BigFury
Well-Known Member
Just got my motor together. It's a stocker with a hotter cam and intake. And it sure feels good to get to this phase in the project.
400 BB motor project
- Thread starter BigFury
- Start date
Looks good.
70bigblockdodge
Old Man with a Hat
Cool, looks good, who's Dart?
BigFury
Well-Known Member
Thanks, the Dart belongs to a buddy. . '68 520 inch B1 heads. You'll see us down at PRP this summer.
70bigblockdodge
Old Man with a Hat
April 23 is first NSS event. No cars newer than 1979 unless a legal stock or super stock, keeps the fwd and fox body mustangs out of your hair.
BigFury
Well-Known Member
cool! we were just talking about that.. you bringing your Chally?
Tink
Well-Known Member
I had a 400 2bbl in my '72 Monaco. I thought it was a smog dog back then after my '67 NYer with a 440. Never worth the work of a rebuild. Man was a I wrong. Folks are doing amazing things with those motors today. Yours looks great. Nice work.
Fratzog
Old Man with a Hat
Isn't a 400 just a bored out 383?
Tink
Well-Known Member
I believe that is true but it was all the other stuff done to comply with the new regulations. It never had any factory performance. It was the same story with the factory small block Chevy 307. No one rebuilt a 307 back then when a 283 put out nearly a third more power.
livininharrow
Senior Member
sweet looking motor I bet you cant wait to hear it run.
Wildaugust
Senior Member
Basically, yes. A 4.34" bore compared to the 4.25" bore of the 383. The 346 heads were used on both IINM and the 400 also got the 452 heads later.
The 400's were low compression from the factory and I believe the cam timing was deliberately retarded. Similar to what they did to the 400 Ford. These days, with choice musclecar era V8's getting scarce and expensive, some of these "smog era" V8's are becoming worth a second look, IMO. Since they'll likely need a rebuild anyway, if you can correct the compression and timing issues, you've got yourself an engine. My way of thinking anyway.
Nice to see a 400 done as a 400 too.
70bigblockdodge
Old Man with a Hat
Yes I need to get off my but and get the converter in it, I'll be there even if I'm up all night on the 22nd.
BigFury
Well-Known Member
I was running it before we did the cam swap and it was a solid runner. Not a powerhouse by any means but with the few upgrades I did it will perform just fine for a street daily driver on cheap fuel.
BigFury
Well-Known Member
Great! Looking forward to the warm weather and opening racing season.
BigFury
Well-Known Member
Yea..basically but the block architecture in a 400, esp the early '72-'73 blocks is by far the best (strongest) blocks Chrysler produced. The main webbing is real stout making for great stroker foundations. 440 Source has a great detailed read on Mopar big blocks.
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