Ok I'm doin a 400 swap in a 15th Ann T/A. I'm into EFI its for a friend I don't know much about carbs (was into Honda's) so I was thinking 400ci idk if pontiac and chevy any diff. I read about the steam hole in the heads idk what that is do they make almn heads for it I want a top end on it so a vector jr intake. Lookin at 450 to 500 fwhp 3000lb car in the high 11s with drag rad or low 12s 700r4 trans 373 rear what do I need I need to be on pump gas.

 

kind of a broad question and a little scattered. I'm not a gear head guru but id suggest just finding a build online and following it. kinda takes the newbie questions out of it(which can frustrate the smart guys) and makes it a lot easier. i still consider myself a newbie and that method seems to work for me. then i only ask the questions I'm really stumped on.... helps with not getting called names lol

 

The Pontiac's and Chevy's are different with the Chevy's have a much better valve train.You have a machine shop mod any head for the steam holes.You tailor build from the tire sizes and rear end gear ratio forward to have the engine operate in it's power band.That means a bottom up build and SCR dictates much about the build.If you have the budget,you build a aftermarket 400.You need to understand that stock 400's where a smog engine and that the normal E.T.'s in the OEM vehicle was in the range of 17.00 to 18.00.That you are asking to cut 6.00 out of that.That that kind of reduction per each second isn't cheap to do.Years ago I raced a bracket car that I justifiably spend $1,200 to what I knew was going to be 2 tenths.

So when I first saw your post I was going to be a smart ba$$ and say money.But the truth is depends on your budget.We'll wait for your reply about that.Then can tell you what is doable or not.

 

Is it a Pontiac 400 or a Chevy 400? By 82 the only Pontiac engine left in F-bodies was the 4 banger Iron Duke. So there wont be as many peopel here familiar with the Pontiac 400s.

If it's a Chevy 400, some aftermarket heads and a moderate camshaft should get you there easily. Just don't re-use anything from the factory block except the crankshaft and the block. New rods, new pistons, new cam, new timing chain, new heads, new intake. Everything on the chevy 400 is junk from a horsepower/racing perspective.

 

The thing is like you said with these 400's,you throwing out the bath water with the baby and starting over.You can trust in the fact with cast cranks if your hooking the car hard or using a tranny brake,it is a hand grenade with the pin pulled.And heavy cars don't help much.Someone close to me used one in a super gas car holding his breath on every pass.At the end of the season opened it up and threw out it all.It was trash.So let's say for a example that leaves you with the block only to use.The OEM's are steam hole blocks that are known to have the cylinders even with torque plates used,to have the cylinders move around alot.You can leak them down and get very different results each time.

There are very good reasons why the aftermarket build their own castings.It is the limits of the OEM stuff limitations and the downside of it's use.Without that,there is no market for aftermarket.

So the bottom line is you invest in the OEM knowing you only about $1,200 away from having a aftermarket block and having a way better,possibility of a bigger SBC.

I have said this before.There isn't a or should not be a completion date for these swaps.If you find your coming up short cash of a very much better swap,wait and save up more money.That is a smart build you will if built right won't regret.

Oh-one last suggestion.Do not use any credit card purchases for projects like this.Of course you know why not to.

Yeah-wanted to add to this too.IF you find having to use a stock block set-up.The cheap rotating assembles are just that.Some not better than what you have already and some even worst.Some ads state their lost is you gain.Well some that is certainly true and many,many it isn't.Buyer beware!!.

 

Are the factory 400 cranks really worse than the factory 350 cranks? I've seen factory cast cranks survive through really powerful builds. I'd not worry at all with an aftermarket cast crank until I was hittin 600+hp.

 

I broke 1 factory cast crank and then foundout my aftermarket cast crank is cracked..
I didnt think i was making enuf power to break them. guess i am.
going steel

 

I know I'm doing all new guts. Cast steel crank forged rods and hypn......... pistions. Will a high rpm 7000 max victor jr intake will work I just need to know what size and brand will be good and what size carb. Some dart alm heads and some sorties headers money is not to much of a prob. I didn't say a cheap 450 hp sbc 400 I don't see many 450hp 400 engines so I can't copy those I see some for boats but they need diff power band.

 

My suggestion is to purchase a balanced crank kit that includes balancer and flexplate. Go with at least 5.7 rods. For cylinder heads, 200cc to 210cc should work fine. You will need to decide on what type of cam you're going to use ie: flat tappet hyd, flat tappet solid, hyd roller, solid roller? The very first thing I would do however is have the block checked for cracks and approximately how much overbore it will need. If it needs over .040" bore, I would ditch the block. The 400 walls are thin. Once you have the OK on the block, proceed with the build.

 

I know they are thin that's why I was just gonna keep it a 400 and for the cam what ever bolt in I'm just looking for a quick 450hp motor out of a 400. What size and type of carb I need

 

Off the top of my head the 400's are 20yrs old.To find one that didn't need to be bored would be pretty rare.Fact is the 400's themselves are getting harder to find that aren't cracked.If you find one be very sure you have two different machine shops check it.The more eyes the better.They are known to crack between the steam holes and the head bolt holes.

 

I hate to press a point.Thing is you can survey many forums until you hear the answer(right or wrong ones) you want to hear.

Here is one link where you can shop a aftermarket block and many other parts.

http://www.racingjunk.com/category/1...ks.html?page=1

 

I just want too kno how much air flow in the heads dome intake runners and what kinda carb and size I aways did EFI I am doing this for a friend I just wanna bolt it up my engine will have all the custom work. Can anyone help me

 

Heads will need to be 200cc flowing 260@ .500 lift. Go with a Edelbrock RPM manifold and 750 carb. Should get you what you're looking for. Also, go with a Lunati Voodoo cam #60103 or #60104. Should be a nice motor.

 

thanks its alot of 400's round here and i will get it all checked out like always. thanks for the cam do anybody else have any idea with a cam and carb like a double pump carb what ever that is like i said i dont now to much about carbs. whats a good brand of carbs, and i was going eagal rotory with some dish pisons cast steel crank. can these engines take 7000 rpm its gonna get dogged and i dont wanna rebuild it every 3 months i want it to last bout 10yr without cracking the block heads crank bearing spinning. i want a bolton sbc 400 with 400 to 500 fwhp thats more than enough for this person 350 hp its all he really need but eveyone knows hp sells engings torque win races.

 

I won a lot of races this past season with HP...

350 HP should be a cakewalk without worrying about cracks. But, I have to agree with Gary on this one - spend a few extra bucks up front and CHECK THIS THING OVER THOROUGHLY! The heads & cam that have been suggested should be more than adequate to get well over 400 HP. You don't need to spin it to 7000 RPMs (I'd rev limit to 6500). Use the milder of the two cams, and you're at least at 450 GFWHP. A 750 Holley double pumper should do just fine on an RPM intake.

Personally, I would never build a Gen I 400 SBC (and, yes, I have owned one). Just too old of stuff, too many quality issues from the factory, was never a "performance" engine. With all you have to do to make them reliable with the more power you make, you're soon into LS $'s. Okay, I'll admit I'm an LS sell-out, but look at what you can do with those things, and you'll wonder why you spend any time at all on the old school stuff.

And don't try dismissing me as a snot-nosed technobrat. I still have my first car, and next month I will have had it for 40 years. I had to build/rebuild it before I could drive it for the first time, and the next engine it's getting is a 402 CID LS-based package. I have every reason to believe that it'll run circles around your Gen I 400 (and the 396 that came out of my car last year); I'll spin it higher, and it'll last longer. And, it'll be a comparative kitten to drive on the street.

 

Don't get me wrong I love ls motors it will just cost me more to get one and put it in I can build a sbc and have more power for less money. But the short runner on ls motors make no power in lower rpms and the 400 is for a friend I will have a EFI 383 with procharger. Now I have a 305 tune port with some mods and I beat stock LS1's in the 1/4 mile I have a friend with a 98 ws6 with a ls2 youtube page TRYMEHws6 I think its black but he have to run me down new camaro ss has to run me down new hemi srt8 I just have them sayin that's no 305 honestly I don't think its a 305 any more it says it on th bottom of the block thoe. I want a 4th gen with a prochared ls7. Oh I raced the new ZR1 LS9 it was like a 40 roll killed me I just don't like u don't get the neck snaping torque in a ls motor u have to have a 5.30 rear end to get off the line and I win most of my wins from torque and w8 prob 220 to the wheels hp and bout 390 torque

 

And with my 383 w/o procharger should be running mid 11s with procharger mid 10s

 

No reason for a 400hp 350, 383, or 406 to run low 12's with traction and be streetable. 450hp will get you well into the 11's in an f-body. Talking engine HP here...

 

The engine is for my bestfriend and right now its a stock (slow) 305 H.O. rated at 190 hp and he think its so fast I don't want him to kill himself u can say his first car. I want him to beat most street racers but not all (me) he can be on my *** doe I will be running mid to low 11s if I can find someone selling one cheap a procharger. I can do like they do the new SRT8 lots of HP but to heavy to get it down the line

 

And ye friend doesn't know how to post for himself or doesn't want to learn how to build a car himself??.OR your here asking these questions because you too need guidance cause you don't have the knowledge either??.


Not to be blunt,but I don't see the value in this kind of thread.Let alone both Five7 and I already gave you advise and you seem to have rejected it.You sure can post and post until you found answers that are ones you wanted in the first place.Right or wrong ones.

My point is in forty yrs of doing this,it is crazy rare the third party got passed on the info supplied.

And I would like to think what I advise people I have done a fair job of teaching them directly.

 

i have to completely diagree with you here. read around on the LSx board, a JY LM7 5.3 with 50K or so miles with a good cam/lifters/LS6 intake/headers can put out some pretty decent HP/TQ numbers for way less $ than what you'd have to put into a Gen I and II engine to get the same #'s. Average price for an LM7 can range from $200 to $700 depending on vendor and mileage and come stock with 285hp. For alittle more, you could start with an LQ4 6.0 and do the same mods and be really happy. Check out LS1tech and see what guys are doing with them, check youtube for dyno #'s. I Still have respect for Gen I and II, but LSx is the way to go. Fuel efficiency (to a point), latest FI, huge aftermarket market and everything is interchangeable and available.

 

Lmfao

 

He drives I build he dont work on car I do. I just wanted other ppl insight i seen what yall said and i want to se what other say because idk u if some one would have said use a zz4 cam port the stock heads some 1.6 rockers with a 2500 stall that will get u there and that will not and for some one who is not knowing will get a hyd roller cam in a non roller engine that will push the studs out of the stock heads LIKE I SAID BE FOR I BUILD HONDA'S I have traded it for my first love Camaro im not that into old cars Im sure u have shoes older than me my car is older than me and i pass infoe do u know how to make a 400hp k20, b20, h22, f22b1 if u know what those are.


and ls1 complete with trans all wiring looking at 3k where im from lsx intake bout 500+ intake on sbc 100 cam on ls 300 cam on sbc 75 heads on ls bout 1200 heads on sbc 800 headers on ls bout 1000 sbc 500. i like lsx motors i just cant afford the power i want

 

LSX not LS1, 5.3's 6.0's 4.8's, damn, go buy a 4.8 with low mileage, a cheap turbo kit off ebay for 900 bucks and a low mile 4l60E auto and have fun with 400ish HP all day if not more for like $1500-2500 bucks. $500 for an LSx intake??? like a STOCK intake???? Ls6 intakes which are the best factory intake with power gains over others that clears 3rd gens hoods can be had for 275-350 if you shop right, stock Ls1 intakes ive seen as low as $50 bare and $150 loaded w/injectors, $1200 on heads dude???? the 5.3's come with nice heads, and L33's come with LS6 heads (minus sodium filled valves blah blah blah) Headers from Hawks on sale $650.00 on ebay all the time.....Camshaft???? Research this **** man.

 

I do only LS i would want is LS1 2 3 7 and well the same as 3 LS9 and i dont want a cheap Turbo give Bare 350 and 2500 i can make more hp with out power adders. will not get used cams and LS motors dont make power in the lower rpm if i want to go 200+mph i will get one for street light racing u will get yer *** handed to u free way LS all day thats why LS cars always wanna do a roll. u can get stock sbc heads free im talking bout good after market parts told u im lookin to make 600hp

 

here, go read post #23 in this thread and be alittle more receptive and make better judgment calls before "getting yer *** handed to you"

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/ltx-...urbo-4-8l.html

And thats on a little 4.8, an engine that can be bought for like $200, $300 bucks??

Done with this one. im with Five7, Good Luck on the build.

 

not where im from and everybody say they gonna run loops around some one like i tell evey1 else talk about it at the finish line

 

I'm having a lot of trouble reconciling that with the thread title. A 12-sec street car is a very fast street car, and quite easy to kill himself with.

And, I cannot condone street racing in any form. Talk about a great way to kill yourself - or worse yet, others.

 

L98 long blocks go from 1-2000 bare block are like 500 bucks eveybody think there crap is worth more is a 87 bbc 502 EFI clean with 500hp for 35k here

 

I oddly enough helped a close younger friend Dickie Pohl yrs ago build a 57 Chevy.He had a falling out with a puppy love girlfriend and chanced once again in a street race.Honestly we all didn't give much thought to street racing back then.Well he lost it at about 100 mph spinning dead onto straddling a stone wall leading to a head on crash to a tree.Happened I was told that fast and there wasn't any skid marks.Kill himself.

When I went to pay my respects,his father told me it was my fault and to get out there.To certain degree he was right.That plus it becoming more and more increasingly harder for the classes I wanted to run,got me into vehicles for track drag racing only.

 

One other thing here,not for nothing or that you said it either.What gets me shaking my head is guys that talk about dropping a second off their ET like it is nothing.Let alone doing it week after week consistently.There for sure guys that are wrenching hard on this site that certainly are doing the work during the week.Five7 is one and ORR is another(please excuse me if I didn't name you)

So when I spend so much time and money to be competitive,I get offended to see guys think it is so easy to do.

 

I got a ton of work into my car.... I built a 355 with vortec heads... Im hoping to join the 12second club after another cam swap, and even then I'll just be barely tapping in.

If I could do it all over again - it'd be 5.3 LSx all the way. Seems like it's SOOO much easier to get power out of those than it is these Gen I setups. To get a Gen I motor to go you have to sacrifice a lot of streetability AND spend a lot on cylinder heads.

For the price of the requisite cylinder heads for a 350/383/400, you can buy a 6.0L truck engine, do a stock rebuild then add a cam and lay some hurtin on people at the track.

 

Yeah darn it,you guys(well I have to find someone to blame),got me thinking about a 6.0 over the almost done 383 I have.What yr trucks did that come in again??.

Sorry bout the off topic posts guys.

 

I'm sorry I didn't mean to offend anybody or disrespect. My friend is more of a track guy, myself I'm more street guy but I'm bigger on safty thoe I don't race on unsafe streets wet grounds or ppl with bad tires if u got steel belts hanging out or old tires no race an I can smell roted on burn out. Sorry bout your friend ad its not your fault if I kill myself in a ZR1 its not G.M. fault.

Now to the trail blazer ss ls2 thing I wish I can show u how my 305 runs my buddy has a ls2 in a 98 ws6 not stock and he has to run me down my car still has a govener at 114 and I have a tall rear end gear 9bolt 3.27 he has 3.73 but my car do like 107 with gps and it bounces off hard. I put in work too I love car guys from tuner gokarts anything with a motor. And my car will have a custom cam heads. Its gonna be a sleeper. I appreciate all the help I got from u guys and y'all will know my name when I get my car built.

 

The LS2 is a corvette engine in a 4th gen... 400hp/400torques...

And you're telling me that your 305 with a cam and 3.27s is faster than a LS2 + 3.73s?

 

+1 on Vortex's response, LS2 Vs 5.0? I'm not sure home depot sells shovels that big....

 

I actually spit my water out reading this. Haha.

 

As for your friend "driver",there isn't a driver that doesn't know the mechanics in detail that is worth much.<yeah-I edited that some what I really think>

I suggest strongly you tell him to get off his excuses and put his hands to good uses.

 

There is vid of this and I trying to have him put it up on youtube now he do pass me I didn't say my car is faster for the first 200ft I'm out there when he pass me he is outta there if it was a 8th mile I will win he don't have his ECU tuned ppl think I'm sick when I tell them about it but wen u run me u will say that's a fast 305 I starting to think its not a 305 I hope it is I need a tune too I need to start shoting vids of my races and I will be selling the engine complete when I do my 383 swap but I sware to y'all I'm not lieing

 

i want some video or might appear to be

 

What I am thinking is forums have new guys all the time and make claims that show their inexperience.I really don't like to see anyone get piled on because of that.That is my plea for this user to you guys.

What makes this thread harder for me is it is a guy that is doing something for another guys and either knows.My only answer(again) is for the owner of the car to post and start the learning process.

I guess I do have a soft spot for new guys wanting to mod their cars.LOL-for me at my age to wake up each day is a gift that needs to pay it forward.

 

I do know a lot I went to skool for it and I am certified and I don't unerstand why u can't understand that's someone would pay someone to build them a car ppl like mr foose do it all the time ppl buy built cars all the time like I said be4 I BUILD HONDA'S where power adders is a reg. I just want a low 12s sbc 400 in a 3000lb car with no power adders. Reason I didn't put much thoght into the 400 is because its not mine. I'm just trying to get a check. Yeah I could just look up some cam on summit and a foged crank and a 200 shot but I don't know how will it act with that. Honda's and tuners are ez the have stages stage 1 skunk 2 cam or 3 with turbo. And bout the 305 in my car I'm telling u the truth and the TA I raced is on youtube name is TRYmeh

 

This seems like a endless merry-go-round and I am going to get off the ride.Guys that charge to build a car know what to do already.If you don't see a issue with me helping you charge some else to build a car while I am leading with my free advise,good will and heart,I just don't know how else to explain it to you.Please take this as constructive criticism,but your posts,spelling,etc,doesn't help much either.

 

here is a link to the car i raced

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_xvabRsE44

 

Thanks guys grabing a parts list now he gave me the ok and I will use the cam and carb I'm shooting for a smaller hp for him when he said his friend died that realy stuck me I was trying to talk him into rebuilding his 305 with a milder cam and some spray with other bolt ons. My typing was bad with the old post I don't know how u guys even understand what I was saying. When I text fast on my phone it don't pick up all my characters. I'm looking at 300hp to 375hp with some torque. We black and I just talked him into making his car look better some 17inch rims 2nd gen snowflakes or some 18in front 19rear new ZR1 rims new paint stuff to make girls like it lol I learned a lot with that kind of power I think 650 carb will do with a torker intake and after he get used to it he can upgrade more power. I love this site I wish thay had a app for it lol. And for the LS2 WS6 I met him on C.L. got a trunk latch for my 87 he told me he did all that stuff and it said the same on his Youtube page a few weeks l8 it says it has a LS3 in it that he post a new vid with it on the drag strip and he says he is running stock 2.73 rear end I think its a ls1 with a few bolt ons he ran a 12.8 and the vid said he has nittos on and he dont. I see why u guys think I'm lieing ppl lie about they cars all the time I see. The other guy if u seen my vid me racing a 93 lt1 he told me his lt1 had a lt4 intake on it with stock heads lt4 use vortec style heads and he didn't have headers why would any1 put a lt4 top with stock mannys and a stock cam with roller 1.6 rockers they would be noisy and his car would not run right his car would think the rocker noise was pre ignition or detonation on top of that he said it was a cop car it was green with t tops look on my page on youtube sojer6mile. I will post up the 400 build under this it will most likely be a vid I will take a 2 week vacation to do it the dyno he will have to take it to ashop to do all that. Oh the vid is up of me racing the ws6 look under TRYMEHws6