I have a 1970 dodge dart swinger, right now it has the old slant 6 in it. I purchased a little while ago. A 1978 440 out of a ram. Now where not too sure how to attack this. We would like to rebuild and have it running up to 500hp.. I also heard this is a troublesome year 440 to work with. We would like any advice and where to start on the rebuild...please..    

well sb v8 k-member modified has been know to work w/simple fabbed brackets.
But the easy way would be to buy a shumacher kit .
with tti headers.  

IF YOU WANT TO SPEND THE MONEY GO WITH AN ALTERKATION FRONT K MEMBER,ABOUT $2800.YOU WONT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THINGS NOT FITTING.COMES COMPLETE BOLT YOUR MOTOR IN AND GO.THE 440 IS OK.CHANGE THE HEADS,10-1 PISTONS,YOUR GONNA NEED A PRETTY BIG CAM TO GET 500 HP.AND LOTS OF FLOW,LARGE HEADERS AND AT LEAST A 850 CFM CARB.  

The Schumacher kit is the easiest way to install the 440 in the Dart, and comes with really nice pieces including the TTI headers. I'm working on a big-block swap now using this kit. The only problem in your application is  that the "tri-y" headers will limit power potential.

Depending on how refined you want to get, the cheapest way may be to put the engine in with a motor plate and fenderwell exit Hooker headers. If you want factory mounts, look at the Schumacher mounts and use the Hooker fenderwell exit headers.

500 horse from a '78 440 will definately require different pistons (10.5:1 minimum compression) good flowing heads, a stout cam, and a good intake/carb combination. The engine itself is capable of that power even with its cast crank.  

If its going to be driven on the street also I would just use a motor plate . With the motorplate you just install trans, stik in the block alone and get 2 pieces of 90 degree channel iron. you only need 1/4 inch thick max to hold engine in place.drill a hole on each side of frame where plate will sit and thru channel and bolt it down thru the frame.do the same and drill 2 holes in the plate also,bolt the plate to the channel iron,the transmission will dictate where engine is going to sit. with the rubber mount on transmission there wont be much vibration and things wont break. This plate will also sit higher in frame of car and allow you the use of the slant 6 center link without going to a v-8 drop link. All k frames are equal strength slant 6 k frame strong as a 440 k frame, its just a mount and torsion bar thing. I would try the 6 torsion bars as they will give good rise on frontend. Also if you run accessories you just mill the water pump housing down 1/4 inch,the thickness of the plate  ,and all your belts will align,normally I would use small block v-8 torsion bars on a bigblock but the slant 6 bars should work just fine,new here hi all, my names don .ps,set correct ride height and on a spring car make sure pinion angle is between 3 and 7 degrees I use 4 degrees personally and buy a good adjustable pinion snubber and leave around 1/4 travel on an automatic 1/2 inch on a manual, leave around 9/16s play in the driveshaft you cut down so it doesnt bottom out in transmission, fenderwell headers will fit like a dream add ss springs and your in the money. regards ps, remember you will need 4 water pump housing gaskets  

78 no different from any other yeaar 440 except around 75 they started using thicker mount ears and the 78s actually weigh more than an earlier 440 dont worry about going 0.60 on these later blocks as long as you sonic check as you would any other block, if anything the later blocks should be better than the earlier blocks, and they are, as technology advances in this time frame made a more consistant block  

1978 is OK.. but to produce 500 hp .. you best put a set of early pistons in it. A set of alum heads would not hurt at all.  

I have a '78 440 with 10.50 comp.,84 cc Edelbrock aluminum cylinder heads,Comp Cams 1.6 full roller rockers, an Edelbrock performer rpm intake with Demon 750 cfm vacuum secondary carb.  The cam is a Comp cams hydraulic with .525/.525 lift and .275/.287 advertised duration (.231/237 @ .50). Exhaust is through a set of Hooker Super Comps with 2" primary tubes.  This motor dyno'd at 540 horses at 5600 rpm with 575 pounds of torque.  That motor WILL make power!