Bare Bones Budget 400 Build

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Got my lifters in today. Box beat slap to hell and barely taped together. Precious little packing material. Would have been ok had the lifter box not tore open and spilled lifters everywhere. Of course one found a hole in the box, so I have a set of 15. I paid with Paypal through EBay so "we'll see" what happens. Also got my oil pump and drive shaft in.
 
Got my lifters in today. Box beat slap to hell and barely taped together. Precious little packing material. Would have been ok had the lifter box not tore open and spilled lifters everywhere. Of course one found a hole in the box, so I have a set of 15. I paid with Paypal through EBay so "we'll see" what happens. Also got my oil pump and drive shaft in.


I’m just not an eBay person !! More power to y’all that are !! Have some buddies that wear eBay out and it works for them !! Sorry for your missing lifter !!
 
I’m just not an eBay person !! More power to y’all that are !! Have some buddies that wear eBay out and it works for them !! Sorry for your missing lifter !!

It is what it is. I've had very little bad luck with eBay. It's ok. If they don't wanna play nice, I got Summit 60 miles up the road. I'll get one and leave appropriate feedback.
 
It is what it is. I've had very little bad luck with eBay. It's ok. If they don't wanna play nice, I got Summit 60 miles up the road. I'll get one and leave appropriate feedback.

ive got a 1976 400 that I raced many moons ago ! It was a build just as yours ! Rings , bearings , oil pump home valve job , cam . Wiend intake 750 4150. 8.2 to 1 comp I think. 3000 stall 56 gear 10.5 slicks . 8.0’s 1/8 in 4000 lbs B body ! I was thinking about doing it again just as you are doing ! That same stock short block and throw a set of 240 trick flows on and trick flow track heat that I just happen have still in their boxes never been installed on anything !! I just wonder what that dude would do?? I know the compression will be higher do to the 78cc chamber ! It’s got 452 on it now !!
 
ive got a 1976 400 that I raced many moons ago ! It was a build just as yours ! Rings , bearings , oil pump home valve job , cam . Wiend intake 750 4150. 8.2 to 1 comp I think. 3000 stall 56 gear 10.5 slicks . 8.0’s 1/8 in 4000 lbs B body ! I was thinking about doing it again just as you are doing ! That same stock short block and throw a set of 240 trick flows on and trick flow track heat that I just happen have still in their boxes never been installed on anything !! I just wonder what that dude would do?? I know the compression will be higher do to the 78cc chamber ! It’s got 452 on it now !!

It would probably be a lot of fun I bet!
 
It would probably be a lot of fun I bet!

Thanks for doing what your doing with this build !! Lot of guys will learn a lot from what your doing ! This time I have a 72 swinger to put this dude in ! Plus a few other goodies ! 727 with a brake ! May have to come up with a TC tho ! I’ve got 8in 5500 stall ! Maybe a bit much ! I’ll put it in there and see !! I’m thinking your right tho ! Lot of fun there
 
Thanks for doing what your doing with this build !! Lot of guys will learn a lot from what your doing ! This time I have a 72 swinger to put this dude in ! Plus a few other goodies ! 727 with a brake ! May have to come up with a TC tho ! I’ve got 8in 5500 stall ! Maybe a bit much ! I’ll put it in there and see !! I’m thinking your right tho ! Lot of fun there

I don't know.......big bore and short stroke loves to rev. Cam it right and it'll be a hoss. I got this XE285 Comp I'm not going to use. Dyno time only. It looks beautiful. I'll make you a deal on it.
 
I don't know.......big bore and short stroke loves to rev. Cam it right and it'll be a hoss. I got this XE285 Comp I'm not going to use. Dyno time only. It looks beautiful. I'll make you a deal on it.

I have acquired a brand new set of mechanical roller lifters !! So I thought if I could come up with a decent mechanical roller cam I would go that way with it ! I’ll have to play with my desk top dyno and see what kind of magical numbers I can come up with a given cam !!
 
I have acquired a brand new set of mechanical roller lifters !! So I thought if I could come up with a decent mechanical roller cam I would go that way with it ! I’ll have to play with my desk top dyno and see what kind of magical numbers I can come up with a given cam !!

Oh heck yeah!
 
I realize my build is a little different than yours!! I’ve got some nice stuff that I have had for years! So it’s not going to cost me
Anything cause I already so much ! What I don’t have is the money to do machine work and by piston !! Or I would go all out ! This way the only thing I have to buy is a cam ! And some gaskets to maybe have some fun !!
 
I realize my build is a little different than yours!! I’ve got some nice stuff that I have had for years! So it’s not going to cost me
Anything cause I already so much ! What I don’t have is the money to do machine work and by piston !! Or I would go all out ! This way the only thing I have to buy is a cam ! And some gaskets to maybe have some fun !!

It'll be badass. Start you a build thread so we can follow yours too.
 
It'll be badass. Start you a build thread so we can follow yours too.

That’s a thought !! Your doing a good job !! It’s just like anything else ! Do the basic things right!! For the most part it all turns out good !! I’ve got 2 sons . One 28 and one 20 ! Neither have ever built a motor or A transmission! I think I’m going to let them two build this motor and transmission and I’ll teach !!
 
That’s a thought !! Your doing a good job !! It’s just like anything else ! Do the basic things right!! For the most part it all turns out good !! I’ve got 2 sons . One 28 and one 20 ! Neither have ever built a motor or A transmission! I think I’m going to let them two build this motor and transmission and I’ll teach !!

That will be very rewarding, especially if you light the spark in them. Good luck! My son is 30 and all he wants to do still is play video games all day. S'why he's livin in Phoenix and not here.
 
That will be very rewarding, especially if you light the spark in them. Good luck! My son is 30 and all he wants to do still is play video games all day. S'why he's livin in Phoenix and not here.

My oldest has been drag racing motorcycle since he was 15 ! My 20 yro starting racing J.R. dragster at 10 !! So both of them have been exposed to drag racing early in life ! But everything has kinda changed now ! My oldest is having his first kiddo in August ! My 20 yro is still here at home trying to go into the military ! And become disabled about a year in half ago with Parkinson disease ! So the money has stopped around here for racing ! Just trying to survive ! That’s why I have a lot of good stuff ! I was able buy that stuff before I got sick ! But it is what you make it ! So I’m going to try to go with what I got ! Make lemonade with the lemons sort of thing
 
My oldest has been drag racing motorcycle since he was 15 ! My 20 yro starting racing J.R. dragster at 10 !! So both of them have been exposed to drag racing early in life ! But everything has kinda changed now ! My oldest is having his first kiddo in August ! My 20 yro is still here at home trying to go into the military ! And become disabled about a year in half ago with Parkinson disease ! So the money has stopped around here for racing ! Just trying to survive ! That’s why I have a lot of good stuff ! I was able buy that stuff before I got sick ! But it is what you make it ! So I’m going to try to go with what I got ! Make lemonade with the lemons sort of thing

Man I sure am sorry to read that. There's all kinds of miracle treatments out nowadays. That and keepin yourself busy.
 
Man I sure am sorry to read that. There's all kinds of miracle treatments out nowadays. That and keepin yourself busy.

Yes Sir there is ! I’m on some now and works good !! Thank you tho ! I was raised and the drag strip! Texas Raceway in Kennadale and the lengdary Green Valley ! I’m sure you have heard of both !! Been in drag racing
Since birth lol
 
I don't know.......big bore and short stroke loves to rev. Cam it right and it'll be a hoss. I got this XE285 Comp I'm not going to use. Dyno time only. It looks beautiful. I'll make you a deal on it.


Ok, if you’re not using the XE285 did you post what you are using? I missed it.

BTW, I didn’t forget your PM...I’m working on what I think, but I want to physically write it down, look it over and think about it before I commit to it!!!

I’m chicken like that.
 
Ok, if you’re not using the XE285 did you post what you are using? I missed it.

BTW, I didn’t forget your PM...I’m working on what I think, but I want to physically write it down, look it over and think about it before I commit to it!!!

I’m chicken like that.

lol ok. I was wonderin. Yeah I ended up going with of all things the Elgin 443/465 214/224 @.050 on a 112. Screw it. This is an old school build and I'm not messin around. I'm gonna old school the hell out of it. It really needed a smaller cam and I got that one on sale for 59 bucks and shippin so that made the decision. lol
 
I'll be interested to hear how that new cam runs. That seems to be the same specs as the small Summit cam. Still contemplating my options for the 361 in the Charger.
 
I'll be interested to hear how that new cam runs. That seems to be the same specs as the small Summit cam. Still contemplating my options for the 361 in the Charger.

The 361. They get less respect than a slant six. I like um though.
 
The 361. They get less respect than a slant six. I like um though.
For there displacement..... super small for a “Big Block” engine, the stock parts are generous in size/performance. The after market part that fit the low deck are limiting for valve size though iit doesn’t need much.

It’s bore and stroke combo is like a small block.
4.12 X 3.38
I’d like to run that bore size in any of my small blocks.
 
Got the intake mannyfold and water pump housin blasted primed and painted. They came out good I think. Mama would be happy I have found a use for her 50s model steel folding ironing board. It's pretty stout. It just won't die.

INTAKE AND PUMP HOUSING.jpg
 
For there displacement..... super small for a “Big Block” engine, the stock parts are generous in size/performance. The after market part that fit the low deck are limiting for valve size though iit doesn’t need much.

It’s bore and stroke combo is like a small block.
4.12 X 3.38
I’d like to run that bore size in any of my small blocks.


Never understood how people disregarded the 383, if they came out with a 340 race block with spec like a 383 people would be tripping over themselves to buy one, but many have one just sitting under a bench cause it's not a 440.
 
Actually, for technicalities sake, the 383/400 stroke is not 3.38. It's 3.375. I know, it's splittin hairs.......UNTIL you get technical and want to blueprint the block deck, or index the crank, for just two examples. Also, a lot of info says the rod journals are 2.380. They are not. Standard diameter is actually 2.375. Again, not trying to split hairs, but that's important information when sizing a crankshaft. When you're measuring and determining parts down to the thousandths of an inch, splittin hairs becomes important.
 
Never understood how people disregarded the 383
Or even more strangely, the overlooked 400 that this thread is about!... too much "Ew. Smog motor" until people figured out it had the biggest bore of all the big-blocks at 4.342. Put a lightly machined 440 crank in it and voila... 451 in a package that looks like a 383/400 externally :)
 
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