What size dish pistons would you guys recomend using on a 400sbc with 65cc heads to get it down to a good CR, also would it be possible to run NOS with 65cc heads on a 400sbc planned on getting forged pistons/rods, but if it wouldn't be possible to run NOS then i don't think it would be worth spendin the extra cash, sorry for the newb questions and thanks in advance for your responses.

Codey

Aluminum or iron heads?

Are you willing to get your block zero-decked to the pistons, so that whatever you get, will work right, and as predicted?

Approximately how much cam? or, how much HP, what RPMs, what gears & converter, etc.

well i am of no use here sorry for the fodder

Aluminum heads, cam will probly be around .575 lift, how much does it run to get your block zero decked? lol thanks for the quick reply

Maybe $100-140 to get the block zero decked. That means you'll have a reasonable quench.

You probably want right around 10:1 CR, or in the high 9's, depending on if you are using a really big cam or a really small one. Lift is just a tiny piece of the puzzle. How about duration @ .050"? With a 400cid I would guess it's a flat tappet cam, unless you broke the bank and went roller. .575" lift is HUGE for flat tappet though...

18-20cc dish would be perfectly ideal if you zero decked the block, that'd get you in the range of 9.8-10.0:1.

Yea im gonna use a flat tappet cam im thinkin, roller is a bit expensive lol. At that CR would I be able to spray N20 or would that be a bad idea?

List the cam you had picked. .575" lift is hard to achieve without a gianormous cam.

Yea, you can spray some N20. How big a shot did you have planned?
CR doesn't have THAT big of an effect. If it's a big shot maybe stick a little bit lower on the CR, and pay very close attention to your head gasket. Good one, carefully torque the bolts, use head washers etc. Head studs are the best idea there.

Gap your rings big. No, bigger then that

Make sure those heads have steam holes. 65cc's aren't native 400cid heads, so make sure you use a 400cid head gasket, and drill the steam holes in the heads. Just making sure you know that, it's obvious to some, and new info to others. It's suck to find out after it's too late eh?

I don't really have an exact cam in mind, http://store.summitracing.com/partde...8&autoview=sku is just one that i was thinkin of, but might be too big, i really dont know what i want lol

A "peak lift" spec is WORTHLESS for trying to characterize a cam. Other than, .575" lift with a flat-tappet cam, isn't going to be anything you could POSSIBLY drive on the street.

What duration @ .050"? or, what kind of HP are you REALISTICALLY looking for, or what ET; or, what RPMs, and what gear, and what converter? What exact heads are these? Why that particular cam? Did the Lunati guys spec that one for your combo?

What's the most powerful car you've ever driven? What's the biggest cam you've ever had in a small block? How many solids have you had before?

Solid flat tappet, 259/269, .561"/.581", on a 106 LSA.
4200-7500RPM recommended.

That's a massive cam. That would be virtually undriveable. Based on your first post, and the fact that you yourself think you are a newb - that's not the cam for you.