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View Poll Results: which is the better setup for a valiant/duster type vehicle
318 hopped up with 4bbl and cam and heads exhaust 1 4.55%
440 stock with 4bbl 8 36.36%
360 crate motor? 12 54.55%
383.. 1 4.55%
Voters: 22. You may not vote on this poll

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  #1  
Old 07-11-2001, 03:47 PM
wlfbro wlfbro is offline
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Question 440 duster

the duster is a a body mopar, from 1974, originally it had a 318 2bbl but i am about to put a 440 6pk in it and have a few things to bring up.
first off, i have rear drum and fron disk brakes, and was wondering will it really be necessary for street and occasional drag use to change out the brakes?
the transmission is a 904 from the 318, i have access to a 727 for it and was wondering if there will be any necessary shift linkage changes due to the fact that fenderwall and all other clearances are almost nill.
i am planning on using the shumaker engine mounts for the swap to attach to my existing k member, anyone have any experience with these?
radiator change, will a big block radiator from a 65 coronet fit in the duster with only minor changes, or will it require a major retrofit.
will the differential require changing, and if so, will a coronet one work.
suspension....i know i will need to really boost up the front, by how much? would coil over's be enough? and int he rear will just leafsprings with pinion snubbers and helper springs work?
how will hood clearance be? any suggestions on air cleaner element?
the 440 will be bone stock, with only a new 650cfm carb and a timing chain, any idea of how she will run in the quarter?

okay, thanx, if you need more info let me know, i was trying to keep it short and sweet.
email me at jose.tuya@beale.af.mil

i am in northern california in yuba city, so if you want to take a look or take part let me know, definitely looking for a sponsor.
thanx
jose tuya
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  #2  
Old 07-11-2001, 04:13 PM
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DartMan360 DartMan360 is offline
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You wont have to worry about putting Disc brakes out back. If you have them up front thats all you need. We have drums all around and have no problem stopping the car. The 904 is a good tranny. Just beef it up a lil bit. And get a good converter. The radidator will be easy to fit. We have one out of a ram charger and all we had to do was make a bottom bracket. Very easy to do. As far as the front end work. It should be fine. I would get S/S springs for the back. Hood clearence should be fine. Just depends on how big of a air cleaner you put on. This is up to you. Summit sells some nice ones for a 6pack but are 100 bucks. Cheap if you dont have the orignal one and have to buy it somewhere else. As far as times this depends on what your going to do the tranny what converter and what gears. But you should expect something in the mid to high 13's. Just depends on how you hook up. May i suggest you just going to a 360 380 Crate. That is what we have in our dart. Runs 12.40's and gets better millage than our durango gets. And the car has 4.56's compared to the 3.55's the durango has..go figure.
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  #3  
Old 07-11-2001, 04:21 PM
wlfbro wlfbro is offline
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Default hmmm

so you think that the 360 380 crate will outperform the 440 with the duster? the crate runs about what...2,000? i already have a 440, yet 360's are hard to find....hmmm...that gives me some to think about, what is the wet weight of you're dart? what have you done with the interior and what size tires are you running
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  #4  
Old 07-11-2001, 07:38 PM
River River is offline
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check out my site: www.bigblockdart.com. if you have any other questions, feel free to email me.
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  #5  
Old 07-11-2001, 10:43 PM
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69CORONET440 69CORONET440 is offline
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Hey Jose if you really want to do the BB/A BODY thing then the "bigblockdart" page above is a must! good luck-David
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  #6  
Old 07-11-2001, 10:58 PM
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DartMan360 DartMan360 is offline
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The 360 Crate is 3500. We have 4.56 out back with a 26in tall tire. So we are pushing about a 4.60 or so gear. What year 440 is this? You have to rember that a stock 440 doesnt have much more hp than the 360. Coz the 360 is actually around 400-410. But you have to rember that the 440 weighs more than the 360. Im not 100% sure but its somewhere around 150lbs. It is all Stock interior and all steel car. Car looks 100% stock expect from the hood scoop. If you were going to do a lil bit of work to the 440 than i would tell you to do it. But the 360 will out perform an all stock 440. And like i said before this car gets better gas millage than our durango gets.
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  #7  
Old 07-11-2001, 11:00 PM
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DartMan360 DartMan360 is offline
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Also the weight is 3500lbs. And around here you can pick up 360's cheap! 340's are hard to come by now.
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  #8  
Old 07-12-2001, 10:23 AM
wlfbro wlfbro is offline
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Default 440

the 440 is a 67, so far i have just been rebuilding it exept for putting a tunnel ram on it and obviously a new carb...i might do cam, crank, and rocker arms if i can come up with the money, money is the factor here, i don't have any of it....
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  #9  
Old 07-12-2001, 10:21 PM
DusterDave DusterDave is offline
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Jose, the 904 automatic is NOT going to bolt up to the 440. The transmission bolt pattern for small blocks and big blocks is different. You need a 727 for a big block.
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  #10  
Old 07-13-2001, 12:16 AM
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Ausydad Ausydad is offline
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I've seen you guys talk about different aspects of these swaps. I completely get the money thing. What I haven't seen mentioned was the notch in the K-member for the big block oil pump. A guy around the corner from me wanted to charge me $150 to make the notch and re-inforce when I thought about a 383 Duster. I'm in Socal. I kinda like the 360 better. Later a lot of things can be done if money comes around, and small blocks have a lighter rotating ass. to move faster. Just my thoughts.
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  #11  
Old 07-13-2001, 10:13 AM
wlfbro wlfbro is offline
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i already knew the 904 would not bolt up, i was asking about the kickdown linkages and shift linkages....

the notch for the oil pump, according to shumaker they have detailed instructions on how to do it with the part, and it can be done without a machine shop
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  #12  
Old 07-13-2001, 05:35 PM
413 dart 413 dart is offline
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the schumacher mounts come with a template drill 3 holes and connect the dots.they also give you shims for header clearances, the one collector(schumacher headers) on the pass side might need a little grinding to clear the torsion bar mine did, if you up grade to the bigger bars. the trans also lines up perfect in the crossmember with the stock mount. good luck... andy
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  #13  
Old 07-13-2001, 05:53 PM
T748 T748 is offline
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What rear end are you planning to use? If your on much of a budget, i would drop by pick n pull and grab a 360. I just picked one up for $138 pan to intake with the fuel pump.The big block swap,at least in my case was a complete drive train swap,raidiator,headers(i've tried the $175 and the $500 ones) The jacobs plug wires that will set you back $160,all the other wires burned.Also set of swap mounts,elephant ears or modifing the k frame.Toss in the 727,8 3/4 and a drive shaft to fit both and your into the money good with out any hop ups.I'm not saying i'm against the big block swap...just get that credit card ready!With a 360 you can use more of what you already have and upgrade as the wallet and time allow.
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  #14  
Old 07-15-2001, 11:02 PM
Darn Dart Darn Dart is offline
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I'd go with the 360. They can be had at any junk yard around the country for about $100. And its a bolt in, if you have the 8 1/4" rear end you could use that behind a 360 also. Plus you could use your existing 904 trans. You don't have to buy expensive swap headers or mounts, just a set of cheapo $89.99 headers would work fine. It wouldn't take much to make a nice driver that runs in the 12's.
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  #15  
Old 07-16-2001, 10:17 AM
wlfbro wlfbro is offline
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yah, i think i will try that, thank you...i have the 8 3/4 rear end already, but i will try finding a 360 with a tranny at a pick in pull, i have no choice now, the military is kicking me out because my wife stopped by my work so now i have to find myself another job and that is not going to be easy in cali, way to hard to find a job
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  #16  
Old 07-16-2001, 11:53 PM
John Powell John Powell is offline
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Default 440 duster the hard way ,or the ultimate wheelstander !

I started with a 74 gold duster that had been run off the road, through a ditch,and wrapped in a hundred yards of barb wire fence.the people that I bought it off of used Arco graphite oil in it I bought the car in 1980it had a 6cyl 3 spd stick .
The car was shot.!! it had ring ridge so bad that
you could have pulled the engine just by the ring groves,and the front end wouldn't align at all.
a friend of mine had a monaco that had been sideswiped .We both got a brainstorm,and ended up pulling the engine ,tranny,raised the duster up on high blocks torching the whole front suspention out,and pulled the rear end.We pulled the 440, crossmember,727 ,and 8 3/4 spicer posilock out of the monaco I think it had 2/11 gears in it,the spedo was 15 mph to slow ,and we found a straight axle at a wreckinng yard that had been shortend,for a car. thats right,a straight axle duster 440,T.Q. carb,LIGHT body,and BEEFY rearend. The ground clearence for the car bodywas 17"
The test drive was SCARY ,no exaust system except for the manifolds.Ole Joe stomed the gas,and threw it down into low,and it happend FAST,the LOUD roar,a sizzeling sound,and it seemed like the WHOLE back of the duster sank to the ground,and then it launched,we went across I -140 on two wheels at about a 60 deg angle,I remember hanging on to the bottom of the bucket seat,and looking at the tops of the telephone poles over the hood.the car started to twist from side to side,one second
rocks in the ditch,the next air,and now we have to bring it down,can't hit the brakes,you have to let up on the gas a little let the front end start to drop,and as it does you have to speed up so you don't slam the front down.It took us a couple of hours, and a few beers to completely stop shaking.
Shift points for this beast were....low,0-55,2nd,
55-110,and drive,110 to ? I pegged the dusters spedo several times it goes to 120,and I was doin'15 mph faster than that,and still had over 1" left to go to the floor.
What a sleeper,no hood,that buckeld on the first test drive,bone stock 1974 440,and it had that deep rumble that spelled trouble I shure ate up a lot of chevys, fords and other mopars .I either caught them burning rubber,and left them,or they would fall way behind shiftig gears,because I could go up to about 60 before shifting into second,and it could get there fast.
The duster is long gone,when I got my spine crushed I couldn't drive it any more,it needed king pins, welding,and a lot of work that I couldn't do anymore pluss the inshurance on modified cars is outragous. I have the rear end,
and the 440 and trans went into a fury II wagon,and is happily purring away with over 300.000 miles on it.
-Well there it is a 440 duster the hard way. Oh
I had 3/4 ton willies leaf springs on the straight axle Have fun I did
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