im helping a friend put together a cheap but nice 406 in a 70's iirc monte carlo for his dad as a present

he has a brand new unfinished 400 block , but i told him to sell it and just buy an finished shp block as there are no machine shops around here i would trust to finish the raw block


his dad will never drag race this , his dad used to own one when he was younger with a 400 so as a present he wants to build his dad one put it in the car he bought for him

the propsed build would be something to this extent

shp block machined .030 over for 406ci
forged roataing assembly with dished pistions aiming for 9.5-1
skip white aluminum 200cc cyl heads 64cc chambers
wieand stealth ram
long tube headers
megasquirt 2 controlling fuel and spark
not sure on trans or converter yet , so he hasnt picked out a cam just yet
more then likley it will be around a 2,500-2800 stall and th350 3:42-3:73 rear gear

can anyone suggest a cam for that setup?

yes i know on the heads already but they are cheap and like i said hes not looking to build a drag car here,but would like to see around 450hp

thoughts on what it would make power wise

cyl head flow int/ex

.100 70 / 55
.200 138 / 98
.300 188 / 138
.400 227 / 164
.500 244 / 181
.550 250 / 187

 

You already know your answer, so why ask it? That build is mismatched and will not meet your expectations. Horsepower is irrelevant if it can't even be consistent in how and where it makes it in the power band (HEADS). I'd trust a stock 400 block before I'd ever buy cylinder heads from Skip White.

 

The import head that comes from ProHeader or Assualt Racing is a much better quality core. I have been through 3 pallets of them for a budget CNC head I offer. Never had a reported issue, and I'm sure I would.

Pictures of the core: http://www.1320techtalk.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=2256

 

im trying to talk him out of those heads , but i cant think of anything that that would be cheap to him that i would put on that engine. all my suggestions to him are alot more money lol

 

You could probably find a GOOD set of used heads that will fit your budget. I think you're doing things methodically which is great, but definitely keep your options open. I'd dig around for some used heads (for the kind of $ we're talking) to tie the budget up. I'd also up the compression to 10.5 or so; that way you've got more freedom on camshaft selection while offering the ability to create more power. A 406 will definitely shine with the right camshaft selection and lower compression is definitely limiting things.

 

hes not one for used parts unfortunately ill see what i cant find for him though
our gas selection is limited here , 85/87/90 at just about all gas stations, 91/92 is very hard to get in our area

so to be on the safe side we have to give up a lil compression

 

Dart shp's probably best bet for a shelf cheapy

Chris straub has some patriot based 185 heads for 750$ complete. Could try him at straubtechnologies.com

 

Ah I see why you've decided to go that route. That makes sense now. I agree with your decision then. What kind of cam do you want to run?

 

That would also be through me, as I work in conjunction with Chris Straub

 

If you have a Jeg's racers discount, buy a set of loaded Jeg's heads. They are Pro-Filer and have room to grow.

For $250 you can have a USA core.

Another option: http://www.pbmperformance.com/store.php?catId=794

 

thats not a bad deal all.
u dont think the 185's would be a lil on the small side for 406ci though?

 

also not a bad idea/price i will pass along the suggestions

 

This is why I don't sell as-cast heads anymore. Just so horred up that it's easier just to pass on info.

 

It would be one thing if you opened them up some, but I think going with the Profilers would be a better alternative all things being equal. Not exactly the same price, but it's still "up there" so I don't see why you'de skimp when the price is negligible. For what you're doing it would foot the bill just fine I'd say.

 

Eh for a street 450 hp and 2800 stall i think its a good match

Shp 180's are closer to 195 cc measured i believe, from a test from a head porter on another forum. They will support 450 hp on a 406 no problem

 

been talking to him some more , the raw block he has is a bowtie block he managed to find a reputable place in north utah to machine it so for the cost hes going to use the block he has, since it will be cheaper then the shp

only thing is he dont rember if it has 350 or 400 mains and if its a one or 2 piece seal , have to wait till thursday to go over and see exactly what he has

i did manage to talk him out of the cheap heads , now i just gota get him to sit down and think about exactly what he wants out of the engine

to be honest it prolly really wouldnt matter as his dad isnt really a car guy , and wouldnt know the difference between 300 and 500 hp, i bet u the engine whatever he decided on will never see past 1/2 throttle anyways