I just bought 81 Allegro RV. It has a 440 in it with headers. I would like to know the rundown on this engine. I know very little about it. ie: HP? TQ? Max RPM's? Stock carb? I need more hp and need to know what Im working with. PLEASE HELP!!!

 

Hi Keefbikes,

Unfortunately, most of those RVs were (and to some degree, still are) a combination of whatever was available when it was being put together. I have seen RVs with 440s that were sitting on a Ford chassis and GM brakes. So, identifying your 440 may be difficult. Perhaps some numbers off the block would help.

You say you are looking for more HP... Are you really looking for more torque? If you already have headers, then you have one of the more (bang for the buck) effective upgrades. What carb is on the RV now? And it is hard to tell if you have a "truck" or "towing" cam in the engine but, that would increase your "bottom end torque".

That may not be much help, but hopefully it will point you in the right direction.

 

So far, what I have figured out from reading here, other forums, and e-mail from Summit Racing, this engine is set up for low RPM and torque. Didn't figure out HP and Torque yet. But, I did find out that they are different from the car engines. Car is 440-1 and Truck, Motor home, and Industrial are a 440-3. The block and heads have extra coolant holes for cooling the valves better under heavy load. The heads are restricted/ported for best air flow at low RPM's, so the heads would need a basic port job to open it up enough for higher RPM's. Add a nice cam and a Edelbrock Performer intake manifold, and your set. These are your basic needs for it to be a good muscle car engine. There are many upgrades to make much more power, but this is just what I was told would be the minimum to convert it from a low RPM engine. One person said that it would do fine as is, but you just wouldn't have the top end performance. You would fly off the line, but wouldn’t have the HP for the top end.
I am going by what I could find out in the past month. I see this original post is a few months old, but I figured some one else could use this too. I’ve been all over the Internet trying to find this info out.
Good luck on your project,
Mark

PS
If someone out there does not agree with me, then please let me know what else there is to add so I have a better idea of what I need to do to my 440-3 motor home engine that is going into a 71 Charger.

Thank you.

 

Edelbrock aluminum heads!!! Not only would you have to port those heads but you will have to replace valve guides too. Mopar was the worst when it came to guides. Add in the cost of new (reliable) valves and springs and you approach the cost of the Edelbrocks.

 

I was planning on doing the porting myself, but it I didn't, how much does it cost for the shop to do it?

 

Check with Hughes Engines for their price. I need to do my Diplomat heads as Edelbrocks wont pass muster with the smog police here in the Keystone state. Their price for porting, new bronze wall valve guides, and new big valves is around $750. Add shipping both ways plus springs and retainers and you approach the $1300 price of Edelbrocks. If you are not doing a 100 point resto why bother with cast iron Mopar heads. Remember that most of them are pre unleaded gas. You will have to spring for hardened exhaust valve seats too.

 

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My 440-3 is from a 1980 motor home. It should have the hardened seats already. I've read here and there that you most likely can't use the aluminum after market heads because the the extra cooling ports through the heads and block to help with better cooling under heavy load conditions with the motor homes. So does Edlebrock make them specificaly for the 440-3? I didn't know they made exhaust manifolds. I did a google search and did find that they make exhuast manifolds now. What state are you in? Surprisingly, California has changed the smog rules to newer than 75. So 75 and older don't need smog now. Back when I had my 92 Charger, I needed to smog it. I wish I kept it.

 

No they are for street blocks. Are you sure theblock deck has diffrent cooling hole passages? I thought the difference was extra water outlets at the front of the heads. You could order a cheap B/RB head gasket and fit it on your block to see if there are any differences. Just remember that some head gaskets meter the flow of water between the block and head by having openings smaller that the holes in the block deck and head surface. Apathy, no really PA.
We were supposed to have independent smog check stations. The contracts were bid out the company that won the bid built test centers and hired and trained testers then the General Assembly (our huse and senate) shut it down. After paying the test company mega bucks for reniging on the deal smog testing languished until the Feds threated our highway funding. Then the GA passed laws that put smog testing under the pervue of the state safety inspection stations. At that time cars back to 1973 were included, BUT they only have to pass a visual test. My 1987 Diplomat has to have all its smog equipment but it dosen't have to work. Mine does, I pride myself in keeping it clean running. If you put less that 6,000 a year you can get an exemption sticker and hop it up to yopur heart's content.

 

That just funny. LOL

I started to type that question, then opened another window and searched google to find what state that is, but then forgot to delete that part. But that is interesting info to know about how it works there. It would be easy to keep it under 6,000 miles too.

 

Well I'm out of lager (not that Rocky Mountain Goat P***) but the real stuff Yuengling, so it's off to bed. Been a real pleasure conversing. I'll be back soon.