1978 400sbc engine swap????
Thread Starter
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 72
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From: KY
Yea I will go a little over stock. I just not want a all out race car. This is a nice day cruising car. I just want some power there when I need it.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 17,676
Likes: 201
From: Who says "Nothing is impossible" ? I've been doing nothing for years.
Hey guys just a little info. I have done all of this 406ci stuff before. Built everything myself in my basement and ended up with a non stealth 550HP with 406ci.
So once again I have to explain that I don't read magazines or hang around in bars with fat bellied race car drivers discussing the what if's and so on.
The info I give is my own experience not something someone told to me so please, if I say something it is because I know from first hand experience it works. ( I have to go through this once a year or so
)
So if the OP needs some answers, fire away, if I don't know or heard someone's uncle tell someones friend something I don't respond to the post.
I hope you do the stealth thing, like I said it was something I always wanted to do in drag racing, not to say there weren't a few sneaky things thrown in there when I was into it back in the late 70's
550HP 406ci with cast Scat crank SIR rods @ 6000 RPM
So once again I have to explain that I don't read magazines or hang around in bars with fat bellied race car drivers discussing the what if's and so on.
The info I give is my own experience not something someone told to me so please, if I say something it is because I know from first hand experience it works. ( I have to go through this once a year or so
)So if the OP needs some answers, fire away, if I don't know or heard someone's uncle tell someones friend something I don't respond to the post.
I hope you do the stealth thing, like I said it was something I always wanted to do in drag racing, not to say there weren't a few sneaky things thrown in there when I was into it back in the late 70's
550HP 406ci with cast Scat crank SIR rods @ 6000 RPM
Pro
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 517
Likes: 7
From: Peoria IL
We know it can work, I have one in my C3.
The question is, "can it work with the stock damper?"
He's on a very tight budget, so if he can't afford an aftermarket damper (or go internally balanced and use his stock 350 damper) there are a couple things he needs to check- clearance with the power steering pump bracket, and clearance with the water pump.
A 400 can work fine in a C3. I drove mine to lunch with some co-workers just today. But, he might have to let go of a few extra $$$ to make it all work as it should.
If you are saying you did it all with a stock 400 externally balanced type damper, that's awesome- just let him know!
The question is, "can it work with the stock damper?"
He's on a very tight budget, so if he can't afford an aftermarket damper (or go internally balanced and use his stock 350 damper) there are a couple things he needs to check- clearance with the power steering pump bracket, and clearance with the water pump.
A 400 can work fine in a C3. I drove mine to lunch with some co-workers just today. But, he might have to let go of a few extra $$$ to make it all work as it should.
If you are saying you did it all with a stock 400 externally balanced type damper, that's awesome- just let him know!
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 17,676
Likes: 201
From: Who says "Nothing is impossible" ? I've been doing nothing for years.
We know it can work, I have one in my C3.
The question is, "can it work with the stock damper?"
He's on a very tight budget, so if he can't afford an aftermarket damper (or go internally balanced and use his stock 350 damper) there are a couple things he needs to check- clearance with the power steering pump bracket, and clearance with the water pump.
A 400 can work fine in a C3. I drove mine to lunch with some co-workers just today. But, he might have to let go of a few extra $$$ to make it all work as it should.
If you are saying you did it all with a stock 400 externally balanced type damper, that's awesome- just let him know!
The question is, "can it work with the stock damper?"
He's on a very tight budget, so if he can't afford an aftermarket damper (or go internally balanced and use his stock 350 damper) there are a couple things he needs to check- clearance with the power steering pump bracket, and clearance with the water pump.
A 400 can work fine in a C3. I drove mine to lunch with some co-workers just today. But, he might have to let go of a few extra $$$ to make it all work as it should.
If you are saying you did it all with a stock 400 externally balanced type damper, that's awesome- just let him know!
The motor in the video above has a stock 400 externally balanced dampner and I just took it out of my Vette.
I know the internet is full of BS and people that don't have a clue that is why unless I know something for sure because I have done it myself I won't post or if I do I will say something along the lines of "it might work" or "give it a try" but when I say I know it will work it's because I know it will work
BTW it starts getting tight in there but nothing that won't work and you don't need a crowbar or anything, it bolts in
Last edited by MotorHead; Aug 12, 2010 at 04:55 PM.
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 72
Likes: 0
From: KY
We know it can work, I have one in my C3.
The question is, "can it work with the stock damper?"
He's on a very tight budget, so if he can't afford an aftermarket damper (or go internally balanced and use his stock 350 damper) there are a couple things he needs to check- clearance with the power steering pump bracket, and clearance with the water pump.
A 400 can work fine in a C3. I drove mine to lunch with some co-workers just today. But, he might have to let go of a few extra $$$ to make it all work as it should.
If you are saying you did it all with a stock 400 externally balanced type damper, that's awesome- just let him know!
The question is, "can it work with the stock damper?"
He's on a very tight budget, so if he can't afford an aftermarket damper (or go internally balanced and use his stock 350 damper) there are a couple things he needs to check- clearance with the power steering pump bracket, and clearance with the water pump.
A 400 can work fine in a C3. I drove mine to lunch with some co-workers just today. But, he might have to let go of a few extra $$$ to make it all work as it should.
If you are saying you did it all with a stock 400 externally balanced type damper, that's awesome- just let him know!
dstaley,
Who did toy have trick your Q-jet out?
Thanks again for all the help and ideas!
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 72
Likes: 0
From: KY
Hey guys just a little info. I have done all of this 406ci stuff before. Built everything myself in my basement and ended up with a non stealth HP with 406ci.
So once again I have to explain that I don't read magazines or hang around in bars with fat bellied race car drivers discussing the what if's and so on.
The info I give is my own experience not something someone told to me so please, if I say something it is because I know from first hand experience it works. ( I have to go through this once a year or so )
So if the OP needs some answers, fire away, if I don't know or heard someone's uncle tell someones friend something I don't respond to the post.
I hope you do the stealth thing, like I said it was something I always wanted to do in drag racing, not to say there weren't a few sneaky things thrown in there when I was into it back in the late 70's
550HP 406ci with cast Scat crank SIR rods @ 6000 RPM
So once again I have to explain that I don't read magazines or hang around in bars with fat bellied race car drivers discussing the what if's and so on.
The info I give is my own experience not something someone told to me so please, if I say something it is because I know from first hand experience it works. ( I have to go through this once a year or so
)So if the OP needs some answers, fire away, if I don't know or heard someone's uncle tell someones friend something I don't respond to the post.
I hope you do the stealth thing, like I said it was something I always wanted to do in drag racing, not to say there weren't a few sneaky things thrown in there when I was into it back in the late 70's
550HP 406ci with cast Scat crank SIR rods @ 6000 RPM
Now that 406 sounds good!!!
Thanks for all your help. I can't weight to get this little sleeper project together this winter!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 5,557
Likes: 9
From: Oquirrh Mountains
St. Jude Donor '09
I already said that, you can take a 400 out of a 76 Impala and put it in a C3 with no clearance issues
The motor in the video above has a stock 400 externally balanced dampner and I just took it out of my Vette.
I know the internet is full of BS and people that don't have a clue that is why unless I know something for sure because I have done it myself I won't post or if I do I will say something along the lines of "it might work" or "give it a try" but when I say I know it will work it's because I know it will work BTW it starts getting tight in there but nothing that won't work and you don't need a crowbar or anything, it bolts in
The motor in the video above has a stock 400 externally balanced dampner and I just took it out of my Vette.
I know the internet is full of BS and people that don't have a clue that is why unless I know something for sure because I have done it myself I won't post or if I do I will say something along the lines of "it might work" or "give it a try" but when I say I know it will work it's because I know it will work
BTW it starts getting tight in there but nothing that won't work and you don't need a crowbar or anything, it bolts in 
x 2, or maybe about eight 400 sbc's.One thing the OP needs to remember is that if you do change rods, check the con rod bolt shoulders to camshaft lobe clearance. These might hit one another depending on the rod and cam choice. Another is to make sure steam holes are drilled in the heads to match those in the engine block.
Personally, I wouldn't go with an aftermarket cast crank unless the OEM crank is not servicable. It, as you are probably aware, is nodular iron just like the scat/eagle cast cranks are.
Last edited by Ben Lurkin; Aug 12, 2010 at 06:18 PM.
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Pro
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 517
Likes: 7
From: Peoria IL
I'm sorry, I'm not sure what you're asking.
I bought a Jet Performance stage 2 carb from a friend that had it on his crate motor briefly. He went to an LS1, I got the carb and he sold the motor/trans to someone else.
I was having trouble getting it to richen up enough with normal tuning methods, so I bought Cliff's book. There were some air bleeds blocked by GM or Jet that I had to open up, other air bleeds needed orifices added, and a few passages needed opening up a little bit. I called Cliff with my full setup- heads, cam, compression ratio, displacement, exhaust, intake, carb number, rear end ratio, transmission, etc. and he told me which of the recipes (in the back of the book) to run. That got me in the ballpark, and from that point it just needed a rod size leaner on the secondaries, a half turn leaner on the APT screw, and it was right on the money.
The Jet carb was a good starting point, but it still had primary air bleeds so big that it wouldn't respond to jet size changes. Cliff's press-in orifices did the trick.
Does that answer your question?
I bought a Jet Performance stage 2 carb from a friend that had it on his crate motor briefly. He went to an LS1, I got the carb and he sold the motor/trans to someone else.
I was having trouble getting it to richen up enough with normal tuning methods, so I bought Cliff's book. There were some air bleeds blocked by GM or Jet that I had to open up, other air bleeds needed orifices added, and a few passages needed opening up a little bit. I called Cliff with my full setup- heads, cam, compression ratio, displacement, exhaust, intake, carb number, rear end ratio, transmission, etc. and he told me which of the recipes (in the back of the book) to run. That got me in the ballpark, and from that point it just needed a rod size leaner on the secondaries, a half turn leaner on the APT screw, and it was right on the money.
The Jet carb was a good starting point, but it still had primary air bleeds so big that it wouldn't respond to jet size changes. Cliff's press-in orifices did the trick.
Does that answer your question?
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 72
Likes: 0
From: KY
I'm sorry, I'm not sure what you're asking.
I bought a Jet Performance stage 2 carb from a friend that had it on his crate motor briefly. He went to an LS1, I got the carb and he sold the motor/trans to someone else.
I was having trouble getting it to richen up enough with normal tuning methods, so I bought Cliff's book. There were some air bleeds blocked by GM or Jet that I had to open up, other air bleeds needed orifices added, and a few passages needed opening up a little bit. I called Cliff with my full setup- heads, cam, compression ratio, displacement, exhaust, intake, carb number, rear end ratio, transmission, etc. and he told me which of the recipes (in the back of the book) to run. That got me in the ballpark, and from that point it just needed a rod size leaner on the secondaries, a half turn leaner on the APT screw, and it was right on the money.
The Jet carb was a good starting point, but it still had primary air bleeds so big that it wouldn't respond to jet size changes. Cliff's press-in orifices did the trick.
Does that answer your question?
I bought a Jet Performance stage 2 carb from a friend that had it on his crate motor briefly. He went to an LS1, I got the carb and he sold the motor/trans to someone else.
I was having trouble getting it to richen up enough with normal tuning methods, so I bought Cliff's book. There were some air bleeds blocked by GM or Jet that I had to open up, other air bleeds needed orifices added, and a few passages needed opening up a little bit. I called Cliff with my full setup- heads, cam, compression ratio, displacement, exhaust, intake, carb number, rear end ratio, transmission, etc. and he told me which of the recipes (in the back of the book) to run. That got me in the ballpark, and from that point it just needed a rod size leaner on the secondaries, a half turn leaner on the APT screw, and it was right on the money.
The Jet carb was a good starting point, but it still had primary air bleeds so big that it wouldn't respond to jet size changes. Cliff's press-in orifices did the trick.
Does that answer your question?
Thanks!
What is the name of that book? And were would I find one? Thanks for all your help!
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 14,380
Likes: 6,391
From: At my Bar drinking and wrenching in Lafayette Colorado
Like Wayne, I've done a few 406 builds and installs in Vettes - no problem with fit, and certainly no problem making power.
Once thing I've run into on every 400 block, and something not yet mentioned in this thread, is the fact that the bosses are not drilled and tapped for the power steering pump bracket bolts on the lower, forward driver's side of the block: When you get your block, lay out, drill, and tap those holes. Most 400 blocks are also not drilled or tapped for a clutch Z-bar ball if you decide to run a 4-speed. I like to do all this chip-generating dirty-work before I send the block out for final machining.
Lars
Once thing I've run into on every 400 block, and something not yet mentioned in this thread, is the fact that the bosses are not drilled and tapped for the power steering pump bracket bolts on the lower, forward driver's side of the block: When you get your block, lay out, drill, and tap those holes. Most 400 blocks are also not drilled or tapped for a clutch Z-bar ball if you decide to run a 4-speed. I like to do all this chip-generating dirty-work before I send the block out for final machining.
Lars
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 72
Likes: 0
From: KY
Like Wayne, I've done a few 406 builds and installs in Vettes - no problem with fit, and certainly no problem making power.
Once thing I've run into on every 400 block, and something not yet mentioned in this thread, is the fact that the bosses are not drilled and tapped for the power steering pump bracket bolts on the lower, forward driver's side of the block: When you get your block, lay out, drill, and tap those holes. Most 400 blocks are also not drilled or tapped for a clutch Z-bar ball if you decide to run a 4-speed. I like to do all this chip-generating dirty-work before I send the block out for final machining.
Lars
Once thing I've run into on every 400 block, and something not yet mentioned in this thread, is the fact that the bosses are not drilled and tapped for the power steering pump bracket bolts on the lower, forward driver's side of the block: When you get your block, lay out, drill, and tap those holes. Most 400 blocks are also not drilled or tapped for a clutch Z-bar ball if you decide to run a 4-speed. I like to do all this chip-generating dirty-work before I send the block out for final machining.
Lars
Thanks Lars!
I checked and one of my 400 blocks have the power steering holes, and one dose not. I will probably use the one that already has the holes as it is the better later two bolt, to freeze plug block. Thanks!!
