ifthe dipstick isstraight with no bulge then its the A-904. if you need further inspection... crawl up inder the truck and examine the shape of the transmission fluid pan. the A-904 will be very square in shape like this :



and the A-727 will have a noticeable bulge in the top corner:



i hope this helps!

 

here's some important info on swapping these transmissions and the different phases they went through throughout their production

http://www.allpar.com/mopar/transmis...queflites.html

 

I'm on my lunchbreak, I looked underneath and the trans pan is square and flat, like thepictured 904 pan. Looks like we're going 5 speed unless somebody tosses in a 727 or 833 with their 440 when I buy one. Any suggestions?

 

what kind of 5 speed are you looking to use?? you can keep the 904 with a few mods (additional cluthces + converter) and build a hot 360 small block and still have a veryfast ride. alot of the older muscle cars used this to their advantage... a two-ton big block charger would get eaten up by a 3400 pound 360 duster... its all about horsepower to weight. i would find a good 360 core, a set of aluminum heads (much lighter than factory iron), an intake, carb, cam, headers, and hit the road. many people with 440's, 727's, and 833's think they're worth a bazillion dollars cuz theyre affiliated with the "barrett jackson experience" and COULD go into a charger, roadrunner, or GTX. 360's were very common in pickups and would be a much more reasonable approach from an economical standpoint as well as overall streetability. the high-winding small block would also not be near as hard in your factory rear either, as it would get its oopmph from higher rpm's rather than bottom-end torque.

 

What I plan on doing is, popping out the 318 and freshening it up a little, carb conversion, new cam and some head work. That should suffice as a cruising ride until I get something better to put in it. I've considered doing the 360 swap a while ago, but personally I think its a little boring and common. I love the feel of big block grunt, and thats what I want in my truck since I'm too broke to get a muscle car (nothing but a mopar will do and as well all know mopar=$$$). As far as reusing the stock rear, I don't think thats going to be happening. I want something that will withstand massive amounts of power because I thoroughly believe in overkill, same goes for the trans. Anybody know a good 4/5 speed to use?

 

YOU MY FRIEND NEED TO BUY MOPAR ACTION MAGAZINETECH CD'S. THIS WILL BRING YOU UP TO SPEED ON YOUR LUST FOR POWER AND ENLIGHTEN YOU TO ALOT OF QUESTIONS YOU HAVE....MY ONLY ADVICE TO YOU IS THIS QUESTION" HAVE YOU EVER RODE IN A 440 POWERED CAR?" IF NOT THEN START BY FINDING A LAND BARGE LIKE A NEW YORKER THAT RUNS FOR CHEAP AND BUY IT, TUNE IT UP SPARK PLUG, WIRES CAP ROTOR BUTTON, CARB ADJUSTMENT. DRIVE IT FAIRLY HARD FOR A WEEK OR 2. THEN MAKE YOUR DECISION...SINCE YOU DONT DRIVE THE TRUCK THAT OFTEN THEN GAS WONT THAT BAD ON YOU...AS FAR AS THE REAR END GOES JUST GET A 12 BOLT OUT OF A RAMCHAGER OR ANOTHER TRUCK.THEY ARE CHEAPER THAN THE 8 3/4 'S AND CNA TAKE A GOOD ILL OF ABUSE .PLUS THEY BOLT IN NO B.S.....DO YOU REALIZE YOU STATED YOU WANTED A BLOWN 440 YADA YADA YADA AND IN THE SAME BREATH YOU SAID YOU COULD NOT AFFORD A MOPER MUSLE CAR ? YOU DO KNOW THAT A-BODIES (DUSTERS,DARTS,VALIANTS) GO FOR UNDER 12K WITH 440'S STUFFED IN THEN ALREADY? LIKE I SAID DOALOT OFREADING, TAKE SOMETIME GOING AROUND TO JUNKYARDS LOOKING AROUND ..STUDY HOW CHRYSLER DID THINGS AND WHY...MAKE THE DECISIONS FIRST ,HAVE A GOAL, AND A BUDGET,BUILD IT ON PAPER FIRST AND PLAN IT OUT YOU WILL BE HAPPIER WITH IT AND SAVE MONEY IN THE LONG RUN...

 

If you have a 4,000 pound Charger, take the dead bodies out of the trunk. Those cars curbed at 3,400-3,600 with big blocks (my '69 was 3,460 with 383 and A/C). The Dart and Duster were ~3,100, depending on options.

To the OP:

Big block conversions are no small thing. NOTHING interchanges; not tranny bellhousings, not motor mounts, not brackets, not power steering pumps, not distributors, nothing. My 1980 was originally a 225 truck that got the 440 treatment in front of an NP4354 speed. The conversion is expensive and painstaking and not really worth it when you consider that the $3,600 360 in my '51 pick-up makes more horsepower and torque than the moderately cammed, stock compression 440. I'm not saying big blocks aren't bad ***, just that it's so much easier and cheaperto build a small block for moderate numbers. The 360 is easily capable of 400-500 horses and similar torque in a very streetable package for under $5,000. Or you could split the difference and go 408 stroker for a little more. There are 408 crate engines selling in the $3,500 range that make375 horses,460 ft/lbs. There are more decked out versions in the 450 horse, 510 ft/lb range.

http://store.summitracing.com/partde...=mll-bpc4080ct

Edit:

Here is the 440 in my '80 power wagon. As you can see, a very snug fit by the brake booster. Frame rails had to be notched for exhaust and P/S pump pulley.


This is the 360 that went in my '51 D-100. More powerful and raps up quicker, ala 10.7:1 compression.


And in the truck:

 

sixtysixduce, i'm willing to bet you have to pull the booster to get the drive shield valve cover off? i remember mine was a real pain to get on and off till a found a 89 d-200 in a junkyard (remember this was back in 98 or so) and noticed that the 200 has a smaller diameter booster. so i talked to the guy who owned the yard and he let me pull it to see if it would fit and it did! i could get the stock valve cover off no problem! but the mp aluminum finned valve covers still would not fit.....the a-1 cardone pt # is 50-9232