blower on a 400

I have 1966 chevelle and a pro street jeep wrangler I got a few years ago, as of right now the chevelle has pretty stock 402 and the jeep has a small block 400 running around 450 hp. I have decided to put the 400 in the chevelle I do however want to put a blower on the 400. I don’t want to build anything to radical and I don’t plan on building a 1000hp motor but I don’t want to drive around with a worthless blower either. I have never built a blower motor before but I was told this 400 had a blower on it at one time. Does anyone have any suggestions or know how much I should expect to spend?

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Originally Posted by TheFroFactor

I have 1966 chevelle and a pro street jeep wrangler I got a few years ago, as of right now the chevelle has pretty stock 402 and the jeep has a small block 400 running around 450 hp. I have decided to put the 400 in the chevelle I do however want to put a blower on the 400. I don’t want to build anything to radical and I don’t plan on building a 1000hp motor but I don’t want to drive around with a worthless blower either. I have never built a blower motor before but I was told this 400 had a blower on it at one time. Does anyone have any suggestions or know how much I should expect to spend?

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The 400 sbc is about the last engine I would ever put a blower on.
With their thin walls and siamesed cylinder's this would really make me nervous.
If you are "hell -bent" on this I would "o'ring the block and also have it sonic tested.
If it is a two- bolt block I would also run "splayed" 4-bolt caps.
If you have a good 350 block I would just build a 383
With the thicker cylinder walls you have a much better chance of keeping gaskets.

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Originally Posted by erik erikson

The 400 sbc is about the last engine I would ever put a blower on.
With their thin walls and siamesed cylinder's this would really make me nervous.
If you are "hell -bent" on this I would "o'ring the block and also have it sonic tested.
If it is a two- bolt block I would also run "splayed" 4-bolt caps.
If you have a good 350 block I would just build a 383
With the thicker cylinder walls you have a much better chance of keeping gaskets.

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I hear you Erik, but I have run 400's successfully for years now. At one time I o-ringed the heads but I found that to be another sore spot. The best way to go these days seems to be with the Cometic gaskets. You can even reuse them. Since I started with them I have had no problems. I run about 550 hp with motor and 250 nitrous.

My current motor is .030 over. I did install splayed caps. I run it on the streets and have about half the block cemented. I keep the cement down about 3.5 inches from the top of the block deck.

I would love to install a blower but I have never owned one and therefore I have subscribed to this thread cause I want to follow it.

If and when I build another 400, I would just start with a New World block. If you want to go with an older block, make sure you go with an 817 block, not the 509 or 511. It has a higher nickel content.:)

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Originally Posted by TyphoonZR

I hear you Erik, but I have run 400's successfully for years now. At one time I o-ringed the heads but I found that to be another sore spot. The best way to go these days seems to be with the Cometic gaskets. You can even reuse them. Since I started with them I have had no problems. I run about 550 hp with motor and 250 nitrous.

My current motor is .030 over. I did install splayed caps. I run it on the streets and have about half the block cemented. I keep the cement down about 3.5 inches from the top of the block deck.

I would love to install a blower but I have never owned one and therefore I have subscribed to this thread cause I want to follow it.

If and when I build another 400, I would just start with a New World block. If you want to go with an older block, make sure you go with an 817 block, not the 509 or 511. It has a higher nickel content.:)

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At or around 800 on a 400 even with all the prep work you have done is an accident waiting to happen.
It is a miracle that it has not blown yet.
We have built a few 400's,412's,420 etc. over the years.
We did the same level of prep work you did and also added deck plugs.
Every one of them ended up cracking right down the lifter valley.
I would guess the only reason they are living is because they are in a street car and you can't hook it up.

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Originally Posted by erik erikson

At or around 800 on a 400 even with all the prep work you have done is an accident waiting to happen.
It is a miracle that it has not blown yet.
We have built a few 400's,412's,420 etc. over the years.
We did the same level of prep work you did and also added deck plugs.
Every one of them ended up cracking right down the lifter valley..

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I beleive you. One professional local racer said that he could never get a 400 block to take more than 600 hp. I am wondering, do you remember if you ever used a 817 block? Maybe that is the difference!

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Originally Posted by erik erikson

I would guess the only reason they are living is because they are in a street car and you can't hook it up.

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Actually mine hooks up. I have AWD with a drag radial at each corner

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Originally Posted by TyphoonZR

I beleive you. One professional local racer said that he could never get a 400 block to take more than 600 hp. I am wondering, do you remember if you ever used a 817 block? Maybe that is the difference!


Actually mine hooks up. I have AWD with a drag radial at each corner

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What transfer case are you running?

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Originally Posted by erik erikson

What transfer case are you running?

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I think the number is, Borg Warner 4420, but whatever the number might be, it is a transfer case out of an AWD Chevy Astro or Safari van. These are the same cases that came in the Syclones and Typhoons between 91-93.

That is so funny that you would ask that. Everyone, and I mean everyone,... asks me that very same question. The next question is, "is it stock?" Then, "it has never broken?" :LOL:

I have no idea why it hasn't. When I launch without nitrous, the left front wheel lifts. If I launch with, it lifts even longer, (I'm only talking a second, if that). Then when it comes down I feel a little tug and away we go. The tug might simply be my suspension groaning because of the weight coming back down, no idea. Everything is tight. I can only imagine what the camber of the wheels are doing in that moment.

Over the years I have replaced the entire transfer case because I felt the viscous coupler was allowing the rear wheels too much spin. I gauge this by the amount of restraint I feel when turning a corner. If it starts rolling to easy around a corner, I know it's time. But I have only done that once over 7 years. One other time I replaced the chain with another stock chain, just because.

Other than that, I have all stock components. CV shafts, u-joints, driveshafts, except for the whimpy rear end that chevy came with. I replaced the 7.5 inch with a *cough* *cough* 8.8 inch.

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Originally Posted by TyphoonZR

I think the number is, Borg Warner 4420, but whatever the number might be, it is a transfer case out of an AWD Chevy Astro or Safari van. These are the same cases that came in the Syclones and Typhoons between 91-93.

That is so funny that you would ask that. Everyone, and I mean everyone,... asks me that very same question. The next question is, "is it stock?" Then, "it has never broken?" :LOL:

I have no idea why it hasn't. When I launch without nitrous, the left front wheel lifts. If I launch with, it lifts even longer, (I'm only talking a second, if that). Then when it comes down I feel a little tug and away we go. The tug might simply be my suspension groaning because of the weight coming back down, no idea. Everything is tight. I can only imagine what the camber of the wheels are doing in that moment.

Over the years I have replaced the entire transfer case because I felt the viscous coupler was allowing the rear wheels too much spin. I gauge this by the amount of restraint I feel when turning a corner. If it starts rolling to easy around a corner, I know it's time. But I have only done that once over 7 years. One other time I replaced the chain with another stock chain, just because.

Other than that, I have all stock components. CV shafts, u-joints, driveshafts, except for the whimpy rear end that chevy came with. I replaced the 7.5 inch with a *cough* *cough* 8.8 inch.

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What transmission are you running,what type of torque converter?

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Originally Posted by erik erikson

What transmission are you running,what type of torque converter?

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I am running a 700R4 with a 3200 stall lock-up converter. I've got the lock-up hooked to a toggle switch on my B&M Hammer shifter lift-up lock-out along with the nitrous button. B&M has a neet shifter knob with the ability for the nos button off of the driver's end of the knob which is activated with your thumb. It is real handy. I could tell you where my bottle is hidden, which is within driver's reach, but then I would have to kill you.:LOL:
J/K, I've got it hidden under the center consel with the valve being accessible when I lift out the change tray. hehehehehehhehehe! Not even croutch rockets have a chance off a light.

TyphoonZR that sounds cool . i do no care much for the ricers and croutch rockets it allways feels so good when you can dust off a bike

i have a 71sbc 400 that is .30 over and i have a 144 weiand blower wanted 2 know if that was a good combo for street use in my 81 Z28 (the sled)and would it be 2 much 2 take it .40 over i will be using kb-30cc dish pistons 4 the lower compression and a 76cc head with steam holes also i have a built 350 turbo with a b&m holeshot 2400 and a eaton posi with 373 thanx

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Originally Posted by young audio

i have a 71sbc 400 that is .30 over and i have a 144 weiand blower wanted 2 know if that was a good combo for street use in my 81 Z28 (the sled)and would it be 2 much 2 take it .40 over i will be using kb-30cc dish pistons 4 the lower compression and a 76cc head with steam holes also i have a built 350 turbo with a b&m holeshot 2400 and a eaton posi with 373 thanx

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My motor is .040 over so I don't see that as an issue. As for whether that blower is the right one for the 400, I have no idea. What number casting is your motor, 511, 509, or 817?

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Originally Posted by TyphoonZR

My motor is .040 over so I don't see that as an issue. As for whether that blower is the right one for the 400, I have no idea. What number casting is your motor, 511, 509, or 817?

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it is the 511 4bolt 1

If you look on the bottom of the block of the 4 bolt main on 400's, you can see why those blocks aren't the best for racing. The outside bolts of the maincaps hardly have any material around them and the block is prone to cracking. However for a street application this would be fine, as long as you keep it mild on the boost I'm sure. The two bolt main 400's are a lot better, the main caps are wider than other small blocks already, plus if you ever were worried about spinning bearings you could always get 4bolt splayed maincaps and machined. The two outside bolts are at an angle so they go into a part of the block where there is actually material there.

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Originally Posted by 69elko

If you look on the bottom of the block of the 4 bolt main on 400's, you can see why those blocks aren't the best for racing. The outside bolts of the maincaps hardly have any material around them and the block is prone to cracking. However for a street application this would be fine, as long as you keep it mild on the boost I'm sure. The two bolt main 400's are a lot better, the main caps are wider than other small blocks already, plus if you ever were worried about spinning bearings you could always get 4bolt splayed maincaps and machined. The two outside bolts are at an angle so they go into a part of the block where there is actually material there.

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oh i c what u mean i was going 2 use it just 4 on the street 2 tear up a couple of blocks then probabley sell the whole car but thats subject 2 change once its actually done (might fall in luv with it)

is a c.a.l (cat) balancer ok 2 use on my motor,what about 1.5 earson roller rockers are they any good

I use the 817 which has a two bolt main cap, but I have the splayed four bolt main caps installed. The 817 is the strongest block of the three made, it has a higher nickel content and weights another 10 lbs. The 509 is good for about 600 hp. I'm not sure about the 511, but probably 500hp.

If you want to go for more than 750 hp, I would buy an after market block.

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Originally Posted by TyphoonZR

I use the 817 which has a two bolt main cap, but I have the splayed four bolt main caps installed. The 817 is the strongest block of the three made, it has a higher nickel content and weights another 10 lbs. The 509 is good for about 600 hp. I'm not sure about the 511, but probably 500hp.

If you want to go for more than 750 hp, I would buy an after market block.

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no 450 to 500 is what im tryna reach

Oh, you just want to play a little, well, send me the blower, you don't need it for that amount of hp.

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Originally Posted by TyphoonZR

Oh, you just want to play a little, well, send me the blower, you don't need it for that amount of hp.

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im thinkin about going with a 385 with the blower pistons and a 76cc head it will put me rite at 8.2.1 comp instead of the 406 with the crazy water jacket and thin walls what do u think

Depends on how tight you are on cash. If you know how to build a 383, then go for it. If you don't... a lot of times the inside of the block has to be ground to fit the bigger crank. I would get this done by a machine shop just to make sure you don't go through a water jacket. You're going to need a Scat 383 crankshaft, which is a 350 journal size but with the 3.75 stroke of the 400. You might as well buy new 5.7 scat rods. And, you're going to need a 383 piston. You might as well go forged on pistons. So all in all, you're probably looking about a $1000 for parts. I'm not sure how much a machine shop would charge for labor to put it together.

For the 400, if you're on a tight budget. Get the ARP rodbolts installed, assuming you have the stock rods. 400 rod bolts are weak. 400 cranks are nodular iron so you'll probably be okay with a small amount of boost. Get a good piston. This setup won't be quite as tough as the 383 but it will be okay for what you are doing and it is a lot cheaper.

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Originally Posted by 69elko

Depends on how tight you are on cash. If you know how to build a 383, then go for it. If you don't... a lot of times the inside of the block has to be ground to fit the bigger crank. I would get this done by a machine shop just to make sure you don't go through a water jacket. You're going to need a Scat 383 crankshaft, which is a 350 journal size but with the 3.75 stroke of the 400. You might as well buy new 5.7 scat rods. And, you're going to need a 383 piston. You might as well go forged on pistons. So all in all, you're probably looking about a $1000 for parts. I'm not sure how much a machine shop would charge for labor to put it together.

For the 400, if you're on a tight budget. Get the ARP rodbolts installed, assuming you have the stock rods. 400 rod bolts are weak. 400 cranks are nodular iron so you'll probably be okay with a small amount of boost. Get a good piston. This setup won't be quite as tough as the 383 but it will be okay for what you are doing and it is a lot cheaper.

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yeah what im going to do is take my 350 4bolt main to the machine shop and i have a 400 crank already and ima punch it over .40 to a 385 with sum 383 blower pistons from kb with the 200dollar ts1 total seal rings for the forced induction and their going to grind the crank down for about 100bucks or i can get the scat1 like u said and ima sell my 406 block and keep my other 327 block and have a 385 with a super charger i wander how thats going to feel plus ima get that crower cam and lifters set

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Originally Posted by young audio

yeah what im going to do is take my 350 4bolt main to the machine shop and i have a 400 crank already and ima punch it over .40 to a 385 with sum 383 blower pistons from kb with the 200dollar ts1 total seal rings for the forced induction and their going to grind the crank down for about 100bucks or i can get the scat1 like u said and ima sell my 406 block and keep my other 327 block and have a 385 with a super charger i wander how thats going to feel plus ima get that crower cam and lifters set

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Buy a new crank, that 400 crank is 35 years old+, it just isn't worth turning in my opinion.

You're better off going with Scat, $180 through Summit and they are brand new. Will handle the power better too.

Looks Like I Will Be Buying A New One Then Guys I Cant Beat The Price Anyway

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Originally Posted by young audio

Looks Like I Will Be Buying A New One Then Guys I Cant Beat The Price Anyway

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You do know that it is a cast steel crank don't you?

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Originally Posted by erik erikson

You do know that it is a cast steel crank don't you?

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THATS GOOD 4 THE STREET RIGHT

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Originally Posted by young audio

THATS GOOD 4 THE STREET RIGHT

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I.M.O.,the cast steel crank might be a little questionable for a blown application.
There are some people that make the point that the cast steel is more forgiving and will flex a little before it breaks.
I tend to over kill everything because I don't like any surprise's.
At the very least I would run a crank made from 5140 or 4130 steel.
I would also try and run at the very least a set of 4340 forged i-beam rods.

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Originally Posted by erik erikson

I.M.O.,the cast steel crank might be a little questionable for a blown application.
There are some people that make the point that the cast steel is more forgiving and will flex a little before it breaks.
I tend to over kill everything because I don't like any surprise's.
At the very least I would run a crank made from 5140 or 4130 steel.
I would also try and run at the very least a set of 4340 forged i-beam rods.

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i have a set of 5140 rods are they good

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Originally Posted by young audio

i have a set of 5140 rods are they good

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Yes,under 500 hp they are fine when preped correctly with ARP bolts.

guys, do you think i will hurt the 406 if i put my 144 on it and it has under 500 hp for the street,and also i would have the right heads block filled with filler a 180 thermo and a aluminum rad with the special coolent, does any1 see me hurting the wall with this 1 or having a heating problem

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Originally Posted by erik erikson

I.M.O.,the cast steel crank might be a little questionable for a blown application.
There are some people that make the point that the cast steel is more forgiving and will flex a little before it breaks.
I tend to over kill everything because I don't like any surprise's.
At the very least I would run a crank made from 5140 or 4130 steel.
I would also try and run at the very least a set of 4340 forged i-beam rods.

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I've seen a 144 blower on a bone stock 350 with 4-5psi and that worked fine. He's not gonna blow anything with that small of boost. But then again there's always the hunger for more and it's just so easy to change pulleys :LOL:

i had a 383 at 1 time with the 4340 h-beam rods the only machining i had to do is the clearence at the at the oil pan rails. I also went with the h-beams casue i put i-beams in it first and they hit 2 cam lobes the h-beams cleared that but some other clearences were easier to fix IMO. And i am running a 400 right now and the next step is to go after market block. cause i will not put any power adder to the stock 400's they are good for some n/a power but i have seen them grenade with power adders and it junked all the interanls and i would really like to keep those.

me and my dad put a 144 on a stock 305 in a malibu wagon like 4 years ago was the most hillarious thing ive ever driven

so guys is it a bad idea to put my 144 on the 406

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Originally Posted by young audio

so guys is it a bad idea to put my 144 on the 406

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"If you build it they will come".:)

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Originally Posted by young audio

I would have the right heads block filled with filler a 180 thermo

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If you drive it on the street, I would only fill the block to a max of 2 inches from the deck, better yet, fill it only as close to the deck as what your stroke of the crank is. So if you have a 3.75 inch stroke, fill it 3.75 inches from the top of the deck.

A overheating problem comes from not enough fan flow, too small of a rad, and/or not routing the water flow out from the back of the heads, and then back to the thermostat housing.

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Originally Posted by erik erikson

"If you build it they will come".:)

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I thought the saying was, "if you stroke it, they will come." I may be wrong, but hey, it works in most of my situations.:LOL:

thanx i luv talkin 2 you guys, you help me decide on what i am going 2 do, i would be lost in the world of motor projects if it wasnt 4 you guys

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Originally Posted by young audio

thanx i luv talkin 2 you guys, you help me decide on what i am going 2 do, i would be lost in the world of motor projects if it wasnt 4 you guys

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aahhhh, you're just saying that because you mean it!!