400 B block

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I am sorry if I got out of hand, that was not my intention. someone asked about a girdle for the 400 block and stroking it and I suggested 440 source. We have never had issues with their parts or their service. Yes I know there are better parts out there, the more you spend the better quality.

Again I apologize for my response John I hope you will accept it.
 
Well, I don't think you were out of line. I do question why anyone would assemble an engine if they found some clearance issues or irregularities.

What was the response from 440 Source and what were the problems they had with the parts? You said they contacted them, JohnRR?

The Stealth heads seem to make pretty damn good power....but I don't like the needle bearing rocker arms....I could be wrong, but i'm sticking with the more expensive Crane Gold Race Rockers.

P.S. Take note with the Stealth heads....they come setup with stuff thats only good to .510" lift...you have to upgrade some things to use them at more than .510"....a little misleading when they are showing flow numbers at .600".....gotta read everything!
 
Dorian, no need to apologize. You werent; out of line. But John is in and out around here, and I've known him for a few years now. He has his moments...lol. But he is not a novice and a decent guy.

Dave, Yes, Brandon has exchanged notes with me on the first couple kits before. The rest of the kits still have the same repeat issues. 440Source is a good place to get stuff, but in the end, Brandon needs to make money too, and that's what it comes down to. So long as the majority of customers has no issues they will be fine. Whether because the workmanship is that good, or because the vast majority of buyers are novice assemblers he markets directly to do not have the tools to check for the issues the product has. Some are businesses who simply are not detail oriented enough with performance work to care. There is no impetus besides demanding better if one is to spend more to satisfy the buyers that do require better results when you are making money and satisfying a mojority of your customers. Brandon's done well in creating a market for this stuff, and he deserves the accolades. But you can never have more than two: right, fast, or cheap. Chose which ones you want.
 
Dorian said:
Well I guess we build them properly here... We have never had any problems with 440 source, either with buying parts or using them. I suggest you keep your remarks to yourself until you have bought their products and used them for yourself.
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Dorian , no need to apologize , I have seen this **** first hand , I'm not bashing just to bash. I have no problem with 440source the company , hell when they first came on the scene I was as interested in low price parts as much as the next guy, people buy what they can afford and they aren't the only one selling offshore parts. My problem is with the condescending prick mouthpiece and his marketing 101 bullshit . If a person has to SCRAPE bearings to get them to clear when the same bearings work fine on the other cranks then something is WRONG .
 
Moper,

Can you (or, anybody else) recommmend a reasonably-priced sonic tester that would be appropriate for measuring cylinder-wall thickness?:read2:

Thanks for any information...


Bill, in Conway, Arkansas
 
Sorry Bill...lol. I forgot yor part. I use the Dakota Ultrasonics PR-8. It isnt cheap. But honestly, cheap testers cannot be trusted. You want one that comes certified and that can be adjusted for the material being tested. There are different ways to test too. Cheap ones can usually do one type. either a spot test or a scan. Cheap ones also come with sample material blocks to set up the tester or pre-programmed frequencies. But iron is very different manufacturer to manufacturer. The cheap machines are about as accurate as a ruler for measuring spark plug gap.
 
Good info!

So, what you're saying is, if you use 440 source stuff you should check all parameters and have it looked over by a good crank/balance guy?
 
you could always buy MOPAR and then rest assured you are getting top quality products for the $$$ spent.
 
I'm saying I check everything, and I find things wrong. A bunch of others say there's no problem with it...lol. 388, I have found Mopar products to be no more reliable, and in many ways worse. And they sure are not cheaper.
 
Moper wrote: "Dakota Ultrasonics PR-8. It isn't cheap."

You can say that again. At a little over a grand for this item, I can pay for a lot of sonic testing by a third party...

Thanks a lot for the advice, though. If I were in the business, I guess that price, and the accuracy it implies, would be my choice, too.

Then again, I've got that much in my TTI exhaust system on this ol' tub....

But, there's just so much money for "projects" when you're retired and on a "fixed income" that isn't "fixed" all that well... LOL!:angry7:

I do appreciate the information, moper! Guess I'll stay with this standard-bore block for awhile...

Bill, in Conway, Arkansas
 
Bill Dedman said:
Moper wrote: "Dakota Ultrasonics PR-8. It isn't cheap."

You can say that again. At a little over a grand for this item, I can pay for a lot of sonic testing by a third party...

Thanks a lot for the advice, though. If I were in the business, I guess that price, and the accuracy it implies, would be my choice, too.

Then again, I've got that much in my TTI exhaust system on this ol' tub....

But, there's just so much money for "projects" when you're retired and on a "fixed income" that isn't "fixed" all that well... LOL!:angry7:

I do appreciate the information, moper! Guess I'll stay with this standard-bore block for awhile...

Bill, in Conway, Arkansas
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My brother in law works for a company called Cal-frac. They use sonic testers everyday and we used one of theirs to sonic test his rollcage. If you know anyone in the oilfield business maybe they can help out.
 
the 400 block is a start to a build. girdles are pretty much a waste of time in my opinion though. the 230 casting 400 block i think has the largest main webbing but 74 and under blocks will work fine. my engine is a 500ci 400 block with billet side bolt mains and alittle hard block in the water jackets. I used nice parts and spent ALOT of time on the cylinder heads and with an 825cfm carb, solid flat cam and 93 octane shell gas it made over 685 with almost as much torque with the nicest flatest curve i could ask for. Its average hp and tq is over 600 all the time from 4200 to 6400
 
it also helps for clearence since it has a lower deck for an A body. And i work at a machine shop and we sonic test any stock block were going to bore. you can even do alittle bore shifting to maximize thickness all the way around or atleast on thrust sides. That will make the block that much more relaiable and its a good idea to have done.
 
No, if you're just building one or two, it's not worth it. Just ask to see the tester, and get a set of results for each hole back after. Like dustd said, I've also moved bore centers to avoid a sleeve. Some block are so bad that if you simply used the blueprint dimension for bore centers, by the time you reach #7 or 8, you're almost breaking thru into water.
 
yea it really is worth it. heres a pic of my main setup. If you dont think that ties in the main structure much better than a girdle your taking crazy pills.

PICT1790.jpg
 
isn't asking a question on a five year old thread like talking to the dead?
 
www.pro-gram.com for steel 4-bolt main caps

http://stankemotorsports.com/ for aluminum 4-bolt main caps for big block Chrysler
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