The Mopar 440 engine was a high-performance power plant produced for Chrysler, Dodge and Plymouth automobiles. Introduced in 1966, the Mopar 440 achieved success on the street and the race track. Mopar (Chrysler’s automobile parts and engineering division) steadily modified and adjusted the engine over its production, run but the basic 440-cubic inch V-8 configuration remained a constant. Today, the Mopar 440 is found in the Dodge Challenger and Charger. Several Dodge Ram pickup trucks also come equipped with Mopar 440 variants.
Dimensions
The Mopar 440 is a V-8 engine with two banks of four cylinders at a 60-degree angle from the drive shaft. The eight cylinders have a total volume of 440 cubic inches. The bore and stroke on the Mopar 440 has varied over the eyars from a 3.4-inch bore (cylinder diameter) up to 4.32, The stroke (how far the piston travels) has also varied from 3.1 up to 3.7 inches.
Originally carbureted with up to three carburetors on some models, the current Mopar 440 is fuel injected.
Horsepower and Torque
The earliest Mopar 440s achieve very low horsepower ratings of 180 horsepower and 260 pounds of torque. As carburetion, bore and stroke dimensions were modified the engne’s overall power rating increased significantly. Between 1966 and 1969 horsepower had increased to 425 with 490 pounds of torque.
With the onset of the 1970s oil crisis performance for the Mopar 440 was tuned back. By 1974 the engine was cranking out 275 horsepower and 375 pounds of torque.
Today’s Mopar 440 installed in the Dodge Challenger produces up to 390 horsepower with 404 pounds of torque.
Performance
Mopar 440 engine performance depends on many factors ranging from engine options to owner-installed medications. Factory options, however, are a good starting point indicating how the engine transmits power to the road.
The original Mopar 440 in the Dodge Challenger traveled a standing quarter mile in 14.8 seconds at 96 mph. The current 440 has a lower time of 13.4 seconds with a speed of 108 mph.
Speed and performance numbers are dependent on the vehicle’s weight and driving conditions. Gas mileage for the current 440 engine is 22 miles to the gallon on the highway about 17 miles in the city.
References
Writer Bio
Wesley Tucker is a lifelong southerner whose politics are objective, whose sports are many and whose avocations range from aviation to anthropology to history and all forms of media. With a master's degree in mass communications from the University of South Carolina College of Journalism, Tucker has been a writer for more than 30 years, with work ranging from news reports to feature stories.
