400 chevy in a traditional rod?

Dont Get Me Wrong I Live For The Zl-1 !

 

(sigh) The 400 small block is a small block Chevy just like a 350, 327 or even a 262! Anybody looking at it is only going to see it a small block Chevy and nothing more. A few savvy street-race types MIGHT notice the balancer and know that something is up...but nobody else will!

The 400 was a coveted motor in the circles I ran in years ago. A local street hero named "Chucky" taught me the Way of the 400 and I was hooked! You simply couldn't beat 'em for horsepower and torque per dollar spent back then! They were dime a dozen and plentifull...which isn't exactly the case today!

All the overheating myths and wive's tales are just that...pure bullshit!

The 400 is one mean mutha, and built correctly, it is damned tought to beat...on the street or at the strip!

Now, I always laugh at the chowderheads who rob 400 cranks to drop 'em in 350 blocks! Talk about screwing up TWO perfectly good small blocks in one shot! Keep the 400 crank in the 400 block and leave your 350 alone! Those extra 17 cubes (400 vs 383 stroker!) are nothing to be afraid of...they can only HELP you! Ha Ha!

In a mild street or race application where the rpm levels are kept under 5000rpm, a 400 is king. Most experienced 400 gurus will tend to choose the two bolt mains block over the four bolt block because it is believed that the added "meat" in the two bolt 400 main cap makes it stronger than the four bolt cap. The logic being that 400s use a larger journal diameter than the 350, so once you take that material away and then add FOUR bolt holes, you're leaving precious little material to hold the crank in place at higher rpm levels.

It's all academic, really. In a street motor, eith block will do the job. If you're building a race motor, then there is something to be said for going with a two bolt block and beefing it up with aftermarket studs, cap girdles and the like...but with the advent of quality aftermarket 400 blocks...even that has become a moot point today.

Bottom line...the 400 is a rock solid performer that has long been clouded by a host of rumors, half-truths and pure bullshit! It's every bit as good or as bad as any other small block Chevy and like I said...99% of the people gaping at it on cruise night won't know or give a damn what it's displacement is...they'll just see it as another small block Chevy!

Smoke 'em if ya got 'em is my motto!

 

Rock-island?

 

chowderheads lol

 

Fun thread!! Thanks for all the info and support!!!

 

totally go for that 400. and by the way groucho, where did you get them valve covers? i know i can get some that cost an arm and a leg, but do you know where i can get some that don't?

 

I got em from a Vendor at the Paso show a few months ago($100). But, they look the same as the Speedways for $99!!!!

 

Agreed. Also, the larger 400's bore affords better flow characteristics by not "shrouding" the intake valve as much. Anyone say win-win?

 

glad this post came up, i posted some questions about a 400 a couple weeks ago. hey groucho, what size rods are you running in the vette? did you have to get a small base circle cam? clearence the block? heard your car before and it sounds pretty good!

 

5.7 rods, kissed on the inside rod bolt heads on a belt sander to clear cam. May have not been necessary, but i just "touch" them to be sure. No grinding the "pan" rails. When did you hear it? The 400's only been in about 4(?) months i think. But, it does sound/run real good. I'm pretty happy with it. Had my doubts running the C3B-X intake on it, (Brodix heads/big solid cam), but it rips. PS-no reduced base circle cam. Did that (AND the pan rails)on a roller cammed aluminum rod 400 a while back. Big "shoulders" on those rods

 

really thats all you had to do? people were telling me the rods kiss the cam if you dont use the small base cam, did you grind the rods before balancing? or is not enough material taken off to worry about it? i was thinking about turning mine into a 377, but maybe i'll stick with the 400. i saw your vette in ventura, the back to the beach show, but it was further back then 4 months so i guess i didnt hear this motor.

 

No offense, but I go for show... anything with an sbc is a walk-by for me. Put something interesting under the hood...

 

I'm shitty at drawing, but see if this shows up. Prefer to trim before balancing. But i wouldn't hesitate to do it afterward if it got overlooked. I think the possible interferance is only on a couple rods, NOT all of them. PS-mine were ground AFTER

 

I dont know about you but this is the EXACT reason I put a stroker in instead of the 400...I had my hands on two 400 blocks and BOTH we're junk.

I'd go with it...I ran around with a 305 that everyone thought was a 350 till I put my 383 in. No one will notice unless you point it out or make something noticiable on it.

 

Another visual clue to a 400 are the 3 freeze plugs on the side. Pretty sure other sbc's only had 2. I ran one in my racecar and it's the dummy motor in my Tudor right now. I ran it unbalanced with the short, stock rods. I ran junk 305 heads with the small combustion chamber and it still worked just fine. I did have the steam holes drilled by a machine shop and ran an aluminum radiator. Car got wrecked before the motor blew up but I never had any problems. Run it, who cares is somebody notices the extra freeze plug.

 

I am no expert,but I believe the only 400 blocks with 3 freeze plugs are the 4 bolt main ones. I dont think all 400's have 3 freeze plugs.

 

400 sb's rock.

 

If I saw the bigger harmonic balancer, I would just assume it was a 383 rather than a 400.

Id put that sucker in there, but go completely opposite with everyone else: Destroke it with a large journal 327 crank- it will put you just under 350". Get all your forged parts and h-beam rods, a gooood set of heads, and you could routinely hit 7500rpm. with a little work, Ive been told they can hit 9k.

Dont be scurr'd. do it.

 

Lots of SBC's have a "big" balancer (LT-1's-365 horse 327's, etc), it's the cutout that gives the 400 balancer away, not it's size.

 

I've got a warmed 400 going in my next project. I say to do it.

 

Sad but true

 

HA HA

 

I have a 406 in my GMC fantastic motor, thanks to "motormikey"

 

???? you not a grear head?

 

Is that ebonics?

 

HA HA, maybe that is how a Calfornian talks when he is trying to relate to an East Texas HICK....like me......

 

It's pretty fuckin hard to beat the looks, dependability, ease of parts, and size of ANY SBC motor. What a perfect choice, especially for an older Chevy hot rod. Multiple carbs, finned valve covers, rams horns, what's not to like? Too many out there? For a damn good reason. Now if I was goin racin only a BBC will do for me, but on the street, with gas prices lately, no doubt about the choice.

I was advised by a few of the members here not long ago about not getting too rapped up in tradition for the sake of tradition...I hope that makes sense. If I was doin a rod that would see tons of duty and it was $$ friendly enough I wouldn't hesitate to do a late model LT1 and AOD. Over 300HP and 25MPG. Problem? Not here.

 

Thanks Fat Hack, you saved me a lot of typin'. Like you, I can't believe the guys that would throw away a 400 block to build a 383?!
I LOVE 400's I own 3 and I'm running one in a 39 pontiac coupe here in hilly pa, and the car thinks it's on a lakebed, I come to a hill and the footfeed is happy right where it is, I also used to pull a trailer with it on family vacations, and you wouldn't even know the thing was back there. There's no substitute for torque and cubic inches, and with a 400 you get both in a small lightweight TROUBLE FREE package. Traditional or not, it's one of my favorite engines of all time.

 

Amen,brother!

 

Oh yeah, remember the old addage:

"There's no replacement for displacement".