383 vs 440

[weezle98]

I have a 66 383 and was wondering if that would be a better engine to build than a 74 440?

 

[Redhorse719]

Personally the 440, unless you are a hard core drag racer.

 

[Hemi Rebel]

Why wouldn't you go with the 440 if you are a competetive drag racer?

 

[Redhorse719]

I said hard core, meaning dedicated race car. Cast crank, I know the cast crank will hold up fine in a street car, a sometimes raced car.

 

[Hemi Rebel]

Ahhh. Yeah. I figured in this day and age if you are building an engine then the cast crank would be replaced without even thinking about it.

 

[weezle98]

I wouldn't be hard core but it would definitely get its share of abuse

 

[wannadrag]

Why????????Cast cranks are good to 500 HP

Ahhh. Yeah. I figured in this day and age if you are building an engine then the cast crank would be replaced without even thinking about it.

 

[weezle98]

Lol. Idk. Just trying to figure out the best engine to build for a healthy street slash drag car

 

[Hemi Rebel]

Why????????Cast cranks are good to 500 HP

Balance

 

[Plymouth63]

My vote for the 383.

 

[RzeroB]

As the old saying goes ... "there's no replacement for displacement". So, with that said, go with the 440, unless there is some unique application like if your car was a pre-'67 A-body or something where the dimensionally smaller 383 would fit better.

 

[RS23VOA]

Stroke the 383 to 499

 

[weezle98]

I'll probably go with the 440. Thanks guys

 

[tirefryin-Bob]

I've had a lot of luck with 383's.. I street/stripped one to run low 13's and had plenty of fun on the street as well. just my 2cents.

 

[Cranky]

A 400 based stroker works very well. The 400 comes with the largest bore of all the big blocks and a cut to fit 440 crank yields decent cubes in it too....

 

[dieseldazzle]

And the larger bore TYPICALLY helps to unshroud the valves from what I understand?

 

[383man]

I have built a few 383's and they ran very good for the combo's but it was because they were what I had and money was tight so I built what I had. And dont get me wrong as the 383 is a great eng and its been the backbone for Mopars performance cars for many years in the 60's and 70's. But in todays world with strokers and all why would you build the 383 if you have a 440 or 400 ? For a street car that you dont want to have to run the eng at 7000 rpms I would go with the cubes and torque which is what I did for my 63's eng. I had the original 383 and a 440 so I built the 440 to look as close to a 426 wedge as I could make it. But I put the 4.15 stroke crank in my 440 for 493 cubes and I built a nice street eng with tons of torque that I dont even have to push much if any over 6000 rpm and it has enough torque to push my 3700 lb 63 deep into the 10's on pump through the full exh system just how I drive it. It just made good sense since I drive it alot and then when I do race it I really dont even have to push it that hard. And from the outside it looks like it could be anything from a 413 to a 440. Yes I would go for the cubes and the torque and build yourself a killer street machine ! Ron