Motor home 440

[Alan Fiandaca]

I just pulled a 440 out of a 1977 Travco motor home and I did it a little differently than most. I unbolted the engine, cut the exhaust and set my cherry picker up inside the motor home. Engine came straight up and I slid the picker back then set the engine on a furniture dolley. Disassembled the picker and reassembled it outside the side door. Rolled the engine to the door and plucked it out. Had to remove the exhaust manifolds to fit it out the door. Probably 3 hrs start to finish.

 

[Bobby Sixkiller]

331 hemi runs the lift at a gold mine in cripple creek co

 

[Challenger340]

Don't turn up your nose on the Cast Crank 440 Cores !

We've built DOZENS of them(.030" over 440's) around the 500-525hp/525 Ft/Lb mark(Yes DYNO'd !) using the Cast Crank 440 Cores.

 

[6PKRTSE]

I just pulled a 440 out of a 1977 Travco motor home and I did it a little differently than most. I unbolted the engine, cut the exhaust and set my cherry picker up inside the motor home. Engine came straight up and I slid the picker back then set the engine on a furniture dolley. Disassembled the picker and reassembled it outside the side door. Rolled the engine to the door and plucked it out. Had to remove the exhaust manifolds to fit it out the door. Probably 3 hrs start to finish.

I only had to remove passenger side seat and the whole engine assembly went right out the passenger door with manifolds on and all. Less than an hour from a running motor home to on the stand in the garage. Good steel crank motor and beefier 6 pack/Hemi trans also.

 

[Cranky]

Mom's cast cranks are probably just as good as most GM forged cranks lol. They are also lighter than a forged piece.

My understanding is that most of the motor home 440's had the steel cranks, with LY type rods. Thought the blocks & heads had different cooling holes. I didn't want the 6 Pak rods, heavier, not enough strength improvement. Shot peened LY's with aftermarket bolts, good enough for 550-600 HP & many hundred 7000 RPM runs. Steel cranks only good for 250 -300 runs before cracks appear. Never broke one though.

The 6 pak rods are strong.....but it's the factory same size as the LY rod bolts that can't handle the extra weight at 6500+.......

 

[Bobby Sixkiller]

I’ve got it all ready to pull out. Ended up just using my sawzall and removing some of the front clip and radiator. Dropped the tranny. It has a ton of usable parts. Under the dash a lot of the plugins are used in various mopars. The volt regulator and such. The shifter looks like the 64 Belvedere type from when they switched from push buttons. Really interesting how it’s several years newer than that. Non tilt column so I’m sure the ignition switch will work in most of my vehicles. Basically the only part I might not use at some point is the pickup for the pump. I think I’ll use the sump on the pan to add a quart to one even. The mounts are pickup type. I think I got my money worth. I’m considering buying another one.

 

[Cranky]

I've scraped some crazy stuff over the years and well, a motor home is not one I care to do. I've helped with a couple and that was enough lol. I think you said it's mostly fiberglass? If so, so much for aluminum. Since I'm pretty close to a big city (Houston ), we have plenty of scrap places and would be able to recoup the cost but man, it's still a lot of work.

 

[Alan Fiandaca]

Trouble with the cast crankshaft in my case is it's not drilled for a pilot bearing. My machinest not too hip on drilling the crank....

 

[Bobby Sixkiller]

You can use a later style pilot bearing in the crank. It fits where the torque converter hub goes. And shorten the input shaft to use a 4 speed.

 

[Alan Fiandaca]

Thanks, I did read about going the late model pilot bearing route, but I'd rather not cut up my numbers matching trans to do it. Perhaps another trans is the way I'll go at it

 

[Bobby Sixkiller]

Just buy a different input shaft. Cut it off and swap them. Four bolts. Easy fix

 

[Alan Fiandaca]

Is that all there is to it? That sounds way too easy. Never had an 833 apart before, now you got me thinking. I'll have to search the Web for a 833 trans tutorial.

 

[Bobby Sixkiller]

It’s kinda pain to do that way but it’s doable. You have a snap ring inside to take off too if I remember right. But even if you took tranny apart you could replace bearings and synchros. I would if I had a 4 speed to put in.

 

[wyrmrider]

I would not run a mismatched input gear and cluster on your matching number trans

 

[Alan Fiandaca]

Yeah , this trans has just been rebuilt too so maybe I'll start searching for a late 833 w/overdrive....

 

[Bobby Sixkiller]

Yea I probably would too