine that Hp car they have. Mopars just need a vin number to determine what HP engine came in a car.
 
BTW, all 440 blocks are almost the same, the early blocks did not have the extra external stiffening rib between the freeze plugs. That started in the later '68 block castings. My '65 426W block(a very hard used race piece) came complete with a crack between the freeze plugs, probably sat outside in the Minnesota winter without adequate antifreeze.
Also Mopar claimed the '75 & later blocks were "thin wall" castings, less desirable for performance applications. Totally false as near as I can tell. We sonic checked at least 20 440 blocks of all different years. There was no correlation between casting year and cylinder wall thickness. It just depended on the core & core shift.
 
All true. Did not want to confuse with too many facts. I too have sonic tested many blocks. My best blocks were of the 75-78 range. Some had .200 thick walls AFTER a .060 bore.
 
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