We know that a lot of people love the LS engine and believe it should be in everything. We also know that there are a group of people out there that can’t stand the thought of swapping LS engines into everything and that has created a sometimes fun rivalry between the two camps. What really stands out in the fight is the fact that Ford guys are typically a bit more understanding than Mopar guys who flat lose their minds if you remove one of their beloved Pentastar powerplants. So does someone swapping a 440 get beat up for it if it is in a motorhome instead of a classic Mopar? I’m not sure. I know that I love it and wonder what the Mopar faithful will think.
I’m a huge fan of these eyebrow Winnebagos and want one bad, so I can tell you that I would gladly swap an LS engine and 4L80e into one if I had the chance. Below you’ll find the first three videos in a series on just how this swap is happening in the cool old motorhome.
Oh and did we mention that the LS will be turbocharged? Yeah, it’s happening. Enjoy.
They’re building a MotorHome for Geordie–AWESOME !
The 440 Mopar motor home engines are 330 HP and 420 TQ. Why not just put the hair dryer on the 440 .You would have more HP and TQ than your LS. The bottom of the skirted Mopar can handle a lot of power . And it has a 727 behind it .Looks like a lot of work , Must be LS loving young punks .That don’t know what a distributor even looks like. So you want a Winny with a lot of grunt and something to talk about. I get that. Leave the 440 or 413 in place .Put in a better cam .Plumb in you turbo. The trans will take what you are throwing at it.The 727 is a great trans .And the motor home folks had Mopar build them a little different ,shift kit . Then look at the Dana 70 or 80 it would likely have . And with your new power .You could run 3:55 gears or maybe taller than that. So your MPG would go up. I really get doing a bullshit project just for the Wow factor,I really do. But even those projects need to be looked at as,do we really want to do that much? at least I do. And last ,what did they do with the 440. I’m retired and have an assume DODGE truck .I’ll come get it.
Your assumption about people that swap LS engines into vehicles is pretty unwarranted and couldn’t be more off base. There’s a point where reliability, power gains, and efficiency of the LS engine just can’t be beat. There’s a very good reason why those engines are taking over. It’s the same reason many top engine companies and builders out there are adjusting their focus to them.
Will probably be an improvement over the 440 5mpg at a lower cost than a diesel conversion, just prepare for lots of red-hot exhaust header time.
I know who would take the 440 – the local fire company’s 360 mopar in their emergency generator blew – 440 is the perfect power plant for industrial stuff – must be some other reason you don’t seem in cars/trucks much anymore – $$$$$ maybe?
Brand loyalty aside, these guys probably chose the least codtly but most technically challenging way to solve a problem. Kudo’s, if that floats your boat. Having owned a 440 powered mote, and being the owner of a 460 powered one, I can add some depth to this conversation.
Naturally aspirated, the LS would probably feel equal in power to the big wedge. My old 440 mote would run away and hide from this Ford powered one, at 12 mpg (Cdn) to the Ford’s 10. Having used my Hemi Ram to haul a big hot tank, I can attest to the power advantage the new motors have compared to the vintage stuff, but you do reach a point where looking for fuel economy gains is like looking for Bigfoot. I think the turbo will help economy in flatter country, and simply make it more pleasant to drive on the hills.
The LS would have been my 4th choice. First would have been a 9.0:1 440 stroker with the lightest piston/rod combo you could find. At 480-510 inches, there’s a ton of regular gas torque to be had on the stock 440 cam, installec 4 deg advanced. Add your favorite injection set-up and O/D, but leave the 4.56 gears those things came with.
Second would have been a 420″ small block with Magnum heads and the stock “barrel” intake those came with. Leave the stock cam, but go with 1.6 or 1.7 rockers. This would probably be stronger than the old 440, and give a little better economy, even without O/D.
A Gen III Hemi, turbocharged or not, would have been a similarly challenging swap to the LS, without the brand angst. But, it probably would have cost a bit more.
Old Mopar engines were pretty decent at making power . It is sad to see one more time trend followers hacking stuff and LS swapping everything . Leave the original engine and improve it .
Another angle. As much as I like older motes, you gotta be really motivated to go this route. For similar money to what these guys ate going to have tied up in a 70’s RV, you could have a decent mid-90’s c-class or a-class with a Ford V10 and a modern layout (i.e. rear bed). The lack of a rear bed in those older rigs makes for a lot of extra work at the track, and even just regular camping.
It’s a lot harder for me to get worked up over a 440 to LS1 swap in a Winnebago than a classic muscle car. The 440 now has a chance to get swapped into something that won’t be holding it back so much.
I compare hating people who pull the 440 out of a motorhome and replace it with an LS to people who hate the gay community; I don’t dislike either bunch, since they leave more great 440s and more available women for the rest of us! More power to ’em!!