engine advice - 400 block
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2002
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From: Orlando FL
I am waiting to hear back from the guy.. I want to go pick it up soemtime later this week. Any advice on the intake and heads? I've been pricing stuff from Summit... Want some nice heads - probably go with a super ram. I am a little concerned about the ECM tho - Dont think my 84ecm will be up to the challenge...
Safety Car
Joined: May 2003
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From: [Quote=WOEII] Is dried brown doodie powders man! [/Quote]
Originally Posted by cuisinartvette
Use fuel injection
An SR'ed 406 will make for an extremely fun street car. You will have to be careful on head choice due to compression.
Assumptions on your comp ratio:
Deck Height:.025
Gasket Thickness: .041
64cc - 11.6:1
68cc - 11.08:1
72cc - 10.62:1
76cc - 10.19:1
Gasket bore will also play a small part in your compression ratio, and cam selection will impact your effective compression ratio. If you get a cam with more overlap it will bleed some of that cylinder pressure off.
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 2004
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From: Poop land
Are these 400 blocks roller or flat tappet? 2 piece or 1 piece rear main seal, 2 bolt main or 4 bolt? I'm guessing the external physical dimensions are exactly the same as a standard SBC but just the bore x stroke is larger.
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2002
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From: SCMR Rat Pack'r Charter Member..Great Bend KS
Originally Posted by quiksilver458
400 Small Block 509 Casting
.030 Over
.030 Over
Caveat Emptor.
Larry
code5coupe
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2000
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From: The Top of Utah
Originally Posted by quiksilver458
Want some nice heads - probably go with a super ram. I am a little concerned about the ECM tho - Dont think my 84ecm will be up to the challenge...
RACE ON!!!
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 2,546
Likes: 0
From: Orlando FL
Originally Posted by rocco16
Is this a 'new/never-run' engine? I ask because the max a 400 can be safely taken over stock bore is .045". This means you have one more bore...and a SMALL one at that...left in the block.
Caveat Emptor.
Larry
code5coupe
Caveat Emptor.
Larry
code5coupe
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Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
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From: altered state
St. Jude Donor '05
All 400's cam with flat tappet cams. You can use a retro fit hydraulic roller if you don't mind spending a few bucks. These were two piece rear main seal motors fwiw.
I have hear you can use a standard roller cam in these and use the lifters out of a 2.8( ???) Chevy v6. Don't know all the details or part numbers but it came from a pretty reliable source. That is a cost effective way to go roller
I have hear you can use a standard roller cam in these and use the lifters out of a 2.8( ???) Chevy v6. Don't know all the details or part numbers but it came from a pretty reliable source. That is a cost effective way to go roller
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 2004
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From: Poop land
Originally Posted by cuisinartvette
All 400's cam with flat tappet cams. You can use a retro fit hydraulic roller if you don't mind spending a few bucks. These were two piece rear main seal motors fwiw.
I have hear you can use a standard roller cam in these and use the lifters out of a 2.8( ???) Chevy v6. Don't know all the details or part numbers but it came from a pretty reliable source. That is a cost effective way to go roller
I have hear you can use a standard roller cam in these and use the lifters out of a 2.8( ???) Chevy v6. Don't know all the details or part numbers but it came from a pretty reliable source. That is a cost effective way to go roller
Race Director
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From: The Top of Utah
Originally Posted by Morley
Simple. Piston selection avialable for 6" rods.
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Race Director
Joined: Sep 2000
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From: The Top of Utah
Originally Posted by k0rv3tt389
Would you have to do any clearancing/cutting/grinding?
Originally Posted by k0rv3tt389
How much more of a gain would a dyno see if this conversion is done correctly?
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Drifting
Joined: Apr 2003
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From: rome ny
Originally Posted by CFI-EFI
For WHAT???
WHAT conversion?
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WHAT conversion?
RACE ON!!!
there is nothing cost effective to convert an older block to a roller. the best way to do this is to buy the retro lifters and pre 87 style cam. say $300 for cam and $375 for lifters. but you will benifit from more hp but a cant imagine more that 20.
Race Director
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From: The Top of Utah
Originally Posted by mos90
he is talking about converting to a roller cam. he is asking how much hp is to be gained and if you need to do any clearancing on the block to use roller lifters..
Originally Posted by mos90
there is nothing cost effective to convert an older block to a roller.
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Race Director
Joined: Sep 2000
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From: The Top of Utah
The gain in power of a roller cam over a flat tappet cam is NOT mostly due to the reduced friction, but mostly in the more aggressive lobe the circular cam follower can keep up with. Therefore, the power to be gained by a roller cam over a flat tappet cam is entirely dependent on the cams being compared. It would be entirely possible for a roller cam to be ground to exactly match the valve motion of a given flat tappet cam, for a zero power gain.
OE roller tappets and retro roller tappets differ greatly in price. That is the reason some consider the conversion in non-roller blocks. As you noted one would have no more power than the other. Either lifter would run on either type of camshaft equally as well.
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OE roller tappets and retro roller tappets differ greatly in price. That is the reason some consider the conversion in non-roller blocks. As you noted one would have no more power than the other. Either lifter would run on either type of camshaft equally as well.
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Safety Car
Joined: Dec 2004
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From: Poop land
I'm guessing converting a 400 SBC to a roller block would cost me some extra pocket change. There's actually a 400 bare block in the shop right now that is getting honed and bored .030 over. The guy working on it said he'd want $1000 for the assembled short block and $800 extra to convert it to a roller. Sound good price-wise or is it not a good deal?