RV help. 2973 Lark 26RB?

[Mandy]

So I am new to this. I hope I'm posting in the right spot. Here goes.... I'm looking to buy a 1973 Lark 26 RB. Although when I try to find info on it I don't have any luck what so ever! Nothing when googled.:( Dealer thinks it has a Dodge 360 in it. But I talked to an RV mechanic and he thinks it's a 440. It appears to be in good shape. But I would like to know more about it before I purchase it and dive head first into it! ;) Like the front end....ball joints or king pins? What kind of engine is it really?

[C D]

Had a 78 Dodge Sportsman with the 360 (most were on class c). Actually a 361 (higher output). Great runner. Plenty of power on my big rig up mountains.  My google search  showed pics & how to decode. Code is on block & in vin#.  Remember those lug nuts on the right side tighten to the left & left side tightens right - just opposite. (unless somebody changed all the studs out on right side). Only thing I had go bad was the ballast resister. A ceramic block with coils that changed starting voltage. Everybody always carried a spare handy (they were cheap). As I recall ball joints. Chester

[Daniel Long]

The Dodges of that era could be the 360 or 440 but you can tell by where the distributor is located on the engine.Both are on top but the 360 (the one I had) was located at the rear and the 440 had it's towards the front if I remember correctly. Either engine still has parts available for it but it's hard to find folks to work on them with the carburetors (some 2 barrel Carter jobs, some 4 barrel Rochester Quadrajets. Does it look like this one?? Classic!!

[Daniel Long]

Dodge 360's have the distributor on the rear of the engine, 440's have it near the front. If you mechanic can't tell what is what, then you need another one. 360's had a lot of 2 barrel carbs (Carters, Holley) and the 440's had mostly 4 barrels installed. Most parts for the Dodger are around except the front springs for motorhomes, which you need to hunt for and possibly order heavy-duty springs with 10000 rating on them. The front end's are really simple on these.