Road Runner Nest

Hi Guys,

Newbie here with a question about which throttle cable bracket and left valve cover is correct for my '71 GTX factory 4-spd car with a Scheduled Production Date of C17 (December 17th 1970)?
I just picked up a completely rebuilt G440HP2 engine that came out of a parted '71 automatic equipped GTX and it has a left valve cover with the raised dome, along with a throttle cable bracket that is the same as all of the '70 low performance 383/440 C-body engine I have seen and owned... Would those parts be correct for my GTX?

here are some pics:


or, this type (obviously after the kickdown bellcrank is removed)

i don't think the bottom one is correct, as i belive in 71 they went to a one-piece linkage rod. the top one looks like mine, but it is from a later date 440. just my input

the top pic is a 71one same as my oct 70 1971 gtx

left valve cover with the raised dome is feb 71 ?
aug 70 -jan 71 no raised dome same as a aug 69 jan 71 1970 -71 cars
the 70 -71 c -body are the same ones 383 2bbl 383 4bbl 440 4bbl 440 6bbl but with tabs
1970- jan 71 383 2bbl 383 4bbl 440 4bbl 440 6bbl are same ones b-body e body no tabs

Thanks guys! The '71 GTX that the engine pictured above was removed from was a Febuary built car according to Eric, so now all I have to do is use one of the '70 valve covers I have stock piled

71440 gtx wrote:the top pic is a 71one same as my oct 70 1971 gtx

left valve cover with the raised dome is feb 71 ?
aug 70 -jan 71 no raised dome same as a aug 69 jan 71 1970 -71 cars
the 70 -71 c -body are the same ones 383 2bbl 383 4bbl 440 4bbl 440 6bbl but with tabs
1970- jan 71 383 2bbl 383 4bbl 440 4bbl 440 6bbl are same ones b-body e body no tabs

That is not quite true, I did have 2 different 71 B Bodys in my garage at the same time, a 71 GTX , build date of Sept 70 and a 71 Charger R/T, build date of late Nov or early Dec, I would need to look at the documentation on the R/T to be sure which month it was but they both had different valve covers on them and both unmolested survivor cars. The 71 X has the lower or smooth cover and the R/T has the raised dome on the cover. So to answer your question, I am unsure when the raised dome actually came about, could have been late Oct or in Nov......

My 71 X is also a 4sp so if you need me to check on the bracket you have in question I could do it for you.

Hey Nick, that would be great! The more info, the better Was the '71 RT a Lynch Rd A-plant car? Maybe that made a difference? Both of the '71 Chargers I have owned were missing the OEM covers when I got them, so I don't know what was on them originally.

Here is a pic of the R/T tag, date was C04
Look at the Valve cover on it.
Last pic is of the throttle cable bracket on my 4sp X, sorry it is small but is is all I have at this time unless i go out and take another.

the Valve covers for my gtx came of 71 c-body jan 1971smooth cover with tabs on driver side

Here is the pic from my GTX, I rebuilt the motor back in '89 but I never changed the valve covers or the throttle linkage from when I bought the car in '87. When I bought the car the the engine was as far as I know 100% stock with the cast iron exhaust... I replaced them when I rebuilt the motor along with a few other things but not the valve covers or throttle linkage. My car has a build date of Oct. 06.

Picture link since the forum likes to cutoff and butcher pictures


edit: heres the chopped off picture or so it shows in my browser

I've used late Feb/March as the rule of thumb for the switchover on 71 Plymouth Bs, but it would really have more to do with the build date of the engine rather than the SPD of the car. I suppose this could account for why the switch appear to be at different times between build plants, as the volume of production at that plant could affect engine supply.

I guess the G- St.Louis plant was a tad slow as the '71 G440HP2 engine I bought has a EAD of 10-14. It was out of a Feburary built car. That is a pretty good amount of time for the completed engine to sit around. Also. that fact that it came with the domed left cover is puzzling with such an early assembly date...

Casting date, month was never cast

EAD (Engine Assembly Date)

G440
10 14 HP2

Almost ready to go