Thread: Coolant in cylinders; fresh 400 sbc build

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Originally Posted by Bigbzc

Excuse me for being idealistic. I will just find some cheap heads that can be reworked and get this thing together. That was what this thread was suppose to be about in the beginning. Hoping maybe I might even find someone who will trade some unworked heads for mine

Bigbzc,
No one is going to criticize being idealistic, but you're being challenged to be realistic in your build vs just spending money and being unhappy with the results. Tech has spent quite a bit of time going into a lot of detail about how you can build for your situation and not destroy the engine via detonation. The days of old are gone - fuel is crappy, oil is crappy, and everything costs arms & legs. Pat's pointing out that you're going to spend quite a bit of good money bringing used stuff up to snuff if you choose to go that way.
Tech's last post very clearly says "If it were my engine...." No one is telling you what to do here, but you've got a combined wealth of experienced guys (not me....) who are trying to not only give you good advice, but lead others that are following this thread down a path that leads to smiles not frowns. Good luck on your build, whichever way you choose to go.

In the late 80's I pulled a stock 400 out of a 72 Caprice Estate wagon, replaced the rear main seal, stuck in an old 30/30 Isky solid lifter cam, an Offy 360 intake with a 650 Holley DP, a set of Hedman headers, a 454 flywheel, and had a shop in town build me a 3100# pressure plate and the best clutch disc they sold and stuffed in a 62 1/2 ton Chevy truck. It ran on 87 pump gas and it wasn't the baddest thing in town, but I did surprise a few folks. Don't try to reinvent the wheel.