sbc 400 ci Missing Ingredient ??

What do I need? I'm doing a street driven 400 sbc, bored .030 over.
It has flattop pistons, stock heads, 1.92's, with a decent valve job. Edelbrock Performer intake and a 650 cfm carb. Muncie 4sp, wide ratio, and 3:50 rear. Car will weigh 2700-3000 lbs. Now what is the missing ingredient? The camshaft....Suggestions please.

 

You can go from mild to wild with that configuration. My 406 had A501 cam in it. I dont actually know the part number.That is the most radicall you can go with stock heads and springs.The guy who I sold the motor to. Was very pleased. 1st week he had it on the road. He took it to Atco and pulled off a high 12 With a carb that was too small. The 750 had issues .Heavy car

 

Might need a bigger carb. Remmember, the Rochester 4 barrel that came on the stock motor was rated a 750. That and your weight of the car is light enough get away with a bigger carb.

My 406 has a 555/555 Lunati solid roller cam. But thats a whole different deal. $$$. I am using a Mighty Demon 750.

 

What is your compression? A 400 with flat tops can get up there and it could be a big factor in your cam choice. I'm assuming you have around 76cc chambers and your compression is roughly 10.2:1, which is a no go for pump gas with a mild grind. You can bleed some of that off with the right cam, just Google dynamic compression ratio. By the way KB pistons has a good calculator for this but you will need to know your intake valve closing point. The max DCR for iron heads is about 8.5:1. If I were to recommend a cam, assuming my guess at your CR is accurate, it would be Comp Cams Magnum 280, p.n. 12-212-2 or Isky 280 Mega, p.n. 201281. At 480&485 lift, either one should be o.k. for stock springs.

 

There are lots of 500 HP 406 builds in Super Chevy, Hot Rod, etc. I would read up and pick a proven camshaft. I would also invest in some good heads if you want it to be strong.

 

Looks like we are all on the same page. I'd go with the 286H cam, it is offered by many people 480/480; 230/230 (@.050) and use the Z28 drop in spring. My favorite combo is that cam, edelbrock airgap rpm intake with a proform 650 double pumper with electric choke, msd ignition. Do not short yourself on an ignition system. Cam, carb, ignition - air, fuel, spark; pretty simple isn't it.

 

download a copy of Comp Cams CamQuest software. Key in all the specs you can and it will give you several to choose from. Don't expect mega power with that carb and intake, heads.

http://www.compcams.com/CAMQUEST/

 

a pair of vortec heads and a 280 magnum cam.....that cam would have to be fairly tame in a 406.....a friend used to run a 292 magnum in his 406 back in the early nineties....3700 pound 69 chevelle went 12.80s on the street..... brandon

 

With the stock heads you don't want a wild cam. 280 Comp would be the biggest I would run. Anything more radical would be wasted.

 

Tight lash solid flat tappet speedway cam pn 915-15000 .250 [email protected] .500 lift 104 seperation with direct lube lifters and howards springs from competition products 98213 or 98215..................................

 

There is another missing ingredient what do you want to do with it, want it drivable, sound good, or run like hell? all the suggestions so far are good but if you have any vaccum accessories they may suffer if you do with a lot of duration and or lift. Manufacturers will tell you you can go about 500 lift with stock springs but I wouldn't go over 490's. Of the suggestions you've gotten so far I like OJ's.

 

Thanks for the advice and suggestions. Spoke with a cam rep today and his advice is to consider the old 327-350 hp Chev cam Why? Very streetable, no clearance problems and has a decent idle sound. This thing might be a tire-melter considering the torque of the 406 and the specs on the recommended cam. Also will be looking for the 750 cfm carb. Probably a rebuilt Holley 3310.

 

Here is the one I run. Strong idle, small lope. LOTS of torque.


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</TD></TR><TR><TD class=mainContent width=650>CL12-243-3 - Comp Cams 'Xtreme 4x4' Hydraulic Flat Tappet Camshafts


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Big Torque Cams!
Four wheel drive engines have special needs and requirements that most street performance camshafts just can't properly statisfy. Xtreme 4x4 cams produce tremendous off-idle torque and throttle response as well as big torque throughout the entire operating range without sacrificing necessary vacuum. We do not recommend the use of stock valve train components with these camshafts due to the aggressive lobe designs. Camshaft & Lifter Kits are indicated by a CL in their part number and include Camshaft and Lifters. Complete Kits are indicated by a K in their part number and include Camshaft, Lifters, Timing Chain & Gears, Valve Springs, Spring Retainers, Spring Locks and Valve Springs.

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Complete list of Comp Cams 'Xtreme 4x4' Hydraulic Flat Tappet Camshafts ​

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Xtreme 4x4 X4270H Hydraulic Flat Tappet Camshaft & Lifter Kit
Lift: .480''/.498''
Duration: 270°/278°
RPM Range: 1800-6000

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What kind of car will you be putting this in?

 

I would find a new cam rep... why in the world would you run a 40+yr old cam profile??? Camshaft technology has improved by leaps and bounds since then... Plus, a "hot" cam from a 327 would be pretty mild in a 400.

I really like the Lunati "Voodoo" line personally.

 

I second the 350hp/327 cam and also the 750, or maybe a pair of 600's (trips might be nice, too)! Also, a bit of bowl work and minor port clean-up on those heads will make them flow a little better than stock Vortec's, refer to Feb. '99 issue of Car Craft, "Is Head Porting Really Worth It?" And,,,, normally I am a big proponent of solid lifter cams, but in the case of a small block 400 the stroke is so long and the rods are so short I don't think it would hold up.

 

Uhhh,,,, I guess maybe the old "If it ain't broke" rule might apply? Another thing, stock heads don't like a lot of lift, and; the old cams were designed to last, they got great performance and could go a hunnerd thousand miles. The 350 horse cam was pretty hot in the smaller motors but would be just right in a 400, still sound good but make good vacumn.