Buying a stash of engines/blocks; input needed...

[64 Post]

So, I'm looking to pick up 6 engines/blocks. There are 3 426 street wedge blocks and 2 known 440 blocks and 1 mystery complete engine.

One of the 440 blocks was cast in 78, IIRC and looks to be an RV block with the increased coolant passages.

The mystery motor block looks externally identical to the RV block (has the late 440 strengthening ribs), but it has no casting date or casting number anywhere.

My main concern is the usability of the RV block for a performance build. Are there pros and cons of using that particular block or areas of concern? I seem to recall something about extra water jackets???

TIA for the help.

 

[terzmo]

they claim the mid 70's blocks are stronger than the earlier ones...unless a numbers car....to me..a block is a block is a block......for whatever reasons...people pay more for a 66 thru 71 block than a mid 70's....but again...it doesn't matter to me

 

[Kern Dog]

Going by what Rick Ehrenberg claims, the last of the 440 blocks were not "thin wall" castings like they were called. They actually had similar cylinder wall thickness readings as most any other block. The one thing that they did see was that the later blocks were cast with a slightly softer cast iron. They still were durable and worth using though.

 

[Glenwood]

are you sure it's a 440? My 1973 413 has the extra water jackets but no casting number on the side. I found the industrial casting number buried under gunk at the back near the oil sender hole. A sonic check revealed pretty thick cylinder walls and I'm told these have high nickel content as well as extra webbing and a forged crank.