My $300 Engine Turns Out To Be A 400 Cubic Inch Small Block Chevy | Chevy 400 Small Block
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ส.ค. 2024
- In this episode of Budget Build Garage I take a first look at the Chevy 400 small block I bought for $300. I'm excited to start this Chevy 400 small block build, but first I show you an easy way to determine the size of your chevy small block engine. After learning this is a Chevy 400 I explain some of the differences and issues it has when comparing it to a Chevy 350. This is a $300 engine, not sure what I'm getting into, so stay tuned to watch how I check the condition of an unfamiliar engine.
#400sbc #Chevy400 . #400sbcRebuild
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Thanks for watching everyone. I'd really appreciate any thoughts, tips, or experience you have with a 400.
400s are cool engines. You get all the torque of a big block in a lightweight small block.
Great engine just make sure u keep it cool
@@wyattblack7437 I will do my best to keep this thing at a safe temp.
At 400"/406" with good heads, mild cam, can make daily drivable 500 HP and 500 lb.-ft. torque without even going 6,000 RPMs...
Does the harmonic balancer have a good chunk out of the back of it
Tobey McGuire from Spiderman 3 phoned and he wants his hair back
I was thinking the kid from terminator.
I put a good crank with 6" rods and Mahle pistons, got a dart iron eagle 215 top end kit with the dart dual plane intake, comp cams hydraulic roller set up (583 total lift with 1.6 rockers) fed by a Holley 870 street avenger. 497.7 hp @6180 & 538 lb of torque 4300 rpms. 11:1 on 93 and have decided not to even bother with nitrous in my C1500
Those heartbeat valve covers are priceless. I had an el camino with those and a heartbeat sticker on the back window. Teenagers thought it was retro cool, and I realized I was old.
The 400 got a bad rep back in the day because people didn't understand they were meant to be a low rpm high torque monster. With a little cam and intake they wake up. With a little compression, cam , heads, they really come to life. If you put 350 5.7" or aftermarket 6" rods in them with an inexspensive off the shelf hyper piston and top it off with a good flowing cylinder head you create a beast of an engine. The longer rods along with good heads make it happier in the higher rpms and the massive bore and stroke create huge amounts of torque and power.
I've also had good luck running 5.7 rods with a 100 cc domed piston instead of a flat top, and using bunk smog 76cc heads with 2.02 and 1.6 valves put in them. A comp extreme energy 500 lift cam , performer rpm intake, and 650 holley dfdp carb... Ran great on 89 octane as a daily driver and still went 13 sec flat at 111 mph with a terrible 2.6 60'...in a 3400 lb 3rd gen camaro with a T5 5 speed and 373 gears......
I built a 406 with Vortec heads, 25CC dished pistons (Approx 9.5:1 CR, be careful with stock pistons!), Edelbrock 2116 intake, Comp 268H cam, headers, and a 625CFM Street Demon. I've read similar builds making around 450ft lbs of torque. I don't have enough tire to hook up with 4.56 gears, its insane. I turn about 3200 RPM on the highway doing 65, truck will jump up and leave with authority when I stomp it. The most common thing I hear about 400's is that they overheat. My theory behind that myth is that people swapped heads, or used regular small block head gaskets that don't have the steam holes critical to cooling the siamese bores. I run a 4 core radiator and single electric cooling fan. I don't even have to turn the fan on unless I'm sitting at a light for awhile. I've also heard about people breaking their crank forgetting its externally balanced. I keep mine below 5500RPM, the 3.75" stroke leads to some pretty high piston speed. If I had to go back, I'd probably get a different cam. The big displacement seems to swallow cams and make them feel a bit mild.
I've had quite a few of these engines. They are perfect for towing and low rpm duty. As a hot rod, or a higher rpm type setup, no factory GM heads flow enough to make them run hard up top. Most all are cracked between the steam hole and the water jacket on the deck. They are great engines for trucks and torquey small block situations.
Mike Smith
1 second ago
Here is my SB 400 1972 Chevy Caprice. My first car and my first 400 build. Still running 202 cast iron Heads hand port and polished. About 1k in engine internals 278 Isk cam Edl AVS 2 650 carb. 1960s era Edl dual plain intake HEI... Headers- 3.5" straight piped. I run a 5 row aluminum circle track radiator with dual electric fans and no thermostat- typical 75 degree day she runs at 170F to 185F. Never had an over heating issues even when running hard. She's a street cruiser...
LOVE THE SB 400s. I built--- Love It! th-cam.com/video/OT7MatVrXB0/w-d-xo.html th-cam.com/video/TDICXy4sYLw/w-d-xo.html th-cam.com/video/uBCJQzlL-iY/w-d-xo.html th-cam.com/video/xE94O9wgvYE/w-d-xo.html
Had two of them, a 4 bolt that I bored, and a 2 bolt that had cracks by the steam holes. The torque of these engines make it feel like a big block, in a small block package. Just make sure you keep the water temp down regardless of what you do with it. I used the stock crank and rods to save money and it worked ok. Didn't pull that great after 6700rpm. But off idle until 4000 the torque was awesome.
Because of the siamese bores,the 2 bolt main will take more abuse. Linginfelter proved that awhile ago
Yup. The 2 bolts have more structure in the main webs.
Dude wrote me and my buddy a letter saying thank you for our help in figuring out how to Make
A 400 reliable with. High horsepower ad on' s it was so cool to get that letter the same year we got a invitation ro the very first streetcar shootout. Wild couple weeks we were stoked
ing
@@jessekillgallon2416 well how do you?lol
you are right
Good info
A friend and room mate of mine had a 400 that was "slightly" tweaked. It blew out 2 turbo 350 transmissions on the previous owner. Dropped a Rock Crusher in it and changed the rear end gears to make it into a 150-155mph monster on the open road. "Tall" gears and "short" gears are referring to the gear ratios. Tall (high) gears have LOWER numerical numbers such as 2.79, 2.90, 3.00, 3.25. Short (low) gears have HIGHER numerical numbers, such as 4.11, 4.30, 4.56, 4.88, 5.13, 5.36, etc. In simple terms, the numbers mean how many turns of the drive shaft to one turn of the rear wheel. If you are cruising down the freeway at 60 MPH with 3.00 gears, in a typical high gear with a 1:1 output ratio, it simply means that the drive shaft (engine) is spinning 3 times for every 1 rotation of your tire. If you had something like 4.88's, then your drive shaft (engine) would need to spin almost 5 times for every one rotation of the tire.
Any guy that has a "Kill em all" poster on his shop wall is OK in my books.
It is a sweet poster!
My first time watching your channel. I'm a licensed tech. Big into muscle cars and anything that goes fast. I'll check out some more of your videos for sure. Thanks man.
@@darkpassenger7064 Well thanks for watching.
Holy crap dude. Was just looking at some of your videos. You got a 68 elcamino ? Crap. That was the first custom build I ever did when I was 20. And probably the only car I wish I had never gotten rid of. Would love to get another one but the are getting kinda scarce. In my price range anyway. Your lucky having one now. Much easier to find parts with having the internet. I built mine back in 1989 and had over 30k in it back then.
Yeah the El Camino is pretty awesome. I got it for $1,200. They are a lot of fun and can be used as a truck and hot rod at the same time. If you can only have one car this one can do pretty much anything.
It's hard to find a 4 bolt main 400. Good pick.
Thanks! I think I got pretty lucky with it.
The later 2 bolt main ~'73 - '80 is more desirable block... the earlier '70 - ~'72 4 bolts had weaker windowed main webs the 4 bolts go into... The first '70 SBC 400s came with 2 bbl. carb., 9.0:1 and 265 grossHP.... same HP as even earlier BBC 396"... 9:1 isn't bad, just add a 4 bbl. carb... Later smog 4 bbl. 400's about 7:1 compression ratio and 175 netHP at 3600 RPMs... torque peak down low at 2000 RPMs...
Here's a car test with similar BBC 396 265 HP. It's hilarious at 3:00 to 3:45: th-cam.com/video/WbGK7lSmP28/w-d-xo.html
The 2 bolt blocks are stronger
Yup... nailed it @@BuzzLOLOL
I think a 400 was never a good stock engine, built during GM's worst years. I had one, was never inpressed with it. But it was stock
Excellent find. I had a 74 L82 corvette. Read an article in Hot Rod magazine about A guy running one with a 400 block and everything else from the L82 engine I had. The car ran on a circle track at 170mph. At that time that was crazy fast! So I rebuilt mine to his specks. The big bore lets the performance heads breath much better unshrouding the bigger valves and the 350 cid crank made 377cid with that block. I toped it off with a Victor jr intake and Holly 750 dbl pumper. Cant remember the cam specks but It went to 160 and 7000 rpm easy with a Muncie stone crusher m22 close ratio and 3.55 gears and it was a solid flat tappet type. I used to burn rubber speed shifting from 3rd to 4th on the highway at 135mph. That's when the mid 80's mustangs were coming out and high ending at around 140 mph (was a big deal then). The mustang guys just couldn't believe it when I would hit that last 1 to1 gear leaving them in my dust at around 137 and shooting out of sight to 160/170mph. EVERY time. lol. The 74 corvette had no cats and had a mechanical tach and speedometer stock. This vette was NO Joke in my little R.I. town!
Man that sounds like an awesome car and a ton of fun! Thanks for sharing your stories. I love hearing about stuff like this!
Used to run 400 blocks in my sprint car. Back in the 70's the hot ticket was to get a 400 block, use a 350 forged crank with the "pink" rods, special TRW pistons and a special set of mains to fit the 350 crank in the bearing saddles. You came up with around 370 cubes fairly cheaply. I ran one for a few seasons with the latest Chevy off road angle plug heads, roller cam, and Hilborn injection running methanol. It was always a strong engine with no heating problems. My buddy has one in a 34 Ford and we did chase some heating problems with it. The fix was to run coolant lines from the rear of the head at the intake manifold to the thermostat housing.
I've built several of them. Might want to pull the heads to make sure steam holes drilled in the heads. Easy to drill out. Get proper head gaskets and use them as a template to drill the holes. Great engine. Made my jet boat really move.
I think I will pull the heads after work tomorrow and check for the steam holes.
In the mid 80s I had a 2bolt 400 given to me. I bored the block .020 and zero decked the block. Polished and relived a set of 5.7 rods and hung a set of forged flat top pistons on them. Race balanced the rotating assembly. Installed a comp cams 292h cam. Port matched and bowl bended a set of 461s unshrouded the chambers 2.02/1.60 valves installed. Used a cast iron gmpp intake and used stock exhaust manifolds that where port matched and bored the outlets to 2.25". Yes it has 11:1 compression I just blended 130 avation gas with 92 pump gas. Its still in my 71 chevelle and I street raced that thing HARD. Won more than I lost and the bone stock appearance left a lot of guys wondering.
Man that sounds awesome! This is the kind of hot rodding I like hearing about!
5.7 LOL
David Geiger ????? 5.7 refers to connecting rod length as 400s have a short 5.565 length rods. I used the 5.7 inch "pink" rods because they where the best choice available to me at the time. Remember I built this engine in 1985 it's sill in my chevelle and has only been freshend once.
Long rods,forged pistons and the biggest heads you can afford. Great engine. Just get the block check for cracks and use ARP main studs. Easy 450 hp/500ft lbs torque.
A friend was given one in a caprice with over 130,000.00 miles on it. We all thought it was a 350. He used it for a few years then learned that it was a 400 -4 bolt main at the engine builders. The motor was built with all the best and would end up in a candy apple red 1970 Nova. The car has a monster radiator and 180 degree thermostat. The most interesting thing is the engine builder highly recommend using Evens waterless antifreeze to eliminate hot spots. ( this Nova is fast and reliable) good luck.
Thanks for the tip. I appreciate it.
I sold a bare 400 2 bolt block in 2006 for $300. It needed to be bored.030 so I used the cash to finance a Dart 400. You got a great deal.
I ran one for a few years it made about 500 hp never had a heating problem with it. All 400 small blocks I build I dry deck them. The 3 huge water holes in the deck I plug with pipe plugs drill a small 3/16 hole in the center. Plug all the steam holes with set screws then have the block decked.
Great torque small block I like these engines and stroked a couple for even more cubes… I had a garage that had a stock pile of bow tie ponies from 327, 350, 400, 427 and 454 but lost them all when I went through a Divorce while in the Marines on tour in Afghanistan…
very sweet deal!
Also nice to see the SB getting some loving instead of the LS/LT everything mentality!
Oh, while the sump is off, I'd have checked some of the bearings, to assess their condition and, if needed, thrown some new ones in.
For many years people poo poo-ed the 400 small block saying it overheats etc. Once you pull all the smog crap off of them and add a little compression they run really well. It's a big, small block chevy, they all run well. The difference between a 400 and a 350 is the same as a 302 and a 350 , fifty cubes makes a big difference. Throw it in one of your cars and I bet it will surprise you.
I am excited to see what this thinkg feels like.
Rick Dion, Absolutely 👍🏻
Chevy only built 4 bolt main 400's in 1971 and 1972 I believe. That's a very valuable engine. Stock car racers pay big money for those. This comes from experience. I picked up a 350 to rebuild from a bone yard. Took it apart and it was a 400 with 4 bolt mains. I was able to trade the block and crank to the machinist for a 350 block, crank and all the machine work to bore, rebuild heads, press on pistons etc. even up!
Yes. Had a 4 bolt main 400 in a 72 Caprice.
I just built one. A 2 bolt with 10.5 compression small .500 . 515 lift circle track cam a set of 492 heads in a 87 Monte Carlo. 3600 lb. Ran 12.1 @ 114 mph . Never thought it would go that quick in a car that heavy. Love the 400 sbc.
That is a good time for that set up. Now im getting really excited about this 400!
I built a 400 cid fourbolt man truck engine once out of used parts,a new overhaul kit ,we put 350 small block high perf heads ipon it cause thats whzt we had 2.02 intakes 195 or 198 exhaust i forget the cam was bad and we were in a hurry to get this engine together because my nephew needed his car to go to work we found the only camin town at an zuto parts store that was going out of buissness if was from a 350 horse corvette 327 engine with new lifters too the guy sold it to me for 65 dollars,wow whzt a steal we put daul exhaust on it and a four barrel quadrajet ,long story short this thing ran like hell i dont know what horsepower it may have had,but those small cc chambered heads plus the big valves plus the 400 vubic inch bore sqeezing it volume into the small 350 heads plus the wild cam(i never knew the cam specs),all combined this tjing really ran oh. I did drill out the 350 heads for the steam pocket holes useing the old head gasketsfor a pattern,a guy i know said that it wouldjt be nessasary in a car but we drilled them out anywaynot wanting any hot spots oh the pick up engine also had flat top pistons,we were going to just rebuild the 350 untill the crank was bad so we used what we had the 400 heads were cracked ,and both cams were shot hench the new cam,this mismatched engine turned out ok my nephew ran it for years!
It is always nice using what you can get your hands on quick and cheap and then it ends up being awesome.
2 bolt main is stronger then 4 bolt on the 400’s. My specific favorite is the 509 cast blocks.
Yep. In my 75 vette is a 817 2bolt 406
Came just to add this.
Thats a big lie. I took a measuring device and checked every part of main webbing on a 511 casting 4 bolt main and it is completely identical to my 509 casting 2 bolt. Stop repeating what you were told. Its bs. The best block is the 511 4 bolt main because all the main caps are nodular iron as opposed to the 2 bolt which is regular grey cast (nothing special) But if you convert a 2 bolt with aftermarket caps that block will be stronger than a 511 4 bolt. Its better to run a 4 bolt block than a 2 bolt if you are using stock caps.
Got a 406 in my ‘63 Nova. 11.5 compression, Eagle rotating assembly, Wiesco pistons, comp cam solid roller camshaft with roller rockers and stud girdle, Victor jr. intake, Holley 750 mechanical secondaries, Dart aluminum heads with screw-in studs, fluid damper, 350 turbo with 3500 stall and 12 bolt posi with 4.10s. I’m happy with the performance.
Pretty fun engine easy to make power with never had any cooling issues. All street engines big/small cams, heads were aluminum with no stream holes... cruise around, do a couple pulls, let it idle, do a couple digs... every weekend one even had stock rotating assembly pulled revs just fine!
I've built one in the past. It was a 2 bolt main out of 70 impala. Check the skirts on the pistons for cracks. Be careful when tapping the head bolt holes. If the tap goes in a few turns and gets really tight STOP. Back the tap out, and use a die grinder with an arbor bit and smooth it out the hole. Then re-tap the hole. I put in new pistons (flat top) and 5.7 rods, in and had them clearanced. This made it rev alot quicker. Bearing clearance, you're going to want .0025-.0030 on the rods and mains. Any tighter than that, she'll run hot and get hot quick until it's broke in. I used the stock 64cc heads, lunati .480 lift camshaft with around 224 degrees of duration. Topped it of with a cheap weiand single plane intake, and a 750 Holley carb. It was a torque monster! I wish I'd have never sold it!
Easiest way to tell them apart and my opinion every 400 small block I've ever seen has 3 freeze plugs on each side instead of two
I drove a hotshot around Houston in a '79 Chevy van
with a 400 in it. That baby would rapp. Other various hotshot van drivers, well if we happened to be beside each other at a red light on Westheimer, sometimes what would have appeared to be a race would ensue. I never lost. That poor engine.
Cool,ive done some racing off of that street too.
That’s a hell of a deal. If you decide to flip it, I’d pay $500 with no carb, intake, or distributor. I had a 400 in a 78 c10 truck from 97 to 02. With mild work on a set of 882 heads, comp 292h cam, rpm air gap, billet 750 progressive linkage carb, 2800 stall, th350, and 3.73 gears with locker, it would run high 13’s. Not bad for a long bed truck on pump gas back then. She decided to let go right after I beat an AMC javelin AMX. #3 top ring land let go and the piston turned to dust. Shattered the cam into 4 pieces. It’s pretty rare to empty your radiator via the exhaust dumps under your vehicle. Lol.
Aftermarket 400 blocks don't have the heat problem, the aftermarket has eliminated that problem. The problem was it had a tendency to trap air in the cooling passages, but you can eliminate the problem by doing a purge when you fill the cooling system when you fill it with coolant on first start up. The holes drilled in the heads are not needed if you use aftermarket heads and burp the block on start up. Crank the engine up, make sure it full of coolant, then let it warm up to operating temp and then shut it down and let it sit for say 15 - 20 to cool off a bit. ten crack the cooling system and refill it and you should be good to go. I have had and built many 400s and always followed this process and have not hand one single 400 that ran hot.
Huge score getting that 400 / 4 bolt main with the added parts like intake etc . for $300. They got a bad rap in reality a few changes and they can be beasty
Had a 400 in my '72 Caprice back in college. Burned some oil, but couldn't kill it. Never got into the bottom end, though. Neighbor was always hot after it to put into his V8 Chevy Monza.
I have a 72 currently 350/350
Same, 400 4 bolt main, Turbo 400 Tranny... I loved driving that boat around... Horrible gas mileage... ;-)
Here is my SB 400 1972 Chevy Caprice. My first car and my first 400 build. Still running 202 cast iron Heads hand port and polished. About 1k in engine internals 278 Isk cam Edl AVS 2 650 carb. 1960s era Edl dual plain intake HEI... Headers- 3.5" straight piped. I run a 5 row aluminum circle track radiator with dual electric fans and no thermostat- typical 75 degree day she runs at 170F to 185F. Never had an over heating issues even when running hard. She's a street cruiser...
LOVE THE SB 400s. I built--- Love It! th-cam.com/video/OT7MatVrXB0/w-d-xo.html th-cam.com/video/TDICXy4sYLw/w-d-xo.html th-cam.com/video/uBCJQzlL-iY/w-d-xo.html th-cam.com/video/xE94O9wgvYE/w-d-xo.html
Everyone who's knocking a 4 bolt never had one...... I've built and ran many... only problem I ever had is getting enough air into them.... Sprayed 2 stages and never had cracked webbing... Ditch those heads... Look for a set of AFR 235's.... You'll be glad you did...
I love the 400 built right won 3 championships dirt track racing
Starting point
1974 2-bolt main 837 block, original bore, original pistons, rods and crank. Every single rod in engine had been copper dipped for journal sizing from the factory. Sourced from 74/75 Canadian Impala.
Finish
Rollerized block with a Howards Retro Hydraulic Roller Cam - .500 lift intake, .510 lift exhaust 217 - 224 duration
1968 '291' Corvette fuelie 62 cc heads with big unshrouded 2.02 intake valves. 7/16 ARP rocker studs with Comp Cams pro magnum roller rockers. Hardened valve seats, SS valves with steam holes added. ARP head bolts. Felpro .40 head gaskets
Three piece timing cover with steel roller cam button
7.00" short comp cam hardened 3/8 push rods ( No guide plates needed )
1968 Holley street dominator single plane manifold
Holley Sniper EFI with HyperSpark Dizzy and MSD 6A
Summit ceramic long tube headers with dual 3 inch to 2.5 inch SS exhaust
Backed by a stout HD 350 THM
Wrapped in a 3700 lb 1966 Chevrolet Impala Sport Coupe
RPM limit went from barely 4000 rpm stock with 882 heads to 5900 rpm with no loss of low end torque. Had to add a longer Demon Carb throttle linkage extension to the sniper just to make the solid throttle linkage slow enough to be streetable
Sounds awesome! Man I love the Impala!
Run it first, then do your bolt ons! They are awesome engines! Use an aluminum radiator and you shouldn't have any temp issues. Killer torque and thats what moves your hotrod quickly. You can stay conservative on the cam (hydraulic flat tappet) and it'll still outperform the wilder 350's without needing a stall. If you can deal with a 3500 stall, put a cam in with around 240 degrees duration at .050 and around .600 lift and hold on! For the conservative camshaft, i would look at lunati's voodoo line. Something with less than .500 lift and less than 280 degrees duration advertised. The guy designing cams for Joey Lunati was the previous owner of Ultradyne cams and cam designer for Comp Cams "magnum" camshafts. He has a non symmetrical lobe design that gives you the power of a big cam with small cam idle & vacuum. A lot of people will say "put 350 rods in" or "6in rods".... Dude, budget build it with the factory, 5.565 rods and it's good for 7000 but you don't need that many rpms because of big block torque capabilities. Keep it under 6800 and it'll last forever. I'd make sure it has good oil pressure (35-40 @ 190) and cam swap it... A head swap will yield you enough compression for whatever you want to do and remedy that small valve size. (You have the worst heads on that thing) 041, 042 or 186 casting heads have 68cc chambers with 1.94 and 1.50 valves or a cheap set of 2.02 aluminum heads with 64cc chambers will be fantastic! Have fun!! If you want to rough calculate compression ratio, those factory pistons had a 13.5cc dish. With a 68cc combustion chamber, it will yield you between 9.5 - 10 to 1. Imagine a 53cc vortec head...lol
I run a 450 lift am in mine
Mike Smith
1 second ago
Here is my SB 400 1972 Chevy Caprice. My first car and my first 400 build. Still running 202 cast iron Heads hand port and polished. About 1k in engine internals 278 Isk cam Edl AVS 2 650 carb. 1960s era Edl dual plain intake HEI... Headers- 3.5" straight piped. I run a 5 row aluminum circle track radiator with dual electric fans and no thermostat- typical 75 degree day she runs at 170F to 185F. Never had an over heating issues even when running hard. She's a street cruiser...
LOVE THE SB 400s. I built--- Love It! th-cam.com/video/OT7MatVrXB0/w-d-xo.html th-cam.com/video/TDICXy4sYLw/w-d-xo.html th-cam.com/video/uBCJQzlL-iY/w-d-xo.html th-cam.com/video/xE94O9wgvYE/w-d-xo.html
You are correct Aaron and a 010 on the block means it’s a stronger block I think it’s got a higher nickel %. A set of 462 heads would be good for that block if ya had em worked on a bit.
Definitely need to check if the steam holes were drilled in the heads. Don't be lazy.
I like the way you put that. I'll pull the heads
@@BudgetBuildGarage The peace of mind alone is worth a set of new head gaskets if you ask me. You came this far with it, might as well see for yourself. Knowing what's what now will help keep you from second guessing anything in the future.
@@paulchilders9969 That's a very good point.
What are the steam holes,, Ahnold?
All 3 frost plug per side blocks are 400 but not of them are 4 bolt. About 80% of them were four bolts while the other 20% were drilled for 4 bolt but only have 2 bolt caps. They are align bored after the caps are installed so you can't just switch them. The 1973 to early 1975 blocks were all two bolt 509 blocks with heating and oil feed problems. The later 1975 blocks went to the 817 block which is reputed to be a higher nickel casting block. The 817 block is what the local late model racers preferred to use by converting them to splayed main caps. Sprint car racers opt for the aftermarket aluminum block.
All 400 cranks were cast large journal cranks. It would be unlikely to find an aftermarket forged steel crank in an old used motor unless it came from a very high performance car. If you run into a forged crank you may even run into something with a different stroke. I have both a 3 7/8 and a 4 inch stroke cranks waiting for drag racing use.
Love them valve covers.
Yeah they really grew on me. I didn't care for them at first but now I am way into them.
I have a 406 in my 71 c10 all new build aluminum heads nice size street cam 650 street demon carb but in the process of switching to holleys sniper efi set up... these motors make tons of torque.. you can't rev them to the moon but still can make nice power.. I am pushing 500 with mine now but she is quick out of the whole.
Love em, still have 2, 350 rods or 6 inch rods, first one I had was std bore, we put 300 hp dbl hump heads 280 cam in the early 90 or 91, that thing run very well, good hooking rears in a g body, eat mustangs half throttle
I have a 400 in my chevelle, beast of an engine!
Do you have anything done to it? I would love to know some details on it.
@@BudgetBuildGarage messaged on insta
@@BudgetBuildGarage - '71 and up 2 and 4 bbl. versions at 7:1 need mild cam, flat top pistons, and timing chain set to run strong... 375 HP with stock 76cc heads...
1970 2 bbl. versions with 9:1 may be OK with just cam, 4 bbl. carb., and adjustable timing chain set...
The 4 bbl. smog versions prolly have overly advanced or retarded cam timing at the chain...
A Summit K1103 or K1105 cam kit works well... $104... $30 for 16 'Z28" spec. valve springs...
Did you know? Ya'll listen up now, the 400SB has an externally ballanced crank? The crank, the flex plate or flywheel and the vibration damper are each off ballance by themselves, the heavy bits are 1/3 rotation apart.
Weren't all cast crank engines external balance?
My friend had one in a 1970 Impala and I forget exactly what he all did to it but it was a roaring beast. Would keep up to almost everything on the street. Just can't over rev it stick to the internals specs you use and will last you a good long time. Today the parts choices are probably way better than back then. Hope you had a great Christmas!
Ever do a follow up vid on this 400? Mine's a 1972 4 bolt 511 block. Reused the stock crank, resized the stock 5.65's with Silvolite flat tops, line honed it and decked it, static balanced, bored .030 over. ported/port matched and polished 350 heads, drilled steam holes, CC270 Magnum, Weiand 7546 single plane and a Holley 750. Shoved it into a 54 F100 w/Camaro sub. Fries tires all day long through all three gears.
You should do a compression check there on the stand. If you have 1 or more cylinders that are low (under spec.) You may want to re-ring it and do a valve job. It's easier now than later. Good find on the 400 ci. for $300!
SBC 400 ci engine is a torque monster, & when built correctly can make alot of power.
So you know, not all SBC 350 engines have an internal balance. One piece rear main seal SBC 350 have an external balanced (weighted) flywheel/ Flex-plate, but internal balanced front harmonic balancer.
I had a '64 Impala SS when I was in my 20's. It had a 400 sb. After I fried the valve seats running unleaded, I got my cousin with the speed shop to find me some heads. He installed stellite seats and did a grind in them. Later when I rebuilt it with some friends who knew what they were doing, we installed a Comp Cams 280 cam, Edelbrock Performer intake (should have kept the Offenhauser) Edelbrock Performer 750 carb (should have gone with a 600) and ported the heads. In a budget, so couldn't do anything about the low compression. Car already had headers installed, and it made crazy power. The problem was it bogged at low rpm. Too much cam and carb, and I spent lots of time setting up that carb. But between 2000 and 5000 rpm that thing pulled like a big block. I beat my brother, who was running my old '67 Monaco with a 440 magnum.
I had a 1972 small block 400 came out of a Caprice Classic cop car 4 bolt Main I punched it 30 over put a mild cam in it kept the same heads and intake put it in a 60 Chevrolet truck with a granny box for Speed and a dump truck Overdrive I drove it from Florida to St Louis and back again in the middle of summer 3 core radiator Flex fan long snout water pump never got over 200 degrees with a 190 thermostat ran like a scalded dog till I sold the truck... What about ten thousand miles on the engine never missed a beat
The 400 is a torque beast. You will love it on the street.
Mike Smith
1 second ago
Here is my SB 400 1972 Chevy Caprice. My first car and my first 400 build. Still running 202 cast iron Heads hand port and polished. About 1k in engine internals 278 Isk cam Edl AVS 2 650 carb. 1960s era Edl dual plain intake HEI... Headers- 3.5" straight piped. I run a 5 row aluminum circle track radiator with dual electric fans and no thermostat- typical 75 degree day she runs at 170F to 185F. Never had an over heating issues even when running hard. She's a street cruiser...
LOVE THE SB 400s. I built--- Love It! th-cam.com/video/OT7MatVrXB0/w-d-xo.html th-cam.com/video/TDICXy4sYLw/w-d-xo.html th-cam.com/video/uBCJQzlL-iY/w-d-xo.html th-cam.com/video/xE94O9wgvYE/w-d-xo.html
1986 and newer 350-305 Small Blocks were externally balanced. They had weighted fly wheels or flex plates. Same with the 4.3 V 6 Chevy. Big Blocks from 454 and up are also externally balanced. Some 400 blocks have three core plugs while others had two.
I have a 400 in my Nova. Its bored to a 408 with 5.7 rods Keith Black pistons 555. Cam high flow heads elderbrock tunnel ram with 2 450cfm holley carbs and roller cam. Great old school engine
I have a SB 400 out of a 73 caprice. I replaced the original heads with Dart heads. Took the Dart heads in to get heads drilled for the steam holes. The machinist told me it was a real chore drilling the holes since they had to be drilled at different angles. The only thing I can say is in the factory configuration they are a gas guzzler. I had a 71 caprice at the time with a 402 in it. The BB 400 Got twice the gas mileage than the SB 400 running the same distance. I recommend Using modern technology to correct the gas mileage shortcomings of the SB 400. They are a dependable engine but I've found that the factory heads have a tendency to crack through the exhaust valve seat. That's why the Dart Heads were purchased. I have no data on the dart heads. Even though I still have the SB 400 I would Take a 402 over it any day. Good Luck Tony
Some feel that a 2 bolt is better than a 4 bolt when it comes to 400s. Three freeze plugs should have told you right away. You need a rotating assembly with 5.7 in rods, They are great engines. I had one in an 88 Monte Carlo SS
With the 4 bolt block, make sure you stud the mains, that's a week point, a 2 bolt block machined for after market steel splayed caps is the ticket.... i had this 4 bolt block with all billet stuff cola crank, dei rods, je pistons, brodix heads a .670 lunati roller making 597 hp running in a dirt late model it held up to 8 races no problem. Strong engine.. you can make 400hp with that all day done right without alot of $$$$.
I had a 406 in a '74 Camaro and that thing was a torque monster. It had the paltry 882 heads though so nothing high rpm performance. I played around with a 302* solid cam which was perfect. Granted that's a big cam for 350 but not for a 400. Holley 750 dbl pmpr and a Edelbrock RPM intake finished it off. The headers where just a standard 5/8" long tube. Nothing elaborate as the 400 isn't a high RPM engine. I had a 400 trans with a 2800 b&m converter running 3.90 posi on 28" BFG's. Those tires screamed for mercy every time I romped on the throttle. LoL
Keep in mind, even with the steam ports drilled it will still cause a lot of pressure in the radiator. I ran a 16lb cap and had a huge overflow tank as backup. On 90* days and a heavy foot I needed it. That steam builds up quick.
Good luck with your build. I'm anxious to see what you do with that engine.
Thanks for the info! It sounds like your Camaro was a lot of fun. I am looking into different builds for this engine but I would like to put it in something as is for a couple of months so I can get a good before and after feel.
*@@BudgetBuildGarage*
I was thinking about it more and I was wrong. I had the 302 cam in my 71 Nova. The 74 Camaro had a Magnum 280 cam with hydraulic lifters. My bad. That was 20 years ago. LoL
Here's my 71 I have right now. Basically the same combo but a 350 instead. It's fun too as it is a few hundred pounds lighter than the 74 was, but still nowhere near the same amount of torque. And yes that's my car. I just haven't accessed that account in a long time.
th-cam.com/video/4sishsH0WTE/w-d-xo.html
It is really nice having enough cool cars and engines over the years that you can get them mixed up.
Man that thing looks and sounds really nice!
Mine came out of a '72 Caprice and it went into my '79 Camaro with a Saginaw 4 speed, it had a 2 barrel on it factory and we put in a adapter plate for a 4 barrel. It was as everyone mentioned a torque monster however it wasn't really the fastest car in the group of friends that I ran with. The only issue had with it was it liked to occasionally push out the #7 spark plug, to get to that plug in that Camaro you had to pull of the drivers side tire so needless to say I got good at pulling that tire off. Good luck on this project engine
Thanks man. Spark plug problems aside it sounds like you had a fun car.
I have a similar situation. I bought a 71 Blazer and the owner thought it was a 350. When I got it home and started poking around I found out it was a 400.
Wasn't sure what to make of it because I really had never heard much about 400 except for Rockford's Firebird, LOL.
The Funny Thing Is that this engine was mated to a Saginaw 3 speed Transmission
That lasted about 2 weeks.
However the 400 is really nice and strong and in great shape. I'm trying to figure out what transmission to replace that Saginaw with. I'm going to be doing City driving and no heavy off-road or pulling. This is more of a recreational truck. I'm thinking of some 5 speeds.... Dare I even consider a T5 world class? I'm thinking about a 4L60/80 in the future, but for now I just want to get something Manual, low cost in there so I can drive it a little bit
Any ideas?
I found one of these years ago.
It came from a 1971 chevrolet impala.
Externally harmonic balancer , 3 freeze plugs in the sides of the block , externally balanced flex plate are dead give a way.
It's a 400 SBC
I stuck in a wild Crane Blazer 300H cam , 11:1 flat top pistons
But with the original heads CC it ends up being 10:1.
Double roller timing chain.
A nice Edelbrock intake aluminum manifold to match the RPM of the cam and a 800CFM carb ,decent set of headers.
To top it off , a nice thick aluminum radiator with electric fans.
It went into a 1984 Camaro Z28 T-Top car with a tough TH350 transmission.
If you put the gears in the rear differential to go with the torque of the engine and a good posi unit , you won't be able to keep tires on it.
Yes , keep the modifications on the milder level and this engine will do fine.
By the way : RED LINE on this engine is between 5500 and 6000 RPM due to the geometry of the bottom end and those short connecting rod angles.
The block , Crank and Rods are the weakest points , the heads come next ,they ARE thin.
I kept mine as a cheaper build and lots of fun without hurting itself and still runs pump gas.
I used the shorty headers , a custom transmission cross member to use with that torque bar factory rear differential , and oversized single exhaust with high flow muffler and dual tips.The Y-pipe it used was part of a kit with the shorty headers and the single oversized exhaust pipe was for a Canadian application with a 350 engine.
The 400 SBC seems to really like this combination.
Good luck with yours.
They are a rare find these days in running condition.
Dang, for $300 I'd buy an engine like that all day long! Great deal!
Yeah man I would buy a second one if I got the chance!
511 block 400 4 bolt 509 400 2 bolt. The 4 bolt is a pretty good street engine, but the 2 bolt is actually stronger on the bottom end, the webbing is thicker then the factory 4 bolt webbing.. either way awesome deal for $300
WoW! Interesting to know. Who`d a thought?
I've replaced Head Gaskets that were blown. But only leaked on the Exhaust side into Radiator overheating. Oil was always fine no Milky Oil.
I bought an old chevy wagon, just as a work car.It had a 400 sm.block that thing ran like a bear! I've built muscle cars in the past that thing was indestructible! If you look up Nicks garage on youtube he just built one and put it on the dino 471hp.CRAZY!
Back in 1987 I built a 2 bolt main 400 bored .030 over to a 406.. TRW forged "flat top pistons" Still had a small dish.. . 64 cc heads (Rattled with anything but Cheveron 93 Premium) (hand ported ) not aftermarket aluminum ( THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN AWESOME) Crane Cams Grind number H-278-2. with 1.6 roller rockers it gave .498"lift Intake/ .527" Exhaust @.050 was 222 degrees intake and 234 degrees Exhaust 114 degree lobe separation. Weiand dual plane intake 850 holley and heddman headers.. pulled like a raped ape to 5,800 lots of torque and with the cast crank that's a safe R.P.M. Oh and check to see if you have the 5.56" inch rods .. that's the Original 400 short rods.. as long as you don't go over 6,000 R.P.M. those should be O.K. and a little more torquey the 350 rods are 5.7" You have everything to duplicate that immediately . Cam on summit $137>>> www.summitracing.com/parts/crn-113801/overview/... get a new set of lifters and BOOM you are there.
I love those valve covers
5.7 rods and vortec heads. 406 mighty mouse.
First thing I thought of when he mentioned getting a set of aluminum heads for it was fitting a set of Vortec heads...find a good set...do a quick lap job on the valves with some new valve stem seals...throw an Edelbrock dual plane intake with a set of 1 1/2'' maybe 1 5/8 ''cheap hooker headers depending on his intended usage as going to big on the primaries may be beneficial for top end HP but really hurt low to mid range TQ.
Should be capable of 400 hp easy...
This engine as it is imo will not be good for a high RPM high hp set up...but would be perfect in a 4x4 truck...hot rod ....old muscle car...a G body...hell any rwd street car...
You hit the jackpot there bud! Years ago i built a 400 n put in my lifted all fiberglass (except windshield frame) 76 jeep cj5! Wicked fast. Mild build, cam headers intake n carb. But yeah you got your money worth. 400 heads n block has extra water ports than other small block chevys just a heads up. Put side by side n you will see.
Thanks for the tip! I think I scored finding this thing. Sounds like you had a pretty awesome ride! Thanks for watching!
Budget Build Garage don't remember the goods n bads of putting other heads without the extra ports on the 400 just keep a heads up.
In running a sbc 400 2 bolt main srp pistons, 5.7 hbeam eagle rods ,eagle crank sportsman2 heads built for a 200 shot back in 2000 lol life took over ..anyways 5.7 rods she will rpm like crazy ! Anyways I’m going turbo so we shall see how much a stock block will handle haha!
Looking forward to seeing your build 👍🏻
I've had three 400's yeah a bit hard to tell by just lookin at them. The outsides of the blocks are actually bulged where the cylinders are. Yes the cylinders are siamesed, pop a frost plug and look. If you pull heads. there is gas holes in the block and heads, I've used 350 heads and had to drill holes, but it worked no problems. The front balancer is huge with a big chunk taken out to balance these engines as they are externally balanced. I installed a 400 SB in place of a 283 stick shift and had to buy a balance plate addition. This was because the 283 was internally balanced and the flywheel would not balance a 400 correctly. It was just a sheet metal plate that fit between the flywheel and the crank flange, it was basically one sided, a hunk of steel flinging around that balanced the 400 externally. Basically a good engine, I had one block crack up at the lifter valley????????? why I don't know? I remember in 1970 there was a 330hp version ( high compression) I had no experience with them personally, but knew a kid who had one in 1970, it ran decent, still not as good as a big block. My 283 conversion was not a hot rod but coupled with a 3 speed O.D the 400 gave me 19 mpg in a big Impala, highway of course and a carter AFB four barrel. Good motor over all. Oh I've seen them break crankshafts as they are just cast, but my buddies hot rodded them, thinking these were BIG BLOCKS. If your going to build one, DO IT RIGHT.
Not all 400s have three frost plugs per side. Somehave a raised area, but not machined for the center plug.
A tail tail sign it has 3 freeze plugs on both sides of the block or in the middle of the block it has a square raised block & 2 freeze plugs.
That's a good tip
Building one now. Bored 30 over makes it a 406. With 6 inch rods decreases angular stress. I have changed to flat top pistons A 560 comp cam. Aluminum heads and full roller build 10.5 : 1 compression good for about 450 hp
Use a 400 head gasket as a template for laying out the steam holes that need to be drilled in the 350 heads. I would at least pocket port the heads for free added flow and power. I also back cut the valve angles on the valve seat and valve head for the same reason. Lot of swept volume in this engine so make sure you do not build to much compression or you will be stuck running race gas or E85.
Sick Kill em All poster dude.
2 bolt 400’s were better. Killer motors to build. We rebuilt and Cammed one and slapped it in an 89 s10 for my buddy’s uncle about 7 years ago. Still burnin’ tires.
Sweet man! I just bought a 77 gmc jimmy. Guy said it was a 350. Turns out it is a 400 (509) small block. 2 bolt main. I paid 800 for the entire vehicle! Gunna fix it up and turn it into a rock crawler.
A 400 small block with those 64cc heads and a decent cam equals a very fun package. Bored 30 over and it's a 406. A very nice piece indeed. The four bolt main blocks are mostly 1970-1972 making them pretty hard to find anymore. You got a bargain for sure.
Thanks man. I am really excited about this engine. I just need to find something to put it in.
@@BudgetBuildGarage Back in days i heard people say 4wd full size van with 400 in it. Even 454 Big Blocks.
The 400 is becoming a rare block, I have a 400 that’s been punched out to 409 and built for the strip, and it pushes out over 580hp with a flat tappet in it at the moment, thinking roller here soon maybe.... but the motors got a bad wrap and are just like anything else, have to know what u have and how to take care of it..... and they can take good amounts of abuse....
If it’s cast crank and pistons, you want to build a torque monster. Trying to get 6000 rpm out of it on a regular basis is just looking for trouble. You will benefit from a good flowing head but I wouldn’t go past 200. If you have forged internals with a 6 inch stroke, you can go as wild as any goo small block.
You meant 6" rod...
Get very good head gaskets.! There is not much gasket area between cylinders it needs to be the best you can find to install.
Good find especially a 4 bolt block. I would have the block checked to make sure there's no cracks 400 is notorious for running hot due to the Siamese bore, If you're going to use it just to drive it will have a decent amount of torque these where truck and station wagon engines it won't spin a lot of RPMs. If you're going to build the motor up some I would go with a 5.7inch 350 rod it's a day and night difference compared to the 5.6 inch stock 400 rod.
Do you have to go different heads then or no?
What I mean is i have a 400 but trying to go cheap on the build money is kinda tight
400s stock are lower rpm ranged torque motors. Modest compression good flowing aluminum heads, good Cam intake and carbs really wake them up. 6" rods make them more reliable at high rpms. Add low gears and hold on!
What little i know about chevy, a 400 is the hot ticket for street racing
I have a 74 400 in my 86SS Monte Carlo!!! Torque for days!!!
@Chris Jacobs That's what I always heard, hence why they often gave up their cranks to turn 350's into 383's. 400's can work but they have to be completely built.
What a find bro! 400 4 bolt 70-72 only. Most 400s were scooped up by sprint car and drag racers long ago. Check the bore size,and piston/rod combo. Stock 400 has unique short rods for cam clearance.check, check , and check again for cracks. Especially between the center cylinders. Same for the heads. Hopefully it has not been overbored too far. .040 is really pushing it. Check the main bearing webbing ( the area above the main caps below the lifter valley) if revved too hard they are known to tear chuncks of the crank box out. Good engines but 10 pounds of u know what in a 5 pound sack.especially with production parts. Good luck , awesome find.
Thanks man! Im going to go get a close look at the main bearing webbing and hopefully this thing is in good shape.
@@BudgetBuildGarage Any time bro. Pull the main caps one at a time, sometimes a crack will develop between the inner and outer main cap bolt holes. Inspect those bearings too bro. Make sure those mains fit in their register nice snd snug. Again, 3.750 stroke is a lotta weight swingin around down there! Any more questions contact me. Been messin with this stuff for a long time.
@@hilleryclifford2367 I appreciate it man. It's good to know people with firsthand experience on stuff.
Hillery Clifford found my first 400 in a '72 Caprice 2 dr. 4 bolt mains. We rebuilt the engine and it got transplanted into a'73 Nova hatchback. As I recall it looked like a grandma's car in stock trim
@@stevenmarcinkowski8577 you guys rock!!! They are still out there, and the cars to look for are the full size cars& station wagons as you know.Also look in k5 blazers,suburbans pickups till 1980.Easiest dead giveaway to very quicly ID a 400 is to look at the harmonic balancer. It is bigger than any other small block & is counterweighted like the flex plate. 4 bolt mains are a plus but not mandatory. You guys are amazing. I run 454/ 496 bbc so always try to build the biggest you can afford!! Keep looking for those 400s !!
i have built many 400 s what do you want to know ? change those heads out for 64cc....that 400 is a great block
I have a 400 2 bolt main how much hp would I be able to push?
My dad had a 400 sbc in a chevy caprice it has siamee cylinders from the factory i was told to advance distributor timing at least six degrees , Hope the valves are not shrowed , If it was my engine i would pull the spark plugs and put some marvel mystery oil & carb cleaner 50/50 just to make sure all is free & lubed ,Should run Strong !
I built a 400 two bolt main
And I strongly suggest having it balanced crank was turned 20/20
30 over TRW flap tops with relief port's stock rods
Yup, mine always sounded like it was going to come apart above 4500.
I have a 509 2 bolt block , solid roller, AFR, Fitech fuel injected, with a 192 blower shop blower. 6 lb. Makes 720 on a Dyno jet. I recommend ARP bolts, I still run the stock crank and Rods. Keep the RPMs down and it will last. Good luck
A 400 is the only small block with three freeze plugs per side,quick I.D.
There is a 2 soft plug 400 bud
@@JiveFive55 yep my 509 casting 400 has the two core plugs in side
I pulled a 400 out of a 71 Nova with 23000 original miles little old lady drove it for real LOL put it in a 83 Monte Carlo and that thing was wicked fast!
a sbc 400 block has the bulges between the freeze plugs .a good affordable sbc build ,is using a 3.875 stroker crank in a 350 sbc block .
*GM Push-Rod v8's are the BEST*
"Are trash" fixed it for you
A few years back I built a 407 with Dart II heads and an Eldlebrook Victor Junior with Holly EFI. The engine had 11 / 1 compression....also had 5.85 rods and a 305 Hyd from Comp Cams .......it was interesting !!!!
All small blocks with 3 freeze plugs are 400s but all 400s don't have 3
Exactly!
Tim Ferguson, Bingo 👍🏻
3 frost plugs indicate 4 bolt mains.
2 plugs represent Siamese cylinders if i remember right
tommie lewis, All 400’s have siamese cylinders...
Had a gmc Jimmy with a 400 and a Monty Carlo with a 400... the Jimmy was awesome, never gave much trouble, the Monty Carlo, I could vaporize a set of tires with zero difficulty! They both had cooling issues... but it was fixable... both very reliable engines imho...
When it comes to the 400sbc it is different, you want the 2 bolt main as it is stronger than the 4 due to the main being thicker on the 2 bolt, unlike other SBC.