400 SBC Advice

[Joshwfl]

I'm still looking for a play toy, and came across a sweet 79 Camaro. The motor has less than 500 miles on the build, and he has over 6 grand in receipts. My only concern is it being 30 over. Do the siamesed cylinders have enough meat to still be a reliable driver? Here's what's been done:
small block 400 bored .30 over
5.7 rods instead of the 5.56 rods.
New crank and main bearings.
Gear driven cam/no timing belt
Crane Cam Energizer with ..454 lift ..216 duration.
KB Hyper Pistons.
Edelbrock Performer intake
Holley 650cfm carb.

[CRMOE500]

.30 is fine. .60 is a little much for a 400. What you want to know is weather the heads have the steam holes in them. 400 cylinder heads came from the factory with these holes and hopefully these do if they are original to the motor. So long as you don't over heat the motor you should be fine. Nice straight looking car Josh.

[xtremeslide]

i like the car,the cat is included?

[Travis]

You should be fine. That gear drive cam will drive you crazy though. Every where I would go people would say you need power steering fluid because of the noise it will make. I finally got tired of trying to explain and just started agreeing with people.

[Roostius_Maximus]

400 blocks are bad for cracking from the head bolts closest to the top of the cylinders. probably 75% of the ones i see are cracked here, and seep water into the oil, or crack further and pressure the radiator. anybody want 400 blocks at .040 or .060 i've got a dozen or more but wont use them other than glory motors or demo car stuff

[100hp honda]

327,350,396,427,454- all these were real good engines. just me but i would pass on the 400 small block. 400 chevy was like the 400 ford, not a real good design

[AlisoBob]

S/B 400 kick ass

I built one for a buddies K5 Blazer... Thing was a monster.... 425hp, zero issues.

[Roostius_Maximus]

-'s
:only 1 year of 400's came with a 4bolt main,
:they're externally ballanced from stock.
:without steamholes on the street they heat like a bitch
:the cracking of the block, and the threads pulling out of the deck

possible ways to avoid trouble: main studs w/girdle, head studs, bigblock radiator and deffinately get an internaly ballanced rotating assembly


here's a 400 block at .040 (glory motor) everything is nice looking but we wont be using it for the street or race, and a 350 prepped at .040 for stock car.

[AlisoBob]

Adam, ever use 3/4" pipe plugs in the large water passages to stiffen up the deck on the 400?

My buddies do this to both the upper and lower holes.... helps allot.

(Obviously you redrill the coolant passages)

[Exnav]

http://www.hardblok.com/info.html

I haven't done this, but know a lot of racer buddies that do.

[Roostius_Maximus]

Bob, for sure its been done, altho i've yet to see one crack to that hole, its when it cracks to the bolt hole, chases water up the stud/headbolt into the valve cover, or accross into the cyl that i have trouble with

[AlisoBob]

The idea is it reinforces the whole deck, to resist cracking at that bolt hole.

[Joshwfl]

Man, I've looked at SO many, but I think this is the one I will be ending up with.
http://gainesville.craigslist.org/cto/1066343205.html

[ISBB]

i dont think i would trust anyone who thinks they could tow that much weight with a ford effin RANGER!!!!