Bare Bones Budget 400 Build

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Not sure what the bearing retainer is, I have not bought the trans yet off my buddy, I may go up and get it tomorrow.
Its an old goofy ball and trunion, but I have a good driveshaft.
 
RustyRatRod said:
I thought about it. I almost hit buy it now on some NOS forged 440 pistons that would have brought compression up out of the dismals, but that would sorta defeat the purpose, which is to show you can have something respectable in a stock stroke, stock compression 400. They really get a bad rap. When I'm done, it'll melt tires on command and idle in traffic all day. What more could you want?
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Yeah really boil the hides & idle nice, street manners, I think those pistons would be still only around 9.6:1 so that's okay, I wouldn't use a small cam or you'll play ping pong, I almost bought those last year, but I'm stroking mine to 471. It was supposed to be a budget 451 but thangs change
 
MOPARMAGA said:
Yeah really boil the hides & idle nice, street manners, I think those pistons would be still only around 9.6:1 so that's okay, I wouldn't use a small cam or you'll play ping pong, I almost bought those last year, but I'm stroking mine to 471. It was supposed to be a budget 451 but thangs change
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And who knows? If I like it enough to keep it big block, I will run it till it needs freshening up......might go 451 then. It'll still have to be mild because I'll still be limited to exhaust manifolds. I'm not cuttin the car.
 
sireland67 said:
Not sure what the bearing retainer is, I have not bought the trans yet off my buddy, I may go up and get it tomorrow.
Its an old goofy ball and trunion, but I have a good driveshaft.
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They aren't that goofy. They are arguably stronger than their slip yoke counterparts.
 
RustyRatRod said:
And who knows? If I like it enough to keep it big block, I will run it till it needs freshening up......might go 451 then. It'll still have to be mild because I'll still be limited to exhaust manifolds. I'm not cuttin the car.
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The standard b-body hedmans do fit on a low deck a-body, a little massaging, about as much as in a 71-74 b-body needs
 
MOPARMAGA said:
The standard b-body hedmans do fit on a low deck a-body, a little massaging, about as much as in a 71-74 b-body needs
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Yes, they do fit the later A bodies.......and sometimes without any dents at all. I'd hate to even try them in an early car.
 
RustyRatRod said:
Yes, they do fit the later A bodies.......and sometimes without any dents at all. I'd hate to even try them in an early car.
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I did that exact move, Hedman 1-7/8 headers into my ‘71 Duster. The front end linkage needs some help to clear the header, so a small dent was implemented.
Not a big deal.

On later years, the front end linkages are different so the clearance problem should be less to nil IMO.

Spark plug changes are a PIA. A tad harder than harder than this drivetrains ET up in a B or E body just due to less to no room to move your tools and hands around. I would not do this again myself. But it did work. Other than headers, the only issue (minor but a little pricey) was the mechanical fan fitment which I deleted the viscous fan for a GOOD electrical fan.
 
rumblefish360 said:
I did that exact move, Hedman 1-7/8 headers into my ‘71 Duster. The front end linkage needs some help to clear the header, so a small dent was implemented.
Not a big deal.

On later years, the front end linkages are different so the clearance problem should be less to nil IMO.

Spark plug changes are a PIA. A tad harder than harder than this drivetrains ET up in a B or E body just due to less to no room to move your tools and hands around. I would not do this again myself. But it did work. Other than headers, the only issue (minor but a little pricey) was the mechanical fan fitment which I deleted the viscous fan for a GOOD electrical fan.
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rumblefish360 said:
I did that exact move, Hedman 1-7/8 headers into my ‘71 Duster. The front end linkage needs some help to clear the header, so a small dent was implemented.
Not a big deal.

On later years, the front end linkages are different so the clearance problem should be less to nil IMO.

Spark plug changes are a PIA. A tad harder than harder than this drivetrains ET up in a B or E body just due to less to no room to move your tools and hands around. I would not do this again myself. But it did work. Other than headers, the only issue (minor but a little pricey) was the mechanical fan fitment which I deleted the viscous fan for a GOOD electrical fan.
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If I can remember correctly, the spark plugs were a pain in the *** with a 400 & the 1.75 primary headers in a 73 charger
 
Got me some head gaskets in today. Thank yall. Yall know who you are. lol Got heads bolted on and torqued. Put my pushrods and rockers and all in the Evaporust and will bolt "all that" on tomorrow.

400 HEADS ON.jpg
 
This better not be another chunk of steel that gets thrown under your workbench and forgot about! I want to see sure grip smoke broiling out of the back tires and up into the telephone wires!!...
EXAMPLE...
dusterburnout.jpeg
 
As usual, I couldn't stand it so I went back out and installed the pushrods and rockers. I'll get pictures tomorrow as the battrees in my camera died. I should be able to get the intake and valve covers bolted on it. We'll see.
 
j par said:
This better not be another chunk of steel that gets thrown under your workbench and forgot about! I want to see sure grip smoke broiling out of the back tires and up into the telephone wires!!...
EXAMPLE...
View attachment 1715586566
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I actually haven't forgotten about any of them. The 400 Ford engine I really want in the truck...bad. I'm gonna need a hand with that, because the truck sits up high and I am going to pull transmission and all, so I'm gonna need two people. Kitty is here but she just doesn't have the strength for big stuff. I know Evan will help, but he has a pretty busy work schedule. I have one more friend who I know will help. I just have to coordinate when he's off. Then there's the 396. All I need is a set of shorty headers and a distributor and I can bust it off and break it in. Once running, a good video will sell hell out of it. Same with my little GT40P Ford motor. I just need to outlay a little cash to maybe make a chunk.
 
RustyRatRod said:
I actually haven't forgotten about any of them. The 400 Ford engine I really want in the truck...bad. I'm gonna need a hand with that, because the truck sits up high and I am going to pull transmission and all, so I'm gonna need two people. Kitty is here but she just doesn't have the strength for big stuff. I know Evan will help, but he has a pretty busy work schedule. I have one more friend who I know will help. I just have to coordinate when he's off. Then there's the 396. All I need is a set of shorty headers and a distributor and I can bust it off and break it in. Once running, a good video will sell hell out of it. Same with my little GT40P Ford motor. I just need to outlay a little cash to maybe make a chunk.
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I have had my wife help me almost every time I pulled out an engine if not every time. Now she's not strong but having those extra hours there and just sometimes a hand on the side of it to keep it from swinging. She's done it enough times now to know what she's looking for. The key is just taking it one or two Lil pumps on the lift at a time and then stopping and reassessing.. instead of lifting it right out of there in one swoop in about 5 minutes we take our time and take a good half hour.. We re-set ourselves and make sure we're not getting in any kind of hurry at all...
And what's going on with the Robcat?
 
j par said:
I have had my wife help me almost every time I pulled out an engine if not every time. Now she's not strong but having those extra hours there and just sometimes a hand on the side of it to keep it from swinging. She's done it enough times now to know what she's looking for. The key is just taking it one or two Lil pumps on the lift at a time and then stopping and reassessing.. instead of lifting it right out of there in one swoop in about 5 minutes we take our time and take a good half hour.. We re-set ourselves and make sure we're not getting in any kind of hurry at all...
And what's going on with the Robcat?
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Well......Kitty has this thing about being accident prone. If somebody's gonna get hurt doin somethin, it's her. She's rammed her foot into the engine hoist, rammed her shin into the engine stand, slammed her toe into the engine hoist wheel.......and on and on and on. I purt near caint AFFORD to have her help me. lol

I actually sold the Robkat. One of my Facebook friends came up from Florida and gave me an offer for it I couldn't refuse. I'dda been dead before I ever got to it. I still have everything else though. That's why I am going to get the 302 running and ready to sell.
 
'63GT said:
I STILL don't have a budget !
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Yeah. This is the way all but a few of my builds have been so I've kinda become the definition of "necessity is the mother of invention" in doing things. I actually have the BEST time taking something old and making it new and operational again. It's a real sense of accomplishment, rather than just writing checks for parts.
 
RustyRatRod said:
Yeah. This is the way all but a few of my builds have been so I've kinda become the definition of "necessity is the mother of invention" in doing things. I actually have the BEST time taking something old and making it new and operational again. It's a real sense of accomplishment, rather than just writing checks for parts.
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Right on!! Love the attitude :)

Well, you've been around long enough to know.. spend the good money in all the right places, you'll go fast anyway.
 
RustyRatRod said:
Well......Kitty has this thing about being accident prone. If somebody's gonna get hurt doin somethin, it's her. She's rammed her foot into the engine hoist, rammed her shin into the engine stand, slammed her toe into the engine hoist wheel.......and on and on and on. I purt near caint AFFORD to have her help me. lol

I actually sold the Robkat. One of my Facebook friends came up from Florida and gave me an offer for it I couldn't refuse. I'dda been dead before I ever got to it. I still have everything else though. That's why I am going to get the 302 running and ready to sell.
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I don't care who you are that's funny! LOL
I can't say my wife is accident prone but definitely not coordinated LOL but that does bring up the memory of when we were getting ready for bed and I jumped in first and was kind of doodling with my phone and she walked in and her left foot kicked the bedpost and I heard a "CRACK!"... She kicked her pinky toe against the bedpost and was in so much pain she didn't make any noise.... It was swelled up so big the next day we had to go to the doctor and sure enough it was a cast....
That's too bad about the Robcat I thought that was going to be something...
 
j par said:
I don't care who you are that's funny! LOL
I can't say my wife is accident prone but definitely not coordinated LOL but that does bring up the memory of when we were getting ready for bed and I jumped in first and was kind of doodling with my phone and she walked in and her left foot kicked the bedpost and I heard a "CRACK!"... She kicked her pinky toe against the bedpost and was in so much pain she didn't make any noise.... It was swelled up so big the next day we had to go to the doctor and sure enough it was a cast....
That's too bad about the Robcat I thought that was going to be something...
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I swear man, Kitty is so bad. She will run into the frikkin WALL. And it's gotten worse since her stroke. She's always been bad about walkin real fast through the house......and when she does, she swings her arms really fast.......and usually SMACKS a hand or arm into a door frame......so she always has bruises on her hands and arms. Total klutz. lol
 
RustyRatRod said:
I swear man, Kitty is so bad. She will run into the frikkin WALL. And it's gotten worse since her stroke. She's always been bad about walkin real fast through the house......and when she does, she swings her arms really fast.......and usually SMACKS a hand or arm into a door frame......so she always has bruises on her hands and arms. Total klutz. lol
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For my wife when it comes to clumsy it's a food thing.. how she can start out eating and then end up so far away from her mouth?!.. in her hair back by her ears... Course she's got a big rack of boobs that catches just about everything...
true story she has to put on a bib at the dinner table anytime she's wearing something white or something she cares about...
 
She heard me voice commanding that and said it was a apron! I said it's an apron when you're cooking it's a bib when you're eating!!. Lol..
 
j par said:
She heard me voice commanding that and said it was a apron! I said it's an apron when you're cooking it's a bib when you're eating!!. Lol..
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She should have hit you in the head with something heavy.
 
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