Projects who know what about a 396

Just trying to find out what you think about a 396. I am looking for a motor for a 58 panel truck and came across a 1970 396 for what I think is a good price { $400.00 }. I don't have the numbers off the motor just going on what the guy is telling me, Plan to go friday night and look at it. O K get it. So as for a big block are they solid or do they have hidden problems. It has been on a motor stand sense the early 70's. so I'll have to go through it if nothing else to put new seals. So let me here what you think of a 396.

 

The '70 396 (actually a 402c.i.) is a good motor. Depending on the heads, etc...
They are a good running motor. It will do well for your project.

Good Luck.
VR&C.

 

Yep! The 402 is just a 396 with a factory .030" over bore job... Still a great motor..

 

condition is important, and we can't see it. First make sure it turns. I'd look over the numbers and see what it really is.

But yeah, they're good engines, kind of heavy for how much power they make, but you can have fun with it. I swapped one into my 59 chevy pickup when I was 17, still have it, and I'm 50 now

 

Ive got a 68SS396 Chevelle (I know, off topic) that Ive had 32 years, its got the stock bore and a Crane cam (Fireball) that still runs like crazy, I love the 396 engines!

 

Oh, just buy it dude. A BB Chevy for $400? Buy it.

 

Make sure you aren't getting a (tall-deck) 366" or 427" truck unit??

Thanks, Gary in N.Y.

P.S. Get ALL the casting numbers (block and both heads) before you shell out any cash and get back here with them!

 

I'm partial to 'em. If you can get it with all the brackets, etc it's worth the $400.

Bob

 

That 402 with a 454 crank = 427!

 

huh?

how about the 402 crank in a 454 block + expensive pistons = 427

 

Does it have hardened seats? .... either way well worth 400 ... and hope its all there appliances and brakets are pricey

 

Great buy for the price. I found an abandoned 396, cast crank, pistons with oval port heads. The motor was frozen, so I beat the pistons out, honed the cylinders, re-ringed the pistons and added new bearings. Added a Sig Erson cam, dual plane manifold and an 800 Holley. That motor ran great in a '65 Chevelle.

 

I think the 396 is the 2nd best BBC engine ever built! First being the 427 BBC. The 396 has plenty of torque, winds better than ome longer stroke BBC's, and in a 1970 should have the decent heads and a good compression ratio that will work on pump gas if it's the 325 hp version.
Let us know what the engine and head numbers are!

 

An absolute must with big block Chevys. Hit the sites that give casting numbers and print the big block numbers out so you have them in hand when you go look at the engine. It doesn't hurt to find a list of engine suffixes for those engines either.

Print out a copy of this list down though the blocks and heads.
http://www.nastyz28.com/bbcmenu.php
Right now you don't give a rip about cast iron intakes or manifolds except for what you can sell them for and get some of the 400 back unless you want to run them.
It's a must deal that you are able to tell what you are looking at so you don't get stuck with a 366 truck engine or pay more than you need to for an engine that is misrepresented be it intentionally or not.

You can find a list of suffix codes here for 396 & 402 http://www.chevylegends.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-609.html

 

I used to run against a lot of 396 cars and except for the 325 hp base engine they ran like stink. The 396/425 hp Vettes were killers, and the 375 hp ones were excellent also.

Don

 

i wanna know what you guys have against tall decks??? Set up properly they are awesome pullers and have nice long carreers as haulers....... he is putting it in a truck... after all.

 

IF I remember right the tall deck 366 and 427 had a lower compression (8:1 0r less), plus also has a 4th ring (compression). All of the rebuild parts are $$ more than the standard deck bbc's.`

 

and it's a pain to find an intake or use spacers

 

I have a '66 vintage 396/375 which is currently apart (spun bearing...). With the factory hi-rise manifold and the L88 solid lifter cam, its a runner.

Bob

 

I don't have to repeat all the good that has already been said.

FWIW, I'll add this and it's important. If you have one bored oversize, and I don't mean just a .030" clean up bore, make real certain you use a very reputable machinist who has done them before. Here's why.

The mains are fed from a oil galley coming down the side of the block along one of the pan rails. Then they branch off into each of the mains. When you get into the bigger oversize bore sizes, if someone isn't real sharp, they will break right into those oil galley passages going to the mains.

I fix these blocks and guarantee them for the life of the block, not bragging at all, but most machinist don't know the correct procedure to do this and the block ends up tied to a boat serving duty as a anchor.

Be very certain to remove all of the plugs to these oil passages if you have this block hot tanked or boiled in the future, very important.

These engines are very very strong, and the 2 bolt main blocks easily convert to 4 bolt mains, much easier from a machinist standpoint than the small block. Duly noted though, it's not really needed to convert to 4 bolts except for real high torque numbers and or abuse, as once you hold one of these main caps in your hand and feel the heft and mass of one you will know why.

 

great engines--For $400 I would buy it and put it on the shelf with the rest of them. We used a stock 325 HP engine with 292 cam, aluminum dual plane intake and a 650 Holley in my sons Fiat altered. It went 10.7. Cool ride for a 17 year old.

 

Same engine in both cars they just rated the Vette higher. 325hp version runs fine

 

Thousands and thousands of SS396 Chevelles and Impalas say DO IT, DO IT!

 

A 427 is a 454 bore with a 396/402 stroke. Think of a 427 as an overbored 396, or a short stroke 454.

427 compared to 454 BBC is kind of like the 302 or 327 compared to 350 SBC. Same bore but shorter stroke.

A 454 crank in a 396 block would be a poor performance engine. Good for low end but not enough to beathe well on the top end due to smaller bore. Think of this as analagous to the 305 SBC, similar small bore longer stroke.

Back to the OP, the 402 you found sounds like a great choice for your truck.

 

396: Bore 4.094 Stroke 3.760
402: 4.125 3.760
427 4.250 3.760
454 4.250 4.000

A 402 is actually a 396 with a .031" overbore, not trying to be a wise ass, just the math for what it's worth.
Stock length rod is 6.135" Hope that helps, TR

 

Are 396 & 427 cranks the same?

I'm planning on building a 427 for my vette, & I have my eye on a steel 396 crank. I've heard the counterweights are different. Thx

 

454 BBC, like the 400 SBC from the factory are EXTERNALLY balanced, TR

 

I'd use it for a 427 build...

 

A 396/402 is a great engine. That is what I am currently running in my '39 . Vertex Mag, General Kinetics Cam,Glide with a Pro tree Brake... Runs pretty good!

 

No 396 and 427 cranks are not the same. They have the same stroke but, 427s have bigger counter weights. A 396 crank would need to be balanced to make a 427.