350 to 400 small block

[Obwonkonobe]

@Honky Kong jr of a 2 bolt main? Im not doing anything besides edelbrock carb and a set of vortec heads later on, 450 hp max and that's very hopeful

 

[Rusty Nail]

I cant afford the machine shop, so im trying a 400 to get some cheap cubes

No. I do not argue with Señor Honkey Kong. The longer this post drags on, the more clear it becomes.
Speaking of clear, let's get something crystal.
"Cheap cubes" and 400SBC do NOT belong in the same sentence.
Or paragraph even.
Maybe not even on the same page?
For reals. Not trying to be a dick, but i'm serious. A 400 will require gobs or machine work if it's gonna live long and happy. I do not want to begin a discussion about "core-shift" here, now.

Building a 400 is kind of .... advanced. I don't really know how to say it nice. I'm no good at that. But if you don't have any (lots) of money to spend, you REALLY ARE better off with a 350. Dude i'm not tryin to bust your bubble, i want the best for you and your square. I want to see you on the 400 wagon. 400s are cool because they are shrouded in such dark and mystery.
If it were me, i'd jump at a $250 core. Have it sittin around and play with it. Look at it this way...maybe 1 in 4 cores you pick up may be buildable. That's a semi-random number based on no fact just as example.
People GIVE AWAY 350s while others COLLECT 400s.
$300-$1000 is entry level for a CORE in Oklahoma. 350 parts are WAY cheaper and the end result is WAY more forgiving. Plus the odds are in your favor that you will make "better" power.

I'm a noob 400 guy any way you look at it, but i'm convinced by now that the THE KEY to happy motoring with a 400 is machine work.
And longer rods...lol.

This board is great and we will love to help you but please, consider the source.

We're on the innerwebz...

I think your "cheap cubes with a 400" plan needs SERIOUS reconsideration. lol.

 

[Honky Kong jr]

@Honky Kong jr of a 2 bolt main? Im not doing anything besides edelbrock carb and a set of vortec heads later on, 450 hp max and that's very hopeful

That’s asking a lot for the amount of compression your gonna get From stock 400 pistons. It m not pissing on your plan just being realistic I might be at 480-500 with mine and there is a lot into mine and it’s only a 407 but not a small block

 

[Rusty Nail]

Perspective:

The highest output 400 that Chevrolet ever produced made 185 horsepower.

They also made a 370 horsepower 350.

 

[Obwonkonobe]

@Rusty Nail hmm defiantly something to think about, may have to start another post soon if craigslist turns up good options to hop up my 350 then. Lots to think about

 

[twinturbo427]

I daily drove a 1970 Caprice with a bone stock LF6 400 and a 1972 Caprice with 35k original miles on the stock 400. These were fun and fast, got ok mileage and never overheated.
I owned a 1980 Suburban C10 with a 400 and 100k on the odometer. It was good at nothing. The factory addition of a 4 barrel carb improved nothing. It could roast one tire at will though.
I sold my last 400 two years ago and sometimes regret it. Just the nostalgia really....
You could always go 383 and reuse your block.

 

[Rusty Nail]

An LF6 400 was a big block.

We were talking about small block 400s, not bored out 396s...

 

[peats]

i know honky kong and i dont see eye to eye on the 400 sbc, but i love them.i have had great sucess with 2 of them. all of that other info is spot on and $250 for a rebuildable core is fair (i paid $125 for my 406) . take a look at northern auto parts performance rebuild kit. i always thought their prices were good. the flat top pistons will require mid grade gas. 2 or 4 bolt really does not make a difference in your build, as a matter of fact, i have read that the 2 bolt is a little stronger than the 4 bolt. have the heads and block checked professionally before you start to invest $ into the engine. i have heard of issues with cracked cylinder heads. your level of build should produce no overheating issues. pick a cam that has low and mid range power. as stated previously, it is not a high rev engine.

 

[74 Shortbed]

Why not just build a 383????.......... I won't mention a big block, lol..

 

[peats]

what is a 383 going to do that a 400 cant do in a mild build?

 

[74 Shortbed]

Just makes it easier, he can use the block and heads he already has..

 

[peats]

i dont think he wants to take the truck off the road for an extended time. sounds like he wants to build another engine and then do the swap. if the core is sound, a bore and crank grind is all the machining he should need, he can clean up the heads himself. the clearance issues and machine work for a 383 are not for a novice or the short on cash.

 

[Dooley]

Pics showing 3 styles of the 400 block.

The third one "509".

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[Obwonkonobe]

If I get the block and heads for the 400, what's the minimum i should have the machine shop do? And spot on about keeping the truck on the road, that's a bug reason to not pull my 350 for a rebuild.

 

[Dooley]

A pic of the 400 harmonic balancer.

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