SBC 400 Parts & Suggestions

Ok. My original plan was to build a 355 and feed a small shot of nitrous to it. I acquired a sbc400 yesterday. It is 4 bolt block (i know i know the main webs are supposedly weaker, let's not get into that arguement). It is @ standard bore and my machinist said it will clean up @ .020.

I want to run with good power on this thing. I am curious about strokes and things because I haven't studied up nor do i know a whole lot about 400's. That's why I'm asking here to the people that do know more about the 400's. I don't have any crank/rods/pistons all i have is block and heads (was just going to freshen a pair of 72/76 (i'm not exactly sure what they are) cc heads and drill the steam holes). I can get the metal (oil pan, timing cover) from my shop because we have a few lying around. This will be mated to a th350 with a shift kit and a posi rearend. Please help me on this issue because i'm getting a lot of money for graduation and this is what i'm going to do as a graduation present to myself. :D

Just build a cheap 406. You can get the complete rotating kit for about a grand. That would be with hyper pistons and cast crank. The rods are 5.7 forged I-beam. That kit will hold a lot longer than your 4-bolt mains. Go for maximum torque made down low and it will last a long time.

yeah just go the 030" over route your better off. stroker motors are a pain jmo though.

Ok i was looking at a wholesale book at work today and i scouted some prices.

1 Scat series 9000 crankshaft (3.75 stroke, use with 5.7 rod) = $203.99
1 (Eagle) 5140 steel rods (5.7") = $174.99
1 Set of Speedpro Flat top pistons (hypereutetic)= roughly $200.00

Then if you figure about 200 bucks for a set of main bearings/rod bearings/rings I'd have a complete kit with everything i'd need to assemble the short block for about $800 by the time i got a gasket set so i could put my oilpan/timing cover on it. I figure thats a pretty good deal? Those pistons and rods press fit.

Here's an answer I gave on another forum to a fellow who has a 400 to build....

Quoted from Car Craft, describing a motor combination.....
"That engine was a 406 ci small block with Vortec iron heads, an Edelbrock Performer RPM Air Gap intake, a 750 Holley double pumper carb and a mild Lunati hydraulic flat tappet cam. The single-pattern cam spec'd out with 230 degrees of duration at 0.050" tappet lift, 0.480" lift and a 109 degree lobe separation angle. The engine was also fitted with small 1 5/8" headers and on Duttweiler's dyno made an amazing 525 lbs/ft of torque at 3,500 and grunted out 471 lbs/ft at 2,300. Horsepower was acceptable with 428 at 5,000. The limiting factors to more horsepower were twofold. First, Vortec heads are exhaust port limited, so using a camshaft with about 10-12 degrees more exhaust duration and a little more lift would have helped. Second, to accomodate this additional lift, mods to the heads would be required with better valvesprings as well. You can purchase a set of Vortecs already modified with more retainer-to-seal clearance and better springs (PN SD8060A) from Scoggin-Dickey for $680 ready to bolt on. As for the cam, we'd go with a flat tappet hydraulic cam with specs of around 230/240 @ 0.050" with lift around 0.480"/0.510" and a 110-112 degree lobe separation angle."

If using 5.7" rods, you'd want to use a small base circle cam and longer pushrods. Using a KB168 Keith Black piston (22 cc dish), zero deck, 0.040" compressed gasket and the 64 cc Vortecs, your static c.r. would be 9.78:1

Remember to drill the Vortecs to match the 400 block steam holes and use a 400 head gasket.

Bolt a 2,500-3,000 stall converter to the back of this motor with a 3.73 gear in the rear.

356-13014 SB-Chevy 400ci Street & Strip Rotating Assembly
Bore x Store: 4.155'' x 3.750''
Rod Length: 5.700''
Pistons: Keith Black -5cc Flat Top
Comp Ratio: 12.5:1 w/58cc, 11.6:1 w/64cc, 10.2:1 w/76cc
2-piece Rear Main Seal



$1,187.99

I copied and pasted this out of www.jegs.com I think it comes with balancer and flexplate also. Would work well with 76cc heads.

:CRY: Got wind of what my machine shop bill is gonna be for the 400...

74 for the bore
35 for the dip
100 for the decking
25 dollars for cam bearings and freeze plugs installed...

Total: $234 dollars But I guess what has to be done, has to be done.