440 engine swap - how much is too much?

[75Crew]

I have a 360 engine in the '75 W200 Crew cab I'm restoring and I have always had plans to swap it for a 440 (like I had in my PW's in years past). I have the NP435 4sp trans and I know I will have to get a new flywheel, clutch and bell housing but my real question is how much of a 440 can I put in the truck and it still be useable for pulling people out of ditches (I have a Braden LU2 winch on the front) and general trail riding? I was considering buying a standard 440 (possibly out of a motorhome) and rebuilding it before installing it in the PW. I have an opportunity to buy (for about the same price of a motorhome engine with a rebuild) a freshly rebuilt 440 Dodge engine, 1968 block cast date, forged crank, forged pistons, balanced assembly with dual 4 barrel - 590 lift cam (solid lifters) - 500 HP. I like the idea of having a really mean looking engine bay to take to the occasional car show but I also use it to haul lumber from Lowes and play in the snow. Has anyone one the forum put an engine like this in a PW, and if so, how useable is it?

[Gordon Maney]

Have you heard it run? You want a dead smooth idle.

[712edf]

Buy the hot 440, but scrap the cam & dual quad intake. You want compression & torque, not rumpity rumpity rumpity top end only engine.

My 440 has .509" cam (hydraulic) & 4 barrel, it's contrary enough.

Nothing wrong with solid cam, but .590" lift seems a bit much for street truck, although cant say. What's overlap/duration etc?

The more you plan on driving it I figure the less radical you'd want it.

Bucky

[75Crew]

I think I'll pass on this one...

Thanks for the valuable feedback Gordon and Bucky. That is pretty much what I thought to begin with. I think I'll wait a bit and see what comes along that is closer to what I really need. I don't want to buy this engine and then pull out the cams and carbs because then I just have to go buy something else to replace them with. Sometimes I can be a bit impatient.

[The Other Ross]

Been there done this.Go with the milder 440 cam,lifters and Compression ratio.Ran a '72 Motor home 440 for a good 100K miles.It ran only on 93 octane anything less and I had preignition problems.Also High volumn water pump and a GOOD three core rad to keep it cool.Makes a real sweet work truck.Is a 12v Cummins a better deal?I've run both,flip a coin unless you are running a LOT of miles then the Cummins.

[75Crew]

Thanks for the input Ross. When I got the truck last year, it needed a radiator and exhaust system. When I replaced them I sized both to handle the 440 in anticipation of replacing the 360 one day. I expect I will go the motorhome route with the engine. I won't drive it over 5000 miles per year and I'm partial to big block V8's. The Cummins is a great engine for someone who will drive it a lot of miles, but that's not this truck. This is pretty much a toy/weekend work truck. I put about 60,000 miles per year on my Suburban which is my daily driver.