360 v 440

[ddarnell]

To augment my thread about prepping for a camper, I'm thinking I may want to swap my LA for an RB. With a camper, a boat, 5 people and gear, I'm wondering if I will be able to haul it all at highway speeds. 440/727s out of motorhome appear plentiful and affordable. Most are low mile and I understand the motorhome's use a short tail 727.
Anyone have any thoughts? Am I going overboard here?
David

[712edf]

Motor home 440's have more potential, but I think in their stock form could use higher compression pistons...... I wouldnt go overboard with cam/carb/etc Its low RPM torque that you're after.

Bucky

[KRB64]

Going overboard would involve a 6BT...

[Frank Irons]

To augment my thread about prepping for a camper, I'm thinking I may want to swap my LA for an RB. With a camper, a boat, 5 people and gear, I'm wondering if I will be able to haul it all at highway speeds. 440/727s out of motorhome appear plentiful and affordable. Most are low mile and I understand the motorhome's use a short tail 727.
Anyone have any thoughts? Am I going overboard here?
David

There is no substitute for cubic inches!

Frank

[Desoto61]

Biggest problem I see is that going to the 727 loses any chance of OD from a later model transmission which will bolt to a 360.

While towing it may not matter, but without the load you give up lower wear and tear on the motor and any potential fuel savings. There are some conversion pieces to go to an RB but not as simple as the Chevy or Ford guys can get away with.

Not sure the 6BT would be overkill, it will be more work and expense, but if you're building for towing there's little better, and you can still get an OD trans behind it.

[DODGEBOYS]

Biggest problem I see is that going to the 727 loses any chance of OD from a later model transmission which will bolt to a 360.

While towing it may not matter, but without the load you give up lower wear and tear on the motor and any potential fuel savings. There are some conversion pieces to go to an RB but not as simple as the Chevy or Ford guys can get away with.

Not sure the 6BT would be overkill, it will be more work and expense, but if you're building for towing there's little better, and you can still get an OD trans behind it.

they make an adaptor to mate a LA 518 OD to a 440

[tiffy's W150]

hello guys...........
how about using a rolls royce griffon ? this motor is a large V-12 of 2,250 cu. inches. maybe 2,420 horsepower will that work ? ( just a dream)
thanks guys, Tiffany

[ddarnell]

I have given a lot of thought to a 518 conversion. With the extra length, the TC would probably need to be relocated along with the attendant lengthening/shortening. It would be a nice feature but I have not done any measuring to see where it all lays out.
I do like the idea of a V12 aircraft motor but fuel consumption would require the entire back half of the truck to be a fuel container.
The diesel is obviously the best choice and there is a young man nearby who has completed several retrofits. The truck does not see a lot of use, primarily dumb runs and with a camper, forays into the woods. Of course, with a camper and the ability to tow a house, we may use it more.
Trying to think this through, always a tough thing to weigh cost and benefit. Since I know nothing of diesels and how they work, I would have an additional learning curve, whereas with a 440, I'm already dialed in.

[tiffy's W150]

hello guys..........
I would stick with a 360 as it a matter of time when price of gas go back sky high again like 5.00 per gallon (sooner or later) while it is nice the prices seems to be dropping at this time of the year unless living in Iraq where gas is like 50 cent a gallon. I had few 440 cars in the past (1969 dodge charger and 1967 coronet) and they get about 8 miles per gallon so i imaged it be worse in the truck but if you can afford to feed it then more power to you. I will stick with the 318 2 bbl. in my 83' W150 as they seems to run forever !!! (just my opinion)
thanks guys,Tiffany

[ddarnell]

Thought about huffing the 360. That would ensure the ability to haul a 2000lb camper and pull a 2500lb boat, but plunking a 440 in the engine bay seems like far less work and far less money.

[Desoto61]

they make an adaptor to mate a LA 518 OD to a 440

Which I stated in my original post, but he originally asked about a 727, which are wonderfully reliable but still a 3-speed.

Honestly if it's just a utility vehicle you have to figure how many miles a year you put on it, and how much of that is towing something.

IMO for the same price the mileage difference between the two isn't going to be large enough for "occasional use" to justify the savings the 360 would give you vs the extra torque from a 440. But if this was a daily driver and some weekends it may do camper/towing duty then I think the 360/OD combo will make you happier and save money in the long run.

Of course the other big issue is cost. Even if a long block cost the same for both you have all the accessories and mounts and extras that have to be factored in to the conversion. You might be able to do a built 360 cheaper than the 440 when you factor in the time and cost of just being able replace the engine, vice having to convert to the 440.

That's always the big downside to the diesel setup. They're awsome performers but everything is more expensive to do, and while the mileage is usually better and more consistent, maintenance costs are at best the same as a gas engine and fuel costs more making fuel savings a wash, especially once you factor in the upfront costs.

[USN78W150]

360 v 440

The 440 would be a great idea. So would a V-10. 488 cubic inches, 300 hp and 450 ft. lbs. standard. The V-10 would of course stick you with a computer and fuel injection, both of which can be very expensive to repair if something goes wrong. The 440 is simple and cheap to maintain, probably the best upgrade overall. You can stroke a 360 to 400 cubic inches with a 4" stroker crank, which will noticably boost the torque output. That would be the cheapest alternative, unless you already have all the big block truck things; oil pan/pump pickup/dipstick, engine mount ears, exhaust manifolds, etc.

[Gordon Maney]

How much does a stroker crank like that cost?

[tiffy's W150]

hello guys..........
did you know that at summit racing, there is a 360 stroker (408) and this motor has 4 inch stroke and makes 480 to 500 foot pounds of torque and you can use all of the hardware that's already on your 360. this maybe your best choice as the motor is like almost 6000 dollars . I wanted to use that motor in my 83' W150 and living in california and not sure of how to do that with all that smog crap on it. I have seen guys putting big blocks in the W100 and 150 trucks and wonder how they get away with passing the smog in california ? I wish i sure knew how do that.
thanks guys,Tiffany

[USN78W150]

360 v 440

How much does a stroker crank like that cost?

My PAW catalog is about five years old, but it lists 4" stroke cranks for around 600 dollars. Many companies offer kits that include crank, rods, and pistons for around 12 to thirteen hundred dollars. They use stock length rods, so one could probably buy just the crank and pistons. It makes 402 c.i. with std. bore or 408 with .030" over. I believe all the pistons for the strokers are .030" over. It is required that the block be clearance notched for a 4" stroke. There is a 4" stroke crank for the 318 as well to make a 390 cubic inch displacement. Another nice option for the 318 is a 3.58" stroke crank. this makes a 349 cubic inch displacement, with a very hefty torque increase.