ok just got the 400 for my 88 formula. deciding on what to buy now. i need opinions on which intake, cam, heads, and piston setup to go with. i am keeping the stock crank and bore width. emissions are not a problem. this will all be under a carb too.

and ideas will be appreciated. thank you.

 

Wow, you have a lot of possibilities ahead of you.

Just for a start I would suggest cast flat-top pistons, a middle-of the road aluminum cylinder head like the Edelbrock Performer RPM or something from AFR (190?). Perhaps a Comp 280 Magnum camshaft, Performer RPM intake.

There are a hundred similar combinations that will all work well, you will have to decide how much money you want to spend and how highly tuned you want your combo to be. It's not hard to go fast with 400 cubic inches.

 

Give you some specs on my 400 project
6x4 heads lightly ported and polished, milled to 81cc for 9.5:1
block zero decked .060 over for 412 cid
BBC 6.800 Eagle rods. crank journals cut to 2.199
+.030 455 Ross pistons
HO Racing HC03D cam
Harland Sharp 1.65 rockers
BBC 7/16 rocker studs
Holley Street Dominator intake
Holley 800 dp sittin on 2" open spacer
Melling high volumn oil pump w/ hardened shaft
Block filled to freeze plugs
Moroso windage tray and pan

The "long rod" option is not a budget build
Bob

 

Bob, how many horses you pushing?

 

86 z28 with 406

406 specs:
400 bored .30 over
5.7 eagle rods
stock crank
keith black .30 cc dish pistons
comp cams 268 grind extreme energy 477/480 lift
64cc 350 heads drilled for steam holes 3 angle vavle job
edelbrock performer intake
edelbrock 750 carb
proform roller rockers (dont ever buy these they breaK)
hedman headers
3 inch american thunder exhaust
all accell ingnition



sound clip here:
http://us.f1.yahoofs.com/users/aeaef..._Eys9AV4rXhgTK

 

Camarokev do you have any clearance problems with the stock hood?

 

nope no clearance problems... it is really really tight but it fits... i have a drop base air cleaner to fit the big k&n on there, also have a really short stud.

 

Sounds like Bob's motor isn't a Chevy small block... those rods would just almost stick out of the deck of a SBC by themselves without a piston on them... must be a Pontiac by the head number he gave.

My recommendation would be small-dish pistons (D-cup would be the best way to go), a small-chamber head with about 64cc, and all the flow you can possibly arrange for on both the intake and exhaust sides. A 400 is lots of inches, that means lots of air and fuel with every revolution; heads and cams and exhaust the seem radical for a 350, are just barely warmed-over for a 400. You gotta think BIG.

Externally it's the same as any other SBC, from a 262 on up. You'll have the same hood clearance issues with any of them. I refuse to use a "drop-base" air cleaner myself because however long that stud is, is how far the breather lid is from the top of the carb, and defines how mcuh space the air has to go through there. Doesn't matter how much filter medium there is if there's a restriction somewhere else. K&N among others have lots of data on how air cleaners affect flow; about the worst thing you can do is have a little narrow slit at the top of the carb that all the air has to squeeze through and make a sharp 90° to get into the carb. It costs a great deal of flow. You won't see a Pro Stock car with a "drop base" air cleaner for some reason. There's unfortunately no good solution other than a replacement hood.

 

Its a Pontiac motor... lookin at around 500 hp