I'm currently restoring a 1979 dodge little red express and it has a non original LA series 360 engine. The parts truck i've just purchased is a 1978 warlock with a 440. the 440 was rebuilt 20 years ago when its cylinder head cracked from an accident. the body work was done to repair the front clip and then the frame was discovered to be bent. no kilometers on the engine since it's rebuild. so i have a choice between these two engines, which to build. I'm thinking the 440 because since neither of the 2 are the original it just makes sense to throw the more powerful one in. but what to do to it? how should i build up this 440? it should have the cast crank that it came with. budget of 4000

 

a swap from a 360 to a 440 needs a lot of changes. most every thing that touches the engine to frame. the thing that a lot of people miss is the hose sizes from the engine to firewall. some engines use one size and the new engine might use a different size. i have seen a larger hose put on a smaller fitting, and works ,for a while, then trouble. some parts houses have adapters. just dont put the adapter to close the manifold, it will be hard to get to.

 

Why not clean up the 360 with a .030 bore and stroke it. I had a 340 that was stroked to a 416 and it would blow my 440 powered Coronet R/T away (small light body + big engine = fun).
FF

 

Well the 440 i have was rebuilt years ago, while the 360 i have is non-original to the truck. The 360 barely ran, the 440 started and ran almost too
Good to believe. The 440 also has 2 carbs, a holley 750cfm that's on right now and the carter thermoquad is on the seat. The 360 has a 2 barrel carb which im sure isn't original. Also, going a larger bore isn't wanted by my grandfather who's helping me with it all (not like he's forcing my hand, he's just helped so much I wouldn't want him to feel ignored after all he's put into it with me). When i bought the warlock with the 440 the old owner insisted it was 'the horniest thing he's ever heard' and goddamn is it ever. That thing has blue bottles / no cats and holy man is she 'horny'

 

The old saying 'no replacement for displacement' comes to mind. The Warlock was a D series truck as well as the Li'l Red Express and both came with the 360 or 440.
FF

 

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408 stroker? if that's possible with the older LA Engine, I know you can do it to a Magnum 360 V8.

 

We have been running a 73 Dodge Dart ex 225 /6 car repowered with a 440 / 727 (internally balanced forged crank) from a low mileage 72 New Yorker since 1999.
We ran the as stock engine till 2001, engine was fine but the 72 440 had a very low compression ratio to meet the 72 smog issues and the smog heads also left a lot to be desired.
In 2001 I went through the engine bored it .040 and put in 6-pack pistons to get the compression up to a reasonable 9.2:1 for pump gas.
I went to a Summit big cam and the HP heads from 68 with 2.14 stainless valves, and heavier springs and bronze guides.
Yes edelbrock aluminum heads were available for about the same as the work I had done to the stock heads BUT I still have period correct casting numbers and have yet to find an blown head gasket.
Went to large torsion bars and rear springs.
Headers and 2.5" pipes short glass packs.
This car is truly a 60's muscle car.
It is a serious car that handles and drives fine.
I do not care much for the late pick-up truck 440 engines, I think of them as gas slugs but they do has a class about that no 360 will ever have.
Unless you are into all out racing there is no reason to stroke a 440 --- and in low performance the cast externally balanced crank will stay together jut keep the RPM's under 5000.
78 was the last year for the 440 and Mopar was about broke so they did the best they could with that year of 440.
The 78 engine in the pickup was about 7.2:1, a 440 will never run at less than 8.2 so if the overhaul just replaced the rings it will be a gas slug engine same as stock
Our 73/440/Dart will run circles around our 2001 360 A1500 Van.
AND sounds good doing it.