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400 rebuild

Jakob

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5:39 AM
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Sep 1, 2020
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Location
Tyler texas
I am currently rebuilding my engine and i want to do new pistons, rods, cam, lifters ect and wanted to know if anyone known of a good all around kit to get or have a combination of good parts for a little power and drivability. car will be a driver with a drag day here and there.
 
No substitute for cu. Inches. Bore the block 30 over and use a 440 crank and rods for a 451 stroker. With the appropriate pistons. Depending on cam and lifters you are streetable 500 plus HP easily.
 
I stroked the 400 to 512 with the 440 source kit. Kept the compression down to use pump gas and believe it or not, it’s very street worthy. Drive it around all the time. I also used the 571 cam from the 440 site too!
My experience go big. If you’ve got the cash to go 451, you’ve got the cash to go 512, they’re same price. If you’re spending money, get as many cubes as you can! Just get right pistons, close to the deck, compression mid 9’s you'll be all set.. 440source has all kinds of options.. some folks will say they didn’t do well with 440source, but I had a great experience with them and the kit!

The only thing I will say about the 512 build is.....I don’t drive by many gas stations!
Good luck
 
Stroke that sucker. A 440 source kit and their heads will put a smile on your face.
 
I agree with the other guys. The price of the stroker kits & quality of parts sure seems real good. Did two 400/451 strokers in the '80's, ran great, stock 440 cut down cranks were the weak link at 7000+ RPM. The Source kits sure look great. Never heard a bad word about them. Longer stroke & lower RPM is a good plan.
 
Great advise Go with the cubes, JMHO I would do a 470 with the 6.70 rod and 1..32 pistons, Alot easier on sideloads on walls and easier on Bottom end, Main cap walk, Still makes a great torque monster that with stock port windows heads works amazing.
 
And you'll get rid of that cast crank and all the hassles of external balance
 
alright thanks for the info guys ill post my exact block on here when i get home from work tonight and see your advice. i want to keep the engine that came with the car and i know its a 400 but im worried thats it might be a 383 bored out so i need to check the block because i forgot to take a picture when i disassembled. thanks for the advice!
 
and my 73 charger is painted petty blue and i dont know what to do for paint for the bay, block, and heads. ideas are appreciated
 
alright thanks for the info guys ill post my exact block on here when i get home from work tonight and see your advice. i want to keep the engine that came with the car and i know its a 400 but im worried thats it might be a 383 bored out so i need to check the block because i forgot to take a picture when i disassembled. thanks for the advice!

Boring a stock stroke 383 to get to 400 would mean an overbore of .090. Very unlikely. Do check the casting number on the block and the casting date numbers. It's worth knowing. If you don't sonic check the bores for wall thickness, at least visually inspect the block for core shift. Look at the front of the block, see how close the cam bore is to the center of the cam boss in the block. Look at the timing cover bolt holes for them are to the center of their bosses. Look at the lifter bores see how close the bores are to being centered in their bosses. Same for bolt holes and cam bearing bore on the back of the block.
 
Wow. A guy wants a little more oomph from a 400 and the only response is stroke it.

No questions about what he has and what he wants.

I have a couple silly questions. What's your total budget for the motor, total budget to get the car rolling down the road, and what parts do you already have (I.e. headers, exhaust, carb, transmission, gear, radiator, .........)
 
Boring a stock stroke 383 to get to 400 would mean an overbore of .090. Very unlikely. Do check the casting number on the block and the casting date numbers. It's worth knowing. If you don't sonic check the bores for wall thickness, at least visually inspect the block for core shift. Look at the front of the block, see how close the cam bore is to the center of the cam boss in the block. Look at the timing cover bolt holes for them are to the center of their bosses. Look at the lifter bores see how close the bores are to being centered in their bosses. Same for bolt holes and cam bearing bore on the back of the block.
Very unlikely? Bore of the 383 is 4.25". Bore of the 400 is 4.34. Diff of .09.
I think what the OP is asking is if the diameter of the combustion chamber of the head is a different diameter (smaller) than the cylinder bore how would that affect air flow.
 
Very unlikely? Bore of the 383 is 4.25". Bore of the 400 is 4.34. Diff of .09.
I think what the OP is asking is if the diameter of the combustion chamber of the head is a different diameter (smaller) than the cylinder bore how would that affect air flow.

Guess I didn't read it that way. The heads are interchangeble on the various sizes of BB Mopars. If he thinks he has a bored 383 that got out to 400, that means a .090 overbore, very unlikely. Should have said the airflow is a function of which casting, valve size and whether it's ported or not.
 
Why would it be unlikely as a 400 is exactly that- a bored 383.
Yes, they are interchangeable but the bores are different sizes. The combustion chamber diameter would be the same. What is being asked is how would that affect performance? Wouldn't you want the combustion chamber the same diameter as the cylinder?
Am I correct?
 
Slap, you missed my point completely, a .090 overbore is HUGE. Never heard of that much overbore in a Mopar. A .090 over 383 would have almost no cylinder wall thickness. That's why Mopar came out with the 400 "big bore" B engine block.
 
Maybe a missing link, a 400 block is a different casting then a 383 even though they look similar on the outside. Different cylinders in them.

The OP said he needed/wanted all new internals, at that point people pointed out it's the same price to go big
 
The OP said he needed/wanted all new internals, at that point people pointed out it's the same price to go big

I just read it differently

1) the OP is a newbie, and frankly probably doesn't know the right questions to ask, or info to provide.
2) without the goals, it is presumptuous to think that the cost of a 500 in motor will be the same as a rebuilt 400 in motor, all in.
 
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