Help me wake up this old dog 1976 440

[69 GTX]

Lohbsta & Beh

 

[Yatzee]

I have a 1976 440 that is bone stock
8.1:1 comp ratio, cast crank, 452 heads, Stock flat top pistons. 4 barrel holley 650cfm, and hp exhaust manifolds.

Please tell me your cam choices to wake this up. also what easy (read cheap-***) ways to increase compression ratio, without needing a machine shop.
If milling the heads would be the dealbreaker from "She's maxed out" to "Holey crap-that's got some balls" then I am not opposed to that. I just want to keep it simple and not break the bank.

I am not going to drag race it so it, Heck I don't even speed, I just want an enjoyable ride with a little pep
Thanks.

Can you see the cash flying out the window with all the expensive solutions already suggested? Heads, cam, electronic ignition, headers, new dizzy .............. and the list goes on. Just buy good already built or a crate power plant with a warranty - you'll end up spending that much anyway, just in smaller outlays.

 

[Kern Dog]

SOME people like to drive to their destination, others may want to take the bus.
Some guys like the practice of piecing their project together, others have lessskill and want things to be done for them.
Which guy are you ?

 

[moper]

I took a '78 440, stuck a Crane H302-2 cam, Street Hemi MP valve springs, a windage tray, HV oil pump, and a sixpac and stuck it in my 'Cuda. With 3.91s and a 2500 convertor the car went 12.40s on street radials (GT Qualifiers) on any fuel you felt like buying. Simple can work well. I'm not a fan of Hughes, so I would have recommended a Crane 2 sizes smaller than that one so you have a little more vacuum at idle and it would go well with the stock convertor.

 

[Mike in Boston]

it's Bahston

SOME people like to drive to their destination, others may want to take the bus.
Some guys like the practice of piecing their project together, others have lessskill and want things to be done for them.
Which guy are you ?

I prefer to do it myself.

It's a 4 speed anyways with 4 wheel manual drums, so I don't really care about the vacuum lol.
Probly end up with too much go and not enough whoa but that's a whole other thread all together lol

 

[Dennis H]

That old dog is done! Before you throw good cash away on questionable results, find an engine that's already got balls and bargain a good price. There's lots out there and their probably already proven to run good. By time you get the bitch putting out you'll be in the hole a few gran and wished you'd bought an engine from some guy who's wife just had twins and couldn't afford his dream. He got the engine done though. There's lots of hard luck stories out there too just waiting for you to help them out by low-balling them to your advantage. Go for it, take no hostages.

I tend to go with the Brit on this one.

 

[magvan]

I have a 1976 440 in my 72 custom van. I put a engle k54 cam, thorley tri y headers, street master intake, big thermoquad, stock mopar electronic ignition with a hot crane coil and good Spiro wound plug wires. Put 452 heads back on it with mopar steel head gaskets, dual 2 1/2 east through an x pipe into hemi mufflers with 2 1/4 tailpipes.

Gets 12 1/2 mpg through a 727 trans, 3.23 gears and 28" tires and has plenty of go for a big heavy van.

I have efi sitting here to install if I can ever get the efi on my d100 to work good.

 

[mopar373]

That old dog is done! Before you throw good cash away on questionable results, find an engine that's already got balls and bargain a good price. There's lots out there and their probably already proven to run good. By time you get the bitch putting out you'll be in the hole a few gran and wished you'd bought an engine from some guy who's wife just had twins and couldn't afford his dream. He got the engine done though. There's lots of hard luck stories out there too just waiting for you to help them out by low-balling them to your advantage. Go for it, take no hostages.

77 New Yorker 185 horsepower close chambered heads took it from 8.1 to 9.2 compression added at least 50 horsepower cheap repair also put flame hardened exhaust seats helps don't have to have add oil in the fuel

 

[Cranky]

77 New Yorker 185 horsepower close chambered heads took it from 8.1 to 9.2 compression added at least 50 horsepower cheap repair also put flame hardened exhaust seats helps don't have to have add oil in the fuel

Don't have to add oil in the fuel and flame hardened seats??

 

[RemCharger]

Don't have to add oil in the fuel and flame hardened seats??

Use 2-stroke and enjoy the smell all day.

 

[Cranky]

Use 2-stroke and enjoy the smell all day.

 

[1968rt]

Read this: Dyno testing a stock(?) 1972 440 448 HP out of a 7.45:1 smogger!