Nice work Joe. Certainly worth the efforts to average out the Rotating and Reciprocating weights of the Connecting Rods and Pistons. Thanks for the shout out. Thanks for sharing. Have a great weekend. 👍🇺🇸👍
Wow, you really know how to assemble the bottom ends. I raced 400’s but never built the bottom ends but knew guys that did. In my opinion only, it is the most natural drag strip motor quite possibly ever produced for an every day car. Being a Smog era motor, they are low compression, low power, almost sluggish motors nobody cares about. Cam, heads, intake, ignition (control it better, nothing wrong with factory ignition) and you have an engine that has the short stroke of a small block for reved up powerful takeoffs and the cubes to rip at WOT at the top end. What you are doing is smart and amazing, way better than when they were assembled in the factory. So cool what you are doing, I am like what? A 500 from a 400, that’s crazy, love it. I don’t have a current need for one but I think I might want one of those someday. The 340’s at the time I raced ruled the drag strip where I was. I won races but lost a lot of them to a various Dart Body car running a 340, there was a swarm of cars and most of those guys had full out race motors in them. There was not enough prize money in it to deal with parts breakage running down 340’s that were real hard to catch at the end. 400’s were cheap and plentiful in our junkyard string my friend’s family owned. Those motors were never on a dyno, just homemade rippers with not much money spent. Cams were cheap, heads, parts same thing. I also knew and believed at the time that a 400 had even more potential and could rule a drag strip with better parts and more knowledge than I had at the time. My set up was simple with many racing tricks to go fast so I am not saying squaring the stroke to bore ratio with a larger crank is worse than the 400 with a short stroke, it might have been my car in total, keeping the motor in maximum power range through the whole run, etc. I never put a 440 crank in one but I knew guys that did and they couldn’t beat my junkyard 400’s so I never felt a serious need or wanted to spend the time and money to try it. You with your abilities are proving out what can be done with one right now. You are living what I used to dream about. Also kind of answers some questions if it is a real powerful motor. Very cool.
Optimal performance and longevity by paying attention to the fine details. Dave's going to be pretty stoked about this one when he beats on the go pedal!
Very nice explanation, Joe! I recall building a friend's engine and trying to explain how I was using lighter and heavier parts in specific locations for the best overall balance. After a lot of explanation, I was confused myself and had to start from scratch, and my friend left me alone for the short block assembly! I also built a fixture similar to yours to weigh the big end and little end of the connecting rods. I made the free end adjustable in length and used a torpedo level to reduce the error caused by rod tilt. On reflection, I don't think this would lead to much error unless the rod was at a severe angle. I started balancing engine bottom ends on the third engine I ever built, and I think that this type of work is an example of where "the sum is greater than the total of the parts" in that an accumulation of little things done right makes for a better running, more powerful engine.
It's like a puzzle! I'm still learning, thanks for the info! I did swap sides and record my error from side to side. It was only a few grams. If I was balancing the rods, I would have kept playing with it until I got within a gram from side to side. Ed showed me a neat trick, to beat all that side swapping, but I’m sworn to secrecy 😅
@@Grandadsjunk great engine. You may need to replace the exhaust seats because they were before unleaded gasoline. Should have nice compression and closed chambered heads.
@@jimdrechsel3611 all its intended to do is hold The gasket until it is all torqued in to place. Makes your life easier to have them stuck to the pan and keeps them from hanging in to the ports and disrupting flow. Also, once they’re glued, you can trim off any excess before installing.
The rod beam is parallel so you can use a bubble level on your rod scale fixture. In the video, the pin end is too high which will make the big/rotating end weight slightly heavier.
I can see what you mean. If you look at the far right of my chart, I had some + and - numbers. That was my error from adding the big and small end amounts vs. the total weight of each rod. Luckily, I was basing most of my information off of the big end weights, and using the same scaling height for each rod. That would still allow me to do my procedure here. I don’t grind on any pistons or rods to change weights.
@@JustMoparJoe Yes, only matters when figuring bobweight. For matching the weights in the video it is fine. I mentioned in another video, check for burrs around the piston pin holes. I have that kit, and the oil ring support was not sitting flat because of the burrs where the pin hole goes through the oil rail.
Nice attention to detail. I have a six pack aluminum manifold with the four gaskets on both sides of the valley pan gasket. Do you put any type of sealer/spray on the gaskets? I have to install my heads. What is your preferred cleaning method for the aluminum head and cast block deck before installing the heads? Do you put lubricant on the ARP head bolt threads and bolt washers? Any other tips during intake and cylinder head installation? Thank you
I usually glue my gaskets to the pan with weatherstrip adhesive. Then brake cleaner for all surfaces. No sealer between the gaskets and the block or heads. Just the corners and under the ends.
@ weather stripping for the valley pan? Do you have a favorite brand? Trickflow recommends acetone to clean surfaces? Ever use that? I’ve used lacquer thinner in the past. Thanks for your replies.
@ I think any thinner works fine. Strips the oils. I’ve also used toluene. You’ll see weatherstrip adhesive at Oreily’s in 3m. They have yellow and black. Any high tack will do. Aviation sealant, copper coat, etc.
Nice work Joe.
Certainly worth the efforts to average out the Rotating and Reciprocating weights of the Connecting Rods and Pistons.
Thanks for the shout out.
Thanks for sharing.
Have a great weekend. 👍🇺🇸👍
Appreciate it, you too!
Inside the mind of a Mopar engine builder !
I dropped the popcorn 🍿 bag twice. Learning every day! Thanks for sharing the details!
Haha! That’s always a good video review lol
Looks really good brother, can’t wait to see it come together 😀😀
Appreciate it! I'm excited to get it running!
Wow, you really know how to assemble the bottom ends. I raced 400’s but never built the bottom ends but knew guys that did. In my opinion only, it is the most natural drag strip motor quite possibly ever produced for an every day car. Being a Smog era motor, they are low compression, low power, almost sluggish motors nobody cares about. Cam, heads, intake, ignition (control it better, nothing wrong with factory ignition) and you have an engine that has the short stroke of a small block for reved up powerful takeoffs and the cubes to rip at WOT at the top end. What you are doing is smart and amazing, way better than when they were assembled in the factory. So cool what you are doing, I am like what? A 500 from a 400, that’s crazy, love it. I don’t have a current need for one but I think I might want one of those someday. The 340’s at the time I raced ruled the drag strip where I was. I won races but lost a lot of them to a various Dart Body car running a 340, there was a swarm of cars and most of those guys had full out race motors in them. There was not enough prize money in it to deal with parts breakage running down 340’s that were real hard to catch at the end. 400’s were cheap and plentiful in our junkyard string my friend’s family owned. Those motors were never on a dyno, just homemade rippers with not much money spent. Cams were cheap, heads, parts same thing. I also knew and believed at the time that a 400 had even more potential and could rule a drag strip with better parts and more knowledge than I had at the time. My set up was simple with many racing tricks to go fast so I am not saying squaring the stroke to bore ratio with a larger crank is worse than the 400 with a short stroke, it might have been my car in total, keeping the motor in maximum power range through the whole run, etc. I never put a 440 crank in one but I knew guys that did and they couldn’t beat my junkyard 400’s so I never felt a serious need or wanted to spend the time and money to try it. You with your abilities are proving out what can be done with one right now. You are living what I used to dream about. Also kind of answers some questions if it is a real powerful motor. Very cool.
Sounds like we had some similar experiences with those 400s. This 500 is going to be fun to see what it can do!
Are you building this engine for someone else or will this be a keeper?
@ I’m building this for Dave at Rust bucket restos. It’s going in his 68 charger, and he’s driving here from Utah to get it
You still-were living your dream 👌🇦🇺✌️
Nice balance work and lots of numbers.
You bet! There’s lots to keep track of.
Good work Joe
@@rickseeman5679 thanks Rick! It’s going to be a neat combination
Thank you. Enjoy your attention to detail.
Thanks for watching!
Excellent video Mopar Joe
Appreciate that! I'm enjoying this project
Optimal performance and longevity by paying attention to the fine details. Dave's going to be pretty stoked about this one when he beats on the go pedal!
Thanks T! He will have a tire burner!
Good video Joe, I’m in the process of doing this same thing
Thanks Jeff, it’s a fun process!
@ agreed!
This is awesome information, you should do this for a living
Thanks Cope, I'm doing what I love!
@JustMoparJoe me too brother
Details. I bet you loved order of operations when you were in grade school. First you do this then you do that then you do that etc. lol. Great video!
It's all about the process!
GREAT stuff Joe! Thanks for sharing!
@@michaelgibbs4007 thank you! It’s a fun puzzle to solve. I’m sure it matters most at 6,500!
I'm going to enjoy this build ...good content and looking forward to seeing more....thanks Joe...🔧🔧👍
@@SeanJoseph-s2s thanks Sean
good stuff always
Appreciate it!
Great start to this engine Joe! Keep up great work 😊
Thanks for the support! This engine is going to be a beast.
Joe brother you a amsoil fan with your excellent building skills and knowledge your very thorough should be a great engine
@@Grandadsjunk thanks Grand. I’m trying and oil for the first time
Thx for the video...
I've always enjoyed balancing, the details matter
@@robertheymann5906 thanks for watching!
Good stuff. Time consuming but worth it.
You bet, it’s a lot of work but makes a difference! Thanks John!
Very nice explanation, Joe! I recall building a friend's engine and trying to explain how I was using lighter and heavier parts in specific locations for the best overall balance. After a lot of explanation, I was confused myself and had to start from scratch, and my friend left me alone for the short block assembly! I also built a fixture similar to yours to weigh the big end and little end of the connecting rods. I made the free end adjustable in length and used a torpedo level to reduce the error caused by rod tilt. On reflection, I don't think this would lead to much error unless the rod was at a severe angle.
I started balancing engine bottom ends on the third engine I ever built, and I think that this type of work is an example of where "the sum is greater than the total of the parts" in that an accumulation of little things done right makes for a better running, more powerful engine.
It's like a puzzle! I'm still learning, thanks for the info! I did swap sides and record my error from side to side. It was only a few grams. If I was balancing the rods, I would have kept playing with it until I got within a gram from side to side. Ed showed me a neat trick, to beat all that side swapping, but I’m sworn to secrecy 😅
Great job, Joe! Well executed and explained. Will be using your technical expertise with my upcoming 383 projects.
You’re the man, Terry! Thanks for the support
We the people demand 5sec joe before Christmas.
@@apocolypse11 I’ll see what I can do!
Thanks for sharing Joe 😊
You’re welcome!
Great informative video Joe, keep up the great balancing act, lol.
Haha! You get it!
Good stuff Joe,thank you
Appreciate the support!
Good stuff, Joe. I see something familiar in the background. ;-)
I'm sure you'll find a few things you recognize in the shop! I need to get the little engine out of the way 😂
@@JustMoparJoe The size of the engine doesn't matter, Just do them right. You are. Mike
Should be able to get some decent RPM out of that,should run well, thanks for sharing, all the best to you and your loved ones
You bet! It’s going in a 68 Charger.
Joe brother you are very knowledgeable on big blocks I'm getting a 1964 383 hp closed chamber heads what can you tell me about the m
@@Grandadsjunk great engine. You may need to replace the exhaust seats because they were before unleaded gasoline. Should have nice compression and closed chambered heads.
Weatherstrip adhesive will resist oils and gasoline?
@@jimdrechsel3611 all its intended to do is hold
The gasket until it is all torqued in to place. Makes your life easier to have them stuck to the pan and keeps them from hanging in to the ports and disrupting flow. Also, once they’re glued, you can trim off any excess before installing.
👍👍👍👍
Thanks brother
Question: The wrist pins are centered on those pistons? There is no left and right side to them?
@@ottomechb absolutely left and right side. They have different (asymmetrical) valve reliefs. The smaller relief goes to the exhaust ports
Stromboli!!
The rod beam is parallel so you can use a bubble level on your rod scale fixture. In the video, the pin end is too high which will make the big/rotating end weight slightly heavier.
I can see what you mean. If you look at the far right of my chart, I had some + and - numbers. That was my error from adding the big and small end amounts vs. the total weight of each rod. Luckily, I was basing most of my information off of the big end weights, and using the same scaling height for each rod. That would still allow me to do my procedure here. I don’t grind on any pistons or rods to change weights.
@@JustMoparJoe Yes, only matters when figuring bobweight. For matching the weights in the video it is fine. I mentioned in another video, check for burrs around the piston pin holes. I have that kit, and the oil ring support was not sitting flat because of the burrs where the pin hole goes through the oil rail.
@ exactly why we went 512 in my cuda engine. Don’t have to deal with the rail supports
Nice attention to detail. I have a six pack aluminum manifold with the four gaskets on both sides of the valley pan gasket. Do you put any type of sealer/spray on the gaskets?
I have to install my heads. What is your preferred cleaning method for the aluminum head and cast block deck before installing the heads?
Do you put lubricant on the ARP head bolt threads and bolt washers? Any other tips during intake and cylinder head installation?
Thank you
I usually glue my gaskets to the pan with weatherstrip adhesive. Then brake cleaner for all surfaces. No sealer between the gaskets and the block or heads. Just the corners and under the ends.
Big Block 400 Build Series: Installing an Old School Intake with Modern Technology #vevor #holley
th-cam.com/video/i4OnJpkmv0g/w-d-xo.html
@ weather stripping for the valley pan? Do you have a favorite brand?
Trickflow recommends acetone to clean surfaces? Ever use that? I’ve used lacquer thinner in the past.
Thanks for your replies.
@ I think any thinner works fine. Strips the oils. I’ve also used toluene. You’ll see weatherstrip adhesive at Oreily’s in 3m. They have yellow and black. Any high tack will do. Aviation sealant, copper coat, etc.
Nice job. But you're not as OCD as I am. Optimizing the parts you have is a good idea.
@@tonyb3864 thank you. I had to draw a line at some point, and there was no time to get the whole assembly spun up and checked
You can do my next engine
Awesome! Thanks Thomas. I’m trying to improve each time. It’s hard to film everything
Joe does good work opinions are like ass holes everybody has one
Thanks brother
If i ever do another engine to be sure youll get a call.
Awesome thanks