Well, I am strating to build a 400 on paper. The actual building will start when I get my get my tax refund this year, well, the one I hope I get. Anyways, To those of you who have built one or just have knowledge to pass along to me I'd apreciate it. Examples:
Cam, Heads, Intake manifold, well that actually leads into one of the big things I can't decide on, fuel delivery carb or EFI? The carb will be relatively cheap, comparitively easier to maintain, but is very inefficient, can't turbo charge it(right?), and not as tame. If I went with EFI, I'd probly go with TPI or SFI, used, get larger injectors, fuel lines, AFPR, and anything else I've forgotten. Though having a computer can be a pain sometimes, It can also make it easier to drive, It won't be a daily driver, but I will drive it about 100 days out of the year. about 8,000 miles. Also with a HP and tourque rating at 450, thats what I'd like to shoot for, what will I have to do, I know the rear end won't take it, I want to replace it with a 4th gen one. But what about the tranny? the 700R4 is a tough guy, but will it take the 400? In a year, or when I get enough money I want to replace it with a T-56, but for now will she hold or should I get her strengthened? Also to keep the body from twisting, get some SFC's and a roll cage to stiffen her up. Well, thats a good start. Anyone?

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Flowmaster,Edelbrock open filliment filter with K&N filter in it
160 stat,

 

Well, Im in a Negative Mood tonight, So let me preach

99% of people who talk about Turbochargeing their Motors will never even get Close to Doing it. To Turbo one of these Motors, You would have to completely fabricate the entire setup, while the ideals are fairly straitforward, getting it done is another matter. So If I were You, I wouldnt Limit myself by this possibility. Plus, you can turbo a Carb Just fine.


I personnally Think that Doing a TPI would be fun, But that is becasue I have played the Carb game. You need to decide what You are comfertable with. a Carb is essentially a bolt on, Riggin a TPI is not.

from Your Sig, Im gonna guess You have a L03, So you Dont have the luxury of using your stock EFI. Importing a entire used TPI, while not a totally impossbible task, Is definately a daunting one. if You choose the carb Route, You can essentially slap a 750 Double Pumper Ontop and Forget about it ( ha ! ), But yo know what I mean. Then, if In the future You get bored with It, Start playing with TPI!( or superram, or whatever You like... $$$)

So what Would I reccommend? A carbed 400 With Some Nice Go fast goodys, Wich Im sure ppl Will chime In with.


And have Fun!



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60 Ranchero - Project ( Money Hole )
85 Sport Coupe LG4 - Daily Driver

Livin' the Stereotype

 

LT4 Heads (or AFR 195's)


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'88 Formula 350
Bright (VERY bright) red. Mods? yep, but never enough!
Check out the newest f-body site: http://www.lastgen.com/


[This message has been edited by 3rdGem (edited January 15, 2001).]

 

Hey 92RS, I think at one time, we've all built a "paper motor" Here's mine:
400 ci (.030 over) 2-bolt w/splayed caps
steel crank, aluminum flywheel, fluiddamper
10.5:1 forged piston w/moly rings
TPIS zz9 cam w/hyd roller lifters
TPIS valve springs
Large runners (too keep it stock looking)
TPIS Big Mouth intake
LT4 Heads (or AFR 195's)
Ported $ Polished plenum
58mm TB

How's that for a start? The 700 can be built to withstand your power goals, and so can your third member. In fact, it would be better if you build your car from the rear, forward. If you put that high power engine in you car without upgrading the rest, one by one you'll "blow" them out! Besides, it's cheaper to start with the rear. You're going to have to spend about 5,000 on your engine (rough, and I mean ROUGH estimate), to get it all working together. Spend a couple grand on the rear (gears, posi, LCA, Pan, torque, etc), work your way to the tranny (couple more, there...if done CORRECTLY), and then you're ready for ANY engine you want to slap in there. Good luck!

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'88 Formula 350
Bright (VERY bright) red. Mods? yep, but never enough!
Check out the newest f-body site: http://www.lastgen.com/

 

Anyone else??

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'88 Formula 350
Bright (VERY bright) red. Mods? yep, but never enough!
Check out the newest f-body site: http://www.lastgen.com/

 

the good old paper motor build up. heres my in the near (very near) future combo.

406 with flat top hyper pistions
ported 993 heads with screw in studs/guide plates
Comp 282 solid cam, .495 lift 236 duration @ .050.
10:1 comp ratio
performer RPM intake with holley 650 dp
headers 3 inch exhust
my 700R4 is alredy built up to handle 450 ft lbs
i still need to find a posi unit, with 3.73s or 4.10s

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when the green flag drops the bull$hit stops

Curent: 350,performer RPM intake ,650dp, 700r4, headers, 3inch exhast
Spring 01: 406, Comp 282 solid cam, 2400 stall converter, every thing else the same.

 

Well I don't have a paper 400 right now, but here's my cast-iron 400:

forged pistons (TRW L2356F) std bore 12.5cc dish
lightweight piston pins
new Eagle cast crank (std std)
stock rods w/ARP bolts
M55 pump w/ Mr Gasket spring
186 heads:
port work
screw-in studs
guide plates
machined for 1.45" springs
pushrod holes drilled to about 5/8"
64cc chambers, for ~10.4:1 CR
Comp XR282HR cam (used to have the 282S for about 110k miles... still have it laying around)
Comp 987 springs
Comp 1102 stainless roller rockers
Lightweight fuel pump rod
Stewart water pump

Now all I need is a chassis I can put it into, where the hood will clear some kind of decent intake (Victor would be my choice), Race Demon 750 carb, etc.; right now I'm stuck with a Performer intake because I can close the hood on it.

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

[This message has been edited by RB83L69 (edited January 15, 2001).]

 

That one looks the best to me so far. The fancy go-fast goodies look impressive on an engine but simple factory stuff can work just as well

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Follow my racing progress on Stephen's racing page
and check out the race car

87 IROC-Z Pro ET Bracket Race Car
383 stroker (carbed) with double hump cast iron heads and pump gas
454 Big Block almost ready for the 2001 racing season

Best results before the 383 blew up
Best ET on a time slip: 11.857 altitude corrected to 11.163
Best MPH on a time slip: 117.87 altitude corrected to 126.10
Altitude corrected rear wheel HP based on power to weight ratio: 476.5
Best 60 foot: 1.662

Racing at 3500 feet elevation but most race days it's over 5000 feet density altitude!
Member of the Calgary Drag Racing Association

87 IROC bracket car, 91 454SS daily driver, 95 Homebuilt Harley

 

rb's is fine, but for the time and money spent on porting old heads, you're better off getting some new ones.

 

You said something about getting a 4th gen rear-end. Just so you know, the 4th gen 10-bolts aren't any stronger than your 3rd gen 10-bolt. Get a 12-bolt from Moser Engineering, $2,045 for the bolt-in kit.

Your 700-R4 probably wouldn't hold up (not long anyway) if you drove it hard at all. You could get one from Pro-Built, they've got 'em that'll hold-up to a 400 without any problem. I'm not too sure about the horsepower handling capabilities of the T-56.

-Mark W.
'88 SC Camaro w/ 305 TBI

 

Over 2,000 for a rear end, holy cow.

I thought the 4th gens had stronger rear ends? Concidering the SS and the FireHawk have 330 HP, and I've seen SS's with superchargers, they have to have more than 400hp, am I right?

Besides I just wanted to go unbolt one from a junkyard, get a proportioning valve, and cost about $200 total.
As for the tranny, I don't want to get a new automatic, I want a T-56 eventually anyway, anyways to just give it a little extra strength?
I'm a full time student, and work part time, I can't go all out, I can only do one part at a time, and spending 2,000 for a rear end is crazy, my winter car only cost 2,200 and I'm talking a whole car. A big one too.
So any other options here?

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Flowmaster,Edelbrock open filliment filter with K&N filter in it
160 stat,

 

i say get your engines and just beware bout the rearend. make sure you have AAA. lol. neways buy a rear end when you need it IF you need it. seems like everyday someone else pops up with nearly the same damn 400 build up as ive had for the longest time. so much for originality.

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Rick
90 Camaro RS 305 TBI
400 small block, Hooker 1 3/4 LTs, Random Tech Cat, Hooker aero chamber cat back on the way!!
TH700-R4 with Trans-Go shift kit (corvette servo here...but not installed yet)
MacEwen Motorsports White Gauge Overlays
14" K&N X-Stream Open Element
GTS Headlight and Taillight covers
5% Limo Tint all around
Classic White Chevy Bowtie sticker on rear window
http://www.geocities.com/esvalenz

Man if my camaro were a rice-rocket all those mods would give me what...easily 50-60 hp!!!

"Just because I've done it, doesn't mean I knew what I was doing!" - Me

 

hey RB83L69 what did your camaro run with the 282 solid cam. did it sound pretty rough. what stalll converter did you have. also if you have a Edelbrock Performer RPM, a holley and a drop base 14X3 air cleaner you can close the hood.

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when the green flag drops the bull$hit stops

Curent: 350,performer RPM intake ,650dp, 700r4, headers, 3inch exhast
Spring 01: 406, Comp 282 solid cam, 2400 stall converter, every thing else the same.

 

Im Planning on building a 406 this winter with the following Parts..
400 2bolt 509 block
eagle cast crank
eagle 5.7 h-beams
215cc dart iron eagle cyl heads
Edelbrock Super victor
Holley 850dp
11.6:1 with 64cc heads
4000 converter with 4.10 gear
Comp cams solid roller cam #12-908-9
264 270@.050 .630 lift

Im hoping this motor will be enough to put me in the 11's this year

 

Bort....who said anything about Turbocharging?

 

Well here is my take on things. My 408 is being built, (well as soon as the rotating assembly gets back from the machine shop). While I was talking to the machine shop I asked them about using a set of 186 duoble hump heads. He said They would be fine for my 355 but wouldn't flow enough air for the 408. I would have to suggest aftermarket heads. A carb, Tpi of you have the $ for the conversion. The rear will be on borrowed time, The ? is when will it go. But damn $2000 is a bit pricy too.
Gold 993's are what is on my 355. Mine run better than any set of 882's, I have seen. Hows your luck been with them?

Later
John

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82 Firebird,355,Cam 224/234, .466/.488,TH350 Tranny,650 HolleyDP,Hooker Headers(I.E. POS) Manual steering
Best 8th et 8.62@80mph.
NEW for 01
A 408,dart heads,street dominator intake, & a speed demon carb, Also a big hole in the hood.
Shooting for 12's.

 

Z,

I've got a piece of paper that looks a lot like yours. That combo will put you in the 11's in a 3rd gen car......on slicks with SFC's and avgas.

My buildup is centered around AFR 210's, which is an aluminum head, along with one step smaller cam and a 3,000 converter.

There is one major difference: I'll be using a 4340 steel crank with a main stud kit in the block. I hate to choke up the $$$ for the crank, but in MHO the scat cranks do not provide enough safety margin at high RPM - and these 400 blocks are getting too hard to find to risk it. I've heard the stories of stock cranks going 3 seasons at 6,500 RPM, so maybe I'm foolish.

It's the pucker factor......at 6,500 RPM on a cast crank.....well, you couldn't force a needle up there with a sledgehammer.

BOR

 

OK, here is my 406 that is in my car now:

4-bolt Bow Tie Block
Lunati Forged Crank
Lunati Pro-Mod 6.0" Rods
Lunati forged pistons (10:1)
World Product Sportsman II heads 2.08/1.625 valves
Crane Solid Roller Cam 242/250 @ 0.050" with 0.657"/0.600" lift
Lunati roller lifters
Rockers were half 1.5 Crower (exhaust) 1.7 Comp Cams (Intake)
Miniram
36 lb. injectors
58 mm thottle body
Accel DFI


And yes, the rear was expensive, I have a Strange 12-bolt with 33 splin axels, 4.11 gears and Brute Strength Posi. Delivered to my door, (NO BRAKES), was $2350. I killed the original 10-bolt with 3.73's and slicks.

Also, the 700r4 will hold this kind of power if done right.

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1991 Formula w/ K&N filter running 11's. MAN THAT IS SOME FILTER!

 

Gold 85, I never ran it at the strip so I don't know what kind of ET it would have done. It tore up lots of parts, and Mustangs too, on the street though. I would estimate mid to low 13s, maybe 13.3 or 13.4, but that's just a guess by beating some cars that ran those numbers. I have never lightened the car at all, still has the spare tire & jack, back seats, etc... just the simple stuff like that, that you could take out the night before and put back when you got through at the track, is worth a couple of tenths. It still even has a trailer hitch on it.

The cam sounded great, just like a hot rod ought to.

The problem with a "drop base" air cleaner is that it also drops the lid. If you actually look at the majority of them, the lid only clears the air horn by an inch or so. I have the stock HO setup with a 1" spacer under it to get it up off the air horn; that little spacer was worth almost 20 HP at the rear wheels. Plus, I have the fiberglass hood; it's definitely flatter in the middle than the steel hoods, probably ¾" or so, which just makes the problem worse. I've been looking at building some kind of air box for it but that would almost be like work, know what I mean? so it hasn't got done yet. Thanks for the info though.

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