IML: 440 engine on ebay

["Pete Engel" <peter.engel@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

The numbers on that engine (with one exception) make perfect sense.

With a casting date of 10/29/68 to engine would be for/from a 69 model year
car.  This would result in the letter code "E" preceding the displacement on
the stampings ahead of the intake manifold.  The seller says "F440" but the
bottom of the "E was probably lightly stamped and therefore misinterpreted.

The "11 11" stated by the seller make sense as well, being an engine
assembly date about 2 weeks after the block casting date.  Very normal, but
I have seen some much, much further apart.  The "HP2" simply indicates a HP
engine built on shift 2, not some super special version of an HP engine.
I've seen the shift 2 mark follow the assembly date as well, as shown with
this 1970 Road Runner 383:

http://bos-engel.com/MML/s383pad.JPG

And here's the 426W out of a 65 Dodge Monaco:

http://bos-engel.com/MML/engstamps_s.jpg

I have yet to see any big block engine marked with the engine sequential
number.  Small blocks, yes, but not big blocks.

The seller should include the VIN info stamped into the side of the block
way down at the oil pan mating surface.  For a 69 engine that would be the
entire VIN of the vehicle it was installed in.  He could have the engine out
of a hot Super Bee, Road Runner, or GTX and make a muscle car owner very,
very happy.

http://bos-engel.com/MML/383vin.jpg

Not much market for the engine the way he built it as reflected by the
number of bids.

Pete in PA


Date: Tue, 1 May 2007 20:05:03 -0700 (PDT)
From: David Whitney <hazegreen66@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Fraud? ( was IML: 440 for cast iron trans)
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That's not where the HP2 stamp is supposed to be.  It should be up next to
the numbers "440".  Down there would be the sequential number of the engines
built that day, easily modified to read "HP2", and any Maltese cross and/or
"X" indicating undersize crankshaft.  The "11 11" is the month and date of
engine assembly, and the spacing in the bottom row can vary widely.  In '69
there was no engine serial number per so the claim can't be verified.  The
HP motors had identically cast blocks, just different innards and bolt-ons.
Since this is a full race rebuild, the innards are not original and therefor
not stock "HP".  caveat emptor
  




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