440 six pack questions?

[Luis]

i had a few questions. I was going to see a 440 six pack engine that's for sale tomorrow and wanted to know what to look for. It is a complete set up. Engine is completed with intake, carbs, and air cleaner. Any way to check if it's an original duck pack engine and not just some regular 440 out of any car or motor home? And how to tell if carbs are original? Casting date I believe I was told was may 1969 but it came off a 1970 car when removed.

Also what is the value of it? if it's all there only thing is it's not rebuilt. But owner says it turns freely and has compression. I don't want to over pay so let me know what you guys think and if anything I should be careful with or look for specifically. Thanks'

 

[DetMatt1]

An engine cast in May would have come out of the same model year that it was cast in. Go straight for the machined pad in front of the intake. Below is a pic of my '68 440 HP. Notice the D440, the D is for '68, an E would stand for '69, F for '70 and so on. Also notice the HP after the 12 21, A 6 pack engine will also have an HP stamped on there somewhere. The other thing to look for on the block is another small rectangular machined pad just above the pan rail on the passenger side under the engine mount where the vin from the car it came out of will be stamped. If a full 13 digit vin is there(some are and some are just partial) look for a V in the vin which is the 6 pack engine code for a 1970. If it's a '69 six pack look for an M instead of the V.

Here are some numbers to look for on the carbs and the date codes are 4 digit with the first 3 numbers being day of the year and the fourth being the last number of the year, for example a carb dated December 31st of '69 will have a date code of 3659. As far as a value? You don't need a real six pack engine for your V code car I'm assuming so it wouldn't be smart to pay a premium for such a unit if it is expensive. The six pack rods are beefier which also means that they are heavier and that's not necessarily needed for a street car and there are really no other differences between a 4 bbl and a 6 bbl accept the carbs, intake and dampener. If it's a standard bore (previously in-Rebuilt) that's a plus. Put it this way, there's a '67 440 HP engine that's .030 over(previously rebuilt with 25K on it) and some later heads for sale locally for $700 and although tempted I'm not running out to get it.

 

[704406]

May 69 production might be possible for an August or Sept produced car, but the code on the tab will tell the year for sure as detmatt1 says. The crank damper will have an elipical weight on it that says "use with a cast crank only" which is peculiar to 70-71 HP 440's (And 6 packs)
No very many guys want to run the heavy 6pack rods anyway because of the extra weight of the rotating mass, it seems that today lighter is better.
I sold a complete 71 HP 440 oil pan to air cleaner with exhaust manifolds a year or so ago for $900. (Canadian) locally. Ken

 

[Luis]

May 69 production might be possible for an August or Sept produced car, but the code on the tab will tell the year for sure as detmatt1 says. The crank damper will have an elipical weight on it that says "use with a cast crank only" which is peculiar to 70-71 HP 440's (And 6 packs)
No very many guys want to run the heavy 6pack rods anyway because of the extra weight of the rotating mass, it seems that today lighter is better.
I sold a complete 71 HP 440 oil pan to air cleaner with exhaust manifolds a year or so ago for $900. (Canadian) locally. Ken

That seems low for a complete engine with intake, exhaust manifolds, carbs and air cleaner.

 

[moparleo]

Approach the sale as just a 440 with a six-pak induction system and not any premium added. If the engine is complete, get a battery, a gas can with some fuel line and start it up. What does " it has compression "mean? All cylinders within 10 % of each other ? 80 psi per cylinder or 150 psi ? Always take what ever someone says about an item they are selling with a grain of salt. Don't assume anything that you can not test for yourself. Will he take it back if anything that he said turned out not to be as advertised ? After you buy it, how much will it cost to disassemble to check actuall condition and reassemble with just gaskets and seals ? What if it needs something ? Even if it was in good shape inside ? Or will you believe what the seller has said and just install it and cross your fingers ? Always buyer beware, if you don't know the seller personally or the actual history of what you are buying. It's your money.