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Edlebrock RPM Heads on Stock Engine Questions

Myasylum

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Hello, I just purchased RPM heads... One of the things mentioned is to check the Valve to piston clearance. Should I be good with a stock 400?
Also... is there an issue with using the stock distributor? Will the heads fit around it?
Can I go with a thinner head gasket of .22 ?
Can I still use the stock rockers for now?
With the angled plugs will this be good with the Hooker headers?

I also have RPM intake and a EVS2 800 Carb.

I do plan of getting a cam... but I think I'm going to hold off till next year... Then maybe new rockers.

Thanks!
 
Which version of EDE RPM's do you have? Should be no problem with piston to valve, but I'd check it. A .021 head gasket should be OK. I presume the stock pistons are a long way down in the hole. Header clearance may be an issue.
 
75CC I goal is to lower the compression.

Since the 400 is a low compression Engine I figured the Piston to Valve clearance wouldn't be an issue. I just just reading that the valves are bigger than the stock valves and that's where the problem could come in.

I hope the headers work. Don't want to use stock manifolds. I'd think they have to work though?!
 
What year of 400 and what did it originally come out of? I don't see any potential problems unless it's like the '73 HP short block I once had that the factory pistons were smooth flat tops and measured only .010 to .020 below deck. And you almost certainly will not have piston to head clearance problems with most stock 400 cam timing.
 
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I don't even know. It was hard for me to see the casting #'s. I think it actually said 74, and it's in a 1972 Satellite.

What do you mean? "And almost certainly not with most stock 400 cam timing."
 
Is a .021 head gasket a steel gasket? And those don’t work on an aluminum head do they?
 
Yes, I am. I'm having them shipped directly to them, mild porting done too.
 
I guess the Fel Pro 1009 is a better choice for head gaskets. That's what I use. Mild porting and a good check on the guide clearance is a real good plan.
 
Fel Pro 1009 - .39
Edelbrock 7325 - .38

.01 - Probably not a noticeable difference.

Anything if the stock distributor will fit with these heads?
 
Fel Pro 1009 - .39
Edelbrock 7325 - .38

.01 - Probably not a noticeable difference.

Anything if the stock distributor will fit with these heads?
0.039" and 0.038". 0.001" difference.
 
The stock 400 has the piston down almost 080 from the factory.
It should clear easily any camshaft up to .500 lift by a country mile.
MY cam is 268 @ 050 and 484 lift and has over .125 cleanrance.
Use a feeler gauge and get a approx. distance down to be sure piston
is stock location. Edelbrock does not recommend using Fel Pro gasket at
this time = I have read on this forum. I ran one and it went bad after 50 passes
with fresh machine work and done to their specs.

I now run the expensive Cometic Gaskets (About $100 each)!!

I race a 400 73 B body in NHRA stock that we claim is fastest stocker 400
in country so I am pretty familiar with this combo.

Google: John Irving Drag Racer
to see it.
 
What do you mean? "And almost certainly not with most stock 400 cam timing."
Because of the very conservative timing events of the smog era engines. I don't see having any clearance problems because valve to piston clearance is more of a function of duration and overlap than actual lift.
 
Hello, I just purchased RPM heads... One of the things mentioned is to check the Valve to piston clearance. Should I be good with a stock 400?
Also... is there an issue with using the stock distributor? Will the heads fit around it?
Can I go with a thinner head gasket of .22 ?
Can I still use the stock rockers for now?
With the angled plugs will this be good with the Hooker headers?

I also have RPM intake and a EVS2 800 Carb.

I do plan of getting a cam... but I think I'm going to hold off till next year... Then maybe new rockers.

Thanks!
I run a 400 block 451 in my 68 Sport Satellite with RPM heads fitted with big valves, RPM intake, 1.5:1 stock iron rockers, Mopar finned aluminum valve covers, and Schumacher Tri-Y headers. Stock distributor fits fine. My flat top pistons are .015" in the hole with .027" Cometic gaskets and clear just fine.

Remember that for these Eddy RPM aluminum heads, they take a different length plug that is longer than the requirement for the stock iron heads.
 
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