Good towing camshaft

[Clyde9]

From: knuckleheadpower  (Original Message)
Sent: 10/26/2006 4:52 AM

Rebuilding a 440-3 for my brave. Any recommendations on a good RV/Towing camshaft ?



From: denisondc
Sent: 10/26/2006 9:01 AM

The camshaft that came with the 440-3 was a good one for towing, i.e. low rpm heavy pulling for day after day. Its torque peak is about 2800 rpm, and the torque 'curve' is fairly flat. I have the 413-1 in my winnie, the predecessor of the 440-3. I have used it to pull 3000 lb loads, and it does well. But thats driving from Nortern Virginia to south Texas, not driving in real mountains.
How heavy is your boat and trailer? The only limitation I would mention about using a Winnebago with a trailer, is that on mine, the Dodge frame extends only a foot behind the rear wheels. From there a pair of channel iron extensions about 4 ft long are welded to the frame. Its a decent butt weld with a small (6") flinch plate, but is still the weak point in my view. There is a data plate inside the rear hatch that cautions about a max tongue wt of 300 lbs. I think it is because of that welded frame extension; which wasn't even braced against side-to-side movement before I added some cross-diagonals. My winnie is an Indian, with the 137" wheelbase. I think yours would be shorter, and would have a different frame. If you are lucky, it would have no extension, with the dodge frame all the way back. With mine it is 95" from the center of the axle back to the tow ball. For this reason I used a tow bar or a tow dolly when I was towing a car behind us. I didn't want the weight of the tongue of a car-trailer pushing down on that little frame weld. I have had one good welder tell me it wasnt the weak point I thought it was though.
I believe the 727 tranny that came with the 440-3 needs to go with it to the other winnebago. This is because the 727 tranny used on the 318 engines apparently has a slightly different bell housing that the one on the 440 had. It is a very slight difference it seems. I have not had the opportunity to measure the two bell housings side by side. Wish I could.
You might want to consider using an axillary tranny fluid cooler, unless you live where it is fairly flat. I added one in series with the one in the bottom of the radiator, and 'ahead' of it. So the tranny fluid leaves the aux. cooler, then goes through the bottom of the radiator.
I also added an oil temp gauge with the sender in the pan of the tranny.



From: knuckleheadpower
Sent: 10/26/2006 2:27 PM

The boat weighs #3500 without the trailer. My frame has a small extension in back, but I will build a new stronger hitch and tie it all in better. I bought the brave about an hour out of reno last Christmas, sight unseen. It had not run in 2 years. I flew in in the morning and after a new battery, shot of ether, and a good once over I drove it away that evening all the way to Escondito CA, and later to Phoenix AZ. It has a 360 in it now and it is pretty pathetic in the mountains. The trans in it only has a three gear planetary set. You are right, I will put the 440-3 tranny in, with some towing mods.
The indian has a nice factory cooler on it I will use. I am still skeptical about towing heavy loads through the mountains however. I am afraid of killing the tranny.



From: Phåråoh
Sent: 10/26/2006 8:21 PM

I tried to kill the 727 and the 440 a few years back, towing what was likely waaaaay too much, a long distance, up numerous steep hills, the last one being one serious climb...  did it non-stop, in 1st, going like 5 -6 mph.  Won't go into details, but there are some members who remember.  Take Dave's word for it, that combo can take a tow!  I did have tranny and engine cooler and believe me, my eyes were glued to both temp and pressure gauges.  The temps were border red-line, but never went over and all returned to normal very quickly after topping the crest.

- Sob



From: russmehl
Sent: 10/28/2006 8:25 AM


In 2005, we did a 5000 mi. circuit from Michigan to the mountains of So. Colorado and then North to Minnesota in our '76 D26RT. 440-3 with the 727 and a 2500# trailer. The only time we suffered from a lack of power was in the higher elevations. (Highest 11075 ft. Red Mtn. Pass)
There hadn't been time to even think about carb jets...
If I had it to do over again, I would look into a fuel injection conversion.
But otherwise, it's pedal to the metal and pass those slowpokes!

Russ