This is strange. I just got my block back from the machine shop and I just noticed that the block doesnt have steam holes between the cylinders !! There's some marks there like they used to be there but it looks like they were welded in ? I wonder what the people that had this block were thinking when they put o-rings around the cylinder and welded these steam holes in. Do I have to worry about anything ? Will it get too hot ?

 

Use a head gasket as a template and drill new 1/4" holes. Unless you plan on running on alcohol the engine will overheat without them.

Are you sure it's a 400 block? What's the casting number?

 

DP

 

I took some pics.... it's definetly a 400 block ! lol

I took a pic of the side of the block, the deck and the heads that came with the block. It looks like the heads WERE drilled, but where's the matching holes on the block itself ?!?

 

i love that view-its the #3 that gets me. but with those siamesed bores-gotta drill em-was it decked? might be scale and caca plugged up tight in there didja take an awl and try pickingpoking thru first? tap on it lightly with a small ford tool-(hammer)later

 

are you running 5.7 rods? just wonderin.

 

Yeah I am. I bought a whole rotating assembly from a company called "Dirt Track Thunder". Comes with 5.7 rods with ARP bolts and forged SRP pistons, plus a Scat 9000 crank.

 

Here's a better picture of the deck surface. It wasnt decked as you can see it's still dirty around the water ports. I hate those damn o-rings in there. NowI have to run special head gaskets.

 

fu*kin- A, a motor that'll keep you buyin stock in goodyear, they needed to sell more tires, i heard, anyhow. those o rings are worth considering as a good cylinder head to deck surface sealing insurance. i know that you have held the head gasket in your hand and looked how thin the separation is between bores and then your supposed to punch steam holes in there too. is the setup like this? o-rings yes\then steam holes no? vice versa also? all i want to add is, as if you asked me for 2 cents-money permitting-even if it aint- trudge the block to a good engine machine shop and get a clean-up cut on the deck of your thumpster-the chances of a keeping set of head gaskets on and intact increase greatly when its all square to the world and flat. plus the worked 400's tend to crack between bores about 1/2 inch down, causing grief.but its lookin good to go anyhow. where are they finding 4 bolt blocks? i know the 2 bolt converted to 4 is stronger something with 3 on each side is different. how much was the short block if you dont mind ? take it easy

 

I picked up the block itself for 200, plus I put another 200 in it to have it hot tanked, bored to .040 over and honed and new cam bearings installed. Another grand for the rotating assembly and it looks pretty cheap so far... I plan on spending at least another 5-600 dollars for a new flywheel, good gaskets, new wires, an MSD 6AL box etc...

p.s. If anybody has a cheap 2 piece 12.75" inch flywheel for sale lemme know

 

fyi-a 350 flywheel will work if you have an engine balance shop set it up to match the imbalance of a 400--- 75.00 job

 

Yeah I know... That's why I'm looking for one. I can either do that or use the "pork chop" weight from Summit to counteract the imbalance.

 

That large pic really looks like there's something there between the cylinders. If it was a dirt track engine then it's possible they did weld the holes closed and ran it as an alcohol engine but I doubt it. Welding cast iron is a pain. Especially being that close to the cylinders.

I'd go with a punch and hammer method first just to see if it's not just plugged with something. Try drilling with a 1/16 or 1/8" drillbit to see if it's as hard as the rest of the block or just through a 400 head gasket on it and drill the steam holes out again to 1/4"

 

are we talkin -flywheel=manual trans flexplate= automatic if so then you are looking for a flexplate? the pork chop weight wont do a 400 flywheel-i am installing a richmond five speed starting this weekend. i have a small flexplate comin off that i had balanced for my 406. originally it was off the 305. sounds like what you want, maybe? ill sell it if you need it.

 

yep you can see those holes are there and definantly been filled alot of the roundy guys do this to make the block a little stronger and they use it constantly at at high r's so the steam holes arent needed. also i have a 400 flexplate and balancer forsale if you need them

 

Well I think we all know what the difference between the a flywheel and flexplate is ? I need a .. F L Y W H E E L to use with a 5 speed !

 

Centerforce makes a flywheel like you need, for about $300. Alternatively you can do what I did: I took a stock 83-85 HO flywheel to a balance shop and had it "unbalanced" to the stock 400 balance spec.

 

You don't necessarily need steamholes on a 400 based block/engine to make it work without overheating. Although I run Dart/Rocket block as the basis for my SBC 427, it's based off of the 400 block and features siamesed cylinders.

My block has no steam holes and doesn't overheat. As mentioned, the steamholes were not drilled to add strength and stability to the block's deck. To eliminate or skip the steam holes you'll need to do 3 things: plug and redrill the larger holes on the deck surface. We do this by plugging it with an iron pipe plug and then drilling out the pipe plug to a smaller diamter, usually around 3/8". This increases the coolant pressure in the cylinder area of the block. Then we add external cooling lines form the water pump to either the block or cylinder heads. If you chose to route it to the block, you drill and tap it in the area along the outside of the block between the two center cylinders about 3/4" to 1" below the deck surface (depending on the brand of block you use and it's deck thickness). You also need to run a high-pressure/high-volume water pump like a Stewart Stage 3 or 4. This will increase the pressure and flow in the cylinder area of the block, preventing the formation of steam pockets, while adding strength and rigidity to the deck.

O-ringing the block is typically done when high boost or large amounts N2O is used to prevent head gasket failures.

 

i gotcha -P O R K C H O P W E I G H T is an automatic transmission application. next time i will be sure to skip any attempt to clarify what is being discussed

 

That needs no clarification - you gotta love it here, huh?