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  #1  
Old 03-11-2005, 11:28 AM
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Default 440 cast crank

Hey guy's


Where building up a 440 , it's a 1974 block with the reinforcement webbing , been bored .030 over. It's going to be built for approx 500 hp. Now question is as any of you guy's had issues with an original cast crank with 500hp in a 440? I wouldn't mind saving the cash of pruchassing a forged one! Let me know.

thanks

Charlie B.

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  #2  
Old 03-11-2005, 11:34 AM
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Biggrin

Should not have any problem at 500. I never have.
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  #3  
Old 03-11-2005, 12:58 PM
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I aggree with DWC... cast cranks are good to around 700 hp. But I would get it internally ballanced though. Any good machine shop should be able to do that for you...
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Old 03-11-2005, 01:36 PM
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700 hp? Thats a new level for me.
Then again, if it were a small block, I'd say 600 hp, but thats pushing it hard and to the max. You will have problems later at that level.
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Old 03-11-2005, 02:09 PM
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Question

There is another thread going right now where it was said that all BBs had forged cranks. That was mentioned right after talking about the heads on a '68 440. Maybe the intent was that all '68s had forged cranks. Were there certain years/models that used cast vs forged?
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  #6  
Old 03-11-2005, 02:16 PM
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Well, just from the other post that mentions them having forged cranks. According to that post all of the '68 440's had forged, but I'm pretty sure my '73 has cast (I'm pulling the motor later today and then I'll know for sure) and I know they all didn't have them all of the time.
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Old 03-11-2005, 02:17 PM
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I think that cast cranks in the big blocks came in around 72. Maybe 73. I believe that a few of the first 400 engines had forged cranks. The 400 came out in 72? I have been told by a few good Mopar engine guys that a cast B or RB crank is good to 700.
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  #8  
Old 03-11-2005, 02:51 PM
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Laugh cast 440 cranks

heres a list of the 440's i own

1969 hp 440 forged
1972 440 forged
1973 440 out of an rv cast
1974 440 the one i'm currently building cast
1975 440 cast also
and finally a 1977 440 and it as cast crank also

so i would say last year for forged cranks was 1972 and probably some odd 440 in 73 would have got them also.
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  #9  
Old 03-11-2005, 02:56 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bigiron
I aggree with DWC... cast cranks are good to around 700 hp. But I would get it internally ballanced though. Any good machine shop should be able to do that for you...
well, i wonder, if you can get 700hp to live on a cast crank, whats a forged good for?
god, i feel numb, i went thrue the frustration of modifieing a 413 crank to go in my 74 440 for my truck (400-450hp) just to find out i was a dummy?
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  #10  
Old 03-11-2005, 03:06 PM
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Biggrin big block engine years , cranks and casting numbers !!!

I beleive the 400 started life in 1971!!According to big block mopar performance book on page 10 they date the 400 casting number 3462346 as a 1971 and 1972 engine block!Ok i.ve attached a copy of the list of big blocks casting numbers and crankshaft checklist.

regards

mopar nut up north!
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  #11  
Old 03-11-2005, 03:33 PM
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Default 400 1971 block casting number

sorry but in the previous post i gave a casting number for the 1971 400 block thats actually the head casting the block casting number is the following 3614230. Also my charts for the b and rb blocks casting numbers and cranks are too large for attaching. email me at charlie1821977@hotmail.com and i will email you them .

thanks
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  #12  
Old 03-11-2005, 03:57 PM
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all of the people that i consider to be knowledgable in this area (meaning they have actually DONE it) say 600 hp is about the limit for a cast crank... HOWEVER, with studs and cross-bolted mains, this level can be raised. how much, i dont know.

as for the forged cranks, i know of some engines that are making 1000+ hp with them, again, they are studded and cross-bolted. what other mods they have, i dont know.

personally, if i had the $$$ to make 600 hp from a 440, the few extra bucks for the studs and cross-bolts wouldnt be a problem. call it "return on investment". starting at around the 375 hp level, those horses start to get pretty spendy...
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  #13  
Old 03-11-2005, 04:11 PM
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I agree with rumblefish, I think that much HP is on the bleeding edge for a cast crank. Must say I've never had problems with a cast crank, but I've never used one, either; always went with forged. All 440's had forged cranks till the early 70's; don't know the exact year of the switch. For my money, in a high rev, high HP engine that is going to see a lot of thrashing at WOT, I'd either find a forged 440 crank in good shape, or spend the extra bucks on a good aftermarket one....

Just my $.02...
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  #14  
Old 03-11-2005, 04:14 PM
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I never said the cast crank is as tough as a forged crank... but as with alot of what we do isn't because of need, as is with bragging rights...

A "B" and "RB" cast crank is tougher than most of you guys give it credit for. Yes, they will stand up to 700 hp... No it won't run 100,000 miles at 700 hp... but niether will alot of the other parts. But it will last a long time... I've seen it... The reason I have forged cranks in my engines is because I have them... If I didn't have them I wouldn't be one bit afraid to put a cast crank in. ( I would get it internally balanced, but that is not really needed either )

Honestly guys.... how many of you have seen a crankshaft failure as the cause of a blown engine??? And of those how many where hp related??? And of those how many were cast????

I hear the same stuff you do... I read the same stuff you do... again, alot of what we do is overkill... just to say we have it. (bragging rights...) Not because of real need.

Heck we had a 671 blower on a bone stock 289 Ford cast everything.... boy what a no no... I think we had like 25,000 miles on it till we got greedy and swapped the pullys and over drove the poor thing and smoked it... But it wasn't a crank failure... (detonation + blower = KAAAABOOOM)

Point is... if you ask anyone can I put a blower on a cast crank/piston engine you'll get a resounding NO... but I can say yes you can, just don't get greedy... no you are not going to get 8 second quarters out of it but it will perform nicely on the street.

On the lighter side .... It's nice to pop the hood a say I have this and that and it's bullet proof and it costed $10,000 to finish it... but it WAY more satisfying to whip one of you guys with my $250 pile of stuff that has budget "tricks" and little known "secrets" making it come alive...

But that's WAY off the subject... so I'll shut up now....
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  #15  
Old 03-11-2005, 06:30 PM
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Default haha bigiron!!



Very true Bigiron!
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  #16  
Old 03-11-2005, 11:04 PM
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Default Mind if I jump in?

I remember a few (several if you must know) years back that Dick Landy did some articles on the 440. He said that 550 was pushing a cast crank to the limit and that a stock block will only take 700 for a very limited time and then start cracking the main saddles even with studs being used. The 400 block is suppose to be a little stronger in the bottom but if you want that much HP, you are going to have to go to a stronger block if you want it to live and not waste your hard earned money.
With that said, anyone who thinks this is garbage, please send me the cost of your next engine since you won't need it. Right?
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