So I was looking at the forums today and found a 3rd gen that had an ls2 in it...Well I had wanted to do that swap but now that it has been done I don't really want to. So I got to thinking and remembering the 69 Camaros had a 396, so I came up with idea of a 350 turned into a 396, essentially making a 396 small block chevy. One thing I'm not entirely sure about though is if an aluminum block would handle the size of the displacement or if I would need a stronger block, like the iron block that comes in our third gens. Any thoughts/criticisation is more than welcome!

 

To stroke a smalblock block that far you've got your wrist pin all up in your compression rings... just not a great idea for a car you drive a lot.

Why not get an aftermarket Dart SHP 400 block? It'll be a much better platform in many ways.

Also I see no reason to shy away from an LS anything swap just because "it's been done before". The thirdgens are unique in that nearly every v8 engine chevy has made has been shoehorned into one at some point. And sometimes v8's other companies have made. Why not just build your own Gen III motor instead of going with a factory pullout? Is being "unique" really that important? Either way, an aftermarket 400 sbc is pretty unique. They're out there, but you'll surprise a lot of people who think it's just a regular old sbc if you get a 400 with some AFR heads and a big roller cam. Nothing exotic, just good parts on a big inch sbc.

But you can go just as fast with a Gen III 5.7 or 6.0 based engine. or even a 4.8...

http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/h...g_bang_theory/

 

or build a 396 LS if you need that magic number so badly. A standard bore 6.0 block with a 4" crank will give you 402 cubes... exactly what most "396" motors displaced.

 

I've seen somwhere the exact numbers to make a 395 off of a 350, but I'm just wondering if the aluminum LS block would be strong enough?

 

What kind of horsepower levels are you expecting? An aluminum LS block is at least as strong as any Iron SBC block. There are plenty of 800+ horsepower LS1/LS2/LS3 motors out there. If you're really worried about the strength, you could get an Iron block. They're cheaper, and can handle ridiculous power levels.

 

To be honest I'm not entirely sure how much hp I want to make when I have it in the car, at least 700. When I have enough cash to build a 396 I'm also going to turn my camaro into a mid-engine 4wd car (Lamborghini Murcielago 640-4 as reference).

 

700 ponies is a LOT of power, and a big demand. That's no easy task. If you want that kind of muscle a 396 SBC is not the way to go in my opinion... I vote BBC stroker, or go with a well built LSx motor.

 

The point of having a 396 SBC is just that, it's an sbc and not a bbc. Obviously I'm going to completely rebuild the motor I do end up using as a 396, and I've been leaning towards an ls2 as a starting point since LSx motors respond well to boost.
Edit: I'll clarify my reasoning by saying that the replacement for displacement is weight reduction.

 

A standard bore 6.0 block with a 4" crank will give you 402 cubes...

 

Ok....and your point is...?

 

I realize this is a relatively old post but rather than make a new thread, I'm just gonna ask here. Has anyone put a 3.875 inch crank from Scat or any other manufacturer with a 350 journal size 396 crank into a 4 bolt main sbc? 80-86 pre hydraulic lifter block? I have a 383 with a pan cleared for as much as 3.875 crank, and have short skirt pistons and 6" rods. But its got the 3.75 crank in there right now. Im familiar with proper blueprinting and the equations involved so no issue finding proper geometry rotational setup and head / cam combo. But I dont know if the 3.875 crank will fit in the 4 bolt blocks. Given proper block clearance with a grinder, will they fit in the block or does it need to be an earlier engine? This is a gen 1 block btw, not the LT or LS. Other than small base circle cam and avoiding piston rock at BDC with proper parts, is there anything else I need to watch out for?

 

Here is a good place to start: https://www.competitionproducts.com/searchprods.asp