I am swapping out an 89 305 to a 71 year 400 block and I am trying to get as many details squared away in order to do this swap with hardly any problems, but knowing "Murphy" all to well I know thats going to be just about impossible, but in the mean time I have these questions:

1. Can I reuse the piece that the oil filter screws into? sorry can't think of what it is called right now.

2. will my sepertine belt and brackets bolt right up to the 400 block?... If I remember right somewhere I had read that at times bracket bolt holes woul dneed to be drille dinto the head but not the block. I know a SBC is a SBC, but just want to make sure.

3. This is something that I haven't been to clear on. My valve covers on the 89 are center bolt stlye and to me they seem better at not leaking oil then the other perimeter stlye. I would like to stay with that style. So, its my understanding that the heads bolted on whatever year it may be, whether it be an 85 or 92, dictate what style intake to use. Is my understanding right?

4. Did the oil pans change design (bolt pattern) when the SBC went from a 2 piece rear seal to a 1 piece rear seal?...

Thanks for any help.

 

1. Yes. Usually it's known as the "oil filter adapter".

2. The front of the block has all the same holes in it.

3. There are basically no stock centerbolt heads that flow really well. The best ones are the L98, LT1, and LT4 ones. You are correct about the intake; if you use heads from 87 up, you'll have the late model style intake pattern. You'd be wasting your time building a 400 with crap heads; you have to fill bigger cylinders than a 305 or a 350, so flow becomes even more important.

4. Yes. They also changed in the late 70s between about 77 and 80 from left dipstick into the block (one style of oil pan) to left dipstick into the pan (another different style of oil pan) to right distick into the block (yet another kind of pan) and finally to the one-piece design. All 400 blocks are style #1, but style #2 pan bolts right up to them and works fine as long as you block off the dipstick hole in the block.

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"So many Mustangs, so little time..."
ICON Motorsports

 

If you use '71 heads, you'll be short one bolt hole on the pass side for the serpentine.
TO my understanding you have to use 400 heads on a 400. I don't think the water jackets line up if you use any other size heads.

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'88 IROC TPI 355, '69 truck 4-bolt, fully balanced, 9.75:1 compression, fully ported '70 truck heads(for now), Harland Sharp 1.6 Roller Rockers, Comp Cams CS 252AH-12, ported '86 TPI converted to speed density, Crane AFPR, Flowmaster 3in. exhaust, Edelbrock TES headers, all emissions equipment is still intact, plan on burning my own chips, many more mods and parts on the way as time and money permits =(
Best E.T. with TBI 305: 16.11 @ 82mph
Haven't been to track with new motor
If you have any questions on converting from TBI to TPI email me at jdkchevy70@yahoo.com
In memory of Dale Earnhardt, I'll miss cheering for that black #3 on raceday!!!

 

That is not correct about the water jackets. There are 6 little holes you should drill in other heads to put them on a 400, that's the only difference.

I have a set of 69-70 double-hump 350 heads on my 400. (with the steam holes drilled)

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"So many Mustangs, so little time..."
ICON Motorsports