Projects 400 Small Block Chevy Engine!

This is an excellent point. What works well on the strip can make for an absolutely miserable street car.

Make sure you work with the cam manufacturer and the torque converter manufacturer when selecting each. Getting it wrong can make for an expensive do-over.

 

2200-2600 lb car will be much easier to run fast. The stall speed is built into the torque converter on an automatic transmission. Again I'm just assuming that you'll run an auto. If you've got a stick things change.

The 4 bolt 400's are assumed to be weaker due to how the outer 2 bolts tie into the block webbing. I've seen circle track guys run them successfully at high rpm for a lot of seasons. 400's were mid to late 70's engines, the castings were hit and miss quality compared to earlier engines. Lightweight castings, core shift, different alloys, all came into play.
Lets see some pics if you decide to buy. We can help you through the build and parts choice. Find a good machine shop. A high performance build may not be the best to learn on, but what the hell.

If you add your location to your profile, guys can help with machine shop suggestions.

 

I saw that a few days ago! Looks incredible!

 

Right! Ok! I dont want a high idle speed because I want to be able to drive it a few times a week on the street! idling at a stop light with 3500 is burning gas like crazy! correct?? I want to keep my idle speed down if possible.

 

YES definitely!!

 

YE

Yes! Detinitely. I live in Blythewood, South Carolina. I'll either be running a 5-speed T-5 or a 6 speed T-56. No auto. I fell in love with manual! LOL

 

I definitely will be posting pictures as soon as I get the engine! Should be this saturday! But not exactly sure...

 

Check out TKO600, a T5 won't last long behind 450-500 hp and a chassis set up to plant the tires. T56 can be built to handle the power, but you'll have more into it than a TKO. I have a T56 on the shelf and decided to go TKO when I saw the cost to upgrade the T56, I'll use it later on a milder build.

Running a stick your cam choices open up.

Heres a link for vortecs that's about the best thing going, 170cc runner and 64cc combustion chamber and machined to take high lift springs. You can get into mid 400hp level with these heads. Above that you really need a larger runner, 185-200cc.
Just depends on how much you can spend, $1500 on heads and you can get pretty crazy on power, gotta build the rest of the car to that level too.

http://www.competitionproducts.com/...ormance-Vortec-Cast-Iron-Heads/products/2189/

 

WOW! Never heard of the TKO. Where does it come from? What engine used it?
I have heard some pretty negative things about the Vortec heads. I am willing to spend around 1200 for the heads. I know the heads are truly the "Powerhouse" of the engine. So GOOD money needs to go into it!

 

Nathaniel
For my 427 small block I chose the AFR 23 deg 210's, with their full comp CNC port option.
I got them many years ago so don't recall the exact cost. These have always had positive reviews, though they may be a bit big for the motor you envision. I know they have added to their offerings since I bought mine. They have a "195" head that also is highly rated, this one has been quite popular in many different cubic inch street engines.
Air Flow Research has never tried to appeal specifically to the lowest price shoppers, but they do have a reputation for giving the best value for the money.
As I said in the first thread; these kind of builds don't happen overnight (unless you were born into money). For your first build you will be just fine with a pair of GM heads as long as they are rebuilt with good parts by a qualified shop.

Here is a pretty good article.
http://www.hotrod.com/how-to/engine...ci-small-block-chevy-torque-monster-for-2500/

 

Totally agree on AFR, great heads.

Vortecs are about $800, AFR 195 are aluminum $1600, there's some good options in between, cast iron aftermarket heads, used AFR, dart etc. Theres some good off brand aluminum heads too. Youre in circle track racing country, you should be able to pick up used aluminum heads. Actually find out who builds circle track engines in your area.

Vortecs will top out on power around the 420hp mark. The negatives are you need an intake specific to vortecs, so guys with existing parts get upset, and no traditional intakes fit. Valve /cam lift is limited to about .470 using factory vortecs, this is not an issue with the engine quest vortecs.

TKO500 and TKO600 are aftermarket 5 speed transmissions. Very popular with muscle car crowd. They bolt to regular chevy bellhousing and clutch. If you try to use a T56 you need an adapter plate.

 

Yeah! Looking at the prices are making my head hurt! lol! But definitely agree that this build is going to be over years, not just in a weeks time! I definitely understand that! Seeing reviews for the AFR's have gotten me hyped on using these! What makes these heads better than others?

 

Do you know what cars the TKO600 comes from? Just thinking if I could go to a junk yard and luck out with a transmission I can rebuild!

 

Experience more than anything.

From their website.
Family Run Business
Most don’t realize but AFR is a third generation family run business. Ken Sperling, who started AFR in 1972, has a long list of accomplishments attached to his name including D-shaped BBC exhaust ports, “Hurricane chambers”, and most importantly the first company to implement CNC porting back in 1979! Read More
https://www.airflowresearch.com/why_afr.php

 

Great to see a young person here trying to gather info, Free Advice from an "Old Timer", KISS, keep it simple stupid. This will apply to your whole life, has worked for me for all of mine. Not a criticism of anybody, just a suggestion to not overload young man with to much high $$$ tech and overwhelm him, this is your first project, I gather from your questions and age 16, do not know your budget, " Speed Costs Money, How Fast Do You Want To Go" more free advice. WELCOME ! To the Car Hobby, it can/will serve you well, great people, many fun times. DISCLAIMER ! Free advice is sometimes worth price paid.

 

That's an incredible back story! I will read up on it!!

 

Had a 400 in my dragster before deck started to crack and switched to a alu Donovan and moved the parts over to the new block.
What you will find is that a 400 block cannot be linehoned after doing a line bore. It uses the same rear seal as the 350 block which the seal retainer is smaller. Not that big of an issue since Felpro has a rear main seal for this purpose or a spacer made from a black ty-rap to replace the material that was removed from the block and cap.
In the beginning with the iron block, I knew I didnt want to take to much off the walls and found I could get away with a .010 over-bore and found some 4.135/.140 rings, and had pistons made

 

Definitely agree. I decided that this car will be in my family my whole life and hopefully pass it on to my kid when it's time. I want this car to be PERFECT! I'm getting a paint job from the best guy in the state as we speak! Should be done by the end of April! I am making sure this car is a neck breaker on the roads! I've been saving up since I was 12 for that paint, and now that it's actually happening, I am in awe! Obviously, looks are NOT everything! That is why I want to build and create my own "project". I know this will take a lot of time and money, and I'm willing to put everything into car. It'll be worth it! I want this car to be able to drive it on the street, but also be a monster on the strip. Best cooling system, best heads, best rebuild kit, best cam, best crank, best tranny, best drive shaft, best rear end. EVERYTHING!

 

So you're saying this SBC 400 isn't worth it?

 

You know we would love to see the new paint job, but you know the car is OT here so you could post pictures to us via private conversation.
Not to sound nosy, if you don't mind, give us the "back story" on what you did (do) to earn the money for the paint job (and project money).

 

NO, I am not implying that at all, For my car with a blower, running as fast , the old iron block did not last, and switching to Alu gave "ME" repairability over junking an iron block. In switching over, the rear main seal issue came to light.

 

Yeah! I'll let everyone know as soon as the paint is done! BUT back to the engine so we don't get booted off!!

 

AHHHH! Ok! I see where you are coming from!

 

Based on experience, what is the best fuel system that you have ran on your builds?? I've heard people telling me to run 750 Holley, EFI's ( ), 4 Barrel TBI. What is your opinion?

 

750 holley double pumper(mechanical secondaries) is really a standard for street strip cars, maybe bump up to 800 or down to 650 depending on cubic inch of engine.

I'd look into in tank fuel pumps, depending on if your car came originally with one, they put out a lot of volume, and can be run with a return line at the pressure regulator. You'll have to presure reduce an efi fuel pump to run a carb.

That being said, I ran low 12, high 11's with a regular old mechanical GM Marine fuel pump mounted on the engine block, and large fuel lines.

EFI is great, it costs a lot, you need to learn how to tune it, unless you're planning turbos or supercharger I wouldn't spend the cash on efi.

 

Nathaniel,

I suggest you start figuring up your build cost. Having a half done car with the best parts for 10 years, isn't near as much fun as having a done car with OK parts. Get it.

Nothing wrong with building a strong short block and using stock heads, mild cam. Set up the trans, rearend you want, and go race the car and dial in the chassis. Year or two later swap heads intake cam when funds are available.

Not trying to discourage, just seen too many cars sit in the garage cause the builder ran outta money on the first half of the build.

 

I honestly cant believe what a complete crock of shit you are being fed on this thread I wasn't going to say anything, but its not fair to a newby to stand by and let you be fed such utter bullshit, and I can see after half a page, no-one else is going to step up and set you straight.
I run a 4000 stall FTI in my truck and I drive my kid to school in it, and it gets decent mileage to boot. What you are being told here isnt even REMOTELY how a high stall converter works. Torque converters are torque sensitive, in other words the stall speed varies depending on how much torque is being fed into them. My truck idles around 850 rpm, if I put it in gear and take my foot off the brake, the truck moves away at idle without touching the gas, just like your mothers honda. Most of my driving around town is at around 1800-2000 rpm, and until I stab it hard, I dont even really notice the converter. When I pull away from a light at part throttle, it doesnt rev up to 4000 rpm before the vehicle moves, in fact, it pulls away pretty much like any other car with an automatic, unless I stab the throttle.
Its only when I stab the throttle HARD that the converter will flash up to around 4000 rpm. Heres a good video, watch how the tach reacts relative to throttle input. The converter in this video isnt even a particularly efficient one, it is relatively loose at pt throttle, even for a 10" 3500 stall. The main reason I chose this video is because the camera is on the tach the whole time, so you can really see how it works...Note how at part throttle, he is comfortably cruising at around 2000-2500 rpm...

Heres a better quality converter, this is a 9.5" FTI 4000 stall, this is the same brand and rated stall as in my vehicle, and drives virtually IDENTICAL to the one I run in my daily driver, notice how the converter is fairly tight until he REALLY steps into the throttle, THEN it flashes up to around 4000 rpm.

Yes, both these videos are of off-topic cars, thats not the point, the point is to give this kid some half-decent tech so he has some idea what the hell is going on.

And someone said on the other thread get this book, and read it thoroughly. SEVERAL times. Then when a bunch of guys start feeding you a bunch of complete bullshit, at least you will know enough to KNOW you are being fed bullshit.

Note how my copy is dog-eared and worn. Theres a good reason for that...

 

Should mention here, changing from a cheapo 2800 stall 11" to the 4000 stall 9.5" FTI took my driver from a previous best of 12.55 to a 12.08. Almost half a second. Thats the rough equivalent of a 50 hp increase.

 

Ditto on the AFR's, I am putting a set of AFR 195's on my daily, along with a cam change (slightly smaller actually, but with a narrower LSA) and a close ratio set in the trans I will be looking for mid 11's@116 next time out at the track.

 

I've got a SBC 400. Bore it to get 406. should I bump it to 800 or stay with 750?? I'm not sure about it coming with a fuel pump, but I DOUBT it!! In the long run I will be running a single turbo! But that is a few years down the road! So I'll stick with the carburetor. I have also heard about these! Seems very cool! Advice??
It is the CrossRam SBC Weber Carburetors from Jiminglese! http://jiminglese.com/weberwebsite_010.htm
Go to the "Triple Black"!