Tech Question
Jeffrey Diamond, Uniondale, NY
Rick, I just inherited a ’73 440 engine. I think it came out of a wagon. I read that ’74 was the first year that 440s had cast cranks. Is this true, and does this mean that my motor has a forged crank?
Jeff:
This is an interesting, and somewhat confusing topic. Actually, 1973 was the phase-in year for cast cranks, but then only on standard-performance 440s (such as yours). Judging by that last statement, you’d naturally conclude that all 1974 standard-perf 440s would be cast crank mills. Wrong! For ’74, all hi-perf mills continued to be forged, while some s.p. mills were also forged.
Cast crank motors all came with unique vibration dampeners, specifically labeled for their intended 440-cast crank application. Most cast-crank 440s of this period also received a letter “E” on the engine I.D. pad, and none came with a pilot-bushing, as all 4-speed 440s were forged-crank engines.
Rick
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