Odd 440 Block

[PursuitSpecial]

I'm building this engine for a friend and I've never seen a block stamped like this. It's a 1977 630 block cast 9-18-76 but there's no VIN or serial stamped anywhere on the engine, pan rail or starter pad. The top ID pad has what looks like a faint HP or maybe HP1 stamped under the 7T440T. Usually the HP is stamped in the same font on the 1st line, like my other 77 HP 440, but here it's different. I'm thinking this is a dealer short block assembly for an engine replacement.

Knowing the guy who had it, it could be out of a police car but he has so many 440s he can't remember. Usually, cops would just decommission and sell a car if they blew the engine, I've never seen one with a dealer block, unless this one was blown with so few miles the car was good enough to save if they had a tight budget.

Any other ideas where this thing came from?

 

[Sixpactogo]

I'm thinking a truck 440. My 78 truck didn't have the VIN stamped in either. The heads castings are a little different too around the spark plugs.

 

[RemCharger]

My cousin just bought a 77 440 truck motor with no stampings whatsoever.

 

[Vaanth]

I'm building this engine for a friend and I've never seen a block stamped like this. It's a 1977 630 block cast 9-18-76 but there's no VIN or serial stamped anywhere on the engine, pan rail or starter pad. The top ID pad has what looks like a faint HP or maybe HP1 stamped under the 7T440T. Usually the HP is stamped in the same font on the 1st line, like my other 77 HP 440, but here it's different. I'm thinking this is a dealer short block assembly for an engine replacement.

Knowing the guy who had it, it could be out of a police car but he has so many 440s he can't remember. Usually, cops would just decommission and sell a car if they blew the engine, I've never seen one with a dealer block, unless this one was blown with so few miles the car was good enough to save if they had a tight budget.

Any other ideas where this thing came from?

View attachment 741253

View attachment 741263

The pictured engine is a 1977 440 truck engine built at the Trenton Engine Plant, in Trenton Michigan, on October 1, 1976 during the second shift. The first "T" in 7T440T denotes Trenton, and the second "T" denotes truck. The stamp that looks like "HP" on the engine pad was likely added by someone else. The lack of VIN stamping on the engine pad or elsewhere, was customary for truck engines then. It was not mandated by law for trucks at that time.

The following image from the 1977 truck factory service manual describes the identity coding:

 

[RemCharger]

Thanks again Vaanth. Up here, we've never seen the T designation for truck.

 

[67valiant 100]

Imo looks like a typical truck/rv 440 that someone down the line wacked an HP stamp in. Definitely not original..

 

[PursuitSpecial]

According to the passenger car manual, T could just mean it's a Trenton engine, unless that's included in the"7T". It could've been out of a truck, but the T doesn't necessitate it apparently. Interestingly, mopar did offer truck and van police packages in 1977 and 78, and 440s were available... I wonder if they used the HP 440s in them? That would make for a pretty hot truck in that time.

Notice this page has a disclaimer that states replacement engines have blank engine number pads. If they're referring to the ID pad, this wouldn't fit that... but the description of it near the tappet rail is the ID pad.

Not like it matters for the build, but it's an interesting puzzle.

 

[67valiant 100]

No 440HPs were used in trucks. Trucks & motorhomes typically didnt get a VIN stamped in the block like passenger cars.

 

[CBODY67]

I know the "HP" stamping has been cherished by many in the Mopar Camp for decades, as an indication of "something special" about such blocks.

NOW, just WHAT makes it special? As to the casting being better? The allegedly "high flow" water passage holes on the deck surface? Higher nickel content in the cast iron mix? Better/more precise machining? OR was it the components that went inside it?

Is the "T" stamp similar?

I believe I already know the answer, but I wanted some concrete information from those who might know more?

Just curious. Thanks!
CBODY67

 

[PursuitSpecial]

The general wisdom is that the HP is meaningless to the block, aside from telling the original application the engine was used in and what kind of internals it was equipped with stock. Now, actual heavy truck application blocks and heads are supposed to have larger coolant passages, but I don't think 440s were ever given that, only 413s, and they had unique casting number identifiers.