hey folks.

400 sbc with a 2 bolt main.

already found the cylinder heads and intake (thanks again five7) so now I need to start hunting around for bottom end. The engine is NOT rebuilt. I want to build around 400 hp with this, but I also want to stay reasonable (read: within a few thousand dollars a little bit at a time as paychecks allow) The engine is on a stand right now, so nows the time to plan all this out

thanks in advance for suggestions.

p.s. I'm looking to keep it streetable on pump gas too

 

I would invest as much as I could afford in the short block less the cam. The crank, rods and pistons are not easily changed with out a fair amount of expense and/or machine work. Plan what your needs are...not only now but later when you can afford to add more power. Assemble the short block accordingly. Don't skimp on the quality of the machine work...even if all this means you have to wait awhile to afford it.

Everything else can be added to the car later without pulling the motor or without much more expense than the item and gaskets (assuming you do your own work).

 

Huh, someone else from the Omaha area. If youre on a budget, looking for around 400hp and dont plan to spin it too high, a 3.75in Scat 80-60-06 cast crank should work. You dont want to use the stock 400 rods, but a budget set of 4130 5.7in.'s would probably suffice. Get the rotating assy. balanced. For pistons, if you plan to stay n/a, Id recommend a set of KB hypereutectics. Just make sure your machinist gets the proper bore clearance for the hypers and you or your builder sets the top ring gap correctly.

 

Go forged, its not worth it to go hyperuetic.

I'm also in the Omaha area....I'm in the process of building a 406, shooting for 500-600 hp by desktop dyno and a similar amount of torque.

Stock Crank
TRW Forged Pistons, flat top
Eagle SIR 5.7 Connecting Rods
Dart Iron Eagle 230cc Intake Runners, 64cc Chambers, 2.08/1.60
FelPro Gaskets
Clevite Bearings
High Volume Oil Pump
Oil Pan, gated and windage tray ( Cheater Pan )
Chromemoly Pushrods +.100
Miller PVS Full Roller 1.5 Ratio Rockers
Edelbrock Victor JR Intake
Holley 750 Double Pumper with Proform Mainbody
Full Roller Billet Timing Chain
3000 Stall Convertor with Lockup
8 pt Cage

If you want a full list, I'm currently working on putting it together, the parts all in my shop I just have to get through them all. Also, this combo is tested and proven by a dirt track racer.

Total cost ended up roughly around 4 grand and she'll be running by July if all goes well. I planned to do it on a budget, but here is the best lesson in life, "Do it right the first time, or you will pay for it again and again until you eventually end up buying the expensive part anyways." That's why I ended up turning a budget into a full blown project.

 

You have an actual shop? or when you say shop, do you mean, workbench in your garage?

I wouldn't mind stopping by to take a look at your setup if you don't mind, would be great to find somebody else in the Omaha area who is a few steps ahead of me so I can make sure I'm doing things right.

 

rotating assembly is important, especially if you are going to spin any decent RPM. a good budget set up is the scat crank and rods. that is what i am using in my 500+hp 383 , and i have spun it to 7300 on a regular basis for 5 years with no problems. i think i paid about 250 for the crank and about the same for the rods. i would also go with a light set of pistons.

 

I guess I shouldn't call it a shop, it's just a big 60' x 40' metal building where my dad and I do our projects.

The only thing holding me back right now is my block, it's still at the machine shop. I should have it within the next few weeks. In the meantime I have been getting some other things done on the car, I have the bay painted with POR-15 and am currently installing an 8-pt roll bar. My goal is to have everything done but the engine so that once I get the block I can build her and have it running in a couple weeks. I want her back on the road by mid-July at the latest.

Andrew

 

Hey Andrew, you heard of GM Modern Muscle? GM club here in Nebraska. www.gmmodernmuscle.com - we'd glad to have you join up if you aren't already a silent member Stop by the message boards and say hi!


edit - oh yea, don't mind the "rule" requiring EFI - We've got a few ford members and even 1 *****, so they don't really enforce that anymore


edit #2 - lol, why is r i c e r blocked here? not like its derogatory, he calls himself that

 

I've been a member there for a loooong time, just don't post up a lot there.... or any board for that matter. lol

 

DP, what compression-ratio are
you aiming for?

 

Hmm interesting. Why? It was worth it to me, my KB lightweight (6in rod) hypereutectics cost all of $250. Sometimes forged pistons just arent necessary. And maybe its just me, but when youre building a budget NA engine, I think the money spent on unnecessary things is better put toward something that will help the engine make more power. The decision to go with hypereutectics was an easy one for me.

 

If you are not going to spray it, stock crank, rods and hyper piston's, setup properly will be just fine. My machinst talked me out of a bunch of stuff that I was going to do. If you are planning on spraying it, a set of 4340 or 4360( the step down from the 4340's, I can't remember what the number is) and a set of forged pistons will do the job. I don't understand why people spend crazy money on a bottom end that they don't need.

Stock parts setup properly will work. It's when you spray it or blow it , that's when you need really good stuff because of the added stress that parts are put under when the button is hit or the boost spools up.

To make really good power you are going to have to get a good set of heads. That's another thing, people build 383's and 406's, and don't understand why they run like dog do because they put a head intended for a 350 on their large c.i.d. engine. There's alot of people on the camaroz28.com board who have done it.

I have a set of 220cc protopline heads on my 406 that cost me around 800 bucks. That's fully assembled with good parts, 2.05/1.60 valves, dual springs, good valves, guide plates and studs. My engine builder talked me into the 220cc heads because he knows I'm eventually going to put in a stupid big cam and want to go really fast.

The cam I have now is a extreme roller, 288/294 adv, 236/242 @ .050 .570/.595 lift(that's close, I don't remember exactly)on a 110 LSA.

holley street dominator intake, 750 DP

Dual exhaust, 2 1/2 in with turbo mufflers

9.5 2800 ACT stall, 3.23 gears and 255/50/16 pep boy futura ultra Z tires

It's a t top car, with no SFC's, LCA's or brackets, the car with this setup ran a 7.82@90.4mph in the 1/8 with a 1.84 60 ft, the car would have left harder, but it started doing the mexican hat dance about 15 feet out.

Since I have switched intakes, found out mine was leaking horribly, put on a RPM AIR GAP, SFC's, sphon LCA's and relocation brackets. I hope to be in the 7.6's. The car runs stupid fast(I know there is A LOT of faster cars out there, I have raced a few)and 100 % streetable.

I hope this helps some, sorry it was so long, below is a link to my 406 buildup, i talk about all the things I did right and all my screw ups. Hope that helps some too.

https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...5&pagenumber=1

 

Omaha here....Spend it in every area you can afford to!!

 

less rotating mass the higher rm you can turn, the lunati superlites are good pistons, they're forged, very reasonably priced but not nitorus friendly just my .02